Software tycoon Marcel LeBrun is getting to the heart of what it means to be a philanthropist with 12 Neighbors — a nonprofit focused on achieving "lasting transformation in reducing poverty and homelessness," including through its tiny home village in Canada.
All around the world, people are adopting tiny homes for a variety of reasons, from desiring a lower cost of living to an increased sense of well-being associated with a more minimalist and eco-friendly lifestyle.
LeBrun, who sold Radian6 to Salesforce in 2011 for almost $350 million in cash and stocks, told the University of New Brunswick's Alumni News Magazine that his research into how to best assist people out of poverty and his values informed the launch of his nonprofit in 2021.
"The word 'philanthropy' is often interpreted as someone who gives money," he shared. "But the Greek roots of the word 'philos' and 'anthropos' mean to love humans. What I have discovered is spending money is the easy thing, spending yourself is the hard thing."
Each of the 99 tiny homes in the nonprofit's village has a front porch, where people like to sit and chat, and is outfitted with solar panels, which provide low-cost, non-polluting energy. Residents put 30% of their income toward rent, with utilities and internet included.
The community also features a community garden to promote sound nutrition and alleviate the financial burden of shopping at grocery stores.
Designed to have a "low barrier to entry," per Maclean's, the village doesn't mandate sobriety, but it has security and offers substance-use recovery counseling and educational opportunities for residents building self-sufficiency.
"How you treat people is key to them being able to rewrite their identity narrative," LeBrun told the alumni magazine. "We are optimizing for that dignified experience where they can say, 'This is my own place, and I can come and go as I please.' That is a key thing."
All in all, the nonprofit village prioritizes health and connection at every turn.
"Building community and being in community is inherently rewarding," LeBrun told Green Matters in an email.
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Definitely 🙁 "Getting to know so many amazing and resilient people, who have carried and overcome so much, who have incredible strengths, is rewarding," he added. "I don't rescue or transform anybody. But we can create a community where transformation happens."
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