Introduction
The development of this strategic staffing plan results from an exceptional and rare opportunity to create a non-profit community-based organization (CBO) that serves (100) underserved and underrepresented individuals and families in a Brooklyn, New York Community. An anonymous funder has announced an award of $1,000,000 to use over 12 months of performance to design, develop, and implement effective January 1, 2021. However, the non-profit can only allocate 20% ($200,000) of the total funding amount for Personnel Services (PS), which is quite conservative, yet common in how programs propose staff with federal, state, city, and private funding sources. Finally, within the OTPS budget of $800,000.00, the funder has authorized an allocation of up to $20,000 for use with multiple contractors (e.g., consultants) and sub-contractors (e.g., service providers and partnering organizations).
Program Concept
The name of the 501(c) (3) CBO will be Bright Reach. The focus of Bright Reach will be on providing academic enrichment programs (Desiderio, 2020) to address the widening gap in educational achievement (Clemens, Helm, Myers, Thomas & Tis, 2017) between college-eligible youth in foster care and the non-fostered majority of students. The initial academic enrichment program will be named Bright Reach Prep. The target will be the East Flatbush community in Brooklyn, New York. The target population is youth (age 17-21) currently in or aged out of foster care. Bright Reach Prep will be open to high school seniors, GED recipients, and ex-offenders who meet the program’s eligibility requirements, foremost being currently or formerly in the foster care system for any period greater than two years.
The overall program goal is to provide educational services to aid the Bright Reach Prep program participants in remediating their academic gaps with a view toward matriculation in higher education institutions. Other program goals and services include connecting and aligning program participants with resources (Friesenhahn, 2016). Another service goal involves collaborating with community members and businesses to support the academic and career success of every Bright Reach Prep program participant. The overarching goal is to facilitate the coordination of life-expanding opportunities for program participants that enable real-world experiences in the labor market and higher education that can raise the confidence of participants in the pursuit of their dreams.
Types of Staffing Positions
The Bright Reach CBO will be staffed by 12 nonprofit positions from entry-level to the executive office (i.e., administrators, committed educators, vocational instructors, counselors, and AmeriCorps members) (see Figure 1).
The teams will comprise a diverse group of professionals, united in Bright Reach’s high standards and commitment to serving the students’ best interests. The CBO’s Administration will have an executive director. A controller and a senior staff accountant will lead finance. A program director, program coordinator, and academic/instructional staff will lead the Bright Reach Prep program. Vocational Training will have a workforce development coordinator. Participant Enrichment will have coordinators from AmeriCorps interns. Future positions were reviewed, too, of Executive Assistant and an Educational Youth Counselor. Counseling will be subcontracted to a consultant. Prep will have a program data and evaluation manager. Operations will have a chief financial and operating officer, a human resources specialist, a business administrator, and a help desk specialist.
Designation of Proposed Staffing Positions
A review of current salary data was conducted on Glassdoor.com on nonprofit positions for a better view of pay practices at all levels of a nonprofit organization (e.g., base salary, bonus practices, total cash compensation, salary increases, employee turnover, and more). Future positions of Executive Assistant and Educational Youth Counselor were also reviewed and will be items in future budgets. The positions of Executive Director, Controller, Senior Staff Accountant, Program Director, Program Coordinator, Academic Instructor, and Vocational Instructor are full-time positions based on 40 hours per week. The position of Administrative Assistant and Workforce Development Coordinator are part-time positions based on 25 hours per week. The AmeriCorps interns will receive payment-in-kind.
Contractors and Sub-Contractors
Under the initial funding arrangement, all contractors and sub-contractors (Consultants) will be proposed (up to $20,000.00) in the OTPS portion of the budget. The contractors and subcontractors proposed will be selected for experience, quality, and demonstrated successful experience in performing services as requested. Consideration will be given to the quality and experience of the consultants relative to the quality and experience of key staff. This staff mix is an intangible and important aspect of creating a dynamic workplace where satisfied workers are a healthy and positive reflection when working with program participants. At present, the only proposed contractor (consultant) position is for a Counselor.
Descriptions of Proposed Positions, Contractors and/or Sub-Contractors
The role of the Executive Director is to be involved with multiple facets of the organization, including daily operations management, senior administrative staff supervision, public relations, and fundraising. The Executive will oversee and manage organization programs and projects. They will also be in charge of recommending a budget to the board annually and ensuring the staff adheres to the approved budget. Topping the nonprofit hierarchy chart, this role requires working closely with the board and the departmental heads to make sure the whole operation is running smoothly and effectively. The Program Director will develop and implement the CBO’s programs, and assess the needs and meet program objectives. Coordinating activities of program committees and/or other groups to plan procedures is a part of the role, just as are budgeting and community outreach (Glassdoor, 2020). The Academic Instructor (see Figure 2) provides instruction in basic education subjects to help participants learn skills that will contribute to their development as mature, engaged, and responsible adults. She will maintain a positive learning environment, adopting secure classroom management practices, and develop level-appropriate lesson plans (ZipRecruiter, 2020). The Vocational Instructor will ensure that participants are prepared and pass all modules of the selected computer technology curriculum. The instructor will also teach and oversee participants in the performance of tasks related to the rehabilitation of affordable technology equipment and provide supportive guidance and encourage the development of academic, life management, and personal growth skills.
The Workforce Development Coordinator will provide support to the Academic and Vocational Instructors and be responsible for a wide range of workforce service activities and day-to-day delivery of direct services, develop relationships with local businesses and organizations, recruit for open positions and market the program. The AmeriCorps interns will coordinate Participant Enrichment activities under the direction of the instructional staff.
Conclusion
The development of this strategic staffing plan described the funding background to the Bright reach and the creation of its proposed program concept. The types of staffing positions and their designations were described, whether full-time, part-time, per-diem, or in-kind. Contractors and subcontractor roles were also explained in the plan. Finally, descriptions of the proposed positions and their job descriptions were detailed for all positions, including contractors and subcontractors.