Boston STRIVE (Boston Employment Service, Inc.)
General Information
651 Washington Street
Dorchester, MA 02124
(617) 8251800
Website
www.bostonstrive.org
Organization Contact
Charmane Higgins [email protected]
Year of Incorporation
1994
1
Statements & Search Criteria
Mission Statement
STRIVE’s mission is to transform the lives of at-risk populations by providing support and training
that lead to livable wage employment. At Boston STRIVE, we focus on helping chronically
unemployed men and women realize their potential to find and keep jobs that promise sustainable
livelihoods and personal growth. We accomplish this by changing attitudes, building skills, working
with employers and creating powerful partnerships.
Background Statement
Boston Employment Service was founded in 1994 by a team of 12 that included business
managers, nonprofit heads, university professors and law firm partners who enlisted the initial
backing of some three dozen donors. STRIVE’s mission is to transform the lives of at-risk
populations by providing support and training that lead to livable wage employment and societal reintegration. This model has proven so successful that it has been replicated in 24 cities across the
country and around the world.
From 1994 through 2013, STRIVE graduated 4,428 persons from training and placed 4,187 in jobs.
STRIVE’s workforce model includes job readiness training, financial literacy, computer literacy, GED
(General Equivalency Diploma) instruction, college prep courses and opportunities to pursue college
education. It has two training centers, one in Dorchester and the other in Roxbury. Its staff in 2014
will number nine persons and its revenues are projected at $774,814.
Boston STRIVE enters 2014 well positioned to further promote its unique expertise in workforce
development. Having increased agency capacity this past year through the launch of skills training,
STRIVE Boston’s recent growth emerges as the same time that STRIVE National seeks to reshape
its brand and impact. STRIVE National has recently begun planning for a stronger national footprint
and a more sustainable national network. Boston STRIVE, with its long history of innovation,
continues to operate at the forefront among affiliates around the country.
2
Impact Statement
STRIVE completed a two-year strategic plan in 2012. The central purpose was to increase the
organization’s capacity to meet the needs of our clients in an evolving skills based economy. The
objectives, strategies, and goals in this plan were guided by the belief that through strategic
partnerships and STRIVE’s powerful model we can change lives through attitudinal development,
employment, and help advance our client’s economic independence. Focusing on partnership
development, two major breakthroughs helped STRIVE to achieve its strategic goals. As a
workforce development agency for the hardest to employ, STRIVE was awarded two separate
grants to pilot skills training initiatives for chronically unemployed adults, proven-risk young adults,
and ex-offenders. These innovative initiatives bring together STRIVE’s workforce model, two new
funders, eleven community partners, and culminate in three separate professional training tracts
that lead to industry recognized certifications.
In the spring of 2012 STRIVE was awarded funding from the Walmart Foundation to pilot technology
skills training for STRIVE graduates. In partnership with Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC),
STRIVE graduates have begun evening classes that lead to certifications in Microsoft Applications,
with opportunities to earn advanced certifications upon matriculating at BHCC. In December,
STRIVE was awarded a multi-year sub-grant from STRIVE National to execute STRIVE for the
Future, an opportunity made possible through funding from the United States Department of Labor.
This initiative design provides opportunities for STRIVE graduates to earn certifications in
technology, hospitality and health care through partnerships with BHCC, Community Servings and
Catholic Charities’ Labouré Center.
STRIVE will combine comprehensive employment services and training to increase skills and map
strategies for its clients to move beyond social barriers. We envision our clients moving upward
whether beginning in low-skills and moving into middle-skills, or advancing from middle-skills into
high-skills with opportunities to achieve training certification in technology (Microsoft Applications),
healthcare (Nursing Assistants, and Home Health Aides) and hospitality (SafeServe).
Programmatically,STRIVE placed 292 graduates into jobs in 2013, a 20% increase over the number
placed in jobs in 2012. Among the 292 who attained employment, 160 graduated from the general
population workshop and 132 were ex-offenders. As Massachusetts’ recidivism rate has increased
[2]
12% over the past decade, providing training, education, and employment supports is critical for
ex-offenders to make positive changes in their lives. STRIVE maintains strong relationships with
many employers while developing placements for its clients. In 2013, 145 employers hired STRIVE
graduates with an average startign salary of $11.20 per hour.
In 2014 Boston STRIVE plans to help 300 STRIVE graduates find and keep fullt-time employment.
Boston STRIVE is committed to using its financial and knowledge resources to meet the needs of
our clients and further pursue growth plans for increased capacity.It is the intent of the agency to
forge successful entry into federal grants; continue to strategically partner with affiliate STRIVE
programs to scale impact; seek funds directly from state agencies involved with corrections, training,
and public safety; and, continue to appeal to local private foundations.
[2]State of Recidivism. Pew Center on the States. April 2011.
3
Needs Statement
As Boston STRIVE is piloting three skills training initiatives, sustainable funding is a certain need.
The cost per job placement will be $3,045, calculated by dividing the number of graduates into the
total expenses projected in 2014. This number compares favorably to self-sufficiency models for
individuals and single parents moving along the continuum from unemploymentand public support
[1]
towards economic independence .
1. An annual wage of $24,000 is within the 33-65% range of the Economic Independence Index set
by the Crittenton Women’s Union. “Bridge to Self-Sufficiency”. Crittenton Women’s Union. 2010.
Additionally, STRIVE seeks organizational capacity support to increase its marketing and
communications capabilities to reach a broader audience.
Service Categories
Job Training
Adult Education
Youth Development Programs
Geographic Areas Served
STRIVE serves all residents of Boston; however, the overwhelming majority of clients reside among
neighborhoods with the highest concentrations of poverty and crime in the city. In 2013 64% of
STRIVE's clients resided in Dorchester, including 55% from Field's Corner & Talbot Avenue; 28%
from Grove Hall; and, 11% from Upham Corner.
Please review online profile for full list of selected areas served.
4
Programs
Job Readiness and Attitudinal Development
Description
In 2014, STRIVE will conduct employment programs for a general
population, ex-offenders, and a GED educational component.
Boston STRIVE serves chronically unemployed older youth and
adults as well as ex-offenders who have struggled to find any
traction in the labor economy. Many have been sporadically
employed but lack the professional skills to maintain employment.
Others have given up and no longer believe opportunity exists. As
graduates transition from phase 1 (job readiness) to phase 2 (job
development) they are literally breaking through their own glass
ceiling that had previously prevented them from succeeding.
The STRIVE Model is based on a five week, full-time workshop
that simulates the rigors of a full-time job and does for five (5)
weeks what an employer will do for ninety 90 days. If a participant
cannot get through five weeks of STRIVE it is doubtful that he/she
will last through a probation period upon employment. Clients
focus on punctuality, assertiveness, time management, positive
mental attitude, and workplace etiquette.
The ultimate goal is to better prepare all Boston STRIVE
participants for today’s professional workplace and enable them to
advance to middle or upper income levels as they progress in their
careers. Clients learn the value of timeliness, professional dress,
accepting and applying constructive feedback, team work, and
managing professional relationships. Clients learn to navigate the
Internet and use basic computer skills; they learn to create a
resume and practice over and over interviewing techniques. They
learn about themselves and grow as individuals. The hallmark of
the STRIVE Model is that it allows its clients to address emotional
scars, begin healing, and take small critical steps towards a stable
and employed life.
Budget
$761,300.00
Category
Employment, General/Other Job Training & Employment
Population Served
Unemployed, Underemployed, Dislocated, Offenders/ExOffenders,
Program Short Term Success
Each training workshop lasts five weeks in duration (200 hours);
upon completion graduates transition to phase 2, which is job
development. The STRIVE model is intensive. Nearly 40% will not
complete the five weeks. It is our belief that moving clients through
who continue to exhibit characteristics not up to STRIVE's
standards will not succeed on thier own in a competitive labor
market.
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Program Long term Success
Long term success for Boston STRIVE will mean that
unemployment is no longer a problem, that adults in the
community are employed at jobs that pay liveable wages, thereby
increasing the amount of tax revenue contributed and disposable
income at hand.
Program Success Monitored By
STRIVE began implementing Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) software
in 2012 to track staff efforts, performance indicators, outcomes,
and synthesize data into knowledge.STRIVE’s outcomes are
measurable and verifiable.Its job program benchmarks are the
number of persons:attending orientation, starting training,
graduating from training, obtaining jobs and still working two years
after graduation.Also measured are educational outcomes
including the number of graduates:entering GED courses, gaining
GED certification, completing college prep classes, enrolling in a
community college, and earning a college degree or
certificate.STRIVE evaluates its performance against the goals set
in its business plan at the beginning of each year (written by
management and approved by the board).Progress against plan
and year-end results are published in regular quarterly reports and
a year-end operations report mailed to contributors and
others.The plans also cover budgets, staffing, facilities and
programs.
Examples of Program Success
As Frank neared his prison release he had little clue to what he
would do next. He had never held a job in his life, had no training,
and no useful network to utilize. “Then I met a guy in prison. He
told me about STRIVE. I then met Ben Thompson (then STRIVE
executive director) and figured this might be a good place to start.”
Frank was released from prison on a Monday morning in 2003.
That very day he walked into STRIVE.
At STRIVE Frank put his heart into the five weeks. He learned
important things like making a resume and how to plan and
execute a job search. If he showed a hint of veering Ben drew him
back to his larger purpose. Most importantly, he gained the
confidence to promote himself, to explain his past but to also
articulate his potential.
After completing STRIVE Frank was hired by Valvoline. Frank was
promoted steadily from entry level technician to senior technician
to assistant manager to manager.
6
Employment Services
Description
The clients that participate in Boston STRIVE programming move
along a continuum of training towards economic
independence.Despite working with a challenging population that
struggles to gain employment even in good economies, Boston
STRIVE is demonstrating its model as one of the solutions to
chronic unemployment, especially among ex-offenders.
In 2014, STRIVE will conduct employment programs for a general
population, ex-offenders, and a GED educational component. The
job readiness and employment goals are presented in the
following table.
Cycles
General
Population
Ex-Offenders
7
Training
Starts
175
7
14
165
330
Training
Job
Graduates Placements
168
150
122
290
150
300
Total
Clients transition from phase one into job development (phase
two). STRIVE’s job placement specialist meets individually to
discuss employment goals and support each client’s progress.
Clients are coached to lead their own employment process while
receiving support from STRIVE and utilizing STRIVE’s
relationships with the local business community. Graduates
receive employment support/follow up service for two years to
ensure employment retention and address work place issues.
STRIVE commits to be a resource for its clients’ lifetimes.
STRIVE’s job retention rate averages 68% or better, measured by
the number of participants continuously employed for two years
following graduation. The cost per graduate in 2014 will be $3,806
calculated by dividing the number of graduates into the total
expense budget. Using the same method, the total cost per job
placement projects to $3,045.
Budget
$761,300.00
Category
Employment, General/Other Job Search & Placement
Population Served
Unemployed, Underemployed, Dislocated, Offenders/ExOffenders,
Program Short Term Success
Complete more than 500 intakes applications in order to achieve
350 individuals at orientation in order for 300 clients to formally
start a program cycle, with anticipated completion rates of approx.
65%; formally launch Microsoft skills training first cohort; Place
480 graduates into fulltime employment (averaging 20 placements
per month for 24 months); Maintain job retention rate of 68% (one
year rate) and recidivism rate below 20% (one year rate).
Program Long term Success
Economic independence
Lower recidivism rates
7
Program Success Monitored By
See Previous Program
Examples of Program Success
Kimberly tried college for one year. That was the year she decided
it was more profitable to sell drugs. While awaiting arraignment on
nine drug charges, Kimberly went on the run. She was not alone.
She was eight months pregnant. In 2003 Kimberly turned herself
in. Eventually her parole is retired. She dreams somehow to work.
It feels impossible.She has an open CORI showing nine drug
charges. “STRIVE made me comfortable with the uncomfortable
and dealing with my past. They forced me to look at what was on
my table,” she says.
th
In her 4 week at STRIVE, she interviews for a job. She is asked
about specific experience. She answers that no, she does not
have experience but she’ll work for free so she can be trained.
She credits STRIVE for her renewal of confidence, for skillfully
navigating a tough job interview. She is hired. Her boss is a
STRIVE graduate. This city is rich with men and women who have
turned their lives around. STRIVE is part of Boston’s biography.
8
Management
CEO/Executive Director
Executive Director
Ms. Charmane Higgins
Term Start
Dec 2005
Email
[email protected]
Experience
Charmane Higgins was named Deputy Executive Director of STRIVE in December 2005 and
Executive Director on August 1, 2008. Prior to joining STRIVE, Charmane was Director, Cultural
Health Initiatives at the American Heart Association, Framingham, Massachusetts. From 1999 to
2003, she served, first, as Career Services Manager and, then, as Assistant Director of Operations
for Boston Private Industry Council. Before this, she held positions at Cellular One in Boston and at
Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. Charmane holds a BA degree from Wellesley
College and an MA degree from University of Texas. In 2003, she earned an MBA degree from
Simmons School of Management, Boston, MA.
Senior Staff
Mr. Kevin Davis
Title
Director of Operations
Experience/Biography
Alan Spencer signed on with Boston Employment Service as a
Placement Specialist in January 2002 after he completed STRIVE
Academy, a five day staff training course conducted by “STRIVE
National” in New York City. In the past decade Alan has been
promoted from Trainer (2002) to Director of Ex-Offender Programs
(2004) to Director of Programs (2008) and most recently in 2012,
Director of Operations. Alan’s professional experience includes
social work with Massachusetts Department of Transitional
Assistance and Massachusetts Department of Social Services.
Ms. Crissilla Paris
Title
Senior Trainer
Experience/Biography
Crissilla Parris joined STRIVE as Adminstrative Assistant in
February 2002 upon graduating from STRIVE training. She was
appointed Placement Specialist in 2002; Trainer in 2004 and
Senior Trainer in January 2009. Prior to her work at STRIVE, she
served as an administrative assistant for eleven years at Simmons
College and as a customer service representative at three
firms. Crissilla graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1982,
holds a diploma from Bethel Bible Institute, and is an alumna of
the Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership at Boston
University School of Management.
9
Mr. Rupert Saunders
Title
Senior Job Placement Specialist
Experience/Biography
Rupert Saunders was appointed Placement Specialist in March
2002, after serving 14 years of a 20 year sentence at federal
penitentiaries in Lewisburg, Pennsylivania and Otisville, New
York. While in prison, Rupert obtained a BS degree in Science
and Behavoiral Health from University of New York as well as an
Associates Degree in Liberal Arts from Mercy College of New
York City. At Lewisburg, he co-founded an attitudinal program,
“Doing Time with the Right Mind,” for young inmates. Prior to
incarceration, he served as a youth crisis counselor at Vera
Institute of Justice and as a youth counselor at Covenant House in
New York City. In January 2009, he became Senior Placement
Specialist.
Staff Information
Full Time Staff
7
Part Time Staff
1
Volunteers
10
Contractors
2
Retention Rate
89%
Staff Demographics - Ethnicity
African American/Black
7
Asian American/Pacific Islander
0
Caucasian
1
Hispanic/Latino
0
Native American/American Indian
0
Other
00
Staff Demographics - Gender
Male
6
Female
2
Unspecified
0
Formal Evaluations
CEO Formal Evaluation
Yes
CEO/Executive Formal Evaluation Frequency
Annually
10
Senior Management Formal Evaluation
Yes
Senior Management Formal Evaluation Frequency
Annually
NonManagement Formal Evaluation
Yes
Non Management Formal Evaluation Frequency
Annually
Plans & Policies
Organization has a Fundraising Plan?
Under Development
Organization has a Strategic Plan?
Yes
Years Strategic Plan Considers
2
Date Strategic Plan Adopted
Sept 2011
Management Succession Plan?
No
Organization Policy and Procedures
Yes
Nondiscrimination Policy
Yes
Whistleblower Policy
No
Document Destruction Policy
No
Directors and Officers Insurance Policy
No
Permit?
No
Collaborations
STRIVE National’s selection of Boston STRIVE as a sub grantee in STRIVE for the Future (SFF), a
US Department of Labor Reintergration for Ex-Offenders initiative, led STRIVE to organize a
collaboration of 11 local, state and non-profit agencies. Through SFF, STRIVE will also work closely
with the Department of Youth Services, The Work Place, United Souls, and a number of agencies
with existing relationships with STRIVE. Clients also become part of STRIVE’s larger community
and benefit from collaborations with the Whittier Street Health Clinic (men’s health workshops),
Codman Square Neighborhood Community Development (financial literacy), and Solutions at Work
(free professional attire for job interviewing).
The US Federal District Courts work with STRIVE through RESTART, an initiative that allows
STRIVE to inform inmates, probation officers, and judges about its attitudinal development model.
STRIVE is actively involved in Roxbury Choice, an alternative sentencing initiative that provides
probationers the opportunity to enroll at STRIVE as part of a support team that includes the court,
probation, the District Attorney’s office and social service providers.
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Board & Governance
Board Chair
Board Chair
Mr. William J Walczak
Company Affiliation
Shawmut Construction
Term
Dec 2009 to 0
Email
[email protected]
Board Members
Name
Affiliation
Status
Mr. Arthur J Brewster
Boston Police
Voting
Ms. Beth Cuzzone
Goulston & Storrs
Voting
Rev. William E Dickerson II
Greater Love Tabernacle
Voting
Ms. Marie Downey
Best Corp.
Voting
Mr. Samuel A Hartwell
STRIVE International Co-Founder
& Chaiman Emeritus
Voting
Ms. Lisa Kaplan
Bridgespan
Voting
Ms. Ann N Messina
Goulston & Storrs
Voting
Mr. Kitt Sawitsky
Goulston & Storrs
Voting
Ms. Jennifer J Tenczar
Boston Financial Investment
Management, LP
Voting
Mr. William J Walczak
Shawmut Construction
Voting
Mr. Ernest E Washington Jr.
Vanguard Parking Services, Inc.
Voting
Ms. Monica Zeno-Martin
Youthbuild
Voting
Board Demographics - Ethnicity
African American/Black
4
Asian American/Pacific Islander
0
Caucasian
8
Hispanic/Latino
0
Native American/American Indian
0
Other
00
Board Demographics - Gender
Male
6
Female
6
Unspecified
0
Board Information
12
Number of Full Board Meetings Annually
4
Board Meeting Attendance %
80%
Written Board Selection Criteria?
No
Written Conflict of Interest Policy?
Under Development
Percentage Making Monetary Contributions
100%
Constituency Includes Client Representation
Yes
Standing Committees
Board Governance
Finance
Additional Board Members and Affiliations
Name
Affiliation
Mr. Angel Bermudez
AHB & Associates
Mr. John Goodhue
Maritime Consultant
Mr. Arnold Hiatt
The Striderite Foundation
Mr. Hubie Jones
Dean Emeritus Boston University School of Social
Work
Mr. Wayne Kennard
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Ms. Patricia McGovern
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Mr. Geoffrey Nunes
Millpore Foundation
Ms. Anne Peretz
The Family Center
13
Financials
Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year Start
Jan 01, 2014
Fiscal Year End
Dec 31, 2014
Projected Revenue
$775,452.00
Projected Expenses
$761,974.00
Endowment?
No
Spending Policy
N/A
Credit Line?
No
Reserve Fund?
Yes
Months Reserve Fund Covers
3
Detailed Financials
Revenue and Expenses
Fiscal Year
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
Revenue Sources
Fiscal Year
Foundation and Corporation
Contributions
Government Contributions
Federal
State
Local
Unspecified
Individual Contributions
Indirect Public Support
Earned Revenue
Investment Income, Net of Losses
Membership Dues
Special Events
Revenue In-Kind
Other
2012
$674,816
$722,212
2011
$758,004
$888,912
2010
$959,846
$663,622
2012
--
2011
--
2010
--
$0
----$673,237
-$1,535
$44
-----
$0
----$756,914
-$1,057
$33
-----
$0
----$958,377
-$1,385
$84
-----
14
Expense Allocation
Fiscal Year
Program Expense
Administration Expense
Fundraising Expense
Payments to Affiliates
Total Revenue/Total Expenses
Program Expense/Total Expenses
Fundraising Expense/Contributed
Revenue
Assets and Liabilities
Fiscal Year
Total Assets
Current Assets
Long-Term Liabilities
Current Liabilities
Total Net Assets
Short Term Solvency
Fiscal Year
Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current
Liabilities
Long Term Solvency
Fiscal Year
Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets
Top Funding Sources
Fiscal Year
Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount
Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar
Amount
Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar
Amount
2012
$472,278
$194,404
$55,530
-0.93
65%
8%
2011
$556,047
$263,811
$69,054
-0.85
63%
9%
2010
$432,640
$178,871
$52,111
-1.45
65%
5%
2012
$352,999
$324,298
$0
$58,561
$294,438
2011
$580,057
$529,857
$0
$94,197
$485,860
2010
$643,872
$605,119
$0
$27,104
$616,768
2012
5.54
2011
5.62
2010
22.33
2012
0%
2011
0%
2010
0%
2012
---
2011
---
2010
---
--
--
--
Capital Campaign
Currently in a Capital Campaign?
No
Comments
Foundation Staff Comments
Financial summary data in the charts and graphs above are per the organization's audited
financials. Contributions from foundations and corporations are listed under individuals when the
breakout was not available.
Created 06.16.2017.
Copyright © 2017 The Boston Foundation
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