StepUp Ministry
Adults and children transforming their lives through employment and life skills training.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
StepUp Ministry seeks to take advantage of Wake County’s strong economy and programs geared towards participants living at or below the poverty line. While the unemployment rate in Wake County is 4% overall as of June 2019 (wakegov.com) the rate is much higher in neighborhoods where the majority of StepUp participants reside. Moreover, StepUp Ministry’s goal is to meet community needs by breaking barriers and giving second chances toward gainful employment. Approximately 50% of our adult participants have a criminal background; 24% have a history of substance abuse, and 23% have experienced homelessness, 11% are survivors of domestic violence, and 7% are veterans. Adults who enroll in Life Skills must also enroll their children in our Children’s Program. Like their parents, children meet with trained mentors, attend weekly classes and learn discipline and healthy behaviors through an incentive-driven program.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Step 2/ Life Skills Training
Employed adults participate in Step Two, the 48-week Life Skills program that teaches financial literacy, relationship building, and goal setting. Each adult is matched with a mentor called a copartner. Each pairs meets weekly for the class, dinner, and to review budget and goals. In short, Step Two helps to build community. Step Two - Life Skills offers a concurrent Children’s Program and follows an age-appropriate life skills curriculum in addition to arts, etiquette, and other special activities. At the same time as Life Skills, a program for young adults called the Real World build a community of support to explore topics such as legal rights, mental health, substance abuse, relationships, and arts and etiquette, while pursuing an education or employment. Most Real World participants are in school and working to help pay household bills. All Life Skills and Real World programs are currently offered virtually and through individual case management.
Graduates of Step Two/Life Skills can continue in the Alumni Ambassadors program and meet weekly for continued professional development while their children also benefit from interactive programs and school support. Alumni participate in Toastmasters and may earn continuing education credits through Wake Tech.
Employment Readiness Training
The first step to transformation and stability is having a job. StepUp's Employment Readiness Training helps participants learn the skills needed to get back in the employment game. From resume writing to interview skills, we help job seekers gain employment. you land the job. A case manager works alongside our employers to help find the best job for you.
Employment Training Workshop is a free weeklong workshop for anyone between the ages of 18 and 60 that is ready to start working.
Where we work
Awards
Leader in Diversity 2020
Triangle Business Journal
Affiliations & memberships
Raleigh Chamber 2021
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsTotal cost of work acquired this year (in dollars)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Economically disadvantaged people, Incarcerated people
Related Program
Employment Readiness Training
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Average hourly employment wage for our participants completing our jobs programs.
Number of employment placements defined as part-time (less than 35 hours per week)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Economically disadvantaged people, Incarcerated people
Related Program
Employment Readiness Training
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Jobs placed.
Number of clients who complete job skills training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Employment Readiness Training
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of clients who completed jobs skills during employment week
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
StepUp Ministry's mission is to serve adults and children who wish to transform their lives through employment and life skills training. The vision is to be the premier resource in Wake County for people seeking to improve their lives and develop stable careers.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Building on 30 years of helping families in Wake County, StepUp now serves over 700 people annually. Our participants come to us unemployed and underemployed, many having experienced homelessness or housing crisis, substance abuse, and/or criminal background. Through our Employment Week Program and our yearlong Life Skills Program, we provide individuals with a unique curriculum that addresses their emotional, spiritual, and financial health. Graduates of these programs have not only been supported in finding employment, they are given the tools for long-term stability. Many join our Alumni Program to receive continuing accountability and opportunity. We also cross generations to stop and prevent poverty with our Children's Life Skills Program (for kids who have parents in the adult programs) and our Real World Program (for youth ages 16-21), which help cultivate healthy mindsets toward education and employment.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
StepUp has 22 staff members, including two program graduates.
StepUp has a working board of 25 individuals who are committed to supporting us through diverse of funding sources including donations for local congregations, corporations/businesses, individual major gifts, foundations/charitable organizations, and an annual fundraising luncheon. Three program graduates serve on the board.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
While all of our participants arrive unemployed or underemployed, many are in a housing crisis, more than half have a criminal background, and about a third have prior issues with substance abuse. StepUp addresses these unique issues and barriers that our participants face in finding employment, restoring their financial health, and creating long-term stability for their entire family.
Our partnerships with local agencies help participants address basic needs such as medical care, clothing, transportation, and housing as they work with us toward securing employment. StepUp has relationships with the business community to engage local professionals in helping to train, employ, and offer opportunities for growth to formerly unemployed adults. By working with both employees and employers, StepUp helps cultivate long-term success and supports moving its participants toward living-wage jobs.
StepUp offers a robust Children's Program providing case management, educational support, exposure to arts & etiquette and other opportunities. StepUp's Real World program for young adults ages 16-21 helps the transition to adulthood and the challenges facing many young adults today, including mental health support, legal rights, and career and education guidance.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
StepUp Ministry
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Anna White Hosea
Board Chair
Katherine Anne Hamlin
Hamlin Companies
Angie Dowd
Retired Financial Expert and Community Volunteer
Katrina Lyons
Cardinal Advisors
Jacques Oury
Red Hat
Gregg Sandreuter
HM Partners
Elizabeth Scott
Attorney with Williams Mullen
Harriet Stephenson
WakeMed
John Timothy Chapman
Peak City Full Gospel Baptist Church
Pierre Marcella
WingsSwept LLC
Libby Stubbs
Kane Realty
Harriet Stephenson
Wake Med
Cameron Rosenow
Curi Capital
Andrew Rose
Capitol Financial Solutions
George Ramsay
One Digital Health & Benefits
Jacques Oury
Red Hat
Brandon Lowery
BLLC Landscaping
Maeve Gardner
GSK
Jack Clayton
Towne Bank
Katherine Ross
Parker Poe
DeShelia Spann
Lenovo
Anna White Hosea
Moss and Ross
John Constance
At Large
Kathleen Hofstadter
Community Leader
Allison Glenn
Community Leader
Bill Wenner
Wells Fargo
Jeff Minor
Insperity
James Adam Ivy, Jr.
Executive Grooming Services
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data