annual report ~ year five - jumpstart our youth · 2,100 to 3,755 in 2012 with a slight decrease to...

A Youth in Philanthropy Model

Annual Report ~ Year Five

2013

www.jumpstartouryouth.org

JumpstartOurYouth.org 2

`Table of Contents

Mission......................................................................................................................................................... 3

Funding Summary...................................................................................................................................... 5

Partner Contact Information .................................................................................................................... 7

2012-2013 Jumpstart Our Youth (JOY) Program Summary................................................................. 8

By the numbers ~ 2013............................................................................................................................... 8

Youth Philanthropy : Why It Matters...................................................................................................... 9

Partners ..................................................................................................................................................... 10

History ....................................................................................................................................................... 10

Grants Snapshot: Year Five .................................................................................................................... 11

Successful Collaboration.......................................................................................................................... 12

Process Impact .......................................................................................................................................... 12

Process Improvements ............................................................................................................................. 12

Program Delivery Timeline ..................................................................................................................... 16

Year of Student Collaboration ............................................................................................................... 20

Student Data.............................................................................................................................................. 21

Volunteering/Fundraising and Sweat Equity for Recipients................................................................ 21

Looking Forward...................................................................................................................................... 24

Program Growth: 2009 to 2013............................................................................................................... 25

Grants ~ Cumulative (2009-2013) ........................................................................................................... 26

Grants by Category .................................................................................................................................. 27

Grant Recipients ~ 2013........................................................................................................................... 28

JOY Media Coverage, 2012-13 School Year .......................................................................................... 31

JOY Grant and Volunteer Service Applicaton...................................................................................... 31

JOY Grant Evaluation ............................................................................................................................. 31


MISSION

To advance youth philanthropy in Mainewith the intent to build and strengthen

communities through youth involvement


FUNDING AND SERVICE LEARNING/VOLUNTEER IMPACT OF JOY

2009 through 2013

2013 2012 2011 2010 2009

JMG Students Participating 3,645 3,755 3,324 3,400 2,100

# of JMG sites 63 63 61 64 52

# of Grants Awarded 100 97 110 90 72Amount distributed(Funding provided by funder partners) $ 64,200 $ 63,000 $ 60,000 $ 61,000 $ 50,664

Additional funds raised by students * 3,670 5,350 3,240 3,850 3,000

TOTAL: $67,870 $ 68,350 $ 63,240 $ 64,850 $ 53,664

Average grant award $679 $705 $555 $678 $704

# of Volunteer Hours * 30,050 21,675 19,373 19,816 12,910

Market Value of volunteer hours 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.50 7.50

TOTAL: $ 225,375 $ 162,563 $ 145,298 $ 148,620 $ 96,825

TOTAL (Grants + Volunteer Hours) $ 293,245 $ 230,913 $ 208,538 $ 213,470 $150,489Program Total (4 years) $1,096,654

SubsectorArts/Culture $ 1,500 $ 833 $ 2,450 $ 4,000 $ 2,750Community Development $12,000 $ 6,300 $ 8,735 $ 12,225 $ 1,750Developmental Disabilities $ 4,250 $ 9,150 $ 8,332 $ 2,200 $ 4,000Domestic Abuse Awareness/Advocacy $ 4,025 $ 3,500 $ 4,048 $ 2,500 $ 2,800Early Childhood Development $ 4,200 $12,150 $ 7,320 $ 13,750 $11,200

Education/Life Skills $15,000 $15,317 $ 10,590 $ 13,475 $ 8,050Fitness/Sports/Recreation $ 9,250 $ 5,850 $ 7,940 $ 5,050 $13,100Homelessness/Food Pantry $12,075 $ 9,900 $ 9,085 $ 5,800 $ 5,314Substance Abuse Awareness/Advocacy $ 1,000 $ - $ 1,500 $ 2,000 $ 1,700

# of Youth impacted by grants 84,784 21,806 31,136 14,000 12,837

# of Towns receiving grants 46 44 51 49 51

# of Organizations receiving grants 75 63 69 76 70

* The JOY Partners have been working to accurately track all philanthropy and volunteer serviceprovided by JMG students throughout the year, which includes the formal ‘JOY’ curriculumperiod. Each year, reporting refinements are being made which effect the hours and additionalfunds raised.


A Partnership of

The Unity Foundation’s mission is to supportsustainable, mission-driven nonprofits throughcapacity-building initiatives, programmaticgrantmaking and nonprofit management education.

Maine Community Foundation, To strengthenMaine by working in partnership with donors andcommunity groups.

UniTel is a local independent telephone companyserving approximately 5,000 customers in all or partof eleven towns in Waldo, Penobscot and KennebecCounties.

Jobs For Maine’s Graduates’ mission is to identifystudents who face barriers to education, and to guideeach one on to a successful path toward continuededucation, a meaningful career, and productiveadulthood.


Partner Contact Information

Unity FoundationLarry Sterrs, CEO/Chairman of the Board

(207) 948-9988Lori Roming, Research & Program Officer

(207) [email protected]

Maine Community FoundationPeter Taylor, Vice President, Program


UniTel, Inc.Laurie Osgood, President

(207) 948-9952Jayne Sullivan, Director of Internal and External Support


Jobs for Maine’s GraduatesDebbie Bechard

Special Projects [email protected]

(207) 620-7180 ext. 212

Communications SupportCatharine Hartnett



2012-2013 Jumpstart Our Youth (JOY) Program Summary

The Jumpstart Our Youth activities closely resemble the same processes and proceduresphilanthropic foundations follow to make mission-focused grants. Each JMG class has $1000with which to award grants to community nonprofits, provided by the JOY funding partners.Some classes choose to raise additional funds to complement the funds.

Working in groups students must:

Research the meaning of philanthropy and who philanthropists are

Research local needs and challenges

Select nonprofits to receive RFPs

Host presentations from nonprofits seeking the JOY grant funds

Review online applications including mission, operating budgets, program goals

Choose a decision-making tool to award funding

Select grant recipients

Design community service learning commitments

By the numbers ~ 2013

3,645 participating students enrolled in 63 JMG school-based programs

259 applications, totaling $247,360 in requests, were received from Maine nonprofits;

$64,200 was distributed through 100 distinct grants; plus an additional $3,670 raised by JMGstudents;

Nonprofit programs providing Education/Life Skills received the most funding (25%),with Homelessness/Food Pantry and Community Development following closely; and

Nonprofits providing Substance Abuse Awareness/Advocacy received the least funding(0%), a decrease from 3% in 2011.


Youth Philanthropy: Why It Matters

Research shows that when youth participate in philanthropy they lead in giving and volunteeringduring their lifetimes, as well as in choosing nonprofit/human service related careers. In Maine, asin all states, it is important to instill in our youth an understanding of the power and potential ofphilanthropy as well as the responsibilities and rewards that come with being an engaged andgiving member of one’s community.

By building awareness about the role of philanthropy and honing skills such as team building,collaboration, communication, fiscal responsibility, goal-setting and critical thinking, JOYpromotes leadership, entrepreneurship and generosity.

Students in Grades 6 through 12 who participate in Jumpstart Our Youth® (JOY) build new skillsthrough learning financial literacy; increase their understanding of the role of local nonprofitorganizations in addressing community issues; provide hands-on volunteer service to theircommunities, and experiment with grantmaking and fund development activities. All of theseskills help the students meet the learning competencies identified as those that best prepare ouryouth for the future. These skills align with and support JMG’s competency-based curriculum,including PREP (Personal Responsibility Education Program).

In five years, JMG students have cumulatively provided almost$1,100,000 to Maine’s nonprofit sector. This value is comprised ofdedicated funds, student-raised funds and nearly 104,000 hours* ofvolunteer service. * Value of $7.50 per hour

Freeport Middle School JMG studentsorganized food contributions at theGood Shepherd Food Bank this spring.


Partners

The Unity Foundation developed the JOY program in 2008 and provides funding, in collaborationwith the Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF) and UniTel, Inc., Jobs for Maine’s Graduates(JMG) delivers the philanthropy curriculum in schools where it operates programs. The fundingpartners renewed their relationship with JMG for a fifth year to continue teaching students abouthow communities identify and address problems, and develop solutions. Since it was founded in1993, JMG has provided more than 25,000 Maine students who face barriers to education theskills and motivation needed to succeed in higher education and the workforce. Since thebeginning of the JOY program, the number of students participating annually increased from2,100 to 3,755 in 2012 with a slight decrease to 3,645 in 2013.

History

Grounded in a curriculum developed by the Unity Foundation, Maine Community Foundation andUniTel, Inc., and continuously revised to incorporate JMG-specific language and address learningcompetencies, the JMG Specialists (classroom instructors) guide students as they begin to learnabout philanthropy by first understanding often overwhelming community needs. Students learnabout making difficult choices in trying to meet those needs with limited financial and humanresources. Jumpstart Our Youth is based on a youth philanthropy program created in 2002 byUnity Foundation to mark the first anniversary of the death of its founder, Bert Clifford. Thisprogram became the “UniKids Care Club” at UniTel, Inc., the company owned by Mr. Clifford.UniKids Care Club brought together the children of UniTel employees to identify needs withintheir own community and develop a grant program to help meet them. JOY also draws upon theprogram expertise and curriculum recommendations of MaineCF based on its youth philanthropysupport across the state for two decades.

To scale the program statewide, in 2008 Unity Foundation reached out to MaineCF. The twofoundations revised and enhanced the curriculum based on each organization’s experience andresearch in the field.

Jobs for Maine's Graduates was approached to deliver the program because of its youthdevelopment mission; track record of successful program design and implementation;commitment to assessment and evaluation, as well as its existing extensive network with publicschools. JMG agreed to participate, recognizing the potential of the program to augment studentexperience, especially in dedicated focus to service learning. Over time, the principles of the JOYprogram have become the overall framework for the JMG service, fundraising and outreachcurriculum components while also remaining a measurable philanthropic exercise each year.

Each partner – Unity Foundation, MaineCF, UniTel, Inc. and Jobs for Maine's Graduates – agreesto the timeline, benchmarks and outcomes as well as financial and/or management support for theprogram. Partner meetings are held throughout the year to review program status and plan forfuture growth and sustainability. Between formal meetings, information is provided to all partnersabout the program’s efforts. Proposed changes in curriculum, timeline, delivery and outcomemeasurements are weighed against the mission of advancing youth philanthropy in Maine to buildand strengthen communities through youth involvement.


Grants Snapshot: Year FiveGiving is categorized by the subsector the funds support. [Applicants self-select their sectorduring the application process.] The total does not include the additional $3,670 raised bystudents.

Subsector Total GivingPercentage of total

JOY funding

Education/Life Skills $ 15,900 25%

Homelessness/Food Pantry 12,075 19%

Community Development 12,000 19%

Fitness/Sports/Recreation 9,250 14%

Developmental Disabilities 4,250 7%

Early Childhood Development 4,200 7%

Domestic Abuse Awareness/Advocacy 4,025 7%

Arts/Culture 1,500 1%

Substance Abuse Awareness/Advocacy 1,000 1%

Lanie Howes, a JMG student at Madison Area Memorial High School set a goal during herfreshman year to raise $6,000, the average cost to grant one wish, for the Make-A-WishFoundation of Maine. A year later, Lanie had raised over $12,000 – enough to grant twochildren’s wishes – and had collected another $700 toward granting a third wish. Lanieraised the money through garage sales, hosting community auctions, and asking friends andfamilies to donate money in lieu of birthday or Christmas gifts. To date, Lanie has raisedan astonishing $24,000 for Make-A-Wish and has received national attention for herefforts. She was recognized by Jobs for America’s Graduates in its national newsletter.And, she will be recognized at the Association of Fundraising Professionals – NorthernNew England Chapter Conference in Maine in November 2013, where she will receive ascholarship of $5,000 for higher education.


Successful Partner CollaborationCollaboration, especially between nonprofits and funders, is critical to overall program success.After five years, the JOY partners continue to hone their own communication, awareness andcollaborative skills, once again showing that a thoughtful partnership can thrive. JOY has been acollaborative effort from the outset, and the partners have learned several lessons that they believeare critical to working together effectively and fulfilling the group’s mission.

Alignment with mission and culture: First and foremost is agreement on a common goalaligned with the grantee partner’s mission, the foundation partners’ focus, and the for-profitpartner’s culture of philanthropy – to support Maine’s youth in achieving success.

Respect and flexibility: Each partner recognizes and respects the strengths of the others,acknowledges and defers to experience and is committed to being flexible.

Not reinventing the wheel: Successful program delivery can be achieved by aligning funderexpertise with nonprofit experience to support a mutual goal with existing and flexibleresources rather than by creating a brand new program. Students are engaged and learn througha proven organization with new curriculum elements introduced and funded by the fundingpartners.

Process ImpactThe 2012-13 school year, Year Five, was a year of significant improvement that increasedprogram efficiency and effectiveness, while building on lessons learned in previous programyears. Areas of improvement and growth are highlighted below.

The total number of volunteer hours increased by more than 8,000: from 21,675 to 30,050even as the number of participating JMG students decreased by 110. (3,645 vs. 3,755 in2012).

In Year One, $53,644 was distributed in grants. In Year Five, grants totaled $67,870.

Since 2009, the number of young people served by JOY-funded programs has increasedfrom 12,837 to 84,784.

Process Improvements

JOY partners continually seek improvements to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of theprogram. Minor revisions in Year 5 included:


KEEPING JOY FRESH IN YEAR FIVE

JMG Specialists are sometimes challenged with finding new organizations to consider inthe RFP process and also to keep the JOY project fresh for students who wereexperiencing it for consecutive school years.

Some JMG sites have a limited number of qualifying non-profit organizations to whomRFPs can be extended. Now that the project is in its fifth year some of those Specialistshave reached out beyond their immediate geographic service area to seek applicationsfrom other counties or regions of the state. While one of the JOY project goals is todevelop our students’ understanding of philanthropy, there is the risk of studentsbecoming less than enthusiastic about funding the same programs year after year. Anumber of Specialists have adopted a wide spectrum of research for their students –reaching out over the entire state and beyond. These distant programs do not receivefunding but the process certainly builds a deeper understanding of, and compassion for,needs beyond the students’ own back yard.

To keep the JOY experience fresh and meaningful for upperclassmen who haveparticipated for a few years, Specialists place them in leadership roles. Examples includefacilitating a classroom or group discussion on previously funded programs, explainingthe timeline and/or RFP process, leading peers through the grant selection process, havinghigh school JOY students mentor nearby middle school JOY students, and takingownership of the structure for the year-end celebration.

When does $1,000=$10,000?

Students in the Morse High SchoolJMG class raised additional moneyto purchase food for the Bath AreaFood Truck. Owned and operatedby Kim Gates, the mobile foodtruck delivers food from the GoodShepherd Food Pantry to hungrypeople in Bath. It costs $1,000 topurchase a whole truck full of food,however the retail value of the foodis $10,000.


NEW SPECIALISTS TRAINING

New JMG Specialists were introduced to the general concepts of JOY at Fall training;they later received specific CS database and program training via conference calls. Asthey did last year, veteran Specialists and regional managers provided crucial ongoingsupport. Each region of JMG Specialists meets 2-3 times each year, so in addition tophone calls and emails, this provides an opportunity to touch base about progress.

Year-end feedback from first year Specialists indicated 1) appreciation for ongoingreminders about the timeline, data entry, etc. and, 2) their desire for strategies to keepstudents interested in the JOY process during the waiting periods, such as the timebetween sending out applications and in-person presentations by applicants. Feedbackindicates that JOY training for new Specialists was very helpful and no major changes arerecommended.

Jason Merritt (far left) and Andy D’Eramo accept their JOY grantand a tool box full of “soft tools” from Katelynn Annance, ColinMannon and Heidi Coughlin of Lewiston’s JMG.


WEBSITE AND DATABASE IMPROVEMENTS:

Resource Updates:

Updates to the JOY website provided a wealth of information for the students andSpecialists -- from defining philanthropy and discovering Maine’s youth-servingorganizations, to a complete report on previously funded JOY programs and organizations.November 2012 marked the start of this year’s JOY project -- an exciting youth-in-philanthropy project that stretches over the entire school year for both new and returningJMG Specialists and students.

Navigation:

Specialists appreciated the easy navigation, and wealth of resources on the updated JOYwebsite. Many used the ‘forgot password’ button! They reported that their studentsenjoyed and navigated easily through the website. Even first-year Specialists found thesite to be very user-friendly and that it included all the resources needed for a successfulyear. There were no suggestions for improvement.

Online Bulletin Board:

Though the bulletin board feature was introduced this year and promoted to Specialistsand students it was seldom used. The feature was intended to be used as a JOYcommunication tool to share project successes, challenges, general questions, etc.Specialists provided common feedback about the feature: 1) Specialists and studentsfound they preferred already existing means of communicating with other schools – eithervia phone, email, or in the case of Specialists, in person at regularly scheduled meetings.They tended to include JOY discussions among other planned topics of discussion. 2) Notall students have access to computers at all times so use of the bulletin board could not beincluded in the limited access time (i.e.: computer lab). 3) Two new Specialists wanted toimplement the bulletin board but found that the user-application approval period was adeterrent. They and/or the students forgot to go back and use it. In general, enthusiasm forthe bulletin board was low; given this feedback, it seems unlikely that its use will increasein the future.

Improvements to Online Grant application:

Nonprofit organizations were able to apply for JOY grants online, students had the abilityto review those applications using technology (their preferred method for everything!) andhave their recommendations approved almost in real time. The online evaluation linkallows grantees to report project/activity outcomes and lessons learned directly to studentsand, in essence, close the philanthropic loop.


COMMUNITY AWARENESS:

Nineteen Specialists worked directly with Catharine Hartnett (Hartnett Communications)to develop their JOY success stories. They also submitted community service photos andboth were used for local media and for the JOY website.

Program Delivery TimelineRESEARCH

From the program start in November 2012 through the end of January 2013, studentswere busy researching potential grant applicants, developing a Request for Proposal (RFP)and designing a decision-making process. Additionally, students discussed communityservice projects; some JMG classes devised a plan for raising funds above and beyond theallotted $1000 JOY grant.

It is impressive to see just how informed JMG students are about their community needsand the nonprofit organizations that work to meet those needs. In a number of instances,students researched not only youth-serving organizations in their own communities butthose across the state or even across the country. The updated JOY website wasspecifically mentioned as being extremely helpful in the research process.

GRANTEE SELECTION PROCESS

February - March was defined as the decision-making period. JMG students across thestate began the serious yet fulfilling work of determining which of the many deservingorganizations would receive project funding. The initial excitement of wearing the shoesof a philanthropist is often tempered by the reality that although $1,000 can go a long way,it cannot possibly be stretched far enough to meet the many community needs that exist. Itis indeed a serious undertaking for middle- and high-schoolers, yet they do so thoughtfullyand thoroughly.

China Middle School students were charged with researching famous philanthropists of theirchoosing – results included Britney Spears, Tony Hawk, other celebrities. Students were askedto report back on these questions: To what/whom do they donate? How are these organizationsalike or different from ones in Maine? After researching famous philanthropists, studentsresearch Maine youth-serving nonprofits and create a visual aid for their peers to helpdetermine who will receive invitations to apply for funding (RFPs). Integration of technologyis important to the process. Students use Google Docs since 7th and 8th graders both participatein JOY but are never in the same class at the same time. The technology allows real timesharing of research, voting decisions, etc.


After reading and discussing applications, many classrooms invite potential grantees topresent in person so students gain a deeper understanding of the organization’s goals,mission and project plans. JMG students have implemented a variety of strategies to selectfinal fund recipients. These include blind balloting, a debate format, a scoring rubric orsome combination of these.

The Waterville/Winslow/Messalonskee JMG sites are an example of cross-program JOYcollaboration. These seven Specialists and their students combined JOY funds, and theevaluation and selection processes meaning that more than 200 students–from traditionallyrival schools—had to come to an agreement on a final list of programs to be funded andthe amount granted to each. A first-year JMG Specialist described the collaboration as animportant element in the students’ broadened understanding of the community, and theimportant role JOY plays in local philanthropy.

The decision-making process, as with other aspects of the JOY project, is truly studentdriven. Morse High School JMG students, for example, changed their decision makingmodel from a secret ballot to a collaborative decision making model; this forced studentsto defend their choices. Each class also elected a leader to represent their class at an afterschool meeting to make the final decision. Across the state JMG students and theirSpecialists ensure that the selection process is thorough and thoughtful.

Warsaw School student interacts with local Seniors


RECOGNITION

The months of April and May marked a time of celebration. JMG students and Specialistscarefully prepared invitations, presentations, slide shows, and extra large symbolic checksto mark JOY and end-of-year successes. These celebrations are an opportunity for grantrecipients to express thanks and to reiterate how the grant funds will be used. A number ofsites included guest speakers or special presentations to retiring school faculty. Often,these events are well attended by parents of students.

CHALLENGES

With successes of every project come challenges. With four previous years’ experienceunder their belts, Specialists, in most cases, have implemented strategies to resolve them.

Computer Firewall technology, in place at most schools, does present a barrier. Formost, email communication from a school email account is not permitted withoutside individuals or organizations. Students are therefore unable to communicateabout JOY to potential applicants, funded organizations and others. To resolve theissue, communication is done by the Specialist or by postal mail.

Particularly with the more rural JMG sites, there are a limited number of local,qualifying nonprofit organizations within the immediate vicinity of the schools.After exhausting local possibilities, Specialists and their students must sometimeslook in another community or another county for potential applicant options.While this may not be ideally aligned with the goal of funding local programs/organizations, the educational goal for the students is nonetheless attained.

For some JMG students, time constraints paired with transportation budgetlimitations make it impossible for students to go offsite for community service.Some students, for example, might be with their JMG Specialist for one 40-minuteperiod several times per week – not enough time to be transported from school to asite to perform community service, then be transported back again. At China

Spruce Mountain JMG students raised $1,700 to benefit fellow students by hosting a HarlemSuperstars Game. Of the total, $800 was dedicated to driver education scholarships. Many studentshave difficulty getting their driver’s licenses because they cannot afford to pay for driver educationclasses. The remaining $900 was used for postsecondary scholarships to help graduating peers (fortuition, books or other expenses). Students also organized a talent show that raised $200 for alocal family whose daughter was killed in a car accident – she had been a JMG student.


Middle School students overcame this challenge by facilitating an in-school fooddrive for the local food pantry followed by a discussion about the impact on thepantry’s ability to serve the hungry.

As in years past, there does not seem to be a clear explanation as to why there arefar fewer grant applications submitted as compared to the number of RFPsdistributed. A number of Specialists were asked what they knew or felt werereasons this happens. Here is a sampling of replies:

Outdated or incorrect online contact information for nonprofits preventingRFP’s from reaching the proper nonprofit contact. Some larger nonprofits withbig budgets not recognizing a return on time investment for a $1000 grant,considered too small for their needs. It has been suggested that the RFP processbe revised to highlight the simplicity of the application and reportingrequirement.

Surprisingly, a few organizations who declined to apply did not want tofacilitate a class presentation about their program/project.

Some past recipients declined, and wanted to “spread the wealth” Sometimes the reasons are beyond explanation. One Specialist who has a

personal connection to an organization was assured, in person, that theorganization would absolutely apply – but they didn’t!

Overall, these challenges do not inhibit the long term success of the JOY project, and JMGstaff will continue to work to minimize them.

ReTreeUs was selected by the Durham Community School JMG students to be the recipientof JOY grant funds. This Durham nonprofit will use the funds to “plant educational orchardsin schools and assist families in creating their own home gardens through workshops”.Specifically, funds will be used to buy fruit trees, shrubs, educational signs and fencing forcomplete orchards that will not only beautify the community but will provide an educationaland volunteer opportunity for many students and community members.


A Year of Student CollaborationThe application database provides for JMG sites to work together and fund as a group. Now in itssecond year and with an additional program, the Messalonskee, Waterville, and Winslow JMGprograms came together to research youth-serving nonprofits in the Central Maine region,distribute RFPs and select grantees. The students raised additional funds which increased theaward size from $1,000 to $1,600 for each of the seven grantees. This approach is now a modelfor future JOY program partnerships.

Other multiple site relationships continue to flourish at Lewiston Regional Technical Center; twomiddle and one high school in South Portland; as well as Biddeford High School.

Warsaw Middle School JMG students chose to award a portion of their JOY funds to TheWelcome Table, a soup kitchen in Pittsfield. With the helping hands of volunteers, TheWelcome Table serves an average of 50 people every Friday of the year. As one canimagine, serving meals generates many dirty dishes and to date, volunteers have had to relyon an inadequate household type dishwasher. JOY funding will make it possible for TheWelcome Table to purchase a large capacity, high speed commercial dishwasher that willensure sanitization of dishes and will free up some volunteer time.


Student DataJMG’s commitment to staying with students through school as well as post-graduation wasenhanced through an in-house data collection tool that tracks student activity during the JOYProgram. Process improvements begun in Year Three with the consolidation of in-house datasystems continued in Year Five. In addition, JMG and Unity Foundation agreed upon animproved scope and structure for data collection. The following is a report on that contact time.

Number of JOY/JMG Programs: 63 (66 eligible programs; a specialty program forFreshmen at Messalonskee HS and the Pathways program in Portland prevented 100%participation)

Geographic dispersion: As far north as St. John Valley, as far east as Eastport, as far westas Carrabec, and as far south as North Berwick (Map located on Page 2)

Total Number of JOY Student Participants – 3,645

Number of Hours of JOY Participation – 30,050

Volunteer hours provided to recipient organizations – 3,843

Average Volunteer Hours per student outside of class – 8.2 (a 70% increase from 2012)

Additional funds raised by JMG students to support recipients - $3,670

The 30,050 hours of time that were recorded for JOY for the 2012-13 school year were brokendown into the following five categories:

Classroom Instruction (curriculum delivery and guest speakers)

Field Trip (visiting sites when able, service projects for organizations participating in theJOY program)

Events (check presentations, additional fundraisers)

Volunteering for recipient and non-recipient organizations

Fundraising for recipient organizations

Volunteering/Fundraising and Sweat Equity for Recipients

While the JOY program teaches philanthropy skills, it also emphasizes the importance ofcomplementing funding with volunteering and community service. Many of the JMG sitesparticipated in complementary volunteering/community service or fundraising activities.Examples include:


Students seeking creative ways of contributing to non-traditional community programs...

The Greenville Fire Department is the recipient of JOY funding as a result of the selectionprocess by JMG students at Greenville Middle & High School. Currently fire departmenttrainees must travel 75 miles for EMT training. Grant funds will enable the all-volunteer firedepartment to offer these important trainings locally.

Providing other services to agencies who were not directly awarded grant money…

JMG students at Northern Penobscot Technical Center previously selected Every 15 Minutesas the recipient of JOY funds. The program focuses on impaired driving awareness educationand is named for an alarming national statistic: every 15 minutes someone dies as the result ofan alcohol related traffic accident. Through dramatic representations of fatal auto accidents,this program encourages safe driving habits for each of the 200 Tech Center juniors andseniors.

From the Marketplace at JMG’s Annual Career Development Conference


Looking Forward

While JOY was very successful again in Year Five, the partners continue to look for opportunitiesto make improvements for Year Six and beyond. Lessons learned from the previous years led topositive changes and improvements, grew the measurable outcomes, and impacted a more diverseswath of communities. Improvements can still be made that will take this initiative to the nextlevel. Below is a list of recommendations:

1. Curriculum Development: JMG Specialists shared best practices at statewide meetingsand new Specialist trainings; and over 30 exemplary JOY lesson plans are accessible onJMG’s intranet. After five years of refinement and experimenting with the original JOYcurriculum, it is time to formally make revisions based on the expertise of the 60+teaching professionals that have been implementing JOY. A goal for Year Five is todevelop and capture more lessons that focus on the evaluation and selection process inaddition to the techniques being used to get potential grantees in front of students. Addingmore ‘meat’ to the JOY curriculum will allow potential expansion of JOY to other JMGparticipants/organizations.

2. Learning Competencies: JMG, in collaboration with the funding partners, continues toalign its Learning Standards including core competencies for middle schools and highschools with the JOY curriculum. This integration will allow better assessment oflearning related to JOY participation. There is much potential for this curriculum to crossmultiple disciplines, thereby presenting a unique service-learning model for schoolprograms outside of JMG.

PREP (Personal Responsibility Education Program) requires a total of 5 community serviceactivities, with no more than 2 community organizations so that students have multipleinteractions with the same organizations. JMG has the opportunity to align JOY work with PREPso that community service for a JOY grantee/recipient will also meet PREP requirements. Up to2 of the 5 PREP community service instances can be met by students hosting a communityorganization in their classroom for a learning opportunity (as opposed to a more basic‘presentation’).

A school-wide community service project called Pennies for Patients was organized by BrewerCommunity School JMG students. To kick it off, they hosted a dance and decided that half ofthe proceeds ($400) would to go Pennies for Patients and half would help fund their JMGCareer Association. Later, during the JOY decision-making process, the students decided thatof the $400 Career Association funds, they wanted to donate $200 to supplement the $500award to March of Dimes. In addition to financial support, seven students and their Specialistparticipated in the 2013 March of Dimes Walk for Babies in Brewer.


JOY presentations at the JMG annual Career Development Conference


In Year Six, this language will be added to the Application document:

Finalists for JOY grants must be willing to host student volunteers to participate in communityservice learning activities, and be willing to coordinate a visit to the students’ classroom toparticipate in experiential based learning. The details of these visits can be arranged once theapplicant reaches the finalist phase.

Students continue to engage deeply JOY, many voicing that it is among their favorite aspects ofthe JMG classroom. It has been wonderful to observe young people in this project assumeunprecedented leadership roles in facilitating teamwork, researching, pitching for their favoritenon-profits, event planning, and following-through with the selection and celebration process.

JMG remains committed to executing the JOY program with an eye toward continuousimprovement. We consider ourselves very fortunate to be a part of a collaborative effort that is100% committed to improving the lives of Maine’s youth and communities.

Program Growth: 2009 to 2013

2013 2012 2011 2010 2009

JMG-enrolled youth 3,645 3,755 3,324 3,500 2,100

Number of grants 100 97 110 90 72

Grant total $64,200 $63,000 $60,000 $61,000 $50,664

Additional Funds Awarded $3,670 $5,350 $3,240 $3,850 $3,000

Volunteer hours (total) 30,050 21,675 21,735 19, 816 12,910

Value of volunteer hours(based on minimum wage)

$235,375 $162,563 $163,013 $148,620 $96,825

Nonprofit sector receivinghighest percentage ofgrantmaking

Education/Life Skills



EarlyChildhood

Development

Fitness/Sports/

Recreation


Grants ~ Cumulative (2009-2013) doesn’t include student-raised funding

Arts/Culture $11,533

Community Development $ 41,010

Developmental Disabilities $ 27,932

Domestic Abuse Awareness/Advocacy $ 16,873

Early Childhood Development $ 48,620

Education/Life Skills $ 63,332

Fitness/Sports/Recreation $ 41,190

Homelessness/Food Pantry $ 42,174

Substance Abuse Awareness/Advocacy $ 6,200

$298,864

Shining Example of Youth Philanthropy in Maine

This year Washington Academy JMG students “adopted" an organization – the MachiasFood Pantry. So passionate were the students, that in addition to awarding the JOY grant,they decided to raise an additional $1,000 for the pantry. Students brainstormed andcoordinated school Hat Days, Jeans Days, a Culture Day, Favorite Team Day, Shorts Daywith the idea that students and teachers could pay a fee to wear these items. The fundraiserswere a huge success and the JMG students found wide support throughout the school.

The JMG students had planned to award the funds to the food pantry director at a specialluncheon, but the director had other plans - he wanted the students to visit the food pantryto see first-hand where the grant money would go. Once there, the students had theopportunity to learn the workings of the food pantry in their own community, visit the largestorage area, and learn that for each dollar donated the pantry is able to purchase nearly $5of food and household items.

The Washington Academy JMG students serve as a shining example of youth philanthropyin Maine. Careful instruction by Specialists and thoughtful planning and execution bystudents has led to a wide array of funding for youth-serving nonprofits in Maine.


Grants by Category

$1,500

$12,000

$4,250

$4,025

$4,200

$15,900

$9,250

$12,075

$1,000

$833

$6,300

$9,150

$3,500

$12,150

$15,317

$5,850

$9,900

$0

$2,450

$8,735

$8,332

$4,048

$7,320

$10,590

$7,940

$9,085

$1,500

$4,000

$12,225

$2,200

$2,500

$13,750

$13,475

$5,050

$5,800

$2,000

$2,750

$9,000

$4,000

$2,800

$3,950

$8,050

$13,100

$5,314

$1,700

Arts/Culture

Community Development

Developmental Disabilities

Domestic Abuse Awareness/Advocacy

Early Childhood Development


Fitness/Sports/Recreation

Homelessness/Food Pantry

Substance Abuse Awareness/Advocacy

2013 2012 2011


Grant Recipients ~ 2013Grantee JMG Site Grant

10th Mountain Ski Club Fort Kent Community HS 500.00Adopt-A-Block of Aroostook Hodgdon HS 1,000.00Adopt-A-Block of Aroostook Houlton HS 1,000.00Animal Refuge League of Portland Long Creek YDC 600.00Autism Society of Maine Waterville/Winslow/Messalonskee 1,000.00Bath Area Mobile Food Truck Morse HS 500.00Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine Biddeford HS 500.00Boys & Girls Club of Greater Gardiner Hall-Dale HS 500.00Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine Memorial MS 700.00Bread of Life Ministries Hall-Dale HS 500.00Brownville Free Public Library Penquis Valley HS 500.00Calais Little League Calais Area HS 400.00Calais Recreation Department Calais Area HS 400.00Camp CaPella Brewer HS 500.00Camp CaPella Nokomis Regional HS 500.00Camp Ketcha China MS 500.00Camp Sunshine at Sebago Lake Learning Works 200.00Camp Sunshine at Sebago Lake Mt Ararat HS 500.00Carrabec High School Carrabec HS 250.00Center for Grieving Children Learning Works 250.00Center for Grieving Children Mahoney MS 1,000.00Center for Grieving Children Portland HS 500.00Center for Grieving Children Sanford Jr HS 500.00Child and Family Opportunities Calais Area HS 200.00Child Care Services of York Co Noble HS 1,000.00Children's Benefit Fund Warsaw MS 500.00Christ Community Fellowship Madison Area Memorial HS 500.00Christmas Giving Tree Machias Memorial HS 1,000.00Cinderella Project of Maine Belfast HS 500.00Community Concepts BBBS Program Lewiston MS 700.00Community Concepts BBBS Program LRTC 500.00Community Concepts BBBS Program Oak Hill MS 1,000.00Dream Factory of Maine South Portland HS 1,000.00Family Crisis Services Freeport HS 1,000.00Family Crisis Services Memorial MS 300.00


Grantee JMG Site Grant

Feed Our Scholars Wiscasset MS 1,000.00Friends of Lewiston Library LRTC 350.00Friends of The Bath Youth Meeting Morse HS 500.00Future Business Leaders of America LRTC 250.00Greenville Fire Department Greenville MS/HS 900.00Hardy Girls Healthy Women Vassalboro Community School 500.00Hope and Justice Project Fort Kent Community HS 500.00Lisbon Area Christian Outreach Lisbon HS 1,000.00Loaves & Fishes Oak Hill HS 1,000.00LRTC Skills USA LRTC 400.00Machias Food Pantry Rose Gaffney SMS 500.00Machias Food Pantry Washington Academy 1,000.00Maine Academy of Natural Sciences Carrabec HS 1,750.00Make-A-Wish Foundation Biddeford HS 500.00Make-A-Wish Foundation Old Town HS 1,000.00Make-A-Wish Foundation China MS 500.00Make-A-Wish Foundation Deering HS 1,000.00Make-A-Wish Foundation Learning Works 400.00Make-A-Wish Foundation Madison Area Memorial HS 500.00Make-A-Wish Foundation Mt Ararat HS 500.00Make-A-Wish Foundation Waterville/Winslow/Messalonskee 1,000.00March of Dimes Brewer Community School 500.00Mattanawcook Academy/Every 15 -Minutes No Penobscot Applied Tech 1,000.00McArthur Public Library Biddeford HS 1,000.00ME Children's Home for Little Wanderers Gardiner Area HS 500.00ME Children's Home for Little Wanderers Waterville/Winslow/Messalonskee 1,000.00Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter Vassalboro Community School 500.00Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter Waterville/Winslow/Messalonskee 1,000.00Mount View HS Alternative Education Mt View HS 300.00New Beginnings Learning Works 150.00New Hope For Women Oceanside HS-East 500.00New Hope Women's Shelter Nokomis Regional HS 500.00Pine Tree Society Freeport Jr HS 1,000.00Pine Tree Society Waterville/Winslow/Messalonskee 1,000.00Piscataquis Regional YMCA Penquis Valley HS 500.00Preble Street Portland HS 500.00ReTreeUS Durham Community School 1,000.00Ronald McDonald House of Bangor Rose Gaffney MS 500.00


Grantee JMG Site Grant

Ronald McDonald House of Bangor Shead HS 1,000.00Sexual Assault Support Services Oceanside HS-East 500.00South End Teen Center Gardiner Area HS 500.00Special Olympics Kennebec Erskine Academy 750.00Special Olympics Maine Sanford HS 1,000.00Special Olympics Maine Waterville/Winslow/Messalonskee 1,000.00Spruce Run Brewer Community School 500.00Spruce Run Brewer HS 500.00St Croix Regional Tech Ctr Ski Calais Area HS 200.00St Mary's Regional Medical Ctr LRTC 500.00Step & Store Next Door LRTC 400.00Teens to Trails Maine Central Institute 1,000.00The Game Loft Mt View Jr HS 225.00The JD Foundation Greenville MS/HS 100.00The Lewiston Root Cellar Lewiston MS 300.00The LifeFlight Foundation Mountain View YDC 1,000.00The Root Cellar - Long Creek YDC 400.00The Salvation Army - Sanford Sanford Jr HS 500.00The Welcome Table Warsaw MS 500.00Tree Street Youth LRTC 600.00Tri-Town Ministerial Food Cupboard Spruce Mountain HS 1,000.00Volunteer Regional Food Pantry Mt View HS 700.00Volunteer Regional Food Pantry Mt View Jr HS 775.00Waterfall Arts Belfast Area HS 500.00Wilton Elementary School Mt Blue HS 1,000.00Windsor Food Bank Erskine Academy 250.00Woodland Parks & Recreation Dept Woodland Jr-Sr HS 1,000.00

64,200.00


JOY Media Coverage, 2012-13 School Year

1. WABI-TV “Nokomis JMG Students “Sleep in a Box” to raise money for homelessshelters, September 28, 2012http://www.wabi.tv/news/33835/nokomis-regional-high-school-students-act-homeless-for-a-night

2. Bangor Daily News, December 19, 2012, Christopher Cousins, “Student-led FundraiserProduces $8,000 for Needy Families.”http://bangordailynews.com/2012/12/19/news/midcoast/student-led-fundraiser-produces-8000-worth-of-food-for-needy-families/

3. Waterville Sentinel – online, April 5, 2013, “Nonprofits accept $7,000 in Grants fromCentral Maine JMG Students. http://www.onlinesentinel.com/community/nonprofits-accept-_7000-in-grants-from-central-maine-jmg-students7-organizations-receive-grants-from-area-youth_2013-04-04.html

4. WABI-TV2: Students Give $6,000 to nonprofit: Central Maine Messalonskee nonprofit“pitching” day: http://www.wlbz2.com/news/article/233830/315/Students-give-6k-to-local-non-profit

5. Lewiston Sun Journal photo/caption: Blankets Donated to Fire Departments – SpruceMountain JMG creates blankets for fire fighters:http://www.sunjournal.com/news/connections/0001/11/30/blankets-donated-fire-departments/1353234

6. Brunswick Times Record, April 29, 2013, “Jump-Starting Philanthropy in RSU 5” JTLeonard: http://www.jumpstartouryouth.org/2013/04/jump-starting-philanthropy-in-rsu-5/(Times record Website is paid access only, so pasted whole onto JOY News site. )

7. Republican Journal, Village Soup, June 16, 2013, “Joy Gives Grant To Waterfall Arts,”Belfast JMG Program

8. The Wiscasset Newspaper, June 4, 2013, “Wiscasset Students Give Back” –http://www.wiscassetnewspaper.com/article/wiscasset-students-give-back/15351Wiscasset reach program.

9. Maine Arts Scene: (same article as above) http://www.maineartscene.com/Maine-Arts-Organizations-News/Belfast-Area-High-School-Group-Awards-Grant-to-Waterfall-Arts.html


This is the information requested in the online APPLICATION:

Organization Name, AddressEIN Website URLSubsector (i.e., early childhood development, health, sports, homelessness etc.)

Number of youth served by this program Requested Amount $

Contact Name, title, Phone and Email

Has your Organization received Prior Funding from JOY? If YES, please provide detailsIs this a New or Existing Program?

Name of Fiscal Sponsor (if applicable)Please list: Chair/President Vice Chair/President

Secretary TreasurerBoard Members

1. What is the Mission/Background of Organization

2. Your organization may apply for funding only, volunteers only or a combination of both. Description of project/program/activity to be FUNDED Description of VOLUNTEER project/program/activity opportunity

3. Total Project/Program/Activity Cost (personnel, materials, other)4. Additional Funding Sources for project/program/activity

5. What is the Evaluation Plan

6. If funded, Organization agrees to report back to JMG? Y/N Anticipated Report date:

Attachments (direct upload) can include IRS Determination Letter, Brochure, Other, please list:


This is the information requested in the online EVALUATION:

Grant ID: JMG Site: Funded: $

Grantee:

Funded Amount: $ # of youth served:

Outcomes:

Challenges:

Comments:


One first-year JMG Specialist described JOY as playing an important role inhelping students understand the life value of true involvement in somethinglarger than them. This Specialist believes that involvement in JOY can helpaffirm a young person’s role in not only their classroom, but in the largerschool community, their home community, their state and even the world;their contributions have real meaning and real impact. JMG is confident thatintimate involvement in such an important process will help shape ourstudents into productive, contributing adult members of their current andfuture communities.

annual report ~ year five - jumpstart our youth · 2,100 to 3,755 in 2012 with a slight decrease to...

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