BALTIMORE, MD - Social Solutions, Inc., the leading provider of performance management software for human and social services, announced three of its customers — Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Latin American Youth Center (LAYC), and REDF — have received a total of $15.4 million in federal and matching funds as a part of the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) Social Innovation Fund (SIF) Awards.
The SIF brings together federal, nonprofit, and private foundation resources to develop and expand evidence-based, innovative programs which promote economic opportunity, youth education and development, and healthy futures across the United States. Along with programs like Investing in Innovation (i3) and Promise Neighborhoods, SIF represents the new way the federal government is addressing social challenges: through rigorous attention to and prioritization of performance management.
“We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of the organizations we serve, and our SIF grant-winners are certainly no exception,” said Jay Love, CEO, Social Solutions. “Organizations like LISC, LAYC, and REDF have set the standard for performance management and we’re looking forward to the even greater strides they and their selected subgrantees will make thanks to this opportunity from the CNCS as well as the supporting private foundations. It is evident that their use of ETO software provides the competitive edge critical to demonstrating success and securing grant awards.”
LISC has been awarded $4.2MM to grow Financial Opportunity Centers, a workforce development and asset-building model that improves economic outcomes and coaches low-income families in making better financial decisions. Kevin Jordan, director of LISC’s national Family Income and Wealth Building program explained, “Participants’ outcomes are monitored, pitfalls reviewed, opportunities discussed and plans adjusted to respond. We’re able to track and report all of this easily through ETO software, across our more than thirty sites.” Results from one evaluation of Financial Opportunity Centers leveraging ETO software shows that 56% of participants assessed recorded gains in net income, 42% showed increases in credit scores, and 43% increased net worth. Jennifer McClain, a Program Officer for LISC in Chicago, where the program started in 2005, added, “Our ability to use ETO software to elicit and accurately report these results made us an extremely competitive candidate for SIF funding. The outcome(s) speak for themselves.”
LAYC has awarded $500,000 for its Promotores Pathways mentoring program under Venture Philanthropy Partner’s (VPP) $4MM youthCONNECT grant. Unlike mentors in most programs, LAYC’s Promotores support the youth they work with for extended periods of time (4-6 years) and across multiple, varied service programs—not only the 50 distinct program offerings LAYC administers, but also any relevant programs at any number of other agencies. The focus here is on providing the youth LAYC serves with the guidance and assistance they need, not on the barriers traditionally posed by working across programs or agencies. LAYC also places heavy emphasis on utilizing performance management to inform programs and procedures. “You simply cannot demonstrate your effectiveness as a high-performing organization without outcomes measurement,” said Isaac Castillo, Director of Learning and Evaluation at LAYC. He has overseen his organization’s use of ETO software since 2005 and played a major role in the strategy behind its application for the Promotores program. “Since the Promotores program began in 2008,” Castillo noted, “we have used ETO software to track everything—from needs assessment and risk-levels to case notes and referrals. We’re very excited for the opportunity to share this information with our peers in Venture Philanthropy Partners’ SIF-supported youthCONNECT initiative.” LAYC’s peers include DC-area College Summit, Year Up, and KIPP organizations, as well as a number of others to be selected in a VPP-administered competitive sub-grant process in the coming months.
CNCS has awarded REDF $3MM to improve workforce outcomes for citizens across the state of California. This immediately impacts at least 2,500 low-income young people and adults facing multiple barriers to employment, with employment opportunities projected for a total of 8,000 individuals within the next 10 years. As part of its SIF grant, REDF will be evaluating the effectiveness of workforce development programs in one of the country’s hardest-hit states. “We will be conducting a rigorous Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis of the programs supported by our Social Innovation Fund grant to quantify the effects of social enterprises on a range of important metrics. These metrics include employee income and education, as well as more direct public benefits such as increased tax revenue and reduced incarceration costs,” said Carla Javits, REDF President. “Outcome data from ETO software will be a critical element of this analysis.” REDF-assisted programs have shown impressive outcomes for their participants: among those interviewed 1.5-2 years after hire into a social enterprise, 77% retained their employment status and the average wage increased by 31%.
About Social Solutions
Social Solutions is the leading provider of performance management software for human services, connecting efforts to outcomes, people to social services, and service providers and communities to funders. The company’s Efforts to Outcomes (ETO™) software goes beyond case management, and enables public, private, and nonprofit organizations, such as Harlem Children’s Zone®, Catholic Charities, Annie E. Casey Foundation, HUD, and cities such as Boston and Hartford to collaborate, save time, and improve service quality and effectiveness. Thousands of service providers, collaboratives, funders, evaluators, and government organizations use ETO software as they work with over 4 million participants each day.
www.socialsolutions.com / 443-460-3404 / moreinfo@socialsolutions.com / Twitter: @socialsolutions
About Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
LISC combines corporate, government and philanthropic resources to help nonprofit community development corporations revitalize distressed neighborhoods. Since 1980, LISC has raised more than $9.7 billion to build or rehab more than 271,000 affordable homes and develop 40 million square feet of retail, community and educational space nationwide. LISC support has leveraged $31.1 billion in total development activity. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.
About Latin American Youth Center (LAYC)
LAYC serves low-income youth and families across the District of Columbia and in Maryland's Prince George's and Montgomery Counties. They operate a regional network of youth centers and public charter schools with a shared commitment to meet young people where they are and help them make a successful transition to young adulthood. LAYC provides multi-lingual, culturally sensitive programs in five areas: Educational Enhancement, Workforce Investment, Social Services, Art + Media, and Advocacy. For more information, visit www.layc-dc.org.
About REDF
REDF is a San Francisco-based high-impact venture philanthropy organization dedicated to transforming lives through the creation of jobs and economic opportunity. REDF provides funding and business assistance to a carefully selected portfolio of nonprofit enterprises that employ young people disconnected from school and work, and adults who are overcoming histories of homelessness, mental illness, addiction, incarceration, chronic poverty and joblessness. Since 1997, REDF has partnered with nonprofits that have pioneered the creation of social enterprise, helping them expand their enterprises, achieve sustainable success, and measure the positive impact of their work on people and communities. REDF has helped employ more than 5,500 people in the San Francisco Bay Area and is supported by the generous contributions of individuals, corporations, and foundations. For more information, visit REDF.org.
About the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov. Click here to read the complete list of SIF grantees and to learn more about the Fund.
ETO™ is a trademark of Social Solutions, Global, Inc. Harlem Children's Zone® and HCZ® are registered trademarks of HCZ, Inc.