The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation and Raikes Foundation Expand Initiative to Boost Quality of
Six Pierce County nonprofits join the Youth Program Quality Initiative
January 29, 2013 – TACOMA, WA: The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation and Raikes Foundation have named six new nonprofit partners to Pierce County’s Youth Program Quality Initiative (YPQI), bringing the total to twelve. A joint initiative of the foundations, the YPQI supports organizations in strengthening the quality of their out-of-school youth programs.
“The YPQI is building community awareness and adoption of proven practices that ensure youth have the greatest opportunity to learn new skills and build strong relationships in afterschool programs. Through participation in the Initiative, Pierce County is becoming a community where all youth can have access to powerful and engaging learning opportunities outside of school,” said Jody Rosentswieg, Program Officer of Raikes Foundation.
“We owe it to our community’s young people to provide the very best possible programs,” said Rose Lincoln Hamilton, president and CEO of The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation. “The YPQI provides an important framework to help organizations learn, excel and improve.”
Pierce County’s 2013 YPQI nonprofit additions include:
• Consejo Counseling & Referral Service
• Fab-5
• Metro Parks Tacoma
• Peace Community Center
• Tacoma Art Museum
• Tacoma Urban League
“We are honored to be invited to participate in the YPQI which will help our staff meet the needs of the multicultural youth in Pierce County,” said Jaime Garcia, Executive Director, Consejo Counseling & Referral Service. “Consejo strives to transform, strengthen and empower the families that we work with and the YPQI promises to provide us with new techniques and strategies in achieving our goals. This Initiative will have a profound impact on all of our youth programs in both Pierce and King Counties as we share best practices with program staff throughout our agency.”
The YPQI is a 15-month process designed to promote the use of research-based program quality assessment tools and continuous learning improvements within youth-serving organizations. During this Initiative, nonprofits partake in program quality assessment, data-driven improvement planning, peer learning, and intensive professional development training that reflects best practices in youth development.
Through training, goal setting, internal and external assessment, the YPQI seeks to develop a culture of continuous improvement. Participants can measure their progress and work toward their own goals, repeating the process after they make gains on an identified area. Up to three years of investment and support are provided.
Raikes Foundation and The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation launched the YPQI in Pierce County in 2012 with six participating organizations: Children’s Home Society, Hilltop Artists, Pierce County Aids Foundation, Safe Streets, Tahoma Audubon Society, and YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties.
“Given the positive feedback received from the Pierce County youth programs that initiated this work in 2012, we are excited to see expansion of the project to additional afterschool programs. Raikes Foundation is glad to support the community’s commitment to ensuring youth have high quality learning experiences not only in school, but also throughout their day,” said Rosentswieg.
Participating nonprofits were selected following a competitive application process. In Pierce County, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation serves as the lead for participating nonprofits, with School’s Out Washington providing technical assistance. Raikes Foundation has also launched the YPQI in King and Spokane Counties.
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About The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation
The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation is a philanthropic organization and trusted partner with the Pierce County community, fostering generosity by connecting people who care with causes that matter. Building a safe, vibrant, engaged community is central to the mission of the Community Foundation. Over the last 31 years, the Community Foundation has distributed more than $86 million in grants and currently manages $83 million in assets. Please visit our website at www.gtcf.org.