Maintaining accountability
by Teree Caldwell-Johnson
president and CEO, Oakridge Neighborhood
Teree Caldwell-Johnson. Photo by Duane Tinkey
One of the most challenging aspects for nonprofits today is the need to ensure sustainability and to have the organizational flexibility to quickly adapt to changing needs. This challenge not only shapes the long-term strategy of our organization, but also guides every decision we make.
Oakridge recently completed a new strategic plan complete with several high-level initiatives — including financial sustainability. This high-level initiative positions us well to research, assess, and vie for funding from an increasingly competitive philanthropic market. And while competition for those dollars gets more challenging, people are being increasingly thoughtful and specific about where they will donate their time and resources.
In the same way, corporate entities are increasingly looking to employee input in selecting the nonprofits they support. Giving is becoming more focused. Companies today also want to contribute to organizations that specifically align into their mission and corporate values.
At Oakridge Neighborhood, we are responding by continuing to diversify our revenue streams and coordinating efforts for greater efficiencies. We have a diverse complement of services, so it enables us to tap a variety of sources for funding. For example, beyond the stable housing we provide residents, we offer a range of social services that impact the community at every stage of life.
Our Oak Academy preschool provides much-needed early learning and child care for children ages 6 weeks to pre-kindergarten. Our Youth Education and Engagement programming offers robust out-of-school academic support and enrichment activities for youths from kindergarten through high school. The Family and Workforce Program includes innovative services designed to help clients prosper and achieve sustained self-sufficiency — programming focused on career services and placement, asset building and financial empowerment, citizenship attainment, English language adult literacy, transportation solutions, and more. The new teen tech center — Oakridge Studio at Mainframe — will open to the public in December and will offer a recording studio, 3D printing, robotics and much more. A true example of community and corporate philanthropy in action!
Maintaining transparency and accountability in philanthropy is crucial to building trust. At Oakridge, we carefully share the impact of our efforts with detailed data on both the outputs and outcomes of what our programs achieve with the dollars we receive from our funders. In addition, Oakridge is an excellent steward of the funding we receive and has achieved the GuideStar Platinum level of transparency. These measurements resonate with supporters, enabling us to develop ongoing relationships to sustain the organization.
How do you see philanthropy efforts changing in the next five years?
I’m hoping and confident we will see the next generation of up-and-coming Des Moines leaders fully embracing and supporting local philanthropic efforts in the same way business legends like Fred Weitz, Bill Knapp, Don Lamberti, Don and Margo Blumenthal, Cindy and Allen Sabbag, Tim and Toni Urban, Kyle and Sharon Krause, and many others continue to leave a legacy on organizations like Oakridge Neighborhood. Young professionals are very philanthropically oriented. It will be our mission to engage them in such a way that the relevance and importance of our organization’s efforts in the community resonate.