Life of Hope Julianna Malatino, Ricardo Ortiz, Xinyi Yuan & Daniel DeSena

What inspired us most ●Life of Hope’s three main phases Educate, Empower & Employ inspired us the most. ●This nonprofit not only offers class options for their community, but teaches daily life skills which will benefit their community in the future. ●They help find future career opportunities for their members when they feel they have gained stability. ●Life of Hope has created a welcoming environment and has secured safety and guidance to their members. ●Since it is a small organization, the staff and volunteers are able to have a one-on-one relationship with mentors unlike bigger nonprofits.

Website Improvements for Volunteers and Donors ●Share how their services or donations are going to be used in the future. ●Include more information about Life of Hope’s volunteering expectations. ●Open more opportunities to volunteer rather than to teach. ●Share more pictures and stories of those who either volunteered or are from the community.

Attracting a larger group ●By getting involved with different universities, it would help others hear more about what Life of Hope is all about. ●For St. John’s providing a DNY trip to spending the day at Life of Hope will allow more students to learn more about the organization and how to get involved. ●Many universities like St John’s offer community service programs which are required by some classes. Offering Life of Hope as an option to volunteer would be beneficial. ●Collaborate with different on campus clubs or groups to raise funds through different types of events. ●Life of Hope mission is so inspiring, by broadcasting that to others will help gain more of a community.

How to differ from other nonprofit ●Sharing fundraising among staff as part of a larger overall organizing strategy is effective. ●Best marketing is word of mouth, it requires consistency, creativity and enthusiasm. ●Social media and electronic communications revolutionized the way word of mouth is spread. ●Board members should be the very best advocates, convening people to hear about the organization and doing everything to spread the word within their circles and beyond. ●For internal audiences, try developing a simple graph comparing the unique services of your organization and how they differ from others so that your uniqueness is better understood

Turnover Rate for Nonprofits ●Turnover - the rate at which employees leave a workforce and are replaced. ●Nonprofits traditionally have one of the largest turnover ●National average is 15% while for non-profits it’s 19%. ●Depending on area, it can nearly double the turnover rate. ●Usually due to lack of being underpaid, lack of upward mobility and having excessive amounts of work. - (Nonprofit Pro) ●High turnover rate affects the quality of work and established relationships with clients.

Suggestions to Reduce Turnover ●Have weekly meetings with the entire staff --encourage the staff to voice their opinions and concerns. ●Form an internal support group where staff support each other and give advice to stressed employees. ●Flexible scheduling, allow staff to have a say of their schedule. ●Give out bonuses or rewards to staff in order for them to work for a goal. ●Allow for professional development--mentoring program, attending trainings, and professional networking events.

“A consistent staff will not only be a win for Life of Hope but it will be a win for the thousands of people who walk through the doors looking for the programs Life of Hope offers.”

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Work Cited