Executive Director Capacity Building Program

 Dorchester County, MD

Program Summary

Increasing the capacity of the Empowerment Center in Dorchester County, MD by funding the first-ever Executive Director position to grow the organization

  • Providing multi-year grant to fund the Empowerment Center’s first paid staff position
  • Hired a non-profit consulting firm to focus on board development, strategic visioning, the hiring process, and onboarding to help “future proof” the organization
  • Fully engaged in the project by participating on the hiring committee and participating in all board functions for the term of the grant
  • Assisting with the development and measurement of both process metrics and performance indicators to ensure positive outcomes in terms of revenue growth and program evolution
  • Will transition the position funding to the Empowerment Center in Year 4 to ensure sustainability
John & Janice Wyatt Foundation
John & Janice Wyatt Foundation
John & Janice Wyatt Foundation

Measures of Performance

For more information, please see Data Analysis section at the bottom of the page

Data Analysis

1. Goal: To increase the capacity of the Empowerment Center in Dorchester County, MD by funding the first-ever Executive Director position.

2. We expect to see the following:

    1. Financial growth: The position is expected to be self-sustaining in 3 years; and additional revenue should be generated in order to increase the number of students at the center for both after-school and summer programs.
    2. Improved governance: The position is expected to improve board governance and participation; and to develop organizational processes to ensure a more efficient organization.
    3. Strategic growth: With increased resources and improved organization, we expect the Empowerment Center to scale in size and programmatic activities over time.

3. The Empowerment Center has hired, over the course of the first two years, two executive directors. Both hires were only in place for 5-6 months each and did not work out. That said, in Year-3, the Empowerment Center hired a part-time Executive Director with strong leadership, programming skills, and an extensive background in early childcare. The center also hired a part-time marketing coordinator/grant writer to take on the administrative tasks within the Center. Thus, while the first two years had a number of challenges, after Year-3, we believe the positive disruption has hugely benefited the organization in several ways.

4. Successes with this model include:

    1. Submitted and received state of Maryland childcare licensure, now the best-in-class Out-of-School Time center in Cambridge, MD. This childcare licensure has allowed the program to expand and diversify their offerings and will be piloting a Pre-Kindergarten classroom of 20 students in the fall of 2024.
    2. Modified the physical structure, which now allows the Center to expand from 30 to 45 students, increasing capacity significantly. We do note the Empowerment Center is at full capacity for the 2024 summer program at 45 children, which if maintained throughout the summer, will earn the Center a health score of “green.”
    3. Restarted the after-school program, which had been closed for several months while awaiting the licensure and building renovations. We have not seen a full return of students (25 attending consistently at the end of the school year 2024), but do expect the Center to regain full after-school numbers in the fall of 2024, based on the maximum capacity observed in the summer of 2024. Since the goal for the end of the year was 45, after-school capacity received a “yellow” health score.
    4. The two part-time positions is allowing J2W funds to go even further, funding the program for a fourth year – at no further cost to the foundation – before requiring Center funding for long-term sustainment of the positions.
    5. The Center has grown its Board of Directors, with new board governance training and policies.
    6. The Center purchased a new donor software system (DonorPerfect) to assist with direct mail and other donor activities to further improve revenue growth.
    7. At the end of Year-3, the Empowerment Center increased its cumulative organizational revenue to $540,000. The goal for the end of Year-3 was $450,000, earning a “green” health score.