SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM’S SOCIAL INNOVATOR …€¦ · 03/10/2016 · improve achievement so that participating students graduate from high school and matriculate into college

SOCIAL INNOVATOR PERFORMANCE REPORT

SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM’S

Advancing Emerging Innovations

Table of Contents

SOCIAL INNOVATOR PERFROMANCE REPORT l

SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM

Social Innovator Accelerator 2015 Report Card………………………………………………………………………..1 2014 Social Innovator Performance Reports

Coaching4Change…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3 Doc Wayne Youth Services……………………………………………………………………………………………..5 Mill City Grows……………………………………………………………………………………………………….……..7 Silver Lining Mentoring……………………………………………………………………………………….…………9 Veterans Legal Services………………………………………………………………………………….…………….11

Notes…………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………..13

About the Social Innovation

Forum ForumForrumFroum

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About the Social Innovation Forum

SOCIAL INNOVATOR PERFROMANCE REPORT l

SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM

The Social Innovation Forum, founded as a program of Root Cause, brings together leaders from nonprofit organizations, social impact businesses, philanthropy, government, and business to advance solutions to critical social issues in greater Boston. Our unique approach blends capacity building and community engagement to direct resources to effective approaches to social change. The Social Innovation Forum provides consulting and mentoring for Innovators and Entrepreneurs through its two accelerator programs.

A PROVEN APPROACH TO SUPPORTING SOCIAL INNOVATORS AND IMPACT ENTERPRENEURS

The Social Innovator Accelerator has a twelve year track record of effectively engaging with a select group of nonprofit organizations over 24 months to help them gain visibility, expand their networks, and connect with philanthropic and in-kind resources. Over the past four years, we have developed the Impact Investing Accelerator, which focuses on connecting social impact businesses with growth capital that generates both social and financial returns. For Investors and Supporters, the Social Impact Investment Community creates a space to learn about key social issues, effective organizations, and the best ways to leverage skills and resources for social change. We host a number of events throughout the year that allow our community members to meet other investors, discuss social issues, and learn from leading practitioners. The Social Innovation Forum also connects individuals with opportunities to engage directly with Social Innovators and Impact Entrepreneurs.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

LEARN

Attend our May Showcase and invite others who might consider contributing to the Innovators Attend our events about social innovation and strategic philanthropy throughout the year

ENGAGE

Volunteer to assist an Innovator or Entrepreneur with your business expertise

Ask about opportunities to engage with our Social Innovators or visit our website

PARTNER

Host an event and bring social innovation to your workplace

Become an in-kind service partner

INVEST Sponsor a social issue track Join our community of funders and supporters Invest in the Social Innovation Forum or one of our Social Innovators

SOCIAL IMPACT INVESTMENT GUIDE | 1

Veterans Legal Services (VLS) provides civil legal assistance

to homeless and at-risk veterans, removing legal barriers to

self-sufficiency, stability, and financial security. While

veterans are only eight percent of the general population,

they make up nearly one-third of the homeless population.

The lasting physical, mental, and financial impact of

military service often results in legal problems that

contribute to veteran homelessness. Studies show that

legal needs are among the top 10 unmet needs of

homeless veterans, ranking even higher than housing.

Unlike in criminal matters, there is no right to a lawyer in

civil cases, even if a veteran is at risk of losing his or her

home or family. This is where VLS comes in.

• VLS is the expert in veterans’ legal needs and the only

legal aid organization in Massachusetts whose mission is

to serve veterans

• VLS provides free, walk-in legal services at Boston area

homeless shelters, partnering with shelter staff to

provide holistic support to maximize veteran success

VLS envisions a world where no veteran remains homeless

due to a lack of legal representation.

Veterans Legal Services

One-Year Accomplishments

Provided services to 448 clients

Retained a pro bono director to coordinate volunteer attorney program and a full-time paralegal/office manager

Raised over $200,000 in new funding

Began expansion of services to include a new clinic site at the Bedford Department of Veterans Affairs and Norfolk County Veterans Treatment Court

Ways to Invest

FINANCIAL

$60,000 – Provides the necessary office space and utilities

$50,000 – Funds salary for development director

$30,000 – Provides legal support to veterans participating in the Norfolk County Veterans Treatment Court

$10,000 – Provides training for 50 volunteers

IN-KIND

Pro bono attorney services

Board and committee membership

Human resources assistance

Technology support

Marketing services

Accounting/bookkeeping

Investment Opportunity

Veterans Legal Services seeks to raise $600,000

over the next two years to continue to expand

client services. VLS will use this investment to

establish new host sites for VLS’s walk-in legal

services to reach veterans most in need. VLS will

also offer additional community trainings in key

areas of client need and engage additional

volunteer law students and attorneys to meet

that need.

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FOUNDED: 1991

CURRENT ORGANIZATION BUDGET: $543,000

CONTACT: Anna S. Richardson, Co-Director

PHONE: 857.317.4474

EMAIL: [email protected]

WEB: www.veteranslegalservices.org


PROGRAM PERFORMANCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH

Below is a summary of the key measures VLS will track to demonstrate

progress, capture lessons learned, and make course corrections.

SOCIAL IMPACT

Based on experience and anecdotal evidence, VLS proves that removing

veterans’ legal obstacles helps them to avoid or transition from homelessness

and achieve stability, economic security, and healthy families. Success for each

veteran is different because VLS helps with so many different types of legal

issues and each veteran’s situation is unique. VLS currently uses the following

metrics to gauge the direct impact of its services on veterans.

Lessons LearnedThe Social Innovation Forum (SIF) process helped VLS leadership develop the skills to promote sustainable growth of the organization. This included increasing fundraising and engagement through developing strategies to enhance effectiveness of its board of directors. VLS also learned to dedicate additional efforts to strategic fundraising and stewardship of its supporters.

Additionally, SIF helped VLS refine its branding and better articulate and capture performance measures and outcomes. This helps VLS better convey the critical community need and communicate how it responds to effectively meet that need.

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Success Story: JohnJohn served in the Army during WWII, but it was here at home that he was injured. John is African American and was the victim of a racially motivated assault that occurred near the military base where he was stationed. He suffered a major traumatic brain injury and has struggled with the lasting impact ever since, including migraines, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and pain. When John came to VLS in 2009, he had already applied for benefits from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) and been denied more than five times. VLS represented John and located evidence of John’s head injury that the VA had previously overlooked. After years of appeals, John’s injury was finally recognized by the VA. Today he is rated 100 percent disabled, which entitles him to $3,000 per month. He and his wife also received over $100,000 in retroactive payments and now have the resources to ensure John has the care he needs.

SOCIAL INNOVATOR PERFORMANCE REPORT | 12

INDICATORS

Veterans who improved/stabilized financial situation** 94%

Veterans who improved/stabilized housing situation** 94%

Veterans who improved/stabilized family situation** 95%

Value of free legal services provided by VLS as of August 2015 $1,500,000

FY 2014 (A) FY 2015 (P) FY 2015 (A)

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE

# of cases serviced 350 450 448

# of clinics at shelters/service centers 60 72 78

# of partner sites 3 4 4

# of community trainings offered by VLS 4 6 6

ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH/CAPACITY BUILDING

# of VLS staff 3 4.5 6

# of volunteers 70 85 94

Strategic fundraising plan Develop Implement In progress

Board development plan Develop Implement In progress

New corporate and individual donations $20,000 $50,000 $262,610*

Total revenue $250,000 $340,000 $343,335

**Of those clients assisted with the relevant subject matter.

*Includes three (3) multi-year commitments for programs through August 2017.

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SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM SOCIAL INNOVATOR PERFROMANCE REPORT l 13

Notes

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The Social Innovation Forum’s Social Innovators2003–2015

• BostonChildren’sChorus• BostonHealthCare&ResearchTrainingInstitute• ClosetoHome• CommonImpact• RediscoveryHouse• Viet-AID

• BostonBlackWomen’sHealthInstitute• TacosUnidos(aprogramofROCA)• TreehouseBoston• WriteBoston• ZUMIX,Inc.

• BostonUrbanYouthFoundation• BuildingImpact• IncarceratedYouthatPlay• StrongWomen,StrongGirls

• ProjectHope• GenerationsIncorporated• Home&HealthyforGood• MedicineWheelProductions• MyLifeMyChoice• Playworks

• Catie’sCloset• CompanyOneTheatre• CourageousParentsNetwork• MassachusettsPublicHealth

Association• MysticRiverWatershed

Association• PressPassTV• WaypointAdventure

• FiscalHealthVitalSigns• FutureChefs• MassachusettsSeniorActionCouncil• MathPOWER• SmartfromtheStart

• CitySprouts• CradlestoCrayons• Girls’LEAP• ReVisionUrbanFarm• TrueColors:OutYouthTheater• UnitedTeenEqualityCenter(UTEC)

• BessieTarttWilsonInitiativeforChildren• HearthOutreachProgram• MaritimeApprenticeProgram• MoreThanWords• RawArtWorks• uAspire

2006

2008

2010

2012

• AgeWellWestRoxbury• GRLZRadio• GroundworkLawrence• SafeCityAcademy• ShelterMusicBoston

2004

• CoachingforChange• DocWayneYouthServices,Inc• MillCityGrows• SilverLiningMentoring• VeteransLegalServices

2014

2003

2007

2011

2009

2013

• CookingMatters• InnerCityWeightlifting• LGBTAgingProject• ScienceClubForGirls• TempoYoungAdultResourceCenter• WorkExpress

2015

• BostonLearningCenter• EagleEyeInstitute• HaleyHouse• MadisonPark/ActRoxbury• SocialCapital,Inc.• YearUp

1

Coaching4Change (C4C) provides extended time and

learning opportunities for struggling high school students at

risk of dropping out of school. The organization’s goal is to

improve achievement so that participating students

graduate from high school and matriculate into college or

other post-secondary education.

Across Massachusetts, thousands of kids each year give up

on high school and college, despite the fact that 70 percent

of all jobs require at least an associate’s degree. Youth living

in urban areas—particularly in “Gateway Cities,” which are

known for economic challenges due to a history of waning

industry—are facing significant social and economic barriers

to gaining a post-secondary education.

Coaching4Change believes that all youth possess the

potential and motivation to succeed if they are given the

opportunity to develop a sense of self-worth and

confidence. By coaching younger children, high school

participants engage in meaningful work that teaches them

leadership, accountability, and basic business skills,

preparing them for success in post-secondary education and

in the workforce.

Coaching4Change


• Selected as an Emerging Leadership Program by Claneil Foundation and Pahara Institute: NextGen Leaders

• Featured on WBZ radio and Eye on Education TV segment

• Reduced cost per high school student from $2,500 to $1,800

• Increased program completion rate to 97%

• Expanded college partnership with Bridgewater State University

Ways to Invest

FINANCIAL

• $150,000 – Sponsor a district

• $25,000 – Sponsor a school site

• $10,000 – Sponsor the recruitment and training of 10 college mentors

• $5,000 – Sponsor academic support for 11 high school students

• $500 – Sponsor one high school student

IN-KIND

• Host a fundraiser

• Board member

• Tablets and laptop computers


Coaching4Change seeks to raise $1.4 million

over the next two years to support its unique

model of expanding time and learning by

providing sports apprenticeships to high school

students at risk of dropping out. C4C is focused

on solidifying its model in three school districts

and replicating to other urban areas that

demonstrate similar needs. In order to grow, the

organization will need to hire additional staff,

diversify its funding, and engage new board

members.

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FOUNDED: 2011


CONTACT: Marquis Taylor, Founder and CEO

PHONE: 508.838.6545


WEB: www.c4cinc.org


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PROGRAM PERFORMANCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTHBelow is a summary of the key measures that Coaching4Change will track to demonstrate progress, capture lessons learned, and make course corrections as needed.

SOCIAL IMPACT

Coaching4Change uses the metrics below to track the impact of its program.

Students agree to share their high school records with the program to facilitate

data tracking and to help staff ensure student engagement in school.

Coaching4Change is still developing a systematic data collection process to

evaluate the effectiveness of the program and to ensure continued learning. C4C

has designed pre- and post-program surveys of both students and school

administrators to gather feedback on other desired outcomes, including student

confidence, motivation, and engagement in school. Finally, Coaching4Change

would like to launch a formal evaluation of the program in 2016–2017.

Lessons Learned

C4C has implemented recruitment strategies to identify qualified, motivated, and talented college students to oversee and implement its program at various sites. C4C is in the process of building strategic partnerships with local colleges to enable the recruitment and training of college students for its programs. One successful partnership has allowed C4C to facilitate college courses and engage work-study students in its program. C4C has also created policies that allow the college students to monitor progress of college and high school students.

C4C has been working to improve its training methods and materials, as well as how it provides ongoing support to the coaches to ensure quality assurance.

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Success Story: JoJo

Jonathan “JoJo” Andrade is a veteran Community Coach and a rising senior at Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School. As a young child, JoJo was taken into state custody as part of the DCF system; he was removed from his home and separatedfrom his parents and siblings. As a result, JoJostruggled academically during his freshman year of high school and barely advanced to his sophomore year, when he had the opportunity to join C4C. C4C helped JoJo raise his academic achievements and transformed him into a coach. Nearly every day, a representative of C4C met with JoJo and helped him with his schoolwork. JoJo began turning Ds into Cs and Cs into Bs. He proved to everyone and to himself that he had the skills and drive to improve and succeed.

INDICATOR

Students end the semester with all required credits 93%

Students end the semester with a higher GPA

• 82% of Brockton High School students improved GPA by 0.6

• 60% of Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School students improved GPA by 0.2

Eligible participants (age 16 or older) gain or maintain part-time or summer employment within one year of program involvement

85%

Students show improvement on MA Work-Based Learning Plan assessments

TBD

Students graduate from high school in four years 100%

Students enter meaningful post-secondary education 87%


FY 2014 (A) FY 2015 (P) FY 2015 (A)

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE

Number of program hubs (Gateway Cities) 1 2 2

Number of college partners engaged 1 2-4 2

Number of high school program sites 2 3-5 3

Number of high school program participants 90 150 150

ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH/CAPACITY-BUILDING

Number of organizational staff 3.5 5.5 3 FT / 14 PT

Number of board members 6 12 9

Develop and implement a data management system tracking participant progress and outcomes

Develop Implement In Progress

Total revenue $480,000 $585,000 $673,921


Doc Wayne Youth Services provides proven alternative

mental health services by using sports as a way to engage

youth in therapy. Doc Wayne works primarily with low-

income youth who suffer from a variety of mental health

challenges, including victims of neglect, abuse, violent

crime, and sexual trafficking. Youth who typically resist or

fail to progress in traditional “talk therapy” settings thrive

in Doc Wayne programs because they appeal to young

people as fun and challenging sports activities. Doc Wayne

helps youth build critical life skills, developed on the field

and on the court, that help them to develop into

functional, independent adults.

• One in five low-income children have mental health

problems that impair how they function at home, at

school, and with peers

• Four out of every five cases of mental illness in children

go untreated

Doc Wayne offers programs in school, residential, and

community settings to effectively reach children who do

not have access to or are resistant to therapy.

Doc Wayne Youth Services


Supported a minimum of 100 new youth weekly through its group therapy program

Received the 2015 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports Award as Influential Leader and Model for Others Making Communities Healthier Through Sport

Added two full-time clinicians and six Master-level clinical interns

Received approval for Group Practice status within the Mass Behavioral Health Partnership (MBHP) network

Ways to Invest

FINANCIAL

$70,000 – Funds electronic medical records and billing system

$50,000 – Funds the salary and benefits for one clinician to work with 100 youth per year in group therapy

$10,000 – Funds five laptop computers to upgrade aging devices used by organization’s staff

IN-KIND

Sports apparel and equipment

Website redesign

Board members with a passion for youth services

Office workstations to accommodate increased staffing


Doc Wayne Youth Services, Inc., seeks an

investment of $750,000 over the next two years

to continue to reduce the number of youth on its

wait list. Youth on Doc Wayne’s wait list are in

great need of mental health services and will be

served through its Chalk Talk sport-based group

therapy program. Funds will be used to hire

additional clinical and program staff, enabling

the organization to keep up with the increasing

demand for its clinical services, while supporting

the growth of its Group Practice.


FOUNDED: 2010


CONTACT: David Cohen, Executive Director

PHONE: 617.801.4601


WEB: www.docwayne.org



Below is a summary of the key measures Doc Wayne will track to demonstrate

progress, capture lessons learned, and make course corrections.

SOCIAL IMPACT

In 2009, Doc Wayne engaged Wendy D’Andrea, PhD, assistant professor of

clinical psychology at the New School for Social Research, to conduct an

evaluation of Doc Wayne programs. Dr. D’Andrea and her team conducted a

follow-up evaluation in 2012 that included data from Doc Wayne’s Chalk Talk

group therapy program along with a study in 2014, funded by the Fetzer

Institute, on the theme of “Love & Forgiveness.” The below table contains data

collected on Chalk Talk sessions.

Doc Wayne continues to gather data on this growing program and is

implementing an evaluation process that will continue to track its progress.

Lessons LearnedSocial stigma surrounding mental illness is widespread. As a service provider, Doc Wayne’s role is complex and often involves advocacy and education. Sport transcends many cultural norms and stigmas, often providing its coaches the opportunity to break down barriers. Doc Wayne’s coaches are frequently seen as trusted gatekeepers and advisors to community members on topics of mental health and overall wellness. Doc Wayne has learned to carefully earn trust on an individual level while also harnessing the power of sport on a larger scale.

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Success Story: ChrisChris is an adolescent boy who participated in Doc Wayne’s programming that helped him become the leader he is today. Though he suffered from mental illness and the associated stigma, he learned to manage it using the skills taught at Doc Wayne. Chris and his teammates became a family, providing support, insight, and encouragement to one another as he channeled his negative energy into playing his best. Chris was accepted into his college of choice this fall and is now following his dreams of becoming a social worker, working with youth who are facing similar challenges as he did.


FY 2014 (A) FY 2015 (P) FY 2015 (A)

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE

Increase number of youth participants 500 750 675

Increase number of partnerships with schools and low-income housing communities

13 25 25

Increase weekly program contact with youth 1 session 2 sessions 2 sessions

Develop ongoing program evaluation process

Design pre-and post-program surveys

Gather data2 new data collection

forms created


Strengthen board of directorsCreate board development

plan

Recruit new members

Hired board development

consultant

Add staff to manage increased case load and programming

Recruit staff Add 2 FTE Added 2 FTE

Contributed income $167,000 $205,000 $155,000

Earned income $140,700 $265,450 $170,000

Total revenue $307,700 $470,450 $325,000*

* Doc Wayne’s contributed income from foundations for Q1 of FY16 already exceeded its annual foundation income goal and the organization’s earned income for the group therapy program is expected to triple by the end of FY16.

INDICATOR

Social cognition (recognizing emotions) 50% improvement

Impulse control 28% improvement

Heart rate 20% improvement

HRV (physiological self-regulation) 50% improvement


Mill City Grows (MCG) increases access to healthy and

fresh food in Lowell, Massachusetts, by revitalizing

vacant lots with urban food production. MCG develops

community gardens and urban farms, supporting

them with outreach, education, partnerships, and a

social enterprise.

A former mill town, Lowell has endured several

decades of economic challenges, resulting in many

blighted and vacant lots. With a poverty rate of 18

percent, many Lowell residents face barriers to

leading a healthy life and are at increased risk of

serious diet-related health issues, including obesity,

diabetes, and high blood pressure. Many Lowell

neighborhoods lack full-service grocery stores; four in

10 Lowell residents (43,000 people) say they cannot

access fresh fruits or vegetables near their homes.

Through its work, MCG is transforming Lowell’s food

system one lot at a time, breaking the cycle of poverty

and increasing health outcomes for Lowell residents.

Mill City Grows


Reached 2,720 more Mobile Market customers

Increased Mobile Market sales by 68%

Added a new Community Garden: increasing from 100 to 136 garden beds in the city; yielding over 10,000 pounds of produce in 2015

Expanded School-Based Program: 4 new gardens installed in 2015, with a total of 6 gardens and 1,800 students reached

Expanded Urban Farm from 1 acre to over 1.5 acres and harvested over 18,000 pounds of produce

Incorporated as an independent 501(c)(3)

Ways to Invest

FINANCIAL

$30,000 – Supports farming of half an acre of land per growing season (yields 4 tons of food)

$20,000 – Funds the installation and organizing efforts for one community garden

$3,000 – Covers the cost of one Mobile Market location per growing season (1 stop/week for 20 weeks)

IN-KIND

Engineering design for a rooftop farm

Land for greenhouse production

Legal services

Evaluation support

Graphic design

Event planning for Farm-to-Table Dinner Series


Mill City Grows seeks an investment of $250,000 to build

organizational capacity to continuously develop and

expand its programs and impact, mitigating any

limitations from funding, including the ability to apply for

cost reimbursement funds.


FOUNDED: 2011


CONTACT: Lydia Sisson & Francey Slater, Co-Directors

PHONE: 978.726.5746

EMAIL: [email protected]; [email protected]

WEB: www.millcitygrows.org



Below is a summary of the key measures that Mill City Grows uses and

will continue to use to demonstrate progress, capture lessons learned,

and make course corrections as needed.

SOCIAL IMPACT

Mill City Grows’ urban food production and education programming has

improved the health of the community and strengthened residents’

connections to each other in a powerful way. Mill City Grows gardeners have

reported increased health benefits from gardening, including reduced blood

pressure and cholesterol. The gardens and farms have transformed formerly

vacant or blighted urban land, turning unused spaces into productive and

beautiful community resources. MCG will continue to gather data and build

capacity to evaluate its impact on the following measures:

Lessons LearnedIn 2015 Mill City Grows has had its greatest year of growth and expansion and the organization has added numerous gardens, programs, and staff. By far the greatest lesson learned is the importance of on-boarding new staff to ensure that they understand Mill City Grows’ mission, culture, program details, and community partnerships and relationships. Through its growing staff, MCG has been able to surpass its goals in almost all of the program areas. However, with a bigger team comes the need to ensure that the organization has streamlined communication, reporting, and record keeping systems.

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Success Story: Mobile MarketMill City Grows’ Mobile Market is reaching thousands of residents each year with local produce. The Mobile Market is a farm stand on wheels—working to make food shopping as convenient as possible—stopping at many busy locations, including health centers, hospitals, and Lowell’s commuter rail station. The Mobile Market accepts cash, credit/debit cards, SNAP/EBT, and WIC and Senior Farmers’ Market Coupons at all market locations. Mill City Grows’ Market Bucks Program provides 50 percent matching funds to residents who receive benefits such as SNAP, WIC, and Senior Farmers’ Market Coupons. Market Bucks essentially double the value of these benefits, allowing residents to shop at MCG’s Mobile Market and get the freshest possible produce at a very affordable price. The Mobile Market has had great success this year and Mill City Grows has hired its first Mobile Market Manager, expanded to eight stops a week (from six in 2014), and attracted over 6,677 customers this year.


FY 2014 (A) FY 2015 (P) FY 2015 (A)

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE

Pounds of food grown 20,000 31,000 28,400

Number of community gardens 3 4 4

Acres of farmland 5/8 1 1/8 1 5/8

Number of people with access to fresh produce through community gardens and Mobile Market

3,450 4,575 7,110

Number of community gardeners 425 550 433

Number of Mobile Market customers

3,025 4,025 6,677

Number of weekly Mobile Marketsites

6 10 8


Staff growth:

Administrative/development 1.75 FTE 2.5 FTE 1.8 FTE

Farm & market 1.25 FTE 2 FTE 2.5 FTE

Community garden & education 1.5 FTE 2 FTE 2.7 FTE

Seasonal 2.5 5 5

Total revenue $280,000 $460,000 $460,000

% earned income 10% 16% 10%

INDICATOR

Improved health % of community gardeners who eat more produce 19%*

% of community gardeners who are more physically active

40%

Engaged residents % of community gardeners who have increased their relationships within the community

39%

Transformation of the environment

Total urban food production space (square feet) 167,565

Increased economic opportunity

Amount of money saved per family per season from growing food in the community garden

$262.50

* 55% of community gardeners reported eating 4+daily servings of fruits and vegetables in the post season survey.


In June 2015, Adoption & Foster Care (AFC) Mentoring formally changed its

name to Silver Lining Mentoring. This strategic decision was made after

months of conversations with board members, stakeholders, and, most

importantly, young people in foster care. The inspiration for the new name

came directly from one of the youth participants who said, "AFC gave me a

mentor I could count on and a future to look forward to—this organization is

my silver lining."

Silver Lining Mentoring (SLM) empowers youth in foster care to flourish

through committed mentoring relationships and the development of essential

life skills. Silver Lining Mentoring provides specialized mentoring services,

clinical support, and skill-building opportunities for young people who have

been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect.

Silver Lining Mentoring creates a community of consistent, adult support for

youth in foster care, enabling them to build the self-confidence, essential life

skills, and emotional well-being they need to thrive. Silver Lining’s highly

trained clinical social workers form the foundation for Mentors, which pairs

volunteer adult mentors with youth in foster care, and Leaders, a skill-building

and mentoring program that also provides teens with financial incentives to

earn and save. By combining long-term, committed mentoring with personal

capacity building, Silver Lining Mentoring quiets the chaos and fills the gaps in

disconnected interventions, empowering youth to gain the coping skills and

sense of belonging they need to move beyond a life of trauma.

Silver Lining Mentoring


Increased the number of youth served in one-to-one mentoring by 15%

Increased the number of youth in Leaders by 40%

Successfully changed organizational name and brand

Selected as an investee by Social Venture Partners Boston to receive three years of funding and capacity building

Hired two additional program coordinators to meet the needs of its organizational growth

Ways to Invest

FINANCIAL

$50,000 – Funds one clinically trained social worker to support 24 mentor/mentee matches

$25,000 – Supports a cohort of youth stipends for one year

$10,000 – Covers the cost of program evaluation platform to track youth outcomes for one year

$5,000 – Supports mentor training for a cohort of Life Skills Mentors

$1,000 – Provides healthy meals for youth participants and their mentors at bi-monthly reflection groups for one year

IN-KIND

Graphic design, marketing, and communications services

House party event hosts to expand the network of support for Silver Lining Mentoring

Life Skills Mentor volunteers

Construction services to update the mini-kitchen in SLM’s office where youth prepare meals during life skills programming


Silver Lining Mentoring is seeking an investment of

$1.2 million over the next two years to expand its

capacity to serve more youth. This investment will

enable Silver Lining Mentoring to increase the

number of young people served with its integrated

service model.


FOUNDED: 2001

CURRENT ORGANIZATION BUDGET: $1,029,000

CONTACT: Colby Swettberg, CEO

PHONE: 617.224.1305


WEB: www.silverliningmentoring.org



Below is a summary of the key measures that Silver Lining Mentoring will use

to demonstrate progress over the next 2.5 years, capture lessons learned,

and make course corrections as needed.

SOCIAL IMPACT

SLM’s programs are successful because of the deep engagement between

program staff, youth, and volunteer mentors. The following impact measures

focus on monitoring outcomes that tie directly to program interventions.

Lessons LearnedSilver Lining Mentoring learned two important lessons this year:

• An in-depth data analysis with external consultants revealed that the average length of youth engagement in SLM is 55 months. This is over six times the national average of other mentoring organizations.

• In order for SLM to be more culturally responsive to its youth population, the organization set an ambitious hiring goal for the Leaders program. Finding the right match for the staff role was critically important to the program’s success and turned out to be a challenging and time-consuming process. As a result, SLM wasn’t able to serve as many youth through Leaders as planned in 2015. However, the organization learned a lot through the process and now has a full-time staff member poised for success in 2016 and beyond.

32

Success Story: EJAt the 2014 Social Innovator Showcase, SLM highlighted EJ, a young person who didn’t have a single supportive adult in his life when he was referred to our programs. EJ has now been matched with his mentor Yvonne for nearly three years. We are proud to report that EJ successfully completed his first year of college and started his sophomore year this fall. He is also working part-time to help with educational expenses and build employment experience. SLM and Yvonne have been with him every step of the way, providing support during EJ’s adjustment to college and independent living.


FY 2014 (A) FY 2015 (P) FY 2015 (A)

PROGRAM PERFORMANCE

Increase intensive youth programs• Mentors• Leaders

90(65 in Mentors,25 in Leaders)

130(75 in Mentors, 55 in Leaders)

110 (75 in Mentors,35 in Leaders)

Increase youth outreach: Summer program, youth summit, skill-building workshops

115 140 160

Total youth served in all programs 205 270 270

Double time spent on outreach and public education about youth in foster care

12 speaking/ outreach events

18 speaking/ outreach events

18 speaking/outreach events


Expand program delivery staff

Hire 1 social worker forexpanded Leaders

Hire 1 social worker

for expanded Mentors

Hired 1 socialworker to

expand Mentors and 1 social worker to

maintain Leaders

Strengthen operations infrastructure

Hire HR/Ops Dir., improve

evaluation

Evaluate opportunities to improve staffing

efficiencies

Hired an Outcomes

Strategist to increase capacity

to track and evaluate youth

outcomes

Expand program facilitiesInvest in

program space upgrades

Assess need for neighborhood-

based programming

Office re-design underway to

support additional staff

and youth

Total revenue $880,440 $1,100,000 $1,029,000

INDICATOR

Average length of Silver Lining Mentoring matches 55 months

Percentage of mentoring matches that reach the critical 1 year milestone

91%

Percentage of SLM youth graduating from high school 63%

Percentage of SLM youth attaining employment 67%

Youth reporting increases in communication skills and/or self-esteem subsequent to SLM engagement

94%

Percentage of SLM Leaders youth reporting that the life skills curriculum will help them in the future

100%

Youth reporting they had developed a positive peer network/sense of community subsequent to SLM engagement

75%

11 AVENUE DE LAFAYETTE, 5TH FLOOR, BOSTON, MA 02111

617.492.2305 • www.socialinnovationforum.org

Documents

SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM’S SOCIAL INNOVATOR …€¦ · 03/10/2016 · improve achievement so that participating students graduate from high school and matriculate into college