SILVER2023

Orangeburg County First Steps

aka SC First Steps-Orangeburg County Partnership   |   Orangeburg, SC   |  http://www.orangeburgfirststeps.org/

Mission

THE VISION OF ORANGEBURG COUNTY FIRST STEPS IS TO PROVIDE ACCESS AND AWARENESS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT TO THE FAMILIES OF ALL CHILDREN THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, PROGRAM FUNDING, AND FOSTERING PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT.

Ruling year info

2000

Executive Director

Mrs. Kathy Jenkins

Main address

PO Box 451

Orangeburg, SC 29116 USA

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EIN

57-1097868

NTEE code info

Kindergarten, Nursery Schools, Preschool, Early Admissions (B21)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Childcare Quality Enhancement

OCFS uses various resources to ensure that all
children are given the opportunity to enter first grade ready to learn. The partnership seeks to improve the overall quality of child care being offered in Orangeburg County, to improve the qualifications of individuals working in child care centers, to improve the knowledge and skills of child care workers regarding early childhood growth and development, and to increase the number of children leaving child care centers ready for the first grade.

Population(s) Served
Infants and toddlers

Countdown To Kindergarten is a home visitation program pairing the
families of high-risk rising kindergartners with their future teachers during the summer before school entry. Teachers complete six visits with each family, centered upon classroom and content expectations. Countdown to Kindergarten is designed to:
o Establish lasting home-school bonds rooted in trust and mutual respect;
o Enable parents and teachers to reach common understandings of both familial and classroom expectations for the coming school year; and
o Establish strong student-teacher relationships that will facilitate the home-school transition and enhance classroom learning.

Population(s) Served
Infants and toddlers

HIPPY is a parent involvement, school readiness program that helps parents prepare their children for lifelong accomplishments in school and beyond.

Population(s) Served
Infants and toddlers

Where we work

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • 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 get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve

Financials

Orangeburg County First Steps
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • 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.

Orangeburg County First Steps

Board of directors
as of 03/08/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Mr. James Rickenbacker

Family Health Centers, Inc.

Term: 2023 - 2022


Board co-chair

Mrs. Marie Artis

Williams Chapel AME Church

Term: 2022 - 2023

James Rickenbacker

Family Health Centers, Inc.

Faith Arthur

Orangeburg County School District

Marie Artis

Williams Chapel AME Church

Deandria Bennett

Orangeburg County Library

Sharon Daniels

OCAB/Head Start

Christopher Green

Open-Mind Mentoring

Kalin Halls

Orangeburg County School District

Angie Hutto

Orangeburg County DHEC

Cassandra Jenkins

Orangeburg County School District

Chandra McPherson-Gibbs

Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office

Henry Miller

The Samaritan House

Charlene Nimmons

Orangeburg County DSS

David Williams

Orangeburg County School District

Laura Washinton

Orangeburg Area Boys & Girls Club

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

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? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 3/8/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

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
Black/African American
Gender identity
Female
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 03/08/2023

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.