Overview
Brashear Association has provided social services and community building
support to South Pittsburgh residents for more than 90 years.
We serve more than 5,000 people each year:
• Providing academic support and enrichment for children
• Developing relationships with individuals and families living in poverty, developing
a deep understanding of their situation, connecting them with the services and
resources they need to become more self-sufficient and monitoring their success
in that journey
• Providing safety net services to individuals and families temporarily unemployed
or in crisis
• Supporting seniors to help them remain in their homes and be active community
members
We build stronger neighborhoods as a convener that promotes community
engagement and civic involvement
We promote interagency collaboration to coordinate service delivery for the benefit of
consumers and the community
The Brashear Association
Business Model
Geographic Focus
Consumers
Programs/Services
Financial Model
Brashear’s Service Area
Brashear Association
Business Model
Brashear has been
serving South Pittsburgh
families for more than 90
years.
Although it‟s primary
office is in the South Side
Flats, Brashear has
expanded its presence in
the Hilltop neighborhoods
of Arlington, Arlington
Heights, St. Clair, Mt.
Oliver (City), Mt. Oliver
Borough, Carrick,
Knoxville, Bon Air,
Allentown and
Beltzhoover in the five
years since the
completion of its last
strategic plan. This shift
has been a response to
increasing social,
economic, and other
community problems in
the Hilltop.
Business Model
Consumers
Brashear serves poor people – from those facing temporary
challenges to families living in chronic, multi-generational poverty and
works to move them toward self-sufficiency
Community
Brashear understands
that moving children,
families, and adults
(including seniors) from
the margins means
surrounding those
facing hardships with a
strong community
infrastructure.
Adults
Families
Children
Programs and Services
Business Model
Brashear „s case management approach evaluates and monitors
consumers in14 key areas:
 Education
 Physical health
 Mental health
 Substance abuse
 Shelter
 Utilities
 Food and nutrition
 Income
 Transportation
 Employment/employability
 Health insurance
 Child care
 Family functioning
 Child education/development
Monitoring Success – 100% of Brashear consumers make progress
toward self-sufficiency in at least two key areas, 75% make progress in
three or more areas.
Programs and Services
Business Model
Academic improvement among children enrolled in Brashear‟s
after-school programs
We partner with the Pittsburgh Public Schools and parents and
guardians to monitor student success:
In the 2008-2009 school year:
 24 of the 25 participants in the Grandview Elementary - Allentown
program moved from below basic to proficient on the PSSA reading
test; all children matriculated
 Brashear took over the afterschool program at Murray Elementary
School in the 2009-2010 school year
“I have to thank you for the deep level of concern and desire to help
our children you exhibit ……..”
Marisa Muscarelli, MSW, LSW, HSV
Pittsburgh Grandview K-5 Developmental Advisor
in a message to Brashear’s education coordinator
Programs and Services
Business Model
150 Seniors participate in programs at the Brashear Center on
Sarah Street in the South Side Flats and Henry Kaufman
Neighborhood House in the Hilltop. Services include:
 Meals
 Recreational and social programs
 Volunteer opportunities
 Counseling
 Support
 Education
The Brashear Association and the Allentown Senior Citizen Centers
share an Executive Director
The Brashear Association partners with ACTION-Housing,
Allentown Senior Citizen Centers, Citiparks Senior Interests,
NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania, and UPMC Living at Home
to keep seniors in their homes
Business Model
Financial
The financial model no longer works
Funding sources that generated unrestricted dollars, such as the
United Way and NPP are declining. This has created greater
reliance on program related funding and a need for more robust
outreach to individual donors to provide general operating support.
Business Model
Financial
Unrestricted Surplus vs Change in Net Assets
Surplus (deficit) before depreciation
Surplus (deficit) after depreciation
Change in net assets
407,509
246,735
214,517
209,917
179,027
123,198
88,160
17,702
-
-
(171,367)
2007
2008
2009
2010
-
Business Model
Impact on Programs/Services
Changing financial model creates trade offs in activities
Brashear can support:
Brashear‟s unrestricted
funds have allowed it to
establish a model of
collaboration and
coordination among a large
number of providers, with
Brashear providing case
management and recruiting
program partners to join it in
filling service gaps.
Supported with
unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Convening
Programs for
struggling families
and adults
Connecting outside
agencies to
neighborhood needs
Programs for
children
Supporting
interagency
collaboration
Senior programs
The Brashear Association‟s
Service Area
Market
and
Operating Environment
Trends in Hilltop Neighborhoods
Trends in the Market
One of the keys to successful strategic planning is developing a solid understanding of the environment in which we
work. As part of this process, the board and staff identified key trends (changes) in the environment that are likely to
impact the Brashear Association or those we serve – especially in Hilltop neighborhoods. Keeping these in mind as
we form strategy and make decisions over the next months and years will help us remain responsive to our
environment as it changes.
 Rate of population loss
 Violence and crime
 Percentage of home owners over the age of 55
 Mortgage foreclosure rates in South Pittsburgh
 Growth in subsidized rental housing
 Code violations and other indications of blight
 Growing awareness of the economic and social issues in
the Hilltop
 Funding from United Way, foundations and public sources
 Stability/strength of social service providers serving the
Hilltop
 Out of school time programs for children and youth
 Weakening institutional infrastructure serving the Hilltop
(closing of high school and other local schools, closing of
hospital and churches, relocation of Goodwill, etc.)
Housing – Hilltop at the Tipping Point
Trends in the Market
Older housing stock, aging owners, declining housing prices, high rates of
foreclosure and code violations are conditions that can create the tipping point
for nearly irreversible neighborhood destabilization and decline
Housing stock
deteriorating:
Older home owners:
More rapid decline in
housing values
Higher % of
owner-occupied units
than the City as a whole
code violations are high
and rising
BUT
AND
subsidized rental
housing is increasing
Between 50% and 75%
of homeowners in
Beltzhoover, Allentown,
Arlington and Mt. Oliver
are over 65
Home ownership in
jeopardy:
Higher foreclosure
rates than the City
as a whole
particularly
Beltzhoover,
Allentown,
Arlington, Mt.
Oliver and parts of
Carrick
Distribution of Agencies
Trends in the Market
The social service infrastructure is weak in South Pittsburgh
There are few agencies
located in the Hilltop and
most of those are small and
financially fragile as
demonstrated by a number
that have closed in the past
year.
Brashear is the largest
agency exclusively dedicated
to South Pittsburgh and is
frequently called upon as a
partner, provider, and
convener
From: Humanservices.net; 3RC and United Way of Allegheny County
Partners
Groups We Convene:
• South Side Planning Forum
• South Consortium
• Senior Services Consortium
Others in the Market
To improve planning and coordination
of effort, Brashear convenes human
service providers, organizations that
serve seniors, and neighborhoodbased organizations.
Brashear‟s partnerships expand services in a cost effective way
while Brashear fills service gaps and connects residents with
the services they need
The Brashear Association has
pursued an intentional strategy of
collaboration with other providers.
Working with partners has
allowed Brashear to offer more
services to the community.
Select list of Program Partners:
• Pittsburgh Community Services
• Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
• Duquesne University student volunteer program
• Hill Top Methodist Church
• Allentown Senior Citizen Centers
• Dollar Energy Fund and
• South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace
• South Side Local Development Company
• NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania
• Hilltop Alliance
• CitiParks Senior Interests
• ACTION-Housing
Partner Screen
Brashear Association is often approached by other organizations to partner on service provision. Partnership is an
important strategy – allowing Brashear to connect community residents with a broader range of services in a cost
effective manner. However, Brashear recognizes that good quality partnerships place additional demands on the
organization, Therefore, Brashear Association has developed a partner screen to use when considering working with
another organization.
Is this a partner we should engage?
1. Is the mission of the proposed partner consistent with that of Brashear?
2. Will the partnership provide equitable access to services and add to the service spectrum?
3. Will the partnership provide sustainable funding, potential for growth, or in-kind services?
4. Does the partner share our values, especially those associated with service provision?
5. Can we collect data and measure impact to ensure that the partnership is productive?
6. Is this partner the best choice among agencies that offer this service? Would another
organization be a better partner?
7. Does this partnership provide an opportunity to develop new knowledge, skills, or resources?
8. Is there a direct and apparent connection to our other work?
9. Do we have the staff capacity to make this partnership work?
10.Does this partner have the capacity to make the partnership work?
11.Would working with this partner affect any other relationships, either negatively or positively?
Place in the Market
Stakeholders’ View of Brashear
The external assessment included confidential interviews with ten funders and
two focus groups, one with community partners and the other with community
residents.
How can we most effectively
communicate our work?
▪ Overall, external stakeholders (funders and supporters)
believe that the Brashear Association is a respected partner
and trusted convener which has consistently demonstrated a
deep understanding of and ability to respond to changing
community needs.
–
–
–
–
–
How do we become more skilled
in defining and measuring
community change?
How do we cultivate a next
generation of organizational
leadership?
Should we develop criteria to
select the most suitable partners?
Brashear should interpret its role in new ways – increase emphasis on children and youth.
Brashear‟s core strength is its ability to partner with other providers in service to the community.
Not enough people know about Brashear – it needs a more aggressive marketing program.
Brashear is the strongest service provider in a vastly underserved part of the City - one that is
experiencing increasingly severe social and economic problems.
Brashear should consider reducing its presence on the South Side Flats and increasing its presence
in the Hilltop.
“Brashear needs to take bold visible action. We need to
move beyond the idea that we have to get the old leadership
together in order to act. Their focus is more on the past than
on the future. New people need to lead the way and
Brashear should play a key role in cultivating that new
neighborhood leadership.”
“Left unaddressed, decline on the Hilltop
will be rapid and severe. Brashear
needs to educate funders and officials
about the situation.”
Brashear’s Competitive Advantages
Place in the Market
Deep
community
knowledge and
connections
• No other human service agency has Brashear‟s
understanding of South Pittsburgh or its
community roots
Trusted partner
• Brashear is frequently sought to partner with and
link other agencies to South Pittsburgh residents
• Partners cite Brashear‟s ability to work well with
others as a distinct characteristic that sets it
apart
Respected
• Respected by other agencies
• Respected by those it serves
Responding to the Challenges
Mission
Values
Identity
Strategy Screen
Mission
The Brashear
Association supports
and enriches families in
a community context to
build more vital lives and
neighborhoods in South
Pittsburgh.
Through its provision of
human services and
community action,
Brashear recognizes
community strengths
and diversity and
encourages self-help,
citizen education and
community improvement
and involvement.
Values
The Brashear Association commits to undertake its mission and activities with a fundamental
commitment to the following values. We use our skills, resources and relationships to maintain and
foster these values within the Brashear Association and in the community at large.
Service to the
Underserved
The agency adjusts its service spectrum and service areas to meet
changing needs and populations while ensuring equitable access.
Respect
Staff members meet consumers where they are and deliver services with
empathy and without judgment to preserve participant dignity.
Integrity
The interests of consumers are the priorities of the agency, reflected in
follow-through on promises made to communities as well as open and
honest interactions with funders and partners.
Partnership
Brashear Association reaches out to find catalytic community partners which
maximize its presence, scope of services, effectiveness, and impact.
Deep
Understanding
Deep understanding of the community permits success and survival.
Interaction with consumers provides intimate insights into their lives and
community.
Diversity
Stewardship
.
We know and understand the diversity of needs in our multicultural, multigenerational community..
Consumers and community members must trust the agency to live by its
values and to be a rock and constant in the community. .
Identity – Mission, Business Model, and Competitive Advantages
How we do this:
Who we serve:
After-school and summer programs
for children. Case
. management and
“threshold” safety net services for
individuals and families.
Employment support, senior
services, and information and
referral to other providers.
Low-income children and their
families and adults.
Competitive Advantages
We offer intense individualized services based in our
deep knowledge of and connection to the community.
We have a respected “brand” and skill in partnering
with other providers for the good of the people and
communities we serve.
What we do:
Serve families and individuals in South
Pittsburgh in a community context that
promotes citizen involvement and
community improvement.
How we are funded:
We are funded through the state‟s
Neighborhood Partnership
Program, United Way funds,
foundation and government
grants, individual donors, and
endowment income.
Where we work:
South Pittsburgh – specifically
the South Side Flats and Slopes
and the Hilltop neighborhoods of
Allentown, Arlington, Arlington
Heights, Bon Air, Beltzhoover,
Carrick, Knoxville, and Mt. Oliver
(City and Borough), .
Strategy Screen
Brashear Association has developed a strategy screen to use when considering new programmatic strategies or
opportunities. The screen is a tool to promote consistent, transparent and well-supported decision-making. It cannot
answer every question or solve every dilemma: ultimately, good judgment and authority will also be required. But it will hel p
us identify priorities more clearly, and support thoughtful and fact-based decision-making.
Is this a strategy – or an opportunity – we should pursue?
1. Is it consistent with our mission?
2. Does it further our competitive advantages by using our deep knowledge of the community, ability to
partner and/or intense individualized services approach?
3. Does it provide reliable / sustainable funding?
4. Is it consistent with our values?
5. Can we effectively measure the impact?
6. Is it derived from an expressed community need?
7. Are we the best organization to take this on? Or is another organization better suited? Should we do
this in partnership?
8. Does it use our knowledge and skills?
9. Is the connection to our other work clear?
10.Do we have the staff capacity to take this on?
Brashear Association
2010 – 2013
Achieving Impact
Vision and Goals
Brashear Association – Achieving Impact
IMPACT
Assumptions
Children,
individuals and
families are
more
successful in a
healthy
community and
when engaged
in a trusting,
on-going
relationship with
service
providers
Activities
Short-Term Outcomes
Case
management
Families access
and use services
Out-of-school
time activities
for children
Academic and
social success
Support for
aging
homeowners
and seniors
Employment
Seniors are able
to remain active
and in their
homes
Jobseekers are
prepared
Long-Term Outcomes
Successive
generations are
not seeking aid
Children utilize
Pittsburgh
Promise
Improved personal
accountability
Fulfilled lives
Measurements
Measurements
Performance on PSSA tests (students)
Community indicators
Improvement in key indicators on family
profile / case management evaluation
Stronger and
more vibrant
Hilltop and South
Pittsburgh
neighborhoods
Multi-generational
cycle of poverty
broken
Vision and Goals
The Brashear Association will lead the positive transformation of the Hilltop
and continue its tradition of service to South Pittsburgh by:
1. Building relationships that move individuals and families toward selfsufficiency and vital lives:
 Offer essential services – food, energy, housing – to address short
term crisis and longer term issues that create barriers to selfsufficiency.
 Work with individuals and families to establish and meet goals
2. Doubling the number of children in after-school and summer programs
3. Caring for seniors
4. Continuing its role as a key convener and collaborator in South
Pittsburgh
 Strengthen the fabric of the community
 Partner with other providers to ensure that families and adults have
access to a continuum of needed services
5. More effectively measuring and communicating its work
6. Creating a robust, staffed fund development/marketing function
Vision and Goals – Build Vital Lives
.
1
Build relationships that move individuals and families toward selfsufficiency
In order to achieve to build more vital lives, the Brashear Association
will use its skill in developing trusting relationships in the community to
connect people with services
 Expand Brashear‟s physical presence and visibility in the Hilltop
 Intensify work with the families of children enrolled in after-school
and summer programs
 Promote the employment center
Importance of relationship building
.
What does it take to get a
bag of groceries to a hungry
family???
Vision and Goals – Build Vital Lives
.
Participants face numerous hurdles.
The system is complex and
bureaucratic. Brashear staff and
volunteers help people navigate the
system and relationships keep them
engaged.
.
Vision and Goals – Children who Succeed
.
2
Double the number of children enrolled in after-school and
summer programs while maintaining successful outcomes
 Brashear will strategically expand afterschool programs by doubling
the number of participants in the Allentown program serving students
at Grandview Elementary and replicating the program with an
additional neighborhood school
 Brashear will work closely with organizations on the Hilltop that
engage older children and with the Pittsburgh Promise to keep
students on the path to success
 Brashear will focus on engaging families of children in after-school
programs and maintain those relationships as children age
.
Vision and Goals – Healthy, Active Seniors
.
3
Care for Seniors
 Consolidate the long-standing shared directorship of the Brashear
Association and the Allentown Senior Citizen Centers to create a
more efficient management structure and increase collaboration
 Continue to deliver a full range of services that keep seniors healthy
and appropriately active as they age
 Expand partnerships with ACTION Housing and NeighborWorks to
keep seniors in their homes longer and ease the transition of
housing stock from aging residents to new owners
 Engage seniors as volunteers in all of Brashear‟s programs,
especially those involving children
.
Vision and Goals – Strengthen the Community Fabric
.
4
Strengthen Hilltop neighborhoods through partnership and
community building
People are more likely to succeed when they are in neighborhoods and
communities that are themselves healthy. Hilltop neighborhoods are at
a tipping point and Brashear will utilize its role as a trusted partner and
convener to work with other organizations on neighborhood issues.
• Continue to shift service delivery toward the Hilltop neighborhoods
• Continue partnering as a primary strategy to ensure that South
Pittsburgh residents – especially those in underserved Hilltop
neighborhoods – have access to the services they need
• Work with the Hilltop Alliance to achieve its goal of a centralized
source for human services
• Build the next generation of community leaders
Continue convening the South Side Planning Forum and serve as
a connector between the South Side Slopes and Flats
. of the Forum and those in the Hilltop Alliance
organizations
Vision and Goals - Communicate Brashear’s Work and Impact
.
5
More effectively measure and communicate what Brashear does
Communication
 Overhaul the Brashear website to make it more inviting, interactive
and “user friendly” so that it is tool in communicating with all
stakeholders and constituents
 Increase communication beyond the website via eNewletters and
use of social media
 Form a board level External Relations Committee to provide
strategic guidance to the marketing, communications, and fund
development efforts
Measurement
 Establish goals for all programs that ensure progress toward
achieving short-term and long-term outcomes
 Create and use a dashboard to monitor progress
 Merge budget and planning process to make relationship between
.
financial and staff resources and achievement of outcomes more
explicit
Vision and Goals – Fix the Revenue Model
6
Create a new position to support marketing/communications and
fund development
 Use reserves to fund this position for the first 18 months
 Use reserves to create a new website and other materials to support
communications and fundraising efforts
 Create a campaign to annually raise 20% of operating revenues from
events and individual donors by 2013 and 30% by 2015
 Seek foundation support to fund expansion of after-school programs
and community building work on the Hilltop
Budget Projections – Years 2010 through 2013
Unrestricted Operating Revenue
Earned revenue
Program fees, rental and other
Earned operating revenue
Contributed revenue
United Way
Individuals, Foundations & Corporations
Government contributions
From Reserves
Special events
Contributed operating
revenue
Unrestricted operating revenue
Unrestricted Operating Expenses
Personnel
Professional fees
Occupancy
Support
Program Expansion
Marketing/Communications
Operating expenses
Operating surplus (deficit) before depreciation
Depreciation expense
Operating surplus (deficit) after depreciation
Temporarily Restricted Assets
Temporarily restricted assets received
Temporarily restricted assets released
Increase (decrease) in TRNA
Unrestricted Non-Operating Activities
(Un)Realized net gain (loss) on investment
Non operating revenue for capital expenses
Change in net assets from unrestricted non-operating activities
Change in net assets
Audit
2007
Audit
2008
Audit
2009
Budget Projection Projection Projection
2010
2011
2012
2013
79,427
79,427
86,361
86,361
89,662
89,662
130,000
130,000
130,000
130,000
130,000
130,000
130,000
130,000
152,049
296,661
72,980
156,687
277,153
99,992
135,148
288,725
121,844
96,000
248,000
86,000
13,000
300,000
86,000
0
340,000
86,000
36,739
558,429
19,165
552,997
33,883
579,600
30,000
460,000
45,000
260,000
86,000
128 ,000
32,000
423,000
36,000
435,000
36,000
462,000
637,856
639,358
669,262
590,000
553,000
565,000
592,000
350,033
31,191
47,372
99,002
334,041
25,100
49,161
92,277
366,434
14,050
49,481
92,038
372,000
26,000
47,000
80,000
474,995
27,583
49,862
84,872
41,200
489,245
28,411
51,358
87,418
42,436
527,598
110,258
35,038
75,220
500,579
138,779
35,490
103,289
522,003
147,259
36,818
110,441
525,000
65,000
35,000
30,000
461,160
26,780
48,410
82,400
40,000
50,000
708,750
(155,750)
35,000
(190,750)
678,513
(113,513)
35,000
(148,513)
698,868
(106,868)
35,000
(141,868)
406,458
(370,808)
35,650
346,451
(402,120)
(55,669)
287,289
(365,762)
(78,473)
283,689
12,940
296,629
407,499
(105,665)
75,737
(29,928)
17,692
(302,811)
99,476
(203,335)
(171,367)
(190,750)
(148,513)
(141,868)
Planning Process
The Brashear Association has served South Pittsburgh residents for more than 90 years. During that
time, we have regularly engaged in strategic planning to guide our work in responding to changing
community needs. With our most recent plan ending in 2009 and facing change – both in the South
Pittsburgh neighborhoods we serve and in the funding environment – we launched a new strategic
planning effort.
Through this planning process, we sought answers to fundamental questions regarding our ability to
effectively respond to the impact of of chronic poverty on individuals, families and our community
within a financially sustainable business model.
Planning Team Role and
Activities
The Planning Team
The Planning Team was
composed of board members and
the Executive Director:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Maureen Hogan
Nancy Eshelman
Jennifer Jeffers
Barbara Rudiak
Leigh White
Hugh Brannan
The Planning Team was
responsible for overseeing the
planning process:
• Working meetings to monitor
•
•
•
and contribute to the plan
Identified and contacted
stakeholders to participate in
focus groups and interviews
Reviewed relevant research
Ensured full board and staff
were kept in the loop and
conversation regarding the plan
Board and Staff Planning
Retreat
Held at mid-point in the process,
after external assessment, to:
• Clarify and come to agreement
•
•
on the Brashear Association‟s
current situation, including
business model, market
position, and major challenges
Clarify and agree on future
direction, including competitive
advantage and probable
organizational, programmatic
and operational strategies
Identify remaining steps and
questions to address