VISION AND GROWTH STRATEGY

 

Vision and Growth Strategy (January 2012)  

 

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Current Snapshot

CO N T EN T S Current Snapshot Our Vision Our Growth Strategy Organizational Sustainability

3,366 STUDENTS SUPPORTED Students received vital school supplies, mentoring, college preparation, and field trips.

$60,600 2010 REVENUES Revenues in FY 2010 increased over 500% compared to FY 2009.

89% FUNDS TO PROGRAMS Our unique structure ensures that we consistently keep overhead costs low so that we can rigorously apply donations to directly impact our students.

5,300 VOLUNTEER HOURS Dedicated volunteers ensure that our programs are successful every day.

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Revenue Growth - FY ‘09 and FY ‘10

Organization Leadership Hiro Kawashima Co-Founder, Executive Director Aria Fiat Co-Founder, Human Resources Director Lauren Masterson Operations Director Jonathan Park Development Director Ellie Ryan Marketing Director Viraj Raygor Mentoring Director Nicole Bronnimann Award-A-Field Trip Director

21 DEDICATED STAFF Our all-volunteer staff works hard to develop and operate innovative and impactful programs.

 

Vision and Growth Strategy (January 2012)  

 

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Our Vision

We believe in contributing to a society where all children, regardless of socioeconomic background, have equal access to physical resources and extra-curricular opportunities, and can take advantage of a quality education to help them reach their potential.

15% INCREASE IN ISAT We will work with our community partners to produce a significant increase in the number of students meeting or exceeding state standards.

6,500 STUDENTS SUPPORTED Students received school supplies, mentoring, college preparation, and field trips.

95% FUNDS TO PROGRAMS We will decrease overhead expenses by building scale and increasing process efficiency over the next five years to funnel 95 cents out of every dollar donated to our programs.

14 SCHOOLS SUPPORTED Our programs will be prevalent in a variety of communities in the CPS and bring needed resources and opportunities to deserving students.

$1M TOTAL REVENUES With enhanced funding from foundations and corporations, we will generate over $1 million in total revenues over the next five years.

Projected Number of Students Enrolled

Projected Number of Schools Supported

Projected Revenues

 

Vision and Growth Strategy (January 2012)  

 

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Our Growth Strategy

Revenue Breakdown FY 2010

Expected Revenue Breakdown FY 2016

3%  

18%  

79%  

Foundations/Corporations

Individuals

In-Kind

13%  

53%  

26%  

8%   Events

Foundations/Corporations

Individuals

In-Kind

An All or Nothing Approach. We believe that our recipients deserve the full support of our programs and sponsors. Although it is important to expand our presence throughout the Chicago Public School system, it is more important to impact the development of our students at each school.

We will be diligent in our approach toward expansion. We will only expand to new communities when we can guarantee full support of our programs and sponsors. An Emphasis on Community Partnerships. We understand the clear need for a vibrant network of nonprofits, businesses and government agencies, all invested stakeholders, to collaborate on an issue as pervasive and important as public education. A partnership with Supplies for Dreams is a unique opportunity to bring the diverse array of resources and skill-sets required to address our core mission of dramatically improving educational experiences. We strive to bring a comprehensive, 360 degrees problem-solving mentality to coordinate communication and efforts among all of the major community stakeholders. We seek to align with appropriate, highly-invested organizations and gather the community to create committed partnerships to maximize our collective long-term impact. A Focus on Vertical Expansion. We currently operate three core programs: the Award-A-Field-Trip program, the Dream Drive program, and the Dream Mentors program. Our ongoing focus will be on the development of existing programs rather than the creation of new programs. Existing programs will be constantly evaluated and improved upon to sustain maximum impact for our students.

A Shift Toward Sustainable Funding. Support from individuals is a key component and will remain a key component of our fundraising strategy. However, we will diversify our funding sources to include enhanced support from local and national foundations and corporations. Diversification is critical to sustain funding from year-to-year and in times of economic uncertainty. Funding from foundations and corporations is more recurring in nature and provides the stability of fund flow necessary to guarantee our ability to provide consistent, high-quality support to our schools.

In 2010, only 3% of funding was attributed to foundations and corporations. By 2016, we expect over 50% of funding to come from foundations and corporations.

 

Vision and Growth Strategy (January 2012)  

 

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ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY Versatile structure. Our new organizational structure positions us to effectively tackle any future challenges. We have introduced two new positions: the Operations Director and the Human Resources Director.

• The Operations Director is the chief operating officer of Supplies for Dreams and is responsible for day-to-day operations.

• The Human Resources director is responsible for recruitment, talent management, and leadership development. Both directors will report directly to the Executive Director.

• The Executive Director shapes the overall strategy of the organization by focusing on vital fundraising, partnership, and growth issues.

• The Associates Board and the Board of Directors serve as guiding and governing bodies for the organization.

 

Vision and Growth Strategy (January 2012)  

 

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A Driven Culture. SFD members collectively share the spirit of service, the drive to attain exceptional results in our schools, and the steadfast focus on executing our strategy. We actively recruit members who share our vision and can bring skills to augment our organizational capabilities. Through a common vision, a thoughtful and thorough recruitment process and consistent leadership encouragement, we are able to maintain a high-performance culture where we prioritize creative solutions and excellent results. We Develop Innovative Leaders. The development of future organizational leaders remains one of the primary goals of SFD. In 2011, we enacted the Nonprofit Management Training Program – a six-week program designed to develop leadership and management skills, and to provide knowledge of basic accounting, budgeting, and fundraising.

We also implemented two new training programs: the Executive Management Training Program (EMTP) and the New Member Orientation Program (NMOP). The EMTP is a three week program designed to enhance the leadership and management skills of the existing leadership and offer a forum to discuss issues pertaining to organizational development and exchange best practices. The NMOP is a four week onboarding program designed to assimilate new team members.

The three leadership development programs have and will continue to produce motivated and capable individuals who tackle program and organizational challenges. By 2016, all members holding leadership positions will graduate from one or more of our leadership development programs.

Our leaders will continue to operate impactful programs, develop innovative strategies to bring further resources to the students we serve, and continue to grow SFD. An Active Alumni Base and Committed Associates Board. We believe that engaging alumni is important to the sustainability of SFD. Alumni have a personal tie to our cause and organization. They can also provide key insights to the future leadership and members of SFD.

The Associates Board, primarily composed of alumni, functions as a highly active advisory group to SFD. This group’s primary objectives are to augment SFD’s fundraising efforts, maintain constant contact with the current leadership and members, and serve as strong advocates for SFD within their personal and professional networks. A Strong and Committed Board of Directors Our Board serves not only as our governing body, but also acts as a strong external champion for all of SFD’s activities. Board members are recruited and selected for their long-term commitment to the vision of SFD, their experience working with educational or related organizations, and their interest in externally promoting the organization. The Board ensures consistency in an organization that by nature experiences slightly higher turnover. In addition, the Board tracks the organization’s accountability and keeps it performing at a high level. The strength of the Board will improve the sustainability and growth strategies of SFD.