January 2010

Bright Idea: Mealtime Mentoring Makes for a Good Partnership

One organization offers young people a place to go every day after school. The other matches caring adults with youth who need a positive role model. Join the two approaches together and the result is a site-based mentoring program that combines the strengths and missions of the two organizations.

Primary Sources: Improving Mentoring Practice

Mentoring from a caring adult may increase children’s opportunities for social and cultural enrichment, decrease behaviors such as drinking and drug use, and improve their sense of self, relationships with family and friends, and school performance. But a bad mentoring experience—one that ends too quickly or does not have consistent or frequent enough meetings—can have the opposite effect. Recent research focuses on improving mentoring practice to better help young people, including children of prisoners.

 

Right on the Money: Make a Plan for Sustainability in the New Year

Five Steps to a Thoughtful Financial Plan

The past two years have shown how essential a solid financial strategy can be for nonprofits. New Hampshire’s Child and Family Services, a statewide charity with headquarters in Manchester, has weathered the recession without any layoffs or reduction in services thanks to diverse revenue sources—including an endowment, private and corporate donors, the United Way, and state, local, and federal funding—and staff-wide commitment to financial sustainability.

National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth | 5515 Security Lane, Suite 800 | North Bethesda, MD 20852 | (301) 608-8098 | ncfy@acf.hhs.gov