I think in all previous posts you can see that YGB thinks outside of the box. Solutions and ideas are not like everyone elses. There are no “rules” that absolutely have to apply.
One of the most clear examples is staffing. “Good practice” in the field of social work would say that people all need degrees, regardless of life experience. But we all have very little patience for social workers straight out of college who are neither married nor have ever parented us telling us what to do. Now, hire, like Pat does, people with life experience that pertains to the subject and no degree and that person is going to have much more respect by the parents in the trenches.
Another area that I have previously mentioned is in the area of office space. There are not enough desks so each person can have their own space. A huge problem? The exact opposite. Most of the work that needs to be done should be done “out in the field” -- in people’s homes and in schools and residential treatment facilities. So, if there is no desk it assigned to a person, then there is less temptation to spend time there when there is other stuff that needs to be done away from the desk.
Another example. A couple of women in Pat’s church said they wanted to be involved in YGB. He thought about the needs of the community and said, “Get your Notary and you can sit at the front desk and notarize things for people.” They charge a couple bucks to people and in serving the community bring in a couple hundred bucks a week to add to their unrestricted income budget. They also offer to make copies and send faxes for a small fee.
What about a parent who has adopted a couple of teenagers and has a lot of great skills but already has a full or nearly full time job. Why not hire them for 10 hours a week -- maybe they can work Saturdays and do training. Sure, it’s a payroll hassle to have an additional 10 people only working a few hours a week, but it ties people into the mission.
When you think of a traditional “board of directors” you think of middle aged people who contribute a lot of money financially, most likely highly educated, who have big names and lofty connections? That’s the standard in the field. But why not find people who are completely bought into the mission? Why not include people who have aged out of foster care or who were adopted as teens?
It’s all about tossing out all the rules of what works for every agency and making your own by thinking out of the box.
And by the way, you know that You Gotta Believe isn’t an adoption agency, right? It’s a homelessness prevention program.
One of the most clear examples is staffing. “Good practice” in the field of social work would say that people all need degrees, regardless of life experience. But we all have very little patience for social workers straight out of college who are neither married nor have ever parented us telling us what to do. Now, hire, like Pat does, people with life experience that pertains to the subject and no degree and that person is going to have much more respect by the parents in the trenches.
Another area that I have previously mentioned is in the area of office space. There are not enough desks so each person can have their own space. A huge problem? The exact opposite. Most of the work that needs to be done should be done “out in the field” -- in people’s homes and in schools and residential treatment facilities. So, if there is no desk it assigned to a person, then there is less temptation to spend time there when there is other stuff that needs to be done away from the desk.
Another example. A couple of women in Pat’s church said they wanted to be involved in YGB. He thought about the needs of the community and said, “Get your Notary and you can sit at the front desk and notarize things for people.” They charge a couple bucks to people and in serving the community bring in a couple hundred bucks a week to add to their unrestricted income budget. They also offer to make copies and send faxes for a small fee.
What about a parent who has adopted a couple of teenagers and has a lot of great skills but already has a full or nearly full time job. Why not hire them for 10 hours a week -- maybe they can work Saturdays and do training. Sure, it’s a payroll hassle to have an additional 10 people only working a few hours a week, but it ties people into the mission.
When you think of a traditional “board of directors” you think of middle aged people who contribute a lot of money financially, most likely highly educated, who have big names and lofty connections? That’s the standard in the field. But why not find people who are completely bought into the mission? Why not include people who have aged out of foster care or who were adopted as teens?
It’s all about tossing out all the rules of what works for every agency and making your own by thinking out of the box.
And by the way, you know that You Gotta Believe isn’t an adoption agency, right? It’s a homelessness prevention program.
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