Agency of the Year Award
Alliance for Children & Families
October 28, 2008
Agency of the Year Award
Above $6 million personnel budget
Recognizes agencies for their accomplishments
across a full spectrum of leadership and management
areas, including board participation and support;
impact of advocacy efforts on a local, state, or
national levels; and innovative programs.
Northeast
Parent & Child Society
Schenectady, NY
The Capital District
Business Review was on to something when it
named Northeast Parent & Child Society as Nonprofit
of the Year. Now, the Alliance for Children and
Families adds to the accolades for this successful
organization, further lauding its extraordinary
commitment to its staff and community.
Establishing such a
strong organization is only possible with an
excellent board of directors. In 2007 the board
committed to a complete overhaul of the board
leadership and governance processes to align with
best practices. Each board member has provided a
commitment to take on more roles to advance the
mission of Northeast, such as securing corporate
sponsorships for fundraising events and advocating
with county officials.
Other awards for being
one of the best places to work in its region have
come after Northeast increased base salaries, built
in more paid time off, and significantly improved
benefits for its employees. Northeast also provides
its staff with more that 20,000 total hours of
training each year.
Northeast, in
conjunction with colleagues throughout New York and
the state association, secured state funding to
overhaul sevens of the state's residential
facilities. In fact, Northeast was instrumental in
getting the original designated funding doubled to
$60 million. Utilizing a bond for $10.1 million from
this fund, Northeast is now replacing it's
55-year-old children's home.
Essential efforts to
help people find and secure jobs has been a major
focus of Northeast. After just two years, the
organization's Career Development Department has
grown from just one employee to 40 and an annual
budget of $2.9 million.
Northeast is now in the
process of implementing a career center for youth
ages 16 - 24. In addition to increasing the number
of youth receiving career services from 100 to 500
each year, Northeast will help place 150 program
graduates each year into well-paying jobs in
high-demand fields. Partnerships with more than 40
corporations, government agencies, other nonprofit
organizations, eight local unions, and 10 chambers
of commerce have helped make the career center a
great success.
