Rebound of Whatcom County

1. Rebound of Whatcom County Bringing Hope & Healing

2. Bringing Hope & Healingto Whatcom County • When we think about our childhood most of us picture swinging in the backyard, building forts in the living room, and playing tag at recess. But some kids don’t have as fond of memories. Rebound exists to bring hope and healing to kids and families who have tainted memories because of abuse, poverty, and neglect. • At Rebound, kids and families get a second chance to experience memories and milestones that many of us take for granted. • Rebound works to help kids and families know that they are loved and supported, builds lasting relationships for both adults and kids, restores one’s entire self, and helps them become complete and productive members in their communities.

3. Board of Directors Mike Anderson, Chairman Rob Weston, Vice-Chairman Ward Fridrich, Treasurer Mike Gish, Secretary Lisa Jeffries Carol Beeb Kurt Ingram

4. Rebound Staff Sharon Aller, Executive Director Carla Moore, Marketing & Administration Holly Marr, Flying Colors Director Audrey Swanson, Resource Coordinator Ramona Garcia Slagle, Family Resource Coordinator Jessica Andrews, Compass Middle School & Ray of Hope Co-director John Slagle, Compass Elementary School & Ray of Hope Co-Director Rachelle Redd, Donor Management

5. Rebound was formed out of a realization that the needs of some children and their families were not being met • The first small outreach programs were at Cornwall Church in Bellingham, WA. • The pastor of the church had a desire to provide struggling families in the near by neighborhoods with services to help them get back on their feet • In 1996 Compass Kids Support Group was formed • In 1998 Ray of Hope summer camp was created • In 2002, Rebound was formed as a faith based 501(C)3 organization History

6. In 2002, additional sites began to run programs to help even more neighborhoods in Whatcom County • Also in 2002, the Flying Colors After School Program was created • As of today, Rebound as also formed the OnTrack Parenting Enrichment program, the Love & Logic Parenting Classes, and CHAT • Rebound has grown a significant amount in the last 16 years and they have plans to continue to grow and reach even more kids and families History

7. The number of clients Rebound helps changes frequently with the majority of the clients being helped in the summer through the Rays of Hope Summer Camp. Within one year they can have as many as 2000 people participating in programs and camp! Currently Break Down of Budget:

8. Mission Statement Rebound of Whatcom County is committed to equipping, strengthening and empowering children and families facing difficult life circumstances. We do this by working cooperatively with public and private organizations to build community through practical expressions of faith.

9. Vision Statement Rebound’s vision is that children and families in Whatcom County would thrive and succeed and be active recipients and contributors in a supportive community. We are committed to providing programs, relationships, and resources that create positive, sustained change.

10. Programs • Compass: (elementary & middle schools) • Support groups for kids • Teaches: life skills that helps them understand, talk about, and cop with what is happening in their lives in healthy, positive ways • Flying Colors After School Tutoring Program • Daily after school program with an academic focus for ages 5-12 • Rays of Hope • 7 week long summer program • For children 5-12 with emotional, behavioral, and/or economic challenges • On Track Parenting Enrichment • Large variety of different parenting classes • Including Becoming a Love & Logic Parent, and Whatcom Dream Financial Building • C.H.A.T. • Small group support system for pregnant and parenting young single moms

11. Leadership When I interviewed Shannon Aller, the Executive Director, she talked about shared leadership and how all employees, board members, and volunteers have a say in how things are ran (S. Aller, personal communication February 13, 2012). Employees and volunteers are encouraged to attend board meetings and voice their opinions on what is happening in Rebound. On top of monthly board meetings, Rebound board members, employees and volunteers have two weekend retreats each year. During this time they revisit their mission statement, talk about highs and lows of the year, and create goals that will help them reach more people in Whatcom County. Rebound employees attend seminars put on by Whatcom Community Foundation to help get financial controls in place. They make sure every dollar that comes in is spent as close to the kids as possible. Rebound has a system set up so everyone is held accountable all of the time.

12. Nonprofit Life Cycle Rebound is in between stage 4 and 5. Rebound is mature and stable but they continuously revisit their mission statement and are undergoing major changes. While analyzing this nonprofit I saw no signs of them being on autopilot or becoming stale. They realize that there is always room for improvement and aren’t afraid to work hard. Rebound is currently working on launching their programs in a more direct fashion by having them available in each area of town. This way clients are with other clients that live close to them. They are hoping to create a sense of community by having each area work together to not only better themselves, but also their community. Rebound is definitely not on autopilot or becoming stale, they are constantly breathing new life into not only their programs, but also their entire organization.

13. Marketing • “Nonprofits cannot ignore the reality that they operate in a competitive environment” (Worth, 2012, p 246) • During my interview with Shannon Aller, the Executive Director of Rebound, I asked her about competition between the local nonprofits and she said, “We understand that other organization exist and want to help. Instead of being weary towards this, we accept it and embrace it. We can’t do everything and help everyone. The second we try to do that, we will ultimately fail” (personal communication, February 13, 2012) • Marketing “begins with defining the target audience and gaining understanding of its members’ values, needs, and wants” (Worth, 2012, p 247) • Many years ago Rebound defined their target market. They saw a need and developed their organization around their vision. Rebound, being in a stage of growth and transition, understand that audiences change and marketing needs to follow suit.

14. Market Segregation • “For an organization’s promotion to be cost effective, it needs to identify its target market or target audience” (Worth, 2012, p. 250) • Rebound has done just that. They strive to regularly study the different areas in Whatcom County and design curriculum that is fitting to the demographic • Rebound has found and continues to search for a target audiences that is “engaged in behavior that the marketing is intended to change” (p 250) • “Objective measures include demographic variables, for example, age, gender, race, or ethnicity, and income, and geography” (Worth, 2012, p. 250) • When Rebound is studying the different areas in the County they take into account the above things as well as “knowledge about individuals’ lifestyles, defined by their activities, interests, and opinions” (p.250) • Rebound believes in helping their clients not only physically but also mentally and spiritually. In order to do this effectively they have to survey all aspects of the community.

15. Conclusion • Rebound has a unique approach to helping people in their community. They are respectful towards the uniqueness of each person. They believe that true personal change occurs best in context of close mentoring relationships. Rebound believes that families are the center of change. They believe in strengthening children and empower their parents to create an unbreakable family unit. • Rebound believes in ongoing support – investing in families for the long haul. They believe in community involvement, equipping Christians to grow in their faith through building relationships and serving children and families in their own community.

16. References Rebound of Whatcom County (n.d.a.) (2009). Bellingham, WA. Retrieved from http://www.reboundwc.org/ Worth, M. J. (2012). Nonprofit management: principals and practice. Los Angeles: Sage.