Exclusive Interview - Christel DeHaan, Christel House International

Formerly the founder of Resorts Condominiums International (RCI) back in 1974, Christel is now responsible for changing the lives of nearly 2,600 impoverished children around the globe at five learning centers.

We asked her how and why Christel House was formed and what it was like making the transition from For-Profit to Non-Profit.

The story behind how Christel House was founded is fascinating.  Will you share with us the pivotal trip that led to the creation of what is now an international non-profit organization serving impoverished children in 5 countries?

During my RCI years, every office around the world was committed to giving back to its local community.  After I sold the company, I received a request from Gabriel Oropeza, then President of RCI Mexico, asking if I would consider giving financial support to two shelters for impoverished children.  I agreed in principle, subject to a personal visit to meet Mother Inez, the 70-year old nun who operated the shelters, and the children.

Mother Inez and a tiny staff operated two shelters for 187 children.  One shelter for young children and older girls was located in Mexico City; the other was two hours away in Texcoco where the older boys, ages 14 to 19, were housed.  The Mexico City shelter was extremely crowded, with children sleeping head-to-toe in twin size beds. Washing was done on a washboard and dried on the rooftop.  In Texcoco there was no electricity because of a broken generator and the only water available was drawn from a cistern.  That experience gave birth to Christel House.

We spoke with the caregivers and young adolescents to understand their hopes and dreams.

Some worried about having enough to eat; others hoped that the broken school bus would be repaired so they would not have to walk 8 miles each way to school every day.  It was at that moment I realized that giving money to Mother Inez would make life easier, but inherently nothing would change.  These youngsters would live in the same poverty as their parents and grandparents.  So too would future generations.  That experience gave birth to Christel House.  I believed that if given the opportunity, these children could make a better life for themselves, and become self-sufficient, contributing and dignified members of their communities.

As we drove back to Mexico City, a spirited discussion ensued about what was truly needed to help these children.  To change a life of poverty into a life of self-sufficiency would require quality education, good health care, and proper nutrition.  It would be necessary to teach life skills, develop strong values, and foster the child’s sense of self-worth.  And every child must feel love and acceptance.  Additionally, we recognized the importance of helping parents and caregivers become more effective in their roles.

As we rambled back to Mexico City in a Volkswagen bus, we outlined these basic principles of the Christel House model.  I felt a tremendous sense of excitement, knowing that I could direct my skills and resources to transforming human lives.

Making the transition from leading a successful for-profit business to launching a non-profit organization is quite a leap.  What skills and lessons learned at RCI were most valuable to you when you started Christel House?

The leap wasn’t that big.  Running an enterprise requires certain skills, strategies and business practices that are common to both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.  Perhaps the biggest differences are how the bottom line is measured.  Instead of market capital, our bottom line at Christel House is measured in human capital. Starting RCI required fortitude, creativity, courage, pioneering, perseverance, risk-taking, hard work and a determination to succeed.

Transparency and integrity were key to RCI’s success. Leading and expanding the company required a focus on customers and employees, an absolute passion for excellence and a drive to be the leader in the field.  All of these hold true for Christel House.  One of the most valuable lessons I learned at RCI was to surround myself with excellent people.  Setting an organization’s tone and culture starts at the top, but the people charged with executing the business create the ethos. Excellent people were a mark of distinction at RCI. Christel House has that mark, too.

There are many similarities between RCI and Christel House.  In my view, both are in the business of ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE. RCI provides unique vacation experiences, while Christel House gives disadvantaged children the opportunity to build successful lives. Both organizations fulfill an important need.  Business disciplines accustom us to competition, accountability, transparency, metrics, strategic planning, performance appraisals, and compensation based on merit and achievement. I find these practices hugely important for successfully operating a charity.

What sets Christel House apart from other charities?

Christel House creates lasting change.  We are transforming lives. We address the causes and debilitating effects of poverty, poor health, isolation, abuse, abandonment and lack of opportunity.  We are doing more than providing sustenance and basic needs.

We are unleashing human potential and giving children otherwise destined to a life of poverty and despair the pathway to human dignity and success. Our model includes working with the child, the parent or caregiver, and the community.  To date we have not found another organization with a model as comprehensive as that of Christel House.

Our focus is on quality, achievement, transparency and accountability.  Financial audits for each CH entity are a given.  We submit voluntarily to education audits—just as we did in the RCI years by auditing exchange statistics in the 1970’s long before the practice became required by law. We ascribe to total transparency within the organization and report important milestones of the organization, our children, parents and community to our stakeholders.  We are regulated in each country by the ministry of education.

We have achieved numerous significant milestones.  For example, we have a 98% retention rate at Christel House Venezuela and all our children graduated with a diploma – a first for a school in the La Vega barrio and perhaps the entire country. Over 60% of our Venezuelan graduates were accepted at universities or technical schools in Caracas - unheard of for children from such impoverished background.

Another feature that sets us apart from other organizations is the provision I have made to fund the Christel House general and administrative expenses in perpetuity.   Donors now and in the future are assured that 100% of their donations directly benefit the children, and are not used for administrative overheads.  I very much believe that charities must find mechanisms for sustainability.  Ensuring that G & A expenses are covered gives Christel House greater sustainability and a high level of donor satisfaction.

We understand that Oprah called upon you for advice when launching her own school for girls in South Africa.  What was it like to have one of the most recognized women in the world asking for your advice?

As you can well imagine, receiving a call from Oprah’s staff wanting to discuss Christel House caused quite a buzz in our office.  We were excited to learn that her team visited many schools throughout South Africa, including Christel House South Africa.  Oprah’s team was tremendously impressed, stating that it was by far their number one choice out of all the schools visited.  Our scheduled hour-long meeting quickly turned into three hours.  Oprah was keenly interested in learning how we were able to open five Christel House learning centers in just four years.  We shared best practices, talked about possible pitfalls, offered our help and worked with her team to arrange a visit to Christel House Academy in Indianapolis.  And, yes, we are still hoping that one day Oprah will feature Christel House on her show.

Many timeshare organizations around the world currently support Christel House.  From your perspective, what makes Christel House and the industry such a good match for one another?

More and more companies today recognize the benefits of corporate social responsibility, particularly when it is woven in the overall fabric of the enterprise.  CEO’s know that it gives employees a greater sense of pride in the enterprise.  It also helps in staff recruitment and retention, and influences customer preference when making purchase decisions. The first timeshare resort in the U.S. that adopted Christel House as its charity of choice was Bluegreen.  Then CEO George Donavan liked the business model of Christel House, and said: “I know how you ran RCI, and I have trust and confidence that you will run Christel House by those same standards.”  From there, we garnered support from other industry members.  ARDA, OTE and ATHOC have been generous in their support.

My aspiration is for Christel House to become the international charity of choice for the timeshare industry, although I also recognize the importance of resorts supporting local organizations as well.

What are some of the creative ways in which organizations currently support the work of Christel House?

Supporters from the timeshare industry are very creative and generous; some of their fundraising initiatives include:

• Maintenance fee add-on programs

• Employee payroll deduction programs

• Hosting and/or sponsoring the Christel House Open

• Bake sales

• 50/50 raffles

• Cookbook sales

• Garage sales

• Marathons

• Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

• Bicycle races, London 2 Paris

• Asking for donations at check-out

Our objective is to create a win-win relationship with our supporters in the timeshare industry. Timeshare employees are excited about working on Christel House initiatives; marketing efforts of a resort can be enhanced by adding a social responsibility component; the industry can unite around an international charity, and the children of Christel House are the beneficiaries.

Famed golfer Gary Player was involved with the Christel House Open several years ago.  He recently spoke about visiting Christel House South Africa in an interview with the Golf Channel.  In that interview, he said that visiting Christel House may have been the best day of his life.  He is not alone. Many people, including timeshare industry veterans, who have visited a Christel House learning center, have had similar reactions. To what do you attribute those powerful reactions?

From an intellectual perspective, there is recognition that meeting basic needs, like feeding the hungry, is essential to helping our fellow man, but that this assistance is temporary, not transformational and permanent.  We must also have organizations that provide the tools necessary to break the cycle of poverty. Christel House transforms lives. The multiplier effect of this transformation will impact not only the lives of this and future generations, but also uplift the communities and countries in which we are working.

From an emotional perspective, every visitor to Christel House is touched by the experience… children who display a plethora of skills and talents; children who are well-mannered and self-confident; children who are grateful and joyful; children who have dreams and who know that Christel House will be central to the fulfillment of those dreams.  For most visitors, Christel House is a life altering experience.

There is a huge emotional impact from seeing the living conditions from which these children come, and knowing that they will have a better life. It is inspirational to realize what humans can accomplish if given the right environment and opportunity.  And above all, there is an overwhelming feeling of joy and hope. Together, these form an indelible imprint in our hearts, our minds and our souls.

For more about our support for Christel House Click Here