The Orphaned Starfish Foundation (OSF) is a

501(c)3 A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

focused on developing vocational centers for

orphans An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...

, victims of abuse and at-risk youth. Through the creation of computer centers and a focus on the development of computer literacy, OSF creates increased employment opportunities for the children they serve. It runs fifty computer centers in twenty-five countries, serving over 10,000 children worldwide.

History

OSF was founded by Andy Stein, a

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

with a background in international banking. While working as the joint head of corporate finance in the Philippines for

Chase Bank JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase Bank or often as Chase, is an American national bank headquartered in New York City, that constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of the U.S. multinational banking and fina ...

, Stein became 'financially and emotionally' connected to working with orphans and orphanages. He insisted any clients who wanted to pitch business must also arrange a visit to an orphanage. In

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, Stein spoke with a nun, who informed him of the challenges that face orphans after leaving the orphanage, including homelessness, drug addiction and prostitution. This inspired him to file the necessary paperwork to create a charity, and raise funds for a state-of-the-art computer center for the orphanage in

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

. The foundation is named for Loren Eiseley's famous parable about a young man throwing starfish into the ocean. When the man is told he cannot possibly make a difference saving one starfish at a time he replies, "It makes a difference

. . . The ellipsis (, also known informally as dot dot dot) is a series of dots that indicates an intentional omission of a word, sentence, or whole section from a text without altering its original meaning. The plural is ellipses. The term origin ...

for that one." Stein identifies this as the mission of OSF--though the foundation will never save all the orphans, it "starts with just one starfish."

Programs and Initiatives

OSF funds the construction, maintenance and staffing of vocational training facilities. These include over 50 computer centers, for which they have provided furnishings, computers and computer equipment as well as funding for teachers, English language programs, job placement, and scholarships. Stein identifies the development of life skills as essential to the foundations work, and programs include training on how to manage a budget, obtain independent housing, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Once a center is established, OSF commits to their operation "for life". A staple of Stein's personal visits to the orphanage are his magic shows. He is known by the orphans as 'Tio Mago', uncle magician, and he considers magic a tool in his outreach: "It's a way to make the children feel like they have the ability to do anything in the world."

Funding

OSF is a registered 501c3 charity, and its budget is generated in large part from the general public. The Annual Gala in New York City raises 80 percent of their annual operating income as well as the entirety of their scholarship fund.

References

{{reflist 501(c)(3) organizations Organizations established in 2001 2001 establishments in New York City