Step Up Catholic Charities! STRATEGIC PLAN FY

Transcription

1 Step Up Catholic Charities! STRATEGIC PLAN FY EDUCATION FOOD HEALTH HOUSING INCOME ADVO ADVOCACY SOCIAL ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY COMM TIONS PUBLIC RELATIONS GOALS OBJECTIVES METRIC ORITY POVERTY REDUCTION LITERACY RESILIENCY NU NITY SECURITY HOLISTIC SERVICES WELLNESS STRENG PARTNERSHIP COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES PUBLIC AW NESS STEWARDSHIP COMPASSION DIGINITY FAITH ED COM FOOD HEALTH HOUSING INCOME ADVOCACY ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS PUBLIC R

2 OVERVIEW Since officially launching the local campaign to cut poverty four years ago, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County has continued to sharpen our focus on reducing poverty by delivering effective services within a sustainable business model. The strategic plan sets clear and measurable goals and objectives for the next three years based on Catholic Charities mission, strategic intent, and operational capacity. The root causes of poverty are multilayered and complex. Every participant we serve has their own set of needs, challenges, and strengths. That is why Catholic Charities takes a holistic approach to helping local families and individuals overcome poverty. This focus on integration means that no matter where or how participants first access our programs, they are connected to other services within our continuum of care so that all of their needs can be addressed. A new federal poverty measure that takes into account cost of living shows that California has the highest poverty rate in the nation at 23.5 percent. Nearly one in four residents is living in poverty, yet federal anti-poverty programs are based on the standard measure that puts poverty at 16 percent. This gap increases the burden on nonprofit social services agencies like Catholic Charities. Since Catholic Charities goal is to help people move out of poverty, we will track how many participants overall are moving out of poverty and closer to self-sufficiency. The strategic plan will help Catholic Charities meet the need in the most effective and efficient way possible while ensuring that critical services are available to the most vulnerable among us. OUR STRATEGIC INTENT: To reduce poverty in Santa Clara County by delivering effective services within a sustainable business model via highly focused program portfolios. Education Food Health Housing Income Advocacy & Convening: Step Up Silicon Valley Social Enterprise Supported by comprehensive Operations and Development priorities

3 EDUCATION A quality education is the key to economic success. Higher education leads to better-paying jobs and offers the best hope for individuals and families working to overcome poverty. In addition, those who are prepared for the highly skilled jobs of the 21st Century will have the best earning potential. Yet studies show that children of color and those from low-income families are more likely to enter school with fewer language, literacy, social, and other skills needed to ensure school success than more advantaged children. Catholic Charities is working to close this academic achievement gap through programs that focus on improving literacy, strengthening families, and helping underprivileged children get the tools they need to succeed from the time they are born. Agency participants will increase their levels of literacy, resiliency, and 21st Century skills from cradle to career. 1. Integrate and systematize best practices in educational programming across the agency. Among Santa Clara County s high school seniors, 46 percent are prepared for a four-year college, but only 23 percent of African- American, 25 percent of Pacific Islander, and 17 percent of Latino students are prepared. Source: Life in the Valley 2012, Working Partnerships USA 2. Establish and leverage partnerships with other providers to build a comprehensive cradle-to-career educational continuum. 3. Develop a unified approach to promoting and evaluating client resiliency (a key contributing factor to educational and career success) across all programs. # of below basic participants reading at grade level # of children entering kindergarten with the required basic skills # participants regularly attending high school and attaining a college degree or vocational certification % of youth and adult educational program participants exhibiting high levels of resilience Step Up Catholic Charities! Strategic Plan FY

4 FOOD Food is the foundation for a healthy life. Numerous studies show that hunger can cause serious health problems, particularly for children and seniors. Without enough nutritious food, it is difficult to concentrate and perform well at work or school. Yet in Santa Clara County, one in four residents is struggling to put food on the table. Often these families and individuals must make difficult choices between buying food and other necessities like shelter and medicine. While food insecurity is prevalent, government food-assistance programs are underutilized in Santa Clara County. Only about half of Santa Clara County residents who are eligible for CalFresh (food stamps) participate in the program, which means the county loses more than $164 million in benefits and more than $294 million in economic activity. Source: Lost Dollars Empty Plates 2012, California Food Policy Advocates Catholic Charities provides a hot lunch to seniors and healthy snacks to youth who participate in our programs. Community gardens are planted at the Eastside Neighborhood Center and at Captain Jason M. Dahl Elementary School, one of our FIRST 5 Family Resource Centers. The agency also connects clients to food-assistance programs, including CalFresh (food stamps), and partners with Second Harvest Food Bank to provide supplemental food. Agency participants will have consistent and stable access to a nutritionally balanced diet. 1. Maximize our communities use of existing nutrition programs (e.g., CalFresh, WIC, the food bank, Senior Nutrition Program, Loaves & Fishes, USDA summer programs). 2. Facilitate opportunities where families can purchase, grow, swap, and sell fresh produce including building relationships with farmers and the planting gardens at agency sites. 3. Pursue consistent agency involvement in advocacy and education related to food security and nutrition. # eligible participants accessing food or nutrition-related programs # resources used to access fresh food # meals served 2 Step Up Catholic Charities! Strategic Plan FY

5 HEALTH Good health is important for a quality life. Unfortunately, poverty and poor health are closely linked. Access to health care is only part of the reason. While medical care is important, a large body of research suggests that other factors profoundly influence health, including income, education, neighborhood conditions, and housing. People with higher incomes tend to have more choices and better access to wellness and prevention programs. Healthcare reform s focus on prevention is an important step toward leveling the playing field when it comes to health. Catholic Charities provides mental health services as well as a number of recreational and wellness programs that promote social connectedness and healthy behaviors. Our respite care services help to relieve the burden of caregiving, which can negatively impact health. The agency also helps participants access healthcare services and other community resources that can improve their health and well-being. Agency participants will maintain and improve their total well-being via holistic services and care coordination, leveraging new service and funding opportunities. Children living in poverty are seven times more likely to have poor health than children living in high-income households. Source: Health and Social Inequity in Santa Clara County 2011, Santa Clara County Public Health Department 1. Serve as an information and referral resource to our participants regarding wellness programs and changes related to Health Care Reform. 2. Integrate mental health services with primary care and other physical and social services, fostering greater treatment effectiveness and reducing total cost to the public. 3. Strengthen safe, evidence-based wellness and physical activity programs available to children, youth, adults, and seniors. 4. Expand social enterprises related to health and wellness, including Day Break Cares. # of eligible agency participants receiving integrated mental/physical health services # agency participants involved in wellness and physical activity programs # of viable health-related social enterprises Step Up Catholic Charities! Strategic Plan FY

6 HOUSING Everyone should have a permanent place to call home, but in Silicon Valley the high cost of housing stands in the way of this basic human need. There is not enough affordable housing here for a number of reasons. That means the working poor do not make enough to pay local rents and it presents a huge barrier to finding permanent, stable housing for those who are chronically homeless. It is nearly impossible for people who have been living on the streets for years to turn their lives around without the stability that housing provides. The increase in the average cost of rent in San Jose was the highest in the nation in 2011 at nearly 12 percent. In 2012, the cost of rent has continued to rise, reaching an alltime high of $1,961 per month. Source: Life in the Valley 2012, Working Partnerships USA Catholic Charities works to create more below-market housing units through Charities Housing Development Corporation, and advocates for policies that would help to provide more affordable housing. The agency also offers supportive services to homeless veterans and other participants who do get placed into permanent housing. Care coordinators connect participants to services and resources they may need to get back on their feet, including mental health counseling and job training. Agency participants will find and maintain safe, decent, stable, and affordable housing. 1. Improve the quality of supportive housing case management and other related services. 2. Strengthen our partnerships with other housing service providers. 3. Advocate for the development of sufficient permanent affordable housing, including new and innovative funding models (with emphasis on housing for the homeless). # new affordable housing units # agency participants housed # homeless individuals housed 4 Step Up Catholic Charities! Strategic Plan FY

7 INCOME The economy in Silicon Valley is improving, but that has not translated into jobs for many of the people Catholic Charities serves. While this is a wealthy community, a third of the jobs here pay $16 an hour or less. In addition, the loss of nearly 100,000 manufacturing jobs has made it difficult for a significant number of workers to secure gainful employment. High unemployment, falling wages, and rising cost of living have all negatively impacted household incomes. Catholic Charities is focused on helping people get the skills they need to secure jobs that pay a decent wage and build assets so they can become more financially self-reliant. Agency participants will increase their income through employment and asset development. 1. Strengthen job readiness and placement through workforce development strategies, transitional employment opportunities, social enterprise, micro-enterprise, and immigration legal services. The cost of living has increased 22 percent in Santa Clara County since 2008 while median real household income have dropped 19.5 percent since Source: Insight Center for Community Economic Development and Life in the Valley 2012, Working Partnerships USA 2. Improve the capacity of workforce development providers via ongoing convening, resource sharing, and the delivery of peer-based training. 3. Implement a continuum of financial education and asset development services across the agency. # job placements # participants retaining employment at days Average hourly wage plus benefits $ saved towards asset attainment Total Earned Income Tax Credits claimed # of Green Cards or work authorizations obtained Step Up Catholic Charities! Strategic Plan FY

8 ADVOCACY & CONVENING In addition to delivering direct services, Catholic Charities fulfills its mission via the two tools of advocacy and convening. Embedded deep within Catholic Charities core values is the tradition and belief that our society must demonstrate a priority for attending to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society. As the lead convener of Step Up Silicon Valley: The Campaign to Cut Poverty, Catholic Charities is working collaboratively across Santa Clara County to increase the awareness of poverty while advocating for policy change and entirely new approaches to reducing and ultimately eliminating poverty. Policies that promote economic opportunity, local empowerment, and income security all contribute to moving people out of poverty million people nationally were kept out of poverty in 2011 because of three key public policies: Earned Income Tax Credits, SNAP (food stamps), and unemployment insurance. Source: Off the Charts, 11/14/12, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Catholic Charities will increase public awareness of poverty, help to change policies related to poverty, and incubate innovative poverty-reduction solutions. 1. Influence public policies pertaining to poverty reduction. 2. Train staff, volunteers, partners, and clients to be advocates. 3. Lead the development of an innovative service ecosystem in Santa Clara County and beyond. 4. Serve as a convener of key stakeholders in various program areas to optimize expertise and minimize duplication across the County. # of poverty-reducing public policies influenced # of people trained to be advocates # of partner organizations engaged in Step Up Silicon Valley # of stakeholder groups convened across the agency 6 Step Up Catholic Charities! Strategic Plan FY

9 SOCIAL ENTERPRISE With the launch of the Day Break Cares in-home care program two years ago, Catholic Charities succeeded in establishing a social enterprise that directly supports the agency s mission while being financially self-sufficient. The mission impact of social enterprise is three-fold: first, valuable services are delivered to a customer base in need; second, social enterprises create new jobs for our local economy while helping people move out of poverty; and third, social enterprises have the potential to produce valuable surplus revenue to support other vital agency programs. Via this strategic plan, Catholic Charities will thoughtfully seek opportunities to expand its capacity to launch additional mission-driven social enterprises. Catholic Charities will provide agency participants employment through multiple agency-supported social enterprises. 1. Include In-Home Health Care Services as an extension of Day Break Cares. 2. Establish the legal and business infrastructure needed to support the agency s creation and ongoing development of market-driven small businesses. 3. Secure required funding/capital to launch and bring social enterprises to profitability. Social enterprise jobs are the launching pads to stable employment for the chronically unemployed. Employees receive training and support, earn wages, pay taxes, and often reduce their reliance on costly public programs. The nonprofit operator earns income selling goods and services. With an approach rooted in the best private sector practices, social enterprise can scale sustainably not relying solely on government solutions, subsidy, or philanthropy. Source: The Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) # jobs created Total income and benefits generated for participants Length of time required for social enterprises to reach break-even New social enterprise launched Step Up Catholic Charities! Strategic Plan FY

10 OPERATIONS OUR PEOPLE 8 Step Up Catholic Charities! Strategic Plan FY Catholic Charities will develop competent, compassionate staff, managers, and leaders. Priority Implement a comprehensive leadership development training program to improve management skills, develop leaders, and strengthen the agency s culture. Level of employee satisfaction Completion of leadership development classes # of volunteers # of volunteer hours Level of board member engagement FISCAL Catholic Charities will sustain the agency s financial viability and stewardship. Priority Maintain positive cash flow and build operating reserves. Level of operating reserves Degree of contract compliance Rate of administrative cost recovery Energy cost per employee TECHNOLOGY Catholic Charities will strengthen agency efficiency and service integration through technology. Priority Implement a unified participant information system (AWARDS) across the agency. # of participants in AWARDS % of agency programs using AWARDS

11 COMMUNICATIONS & DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC RELATIONS Catholic Charities will foster a high level of community awareness and engagement. Priorities Develop and nurture strategic partnerships with parish communities and expand awareness of agency services and engagement opportunities within parish communities. Strengthen agency branding and public awareness of the agency s thought leadership in reducing poverty. # parishes and schools directly engaged with the agency # website hits # of media impressions open rate for campaigns # social media friends, followers, links and views # community presentations # of Google AdWords impressions FUND DEVELOPMENT : Increase private giving by an additional 1 million dollars within 3-5 years. Priority Build and strengthen relationships with individual and corporate donors, including the launch of new event. Dollars raised # of donors Average annual gift size # of major donors Donor retention rate # planned giving expectancies Step Up Catholic Charities! Strategic Plan FY

12 OUR MISSION Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County serves and advocates for families and individuals in need, especially those living in poverty. Rooted in gospel values, we work to create a more just and compassionate community in which people of all cultures and beliefs can participate. Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County 2625 Zanker Road, San Jose, CA (408)