One Tribe Foundation: Technology for a Cause

One Tribe Foundation is a Dallas-based non-profit organization that has on staff some of the best clinicians in North Texas to combat the suicide epidemic facing this country. They empower veterans, first responders, medical frontline workers and their families through best-in-class traditional and non-traditional therapies.

Based on their growth and success, One Tribe Foundation plans to expand its program reach. In 2021, they'll start serving other parts of Texas and plan to serve the entire Southwest region in the years to come.

CHALLENGE

One Tribe Foundation started in 2013 as a grass-roots nonprofit, serving military veterans out of a small space in North Dallas with mismatched, donated furniture. As they grew and started serving more communities, their existing space became cramped.

"We created a space that fostered camaraderie among our clients. But it was difficult to have a welcoming space for visitors to be themselves when we had counseling sessions going on in the very next room. We reached a point where having more space was crucial for us," said Buck Kern, Development Director and Program Manager for We are the Children of Heroes (WATCH).

As a non-profit, all donations are directed to serve clients. So, when One Tribe Foundation moved into a new 5,000-square foot facility
in Dallas, they turned to the local construction industry for help. To their surprise, DPR Construction and 17 other subcontractors came
together to create a functional new space that allows One Tribe to serve more people.

"I've had a long-standing relationship with Dan Lombardo, the Chairman of One Tribe. When he reached out with a need for some audio-visual equipment, I knew I could find somebody to help. My first call was to FORTÉ and their team jumped on it — they donated the full package," said Christian Gournay, Vice President – Project
and Development Services, JLL.

SOLUTION

"We have several veterans in our office and have supported veteran causes in the past. That's why we said 'absolutely' when asked to provide technology to One Tribe. They're an incredible organization and we were happy to do it," said Brady Jolet, Senior Account Manager, FORTÉ.

FORTÉ donated monitors for the new lounge area, assembly area and conference room plus all of the necessary hardware and accessories. And members of the FORTÉ team donated their time to install the equipment as well.

"Having professionals volunteer to install the equipment the right way was amazing. And because they were veterans, we were able to hear their stories and tell them about One Tribe. It was an evening where we all learned about each other and that's what we're all about," said Kern.

RESULT

"We wanted a new space where people feel comfortable and can sit down and get to know one another — especially because so many of our clients miss the camaraderie they had during their service. The new monitors in the lounge draw people in and adds to the entire experience," said Don Nguyen, Senior Director of Community Outreach and U.S. Marine Corps veteran.

Client testimonials are shared on the monitors, which helps change how people look at mental health issues. With the unfortunate stigma around mental health and PTSD, they hope that visitors will see testimonials from people they relate to and realize: "It's OK to not be OK. We're all human."

Next, One Tribe plans to create videos about their outdoor activities, so they can show people who walk through their doors how the Foundation helps build the One Tribe family.

"I've been with One Tribe since the beginning and we literally started with nothing. Seeing this new space come together through community donations has been incredible," added Nguyen. "With the monitors, we're presenting a level of professionalism that we feel really good about — especially considering our very humble
beginnings.â"