Detroit is first place-based NextGen cityThe Kresge Foundation, February 4, 2019 Five organizations working to improve social and economic mobility for children and families in Detroit have been selected by the Kresge Foundation’s Human Services Program to participate in its Detroit Next Generation initiative. This initiative, which builds off Human Services’ national NextGen efforts, is an integral part of Kresge’s commitment to advance the human services sector and accelerate social and economic mobility for people with low income. Detroit is the first place-based, NextGen city. This initiative, which builds off Human Services’ national NextGen efforts, is an integral part of Kresge’s commitment to advance the human services sector and accelerate social and economic mobility for people with low income. Detroit is the first place-based, NextGen city. The goal of the NextGen initiative is to support organizations that are committed to person centered, outcomes-based, … [Read more...]

By Renee Summers, Telegram Newspaper, Published Dec. 27, 2018 Being a parent is a full-time job. It's not an easy one, and these days there are many who simply walk away from the responsibility. But take heart; there are those who are up to the challenge. Just ask Starfish Family Service's Susan Powers. Starfish Family Services is a non-profit agency which has been helping parents and families since 1963. Its mission states, "Strengthening families to create brighter futures for children." Powers works out of the agency's Dearborn Offices and manages and organizes The Parenthood Program, aimed at pregnant and parenting teenagers. Powers admits that she herself was a teen mom years ago and that it wasn't easy. "I talk from experience, you know, I've been there, I know the challenges that you face," she says. Powers uses her experience to reach other young girls (and yes, a few boys), enabling them to see that parenthood can be very fulfilling. "I felt like I could have an impact," she … [Read more...]

About the program Data is key to helping nonprofits measure and communicate their impact and to making strategic decisions about where best to invest scarce resources. But it’s not always easy to figure out how to measure intangible things like a child’s well-being, overall development and likelihood of succeeding in college. The co-winners of the 2018 Best-Managed Nonprofit contest are doing exactly that. This year, judges chose to lift up both a larger-budget nonprofit and a smaller nonprofit for the steps they are taking to get their arms around their data and use it in meaningful ways to better meet their missions. Midnight Golf has launched two new data systems over the past year. One is aimed at keeping track of the growing number of high school seniors and college students it’s supporting. The other helps track its donors and their interests, while also providing a source of internship possibilities for the students it serves. Starfish Family Services is bringing data … [Read more...]