french fries & milkshakes make me happy!
so does doing something nice for
somebody else, just because.
(like sharing my fries)
GIVING BACK - IT WORKS
2025 - Matt Brown
​
​A True Force For Good
From a very young age, being involved with charity work and volunteering wasn't an option for me, it was just the way of my world because of who my mom was. My mother, Donna Brown, was a national hero to many unnamed abused and neglected children (her efforts changed laws, and saved lives). One day they will make a movie about my mom. In the late 80's, and throughout the 90's, she was on national talk shows (like Dr. Phil, back in the day), trying to get her state of Utah to help her fight the sad fight surrounding children being physically, sexually and mentally abused and neglected - and sometimes the ultimate worst - unwarranted fatalities.
She dedicated her life's work to protecting children who found themselves in and out of the revolving state courts and foster home systems. When state officials (and the Governor at the time) wouldn't listen to her, my mother decided to get their attention with the largest lawsuit payout in the state's history. Which in turn, created an entirely new legal division of dedicated defenders (Guardian Ad Litem) responsible for only representing kids who have no voice, no lobbyists, no voting power, no protectors, no advocates. Her lawsuit focused on 20 counts of child welfare reform and she won 19 out of the 20 (David C. Vs The State Of Utah). There are videos on the web about my mom, there are white papers at Harvard and the National Center for Youth Law, plus other government agencies across the country adopted new protocols all because of her pursuit to leave the world a better place than how she found it. I'm the proud son of an Erin Brockovich, Norma Rae, Karen Silkwood, Dolores Huerta type mom who gave everything she had to fight injustice. Unfortunately she left this place, this space, far too young (at the age of 54, cancer found her). She did all of this as an unpaid volunteer for a nonprofit called CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). Thanks for letting me "OVERSHARE" a small portion of my story with you - just wanted you to know that if I'm fortunate enough to work with your charity - where I come from - and who helped me set my compassion compass . . . Here's an article from the local paper on the day my amazing badass mother passed away . . .
" I've proudly supported numerous charities over the years - from being hyper involved with my time, money and taking the lead on many
successful fundraising efforts (in the millions) as listed here. "
Matt Brown / Volunteer "Sure I'll Help" Guy
Rx Laughter was a five-year study launched with a grant from Comedy Central to team up with UCLA Mattel 's Childrens Hostpital to provide research for a first-of-its-kind study scientifically testing the theory that laughter really is the best medicine for children and adolescents dealing with painful procedures and life-threatening illnesses such as cancer. Comedy Central, and TV veteran Sherry Dunay Hilber, contacted Adlink, to see if we'd take the lead on helping them create a high profile fundraising event in Los Angeles to build awarness for this cause. As VP of marketing I spearheaded and oversaw logistics that included renting Royce Hall, securing title sponsors (Mervyn's and Good Guys), ticket sales, plus all creative elements to support the event. It was impressive teamwork all around by the award-winning Adlink marketing peeps!
Year one we raised $200K, year two we increased +21%.
" I believe every child deserves the permanency to know they'll have a home on their birthday - not another move through the system. "
Donna Brown / Casa Volunteer / Ombudsman State Of Utah Child Services
A good portion of my early media career was spent between New York and Los Angeles for Paramount Studios and then Adlink. I decided to return to my home of Salt Lake City to help run the CBS TV Affiliate (KUTV) and be closer to family. Upon returning home the Guardian Ad Litem's Office reached out to see if I'd help them out in any capacity. I was honored considering my mother's legacy (story above), plus to meet people that knew her, and knew of her amazing accomplishments as a CASA. Of course I immediately jumped in - I'm extremely proud of my efforts - my focus was to increase volunteerism, build stronger brand recognition (less confusion around messaging), and to create a strong multi-year operating budget. Here are some of the results over my two-year commitment - it was beUTAHful teamwork!
-
President, Board Of Directors Friends of CASA
-
Built and Executed Communcations Marketing Plan / Strategy
-
Secured Grants for Statewide Billboard Campaign
-
​Increased Volunteer Base From 300's to 500's
-
Tentpole Annual Fundraising Event - Incorporated Local CBS Connections - Talent & Promotions
-
​Increased Budget From $500 FY to $180,000 Discretionary Fund
" Many refugee stories are similar and start like this - families are home late at night when they hear gunshots that force them to flee their
homes with only whatever they can grab. "
Gerald Brown / Director Refugee Services State of Utah
One day I asked the Director of Refugee Services, Gerald Brown (no relation, but great last name, and a really really great human being), what I could do to help him in his efforts to assist international refugees arriving in Salt Lake City to start a new life?
He told me, "Many refugees stories are similar and start like this - families are home late at night when they hear gunshots that force them to flee their homes with only whatever they can grab." He then went on to ask, "Do you know what the number one thing they don't grab enough of?"
Answer: Shoes!
As the Executive Director Of Strategic Partnerships at the CBS station in the market - I called our colleagues over at Real Salt Lake Major League Soccer where we quickly put a night on the calendar that we could both promote and ask fans to bring shoes (slightly used or new) to the stadium to donate on a game night. The results:
-
Hearts & Soles! (That was my tagline - I also pushed for Sole Power - but it came in 2nd . . .)
-
CBS Channel 2 + MLS's Real Salt Lake Shoe Drive For Refugees = Huge Success
-
One of Biggest RSL Fan Donation/Participation Night's
-
1,000's Of Shoes
-
We Had To Rent A U-Haul To Deliver Them The Next Day
​​
" What the heck is NF?
And why are we running in our underwear to find a cure. "
National Fundraising Undie Run Website To Fight NF
When my younger sister (Tiffany) called one day crying, and told me that her young son was just diagnosed with NF - I didn't know what to say. Sheepishly I asked, "What is NF and how serious is it?"
NF stands for Neurofibromatosis, and it's a term that describes three genetic diseases caused by mutations in genes that lead to increased risk of developing tumors. Some variants can be very serious, leading to early fatalities.
So, like any good brother/uncle would do, I started researching and trying to help in any way I could. My help was bumping into a national fundraising event online to fight NF - called Cupid's Undie Run. One of the founders, Chad Leathers, had a brother, Drew, who was diagnosed with NF at the age of 16 and sadly lost his life to NF by the age of 28. They wanted to create a fundraiser that was fun and not depressing - so they came up with the Undie Run. You build a team, get donations, and then run around the block downtown in your city - in your underwear. I'm proud to announce the following results:
-
Two Years Running - Official Team Captain Of "Tiffy's Tush Team"​​
-
Two Years Running - Back-To-Back #1 Fundraisers For Our State
-
Top 15 National Fundraising Team
-
Yes, I Made It Around A Downtown Salt Lake City Block, On A Cold Day In Feb, In My Underwear
" Get off the streets, and on with your life. "
Covenant House Motto For Homeless And Runaway Street Youth In NYC
At a young age, after playing a couple of years of college basketball in the Northwest, I decided to take an early walk about and watch the world unfold from another angle. I ended up becoming a full-time volunteer at a shelter for homeless and runaway street youth in the heart of New York City. To this day that experience has shaped my life on so many levels. Some of the stories from the youth in the shelter were atrocious. My heart strings were tugged every day. I found myself way in over my head, at a young age, witnessing some of life's cruelties up close and personal. I wasn't prepared. I learned quickly that there's a reason people get their Masters Degree in social work, and equip themselves with the necessary tools to work daily in those types of environments. I was on the frontline of riding in the outreach van, which would go out all night throughout New York until the sun came up, helping runaway and homeless kids get out of horrific situations and get off the streets and on with their life - at least that was our motto. One week I took a much needed break from the overwhelmingness of the van and hung out with a small team of older writers who helped the charity by getting the "word out." It was a rag-tag hard working, hard laughing, hard loving fledgling marketing department if you will. The minute I started helping out in this capacity, I was hooked! I knew immediately that once I honored my commitment to the shelter - I was going back to college to finish my degree in marketing and communications. I found my passion - I couldn't wait to watch my career unfold . . .
THE DEUCE
Journal Entry From My Time At Covenant House
Matt Brown
​
When I was only twenty, I moved to the backside (the dark side) of Times Square in New York City. I lived on the third floor of a ratty unfurnished apartment on the corner of 44th Street and 8th Avenue. My bedroom window faced a solid brick wall that I could reach out and touch while sitting on the ledge of my windowsill. That wall was the back of Broadway's St James Theater (Birdman was filmed in that theater, interesting film if you haven't caught it). I once talked to an elderly Lucille Ball while she was smoking a cigarette by a backstage door of the St James - just me and her - she was sweet to me - she was still so beautiful - she had a silk floral print scarf around her head and tied under her chin - this was a couple of years before she passed away at the age of 77. But all of that was on the 44th side, the tourist side, not on the 8th Ave side just around the corner from the front doors of the St James. Instead on the 8th Ave side, from about 40th street to 50th street, was the sleaze and drug capital of the world.
The heart of the district was at the intersection of 42nd Street and 8th Ave, a crossroads like no other. Some New Yorkers called it Forty-Deuce. For the trippy community that actually lived there, myself now included, everyone in the neighborhood simply referred to as The Deuce. At that time, the most dangerous street in New York was considered to be between 7th and 8th Aves on Forty-Deuce, where I now lived. Quietly just as dangerous, and only a few blocks down from the front doors of my apartment building, and just one avenue over (9th), were some scary-ass pockets of Hell's Kitchen which I walked through every day to go to work as a volunteer for Covenant House, a shelter for homeless and runaway street youth (think worst of the worst, and saddest of the saddest stories). I had a gun pulled on me once in HK when I was taking a shortcut home late one night - honestly the most scared I've ever been in my entire life to this day. But, for the most part, people in the neighborhood knew me as one of the good guys that could help other youth in the city get out of some really fucked up situations. I always wore my powder-blue-windbreaker-jacket with a really big Covenant House logo on the back, which was a dove flying out of an open hand. That's how people knew I was with Covenant House and how they got to know me, "Yo, white dude from Utah." That's how I was often greeted, everyone thought it was funny, including me.
​​​​​​​​​In the late-80's, the 8th Ave landlords of sleaze were starting to succumb (no pun intended) to the pressure of New Yorkers wanting to clean up their city. It would take them over 10 years to move out the drug dealers, junkies, pick-pocketers, mobsters, pimps, hookers, sex shops and the large number of grind-house porn theaters.
During this time, while I was a volunteer for Covenant House, I turned twenty-one in the passenger seat of the CH outreach van while we were headed back from Hell's Kitchen to a shelter Covenant House had on 46th and 8th. It was close to 3:30am in the morning. I was riding with one of the older and more experienced outreach directors (who was thinking about becoming a catholic priest). We had just picked up and helped two young prostitutes get away from their pimp. Both girls were in rough shape and one of them had a small cut on her face and was bleeding. I remember starring at them and thinking, wow they can't be much older than me, and how crazy different our worlds were. Our ride was quiet. I remember turning on the radio to break the silence, a DJ from the legendary Z100 NY radio station came on and said here's a new song from a band out of Dublin, U2. The song was, With Or Without You, which I was hearing for the first time, just seven days after its release from the Joshua Tree album.
I remember every word, chord, and drum beat of that song piercing my soul as I turned twenty-one while riding shotgun in the rescue van, my heart racing after a brotha-man-pimp twice my size cursed me while driving off with two young hookers scantily dressed. My Covenant House outreach wingman, catholic priest in training, took a slow deep breathe as we all rolled through the dark, no-one talking, across Hell's Kitchen, back into The Deuce.