Tuesday, November 30, 2010

November Member of the Month: Benefits of Hosting a Promise Fellow

Minnesota is in the middle of a “perfect storm." At the same time baby boomers are leaving the workforce, we also see major changes in youth demographics. Youth of color and low -income youth make up a growing percentage of total school-age children, yet many of these youth are most at-risk of dropping out. If we are to adequately prepare a highly trained workforce and remain economically solvent as a state, we need to turn the tide. Dropping out of school is a process, not a one-day event. Using the research on early warning signs, we can identify the youth most at risk and use evidence-based intervention strategies to prevent youth from dropping out.

We know that when communities come together, they can meet the challenges of the dropout crisis head on – but it often requires the added capacity of staff to support their efforts. And that is precisely why hosting an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow through the Minnesota Alliance with Youth can benefit both your organization and your community.

AmeriCorps Promise Fellows serve for one year with schools and organizations across Minnesota to mobilize volunteers, create new after-school programs, build mentoring and tutoring initiatives, and engage youth in service-learning. AmeriCorps members allow schools and communities to pilot strategies and programs on a small and cost-efficient scale, and then seek long-term local funding. Promise Fellows receive significant training and experience that helps grow and strengthen the youth development field in Minnesota. This year, the Minnesota Alliance with Youth placed 80+ Promise Fellows in schools and organizations across the state of Minnesota, and next year they are looking to increase this number to reach even more youth!

There are currently six Promise Fellows serving at three different MN YIPA member sites, and all six are doing great things for our communities. Shane Thompson from the Seneca and Odawa Nations is the Education Coordinator Promise Fellow with the Ginew/Golden Eagle program based out of the Minneapolis American Indian Center. He works closely with Rachel Greenwalt who is the Volunteer Coordinator Promise Fellow also serving with the Ginew/Golden Eagle program. They serve American Indian youth ages 5-18 and offer groups for various age groups four nights a week, providing a meal and transportation to and from groups. According to Rachel, “it has been such a great opportunity to get to know all the kids in our program. We currently have just over 80 kids enrolled in the program and we are continuing to recruit more families to be involved at Golden Eagles.”

Other YIPA sites that are currently hosting one or more Promise Fellows:

If you know anyone who is interesting in becoming an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow, refer them to the Minnesota Alliance with Youth website.

To achieve goals and support students, the Minnesota Alliance With Youth invites schools, community organizations, government agencies, and other nonprofits to apply to host one or more AmeriCorps Promise Fellows to support their School Community Partnerships.

If you are interested in hosting a Promise Fellow for 2011-2012, please go to the Minnesota Alliance with Youth website for additional information about writing a letter of intent. And keep in mind that the deadline for Letters of Intent is right around the corner: December 15th, 2010.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Survival Skills for the Youth Service Worker, by Steve Zvonar

On December 3rd, 2010 YIPA has the honor of hosting Chiropractor and Wellcoach, Dr. Steve Zvonar, as he discusses early signs of stress within yourself, the staff you work with, the volunteers you coordinate and youth clients you serve. If you're interested in taking part in this seminar, look to our website for additional information. Below you'll find a guest blog by Dr. Zvonar!

After 25 years of practice in a natural health care field that involves lifestyle change, discipline and perseverance, the question that continues to throw itself at me is, “What does it take to get a person to make tough changes in their life?”

After all, we do live in a country of immediate gratifications, short cuts and “if it’s too hard to do, forget it”. I think that is one of the reasons we have a drug crisis in our country. It’s flat out easier to take a drug than to exercise, eat right, or to take time to recover with a walk in the woods.

So, why do some people change and others don’t? What fuels people to rise up and discipline themselves to change their diets, quit drugs or alcohol or proactively deal with the chronic stress in their lives? Ask a person who has done it, they will tell you that they found a reason and purpose beyond themselves that inspired them to persevere. Just think of the woman who can’t seem to quit smoking, then “magically” quits after she becomes pregnant. Yes, she has some purpose or now someone who is bigger than her own self interest that becomes the fuel for positive but difficult change.

During our seminar, Survival Skills for the Youth Service Worker”, we will be talking about the popular topic of recognizing and dealing with stress. What will be unique about this seminar is that we will be teaching how to deal with stress in our own lives as well as others around us from a coaching perspective. We will particularly be focusing on the foundations for healthy change, specifically as it pertains to our stressful lives. C.S. Lewis calls these three foundations “The Laws of Human Nature”. They are: healthy relationships, balancing ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, and finding purpose and passion in life. The techniques we will discuss will be wonderful tools in dealing with the stress of coworkers, youth and of course, most importantly, ourselves.

Yes, after over 25 years of practice, hundreds and hundreds of training and seminars, when people come up to me and ask “how” do I get rid of this or that or feel better (or get more sleep, or be less depressed, etc. etc.), my first question to them is “why” do you want to feel better? Contemplating the “why” is the first, deepest and most potent step to healthy and usually difficult behavioral change. However, once the “why” is clarified and solidified, the “how” becomes much, much easier.

Friday, November 19, 2010

The Time is NOW, by Executive Director Scott Beaty

Wow! What two years will do in the ever changing political world! Not only has the Federal political landscape changed but so has Minnesota’s!

We know that the Republicans now have the majority in both the MN House and Senate for the first time in decades and it looks likely that Democrat Mark Dayton will end up as our next Governor. So what does this mean? Some say chaos, some say gridlock, some say smaller government, and some are even predicting good things will happen. Only time will tell!

What is still clear is that there is a huge budget deficit to fix…probably in the $5 to $6 billion range. We also know that after many years of budget deficits there is no low hanging fruit which means cuts to government supported programs will be deep and sharp even if the Governor and Legislature can come to some agreement on raising revenues.

One thing I do know is that in order to keep the Youth Intervention Program and other youth programming from being severely reduced or eliminated we all have our work cut out for us. What do we need to do, you may ask? For starters I say educate, educate, educate! There are a lot of new legislators out there and it needs to be our job and focus to teach them about the important early intervention work that you are doing for youth and their families in your community. Every one of your legislators need to know you personally and what you and/or your organization does to keep our youth from entering or progressing further into the costly juvenile justice system. Make sure you show them the results and outcomes of your early intervention or Youth Intervention program(s) and personally give them a copy of the Youth Intervention Program SROI (available to download free for members in the Members Only section of the YIPA Web site www.mnyipa.org ).

With the new Republican regime I believe that there will be an attempt to reform and shrink government. This is where all of us can and must help them. We have the research and the outcomes on our side. Using the SROI and other recently completed research we can now show that not only can we save the State money immediately but also in the long term. We can also show them (using the outcome data that the Office of Justice Programs has been gathering from the Youth Intervention Program grantees for the past year) that these programs are effective in changing youths lives for the better. These programs work and we need make sure every legislator (new and old) receives and understands this message.

Between now and the end of the year is the perfect time to meet with your legislators. Call them up and ask for a meeting. Invite them to your organization so they can see firsthand what you are doing for our youth. Let them know your funding issues and the importance of having stable State youth intervention funding that also leverages community funding. Let them know that the funding is very well administered by the Office of Justice programs within the MN Dept. of Public Safety. Get to know these people. Believe me when I say they are legislators because they care and want to help. The trick is to educate them so they want to help you and the youth in the district they represent and serve.

There is no time to lose. As I always say…good things happen to those who show up! Let’s all show up in mass and fight for funding for the Youth Intervention Program and other early intervention youth services.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Social Media Tools for Non-profits

Does your organization use social media tools to market events or reach a wider audience? Does your agency have a Facebook profile, or a Twitter account? If you answered yes to one or both of those questions, you’re not alone! According to Tyler Olson from SMCPros, there are at least 500 million active members on facebook, and roughly 250 million people log into facebook daily. Simply put, your target market is on Facebook, but the question is, “how do you reach them?” Whether you’re seeking to increase awareness, donations, heighten engagement, expand membership, reach larger audiences or rouse excitement for your cause, social media tools are becoming an essential part of meeting your agency’s goals. The use of social media tools in the non-profit field is completely redefining the way we do business.

Watch the short video below that illustrates the forces shaping social media.


This video and others like it can be found on commoncraft.com.

What are your thoughts on the video you just watched? Do you know how to market your message to the appropriate audience? Do you have enough time to commit to social marketing on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn? When beginning, or trying to recreate your brand on any one of the social media tools mentioned consider the following:

Pick a social media project that will not take too much time
Record both successes and challenges
Ask or listen to the people you connect with about what worked and what did not
Watch other nonprofits and copy and/or remix their ideas for your next project
Engage followers by sharing highlights of your work, as well as posing probing questions

For information on how nonprofit organizations can use social media tools to power social networks for change, take a look at Beth Kanter’s blog, or you can read an insightful piece by Jennifer Mattern. There are so many resources at our fingertips, that all we have to do is disregard our lack of technological knowhow, and plunge into this exciting and rewarding new world!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Tis the Season to Give: Creative Fundraising Ideas

During this time of economic recession and increased financial worry, at-risk youth and those who work to empower them need your support more than ever. Thankfully, seeking assistance for your programs does not necessarily mean asking for monetary donations. This day and age, there are a variety of innovative and helpful ways to encourage community members to support meaningful and positive programs at your organization, while simultaneously promoting your message and cause. The use of the internet and social media tools have opened the door for a new wave of giving. Fundraising special events supplement local, state and federal grants, individual giving campaigns, and business contributions. In addition to raising money, they help raise awareness about your organization, which can be invaluable when it comes time to apply for funding or ask for donations. Here are some creative and innovative fundraising events that have been done by fellow YIPA members:

For 12 years now, YIPA member Bolder Options has been hosting a Bolder Dash where participants can choose to run a 5k or 10k. This year’s race was on September 18th, 2010, and was a huge success!

This year, Elpis Enterprises is participating in the Twice the Gift Store in the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis. Take a few moments to stop by and see some of the products that youth in their program have made, and make sure to ask how your non-profit can get involved!

Last month, YIPA member, DARTS launched an online auction through Biddingforgood.com, which is something any non-profit can do! They were able to get members of the community to donate items for auction and for the last several weeks have been inviting people from all over the state to bid online. One of the great things about this type of fundraising endeavor is that you can reach a much wider audience than most local events.

Another YIPA member, YouthLink was recently featured on Pepsi Refresh’s website, where they highlighted a need for enhanced space at their nonprofit organization, and sought votes and essentially funding. Each month, Pepsi gives away $1,300,000 to fund great ideas, and it doesn’t cost voters a cent!

The nation's largest Giving Day is coming up on November 16th in Minnesota! Join the wave of generosity by taking part in Give to the Max Day. Hundreds of nonprofits will offer the opportunity to double your dollars over the course of 24 hours on November 16th. Every donation you make gives your favorite organization the chance to win even more money. Make sure to donate to your favorite organizations, and for YIPA members running early intervention programs, make sure to create a personalized account!

And last but not least, I'd like to recognize Patty Halvorson from the Lee Carlson Center for Mental Health and Well-Being. She was recently presented The Innovative Funding Leadership award which is for given to individuals, foundations, corporations, civic groups or other entities that have set an example for innovative funding to youth intervention programs in the state of Minnesota. To quote Paul Meunier, "rather than simply absorb the economic hits, Patty has been busy crafting new and fun ways to raise much need revenue." One such event is their annual Roofraiser. It began three years ago with one local mayor sleeping on the roof of a high school for an entire weekend; while up there, he made phone calls to raise money. The next year it expanded to 7 mayors from the local area and the fundraising totals increased. The most recent year there were 8 individual "roofraisers," including a director of chamber of commerce, a county commissioner, a candidate for sheriff and the mayors.

Another unique idea for fundraising was Dancing with the Stars. Patty Halvorson researched the idea and recruited local leaders to dance at a fundraiser. These local leaders were taught new dance steps with the help of a local dance studio, which donated their time and skills. The event was successful at both raising awareness and much need financial resources.

If you know of any creative or innovative ways non-profit agencies in Minnesota can fund early intervention programs, please leave a comment and spread the word! ‘Tis the season!

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