Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition nprofit Profile Contact Information nprofit Address Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition 1444 NW 28th St. Oklahoma City, OK 73106 Oklahoma County Phone (405) 830-2790 Website www.okcliteracycoalition.org Contact Name Julie Serven Contact Email info@okcliteracycoalition.org At a Glance Organization's type of tax exempt status Organization Does Business As (DBA) Former Names Public Supported Charity Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition OKC Metro Literacy Coalition OKCMLC NA Year Founded 2007 1
IRS Ruling Year 2007 Registered with the Secretary of State? State Registration Expiration Dec 2017 Other ways to donate support, or volunteer Donations made by check may be mailed to the address above. Donations by credit card may be made at www.okcliteracycoalition.org. Volunteer opportunities with OKCMLC and member organizations are posted on the website. Please call or email OKCMLC regarding in-kind donations. Statements Mission To lead a collaboration of literacy providers and supporters to strengthen services and present a united voice for literacy in metropolitan Oklahoma City. Background In 2006, in response to increasingly low literacy levels in the metropolitan Oklahoma City area, concerned leaders from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, Junior League of Oklahoma City, United Way of Central Oklahoma, Community Literacy Centers, Inc., and R.S.V.P. convened the community to address literacy problems and find solutions. Eight task forces were formed and worked for a year to develop a plan to increase literacy levels through a coordinating coalition: (1) Early Childhood/Family Literacy, (2) Evaluation/Accountability, (3) Curriculum/Best Practices, (4) Funding, (5)Learner Retention and Recruitment, (6) Marketing, (7) nprofit/esl/faith-based Organizations, & (8) Workforce Partnerships. More than 80 people worked on the project, and the task forces created a blueprint for literacy in our community. To implement that blueprint, the Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition (OKCMLC) was formed. Task force members agreed that OKCMLC would provide a centralized communication/networking hub to bring together literacy services in our community. Our vision is that metropolitan Oklahoma City is a fully literate community! We are a coalition because literacy and economic development go hand in hand. Employers now find it more cost-effective to relocate operations if they cannot find the skilled workers to meet their needs in the local area. Our Goals: To ensure that anyone who wants literacy services can readily access them To ensure that every literacy provider has the resources needed to provide the best possible services for every learner To bring the community together in order to present a united voice for literacy Our Values: We believe that metropolitan Oklahoma City can achieve 100% literacy. We respect and learn from the experience of all segments of the community. We believe in the wisdom of collective work and responsibility. We support all partners in a community who have a stake in increased literacy levels. Impact Accomplishments: The Coalition maintains a literacy referral service, provides scholarships for GED testing fees, recruits tutors and connects them with direct service providers, provides scholarships for tutor training, and hosts professional education and networking opportunities for organizations and individuals providing direct services to learners. 2
Needs After being a 100% volunteer-run organization for six years, OKCMLC hired a half-time Executive Director in February 2017. With this dedicated staff person, OKCMLC will be able to better promote awareness of the need for literacy services, connect learners to services, connect volunteers to organizations, and support literacy providers in order to expand the reach of literacy efforts in the community. Increasing the Executive Director position to 3/4 time in Fiscal Year 2018 would allow OKCMLC to more fully implement the newly developed outcomes logic model for literacy. CEO/Executive Director Statement Reading proficiency is a gateway skill that enables a person to more fully develop his or her unique skills and contribute to the community. When ALL in Oklahoma City can read, we ALL will benefit. Board Chair Statement Connecting the community around the topic of literacy is the work of the Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition. Our vision is to create a community with 100% literacy. We know that if there is a path out of poverty, it is literacy! Raising a family, supporting that family, keeping them healthy and safe is hard work. Trying to do that when you do not read well is an overwhelming task. Children in families with parents who struggle to read are often not successful in school. The OKCMLC s great challenge is to assist needy adults as they navigate the literacy service network. We have a referral line that receives around 150+ calls a year. We hear so many poignant stories. Just recently a young mother of three elementary-age children called looking for help for all of them. I know, she said, that I can t help them until I get help myself. Adults face the reality of low-level literacy when they have to take a certification test in the workplace or fill out forms in the doctor s office or at school. It is very hard for an adult to admit that she does not read well. Adults are embarrassed, ashamed, and feel that they are stupid and unable to learn. Callers are often very appreciative to be able to speak to someone who encourages them to get help and to keep in touch with us if the recommended service does not work out. We continually update our lists of literacy services in order to be a significant link between the learner and community programs. Currently we are receiving calls from parents of children who are looking for help as their children approach third grade public school mandates. Our work is difficult for some in the community to understand. We do not teach reading or English language skills. Services include referrals to programs and a designated fund that provides GED test fund fees for at-risk adults. According to Linda Dudek, director of the OCCC Adult Learning Center, The criteria for the GED test funds are need-based and have been such a great help for our students who cannot afford the cost of the test. We are very appreciative of the opportunity for so many worthy students to be able to take advantage of this unselfish gesture on the part of the Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition. The OKCMLC also provides professional development and network meetings and community awareness. Our website promotes community literacy events, needs and activities. Network meetings feature speakers or roundtables on topics such as, Vision and Literacy, Advocacy, Health Literacy, Financial Literacy, English as a Second Language, Marketing and Conflict Resolution. Our recent ESL network meeting brought this response from Dr. Gail Nash who teaches at Oklahoma Christian University. It was also useful for both my "people"(students) just to see how much is going on. Sue and Shelby got a glimpse into what a big deal they are a part of. They both really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it. I'm so glad they could come. So, I think it was very successful and thank you for bringing it together and letting me be a part. A national research project, the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, targeted Oklahoma as one of six states to assess in the area of adult literacy. What we learned about Oklahoma adults is that 49% of them read at basic or below levels. According to the Department of Libraries Literacy Resource Office, about 149,000 individuals in Oklahoma County read at very low levels and about 8-10% of them are in programs or being tutored. Here is a visual: If you fill the Oklahoma University Football stadium two times, you have close to the number of citizens needing help. The two end zones represent those engaged in programs. Area Served 3
Area Served Geographic Area Served Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area (all 7 counties) Oklahoma City Metropolitan (all 7 counties) Service Categories Primary Organizational Category Secondary Organizational Category Tertiary Organizational Category Education/Adult Education Community Improvement, Capacity Building/Community Coalitions Public & Societal Benefit Public & Societal Benefit NEC Programs Referral Service Description The referral phone line (405-830-2790) and website contact form connect learners to literacy services and volunteers to literacy service providers. Budget $1,200.00 Category Education, General/Other Literacy Strategy Population Served Program Short-term Success Program Long-term Success Program Success Monitoring Adults Children and Youth (0-19 years) Poor,Economically Disadvantaged,Indigent Recruiting and guiding volunteers to training Partnership with Payne Education Center for referrals to Volunteer Training and Toolkit program Finding programs for adults needing help Guiding parents to free programming until they can find free tutors Grow the number of adults getting help with reading Find help for parents with children reading below grade level Grow the number of volunteers trained to teach reading Volunteers log calls, refer clients to literacy provider, send client's contact information to literacy provider, and make follow-up calls to clients to see if they are receiving service. Examples of Program Success 4
Network Meetings Description The meetings provide professional development and networking opportunities for organizations and individuals providing direct services to learners. Previous topics have included: vision & literacy, financial literacy, social media, community collaborations, advocacy, English as a second language (ESL), conflict resolution, community literacy, volunteer engagement, and health literacy. Budget $800.00 Category Education, General/Other Educational Programs Strategy Population Served Program Short-term Success Program Long-term Success General/Unspecified Average about 35 participants per meeting Expands community awareness Grow membership Inclusion in other campaigns with relevant literacy values Expanding community understanding of literacy needs and services Program Success Monitoring Examples of Program Success Tutor Training Scholarships Description The Coalition provides scholarships for volunteer tutor training & toolkits at Payne Education Center. Budget $600.00 Category Education, General/Other Tutorial Programs Strategy Population Served General/Unspecified Program Short-term Success Program Success Monitoring Examples of Program Success 5
GED Testing Scholarships Description The Coalition awards GED or HiSET testing fee scholarships to adult learners whose program instructors deem ready to take the tests. The GED testing fee increased from approximately $50 to $150 in January 2014. Budget $1,000.00 Category Education, General/Other Educational Testing Strategy Population Served Adults At-Risk Populations Program Short-term Success Program Success Monitoring Examples of Program Success Chantel and her mother were homeless, and moved around a lot. She wasn't able to finish high school, but at 19, she decided that sitting in an apartment watching TV was not what she wanted to do with her life. Chantel knew an education was her ticket to changing her life. She started preparing for the GED at OIC of Oklahoma County but did not have the means to pay the GED testing fees. That's where Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition stepped in, providing Chantel a GED testing fees scholarship. Chantel passed her GED and is currently enrolled in the nursing program at Francis Tuttle! 6
DEAR Day Description Drop Everything And Read Day ("DEAR Day") is held annually in April at the Oklahoma State Capitol. DEAR Day, inspired by Beverly Cleary's Ramona books, is a celebration of reading. State legislators literally drop everything and read with the students. The Coalition provides transportation for OKCPS students to attend DEAR Day, snacks, and free books to 200 second-graders. We partner with Feed the Children to provide books to take home. Students also tour the Oklahoma History Center. To date, the Coalition has provide the DEAR Day experience to more than 1,200 students. Budget $2,200.00 Category Education, General/Other Literacy Strategy Population Served Program Short-term Success Program Long-term Success Children and Youth (0-19 years) At-Risk Populations Encourage 2nd Grade Students in at-risk schools to value books and enjoy reading Honor Oklahoma authors and stories Advocate among legislators about the need for adults to read to children and support reading efforts in the community Provide field trips for under-served children so they can learn about their state capitol and the people that work there Since 2010, we have served more than 1,200 students from Oklahoma City Public Schools, Putnam City, Western Heights, and Positive Tomorrows Inspire greater numbers of students and teachers about the value/fun in reading Program Success Monitoring Examples of Program Success Disaster Programs Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) Member Staff & Management CEO/Executive Director Julie Serven Start Date Feb 2017 Email CEO/Executive Director Experience Owner, Storied Communications, LLC VP of Storytelling, DecisionGrid Adult ESL Instructor, Community Literacy Centers Adjunct Professor, Oklahoma State University-OKC julie@okcliteracycoalition.org 7
Staff Information Number of Full-time Staff 0 Number of Part-time Staff 1 Number of Contract Staff 3 Number of Volunteers 14 Staff Retention Rate 0 % Are professional development opportunities provided? Does CEO/Executive Director have formal evaluations? Management Reports to Board? N/A N/A Staff Demographics - Ethnicity Caucasian 1 Other 0 0 Staff Demographics - Gender Female 1 Organizational Plans Fundraising Plan Policy against commission-based compensation for fundraising consultant Communication Plan Strategic Plan Under Development Number of Years Strategic Plan Considers 5 Management Succession Plan Organization Policies and Procedures Continuity of Operations Plan Under Development Policies ndiscrimination Policy Whistle Blower Policy Document Destruction Policy Directors and Officers Insurance Policy Under Development Government Licenses Is your organization licensed by the government (federal, state and/or local)? 8
Comments on Staff & Management Foundation Staff Comments The organization is an all-volunteer nonprofit and does not have paid staff. Governance Board Chair Kathleen Lienke Company Affiliation Community Volunteer Term July 2017 to June 2020 Email kmlienke@gmail.com Board of Directors List Current as of July 01, 2017 Name Affiliation Status Alexandra Ah Loy Johnson Hanan & Volser Voting Scott Butcher Crowe & Dunlevy Voting Curtis Calvin OETA Voting David Carlson MidFirst Bank Voting Erin Carlstrom Feed the Children Voting Bevan Graybill Stockdell Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals Voting Natalie Karousatos Keller Williams Voting Kathleen Lienke Community Volunteer Voting Monica Linville Red Carpet Car Wash Voting Betsy Mantor Community Volunteer/Founding Board Member Voting Lauren wakowski KPMG Voting Meera Reddy Community Volunteer Voting Joshua Stephens Half Price Books Voting Mary Surbeck Community Volunteer/Founding Board Member Voting Anika Wilson Oklahoma City Public Schools Voting Kathryn Zynda Fox Chesapeake Energy Voting Board Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 2 Caucasian 12 Hispanic/Latino 1 Other 0 1 Indian Board Demographics - Gender Male 4 9
Female 12 Governance Information Board Term Lengths Board Term Limits 3 years 2 terms Number of Full Board Meetings Annually 6 Board Meeting Attendance % 83 % Percentage of Board Making Monetary Contributions to the Organization Percentage of Board Making In-Kind Contributions to the Organization Board Orientation Constituency Includes Client Representation Written Board Selection Criteria? Written Conflict of Interest Policy? 100 % 78 % Financials Current Fiscal Year July 01, 2017-June 30,2018 Current Year Budgeted Total Income $60,000 Current Year Budgeted Total Expenses $65,562 Prior Three Years' Financial History Income and Expenses Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015 Total Revenue $46,066 $34,358 $20,168 Total Expenses $35,980 $16,546 $15,699 Revenue Less Expenses $10,086 $17,812 $4,469 Income Sources 10
Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015 Contributions $34,136 -- -- Foundation and Corporation -- $20,192 $11,508 Contributions Government Contributions $0 $1,500 $0 Federal -- -- -- State -- -- -- Local -- -- -- Unspecified -- $1,500 -- Individual Contributions -- $2,525 $2,482 Indirect Public Support -- -- -- Earned Revenue -- -- -- Investment Income, Net of Losses $3,624 $458 -- Unrealized Gain/Loss -- -- -- Membership Dues $275 $575 $475 Special Events $7,983 $9,107 $5,497 Revenue In-Kind -- -- $179 Other $48 -- $28 Expense Allocation Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015 Program Expense $19,478 $10,267 $11,997 Administration Expense $7,643 $2,918 $2,276 Fundraising Expense $8,859 $3,361 $1,426 Payments to Affiliates -- -- -- Total Revenue/Total Expenses 1.28 2.08 1.28 Program Expense/Total Expenses 54% 62% 76% Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue 111% 10% 7% Assets and Liabilities Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015 Total Assets $59,091 $49,092 $31,737 Current Assets $59,091 $49,092 $31,737 Long-Term Liabilities -- -- -- Current Liabilities $510 $596 $593 Total Net Assets $58,581 $48,496 $31,144 Short-term Solvency Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015 Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities 115.86 82.37 53.52 Long-term Solvency Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015 Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets 0% 0% 0% Top Funding Sources 11
Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015 Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount Contributions $34,136 Foundations & Corporations $20,192 Foundation & Corporations $11,508 Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Special Events Special Events Special Events Amount $7,983 $9,107 $5,497 Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Investment Income $3,624 Individuals $2,525 Individuals $2,482 Endowment and Other Financial Information Endowment? Endowment Value $127,000.00 Endowment Spending Policy Endowment Spending Policy Percentage (if selected) Credit line? Rreserve fund? Tax Credits? Income Only 0 % Capital Campaign Currently in a Capital Campaign? Comments on Financials Foundation Staff Comments All prior year financial information is from compilations provided by the organization. te: This organization is only required to file an IRS 990 postcard and an audit is not cost effective. The organization has provided the Oklahoma City Community Foundation with confirmation from the IRS that it has filed a 990N (the postcard) each year since 2009. The financial information presented is obtained from the following sources: IRS Form 990, independent audit reports, financial statements board approved when available, and supplemental information from the organization. We do not warrant or guarantee the timeliness, errors or inaccuracies. With respect to information regarding financial performance, nothing on this website should be interpreted as a statement or interpretation by OCCF staff. Organizations with a GiveSmartOKC profile are responsible for updating information annually within 45 days following the end of their fiscal year. Created 02.16.2018. Copyright 2018 Oklahoma City Community Foundation 12