"Everyone dreams," says Doug Hollie, founder of S.M.A.R.T. Students, Inc., a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to helping underprivileged and inner city youths through education, counseling, recreation and sports, and life skills training. "All of us have dreams – our mission is to help kids make their dreams a reality."

After playing for the NFL, Doug became a probation officer and found a calling. "I started S.M.A.R.T. Students because the kids I dealt with seemed trapped in a never-ending cycle:  They went from group homes to the youth authority and back to group homes… I knew if we could get the community involved we could make a real difference."

Doug turned to the elderly for help. "Senior citizens are a vast untapped resource," says Doug. "Many feel lonely and unwanted. We create an environment similar to a grandparent-grandchild relationship, and everyone wins: The elders feel appreciated and valued and the kids are mentored by someone with real-world experience who truly cares." 

S.M.A.R.T. Students made an immediate and lasting impact: Since 1996, for example, forty-two children who entered the program from the juvenile system have gone on to become college graduates.

"We wanted to spread the word by building a great identity, a great website, and effective donation letters. I heard about Elance and thought, 'Our program is all about getting the community involved – why not get the virtual outsourcing community involved?'"

Elance buyers look for the best combination of expertise, schedule, and cost. Doug took the search for the right providers a step further.

"I felt anyone who would help us really needed to 'get' us," Doug explains. "I created a short list of providers and asked them to do some research on their own. I wanted them to understand the depth of the problem these kids face and to feel a real commitment to what we're doing. I knew many providers might have the skills we're looking for, but I need providers whose hearts are with us, too."

The results?  "Absolutely spectacular," says Doug. The S.M.A.R.T Students website was designed by Alex Ryskin (Elance username: Ringo-Web), and Michele (Elance username: DaleandSawhook) wrote donation letters specially tailored and targeted to potential corporate and private sponsors.

"Elance has been a blessing to us," says Doug. "Elance providers have helped me pass on the baton that was passed to me. My parents and grandparents taught me to do everything I could to make the world a better place, and at S.M.A.R.T. Students we're teaching kids to keep on giving, too."

"We help kids find a way out of situations they don't know how to get out of," says Doug. "The support of the Elance community has been remarkable – thanks to Elance providers, we're helping to save lives and make the world better for the generations who follow us. It's up to all of us to make sure we don't drop the baton of caring."

To learn more about S.M.A.R.T. Students, visit them at www.smartstudentsinc.org.