First Place Fund’s Objectives
First Place Fund has 5 main objectives. The organization’s first objective is housing stability to former foster youth. Its second objective is to provide economic security to the program participants. The organization believes that for former foster youth to maintain housing, they need to engage in wage employment that pays them a wage that matches the cost of living. Its third objective is to provide educational attainment to former foster youth. The organization is of the opinion that financial success is based not only pegged on having wage employment but on other factors, as well. To ensure transitioning foster youth achieve long-term independence, they should have workforce skills coupled with education. The fourth objective of First Place Fund is to ensure its participants have improved health. The organization seeks to address the health needs of former foster youth who are transitioning to the wider society through education and focused services. The fifth objective of First Place Fund is to ensure transitioning foster youth connect to the community. Foster youth often find difficulties in creating supportive relationships since they constantly moved from their friends and families disrupting their social relationships. The organization seeks to help them create supportive relationships with their peers and families.
First Place Fund’s Capabilities
First Place Funds provide foster youth with graduated rent subsidy, move-in costs grants, house wares, and essential furnishings in order to ensure former foster youth have access to safe, permanent and affordable housing. It also provides housing advocacy, tenancy training and case management in order to ensure foster youth live harmoniously with neighbours and landlords. First Place Funds provide former foster youth with employment and educational counselling, job development, and job retention support and training to ensure former foster youth achieve economic stability. In addition, it provides Economic Literacy training to improve the program participant’s ability to manage their income. The organization provides money to purchase books and related supplies, counselling, tutoring, class enrolment, and financial aid assistance to former foster youth to enhance their educational attainment. First Place Funds provide health and wellness clinics, Medi-Cal benefits to ensure former foster youth have improved healthcare. In addition, the organization ensures pregnant and parenting young women have regular clinic visits, access to pre-natal care as well as baby check-ups. Lastly, First Place Funds provide various programs aimed at ensuring creating and building connectivity with the community. These programs include; annual holiday parties, youth-led events, volunteer service project and civic engagements.
Persons who will meet those Capabilities
These capabilities are expected to meet by various stakeholders including; volunteers, staff, program participants and donors. Since the inception of First Place Funds, it has always thrived thanks to the efforts of volunteers. Volunteers offer their services to enable the organization achieve its objectives. Some of the services offered by volunteers to First Place Funds include tutoring program participants to help them improve their college entrance exam score, resume editing, mock interviews and teaching other necessary skills for the job market. Secondly, volunteers conduct workshops that teach the program participants life skills such as anger management, parenting nutrition and cooking. They also help in organizing youth events and fund raising.
First Place Funds has employed a number of people who facilitate the day-to-day running of the organization. These include activities such as fund management, accountability to other stakeholders, communicating with other stakeholders, enrolling program participants, maintaining records of participants among others. They also oversee and coordinate the activities of the other stakeholders.
First Place Funds capabilities are also facilitated by donors who willingly make pecuniary contributions. Some of the largest donors of First Place Funds include; Bank of America Foundation, California Community Foundation, Brickyard Family Fund among many others. First Place Funds also receives donations from private individuals through fundraising events that are organized frequently.
Current and former program participants also contribute in meeting First Place Funds capabilities. For example, former participants are expected to share their experiences with current participants to encourage them and provide them with success tips on transition from foster care to the society.
Resources needed and how they will be spent
Source of Required Resources
The expected source of required resources of the organization is financial donations by well-wishers. The organization also organizes golf-tournaments. It gets funds from ticket sales and corporate sponsors of the tournaments.
Sales and non-sales revenue earning strategies
First Place Funds should organize sports tournaments not only in golf but in other sports that are popular in California. The organization can also make branded merchandise such as cups, t-shirts and caps which it can sell at a premium. The organization could also allow corporate organizations to place banners or tents in events that it has organized at a fee.
First Place Funds should market itself beyond California so that it can receive donations globally. The organization should also initiate a program that compels successful former participants to contribute to the organization. Lastly, the organization can also lobby for funds from the government to support its programs.
References
First Place Fund. (2014, March 6). First Place Fund For Youth. Retrieved March 6, 2014, from http://www.firstplaceforyouth.org: http://www.firstplaceforyouth.org/page.aspx?pid=329
