BOBBY DODD INSTITUTE
Illuminating the possibilities in disabilities
Learn how to support this organization
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Approximately 70% of Georgians who have a disability are unemployed. Although many people with disabilities can and want to work, they face barriers such as reluctance on the part of employers to hire them, a need for experience and marketable skills, and a lack of the social and career networks that yield job opportunities. Due to these barriers to employment and community engagement, having a disability places a person at disproportionate risk of poverty and social isolation. For example, the poverty rate for Americans with disabilities in the 18 to 64 age range is 28.4%, versus 12.5% for those in the same age group without a disability (National Center for Law and Economic Justice). Individuals with disabilities, and their families, are often searching for the resources, assistance, and knowledge they need in order to lead independent sustainable lives. Although the goal is independence and community inclusion the hazy pathway to reach it leaves those families at a loss.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Career Academies
BDI’s Career Academies focus on the skills that our region’s employers need. From on-the-job training to classroom-based curriculum and certification programs, BDI’s specialized job training programs provide opportunities that align with job candidates’ goals. BDI offers Career Academies in logistics and warehousing, food service, and office essentials. BDI is expanding these offerings to also include customer service, call center operations, and facilities management (janitorial and landscaping services).
Career Planning and Evaluation
BDI works with people to gauge their strengths and identify their barriers to work. Together with vocational experts, they set career goals and develop training plans.
On-the-job Training
People gain paid, hands-on work experience while developing confidence and building relationships with community employers.
Veterans Assistance
Veterans receive job training and placement support to enter the civilian workforce.
Supported Employment
BDI offers ongoing mentoring and support for people with moderate to severe disabilities who are working in the community.
Support and Outreach
In the form of support BDI offers family advocacy, benefits consulting, and resources coordination. BDI also offers outreach programs including intensive case management, life skills training, behavioral intervention, and community integration.
Where we work
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn 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?
Bobby Dodd Institute's (BDI) goals are to increase the number of people with disabilities and barriers to employment it connects with jobs each year and to equip clients with the skills they need to retain their jobs. Along with that they hope to couple people with differing abilities with the services and support BDI offers to help enable them to lead sustainable and fulfilled lives.
BDI seeks to employ individuals with differing abilities by partnering with companies, nonprofits, and government agencies that outsource business services to our social enterprises. They receive outstanding service while creating jobs for those with differing abilities.
BDI also strives to empower people with differing abilities and their families by providing supportive programs to those who seek greater independence, confidence, and fulfillment through community inclusion.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We accomplish our mission to empower people with differing abilities to maximize their potential by securing economic self-sufficiency, independence, and inclusion within their communities through our:
• Workforce resources programs, which provide our clients with an array of services to help them prepare to enter the workforce for the first time or to adapt their experience to a new career path. Workforce resources services include evaluations, career planning, specialized job training, and job connections services.
• Mission-based social enterprises that deliver services to business customers while sustaining good jobs for people with disabilities and barriers to employment. Our businesses now include logistics and warehousing, grounds maintenance, janitorial services, call center, mailroom operations, and hospitality and food service.
• Empowering support programs which span from family advocacy to benefits consulting and include intervention, integration, and case management.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
BDI is a workforce development innovation leader with more than 25 years of experience helping people with differing abilities and barriers to employment prepare for and enter the workforce. Each year, we provide job and career, support, and outreach programs to over 2,000 people. We excel at matching people's skills with job opportunities. We tailor services to each job seeker's needs, while collaborating closely with employers to ensure that we connect them with candidates who have the skills they need to grow their businesses. This formula yields opportunities for people to learn and prosper and for businesses to thrive and create jobs. We are equipped with team members who are passionate about ensuring those with differing abilities and their families are able to have all their needs met and assisting and guiding them along their lifelong journey to fulfillment, sustainability, and inclusion.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
With our integrated services, Bobby Dodd Institute was able to expand its reach and impact in the community.
In 2023, we served a total of 2,550 people. Additionally, we saw 88% average wage increase for participants receiving customized job and career support. The total annual community impact from employed participant wages and benefits navigation awards reached $7.7 million dollars. 93 percent of the participants connected to
services report a stronger level of self-sufficiency, independence and/or inclusion in the community
2022 marked the beginning of a new five-year strategic plan to double the BDI impact. The plan aims to serve close to 5,000 people by 2027, up from roughly 2,200 previously served. A financial impact boost to $11M is targeted through employment wages and awards via benefits navigation services. Several programs will be expanded to rural counties beyond Metro Atlanta.
Along with the expanded services we are also able to provide a continuum of services throughout ones life starting at childhood and spanning to adulthood.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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
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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.
BOBBY DODD INSTITUTE
Board of directorsas of 03/18/2024
ANDREW J. TUCK
Alston & Bird LLP
Term: 2023 - 2024
Quinn Shearer
B. Riley Advisory Services
Lori Chase
First Horizon Bank
Peter Lauer
PEL Ventures
John McKenney
McKenney's, Inc.
Jim Terry
Bobby Dodd Charities Foundation
Kedrick Eily
Aflac, Inc.
Judith Moen Stanley
Consultant/Documentarian
Rodney Hall
First Horizon Bank
Dan Haynes
Deloitte
Kristen Lewis
The Bowden Law Firm
David McKenney
McKenney’s, Inc.
E. Fay Pearce, Jr.
John H. Weitnauer. Jr.
Maryann Balbo
COX
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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
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
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 05/04/2023GuideStar 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
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- 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.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- 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 measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- 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.