Believe in Me

Foundation for Kids

aka Morning Star Foundation   |   Spokane, WA   |  https://www.believeinme.org/

Mission

Our vision is to help every kid develop the self-confidence they need to succeed. With your generosity, we fund children’s charities that provide disadvantaged kids with a safe place to call home, a family that loves them, a feeling of community, and opportunities to learn, build self-esteem, and have fun.

Ruling year info

2008

Chief Executive Officer

Julie Kay Wukelic

Main address

PO Box 2155

Spokane, WA 99210 USA

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Formerly known as

Morning Star Boys Ranch Foundation

Morning Star Foundation

EIN

20-4830357

NTEE code info

Private Grantmaking Foundations (T20)

IRS filing requirement

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

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Communication

Blog

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?

Transitional Housing Pillar of Caring

Serious emotional and behavioral disturbances, domestic violence, and abuse leave some kids homeless or orphaned, without a safe place to call home. Child Protective Services may provide help by placing them in a home-like setting where they receive around-the-clock care from trained professionals. After evaluating the child’s needs, an individualized plan is developed to include medication adjustments, nonviolent interventions, and therapy to teach healthy communication and behavioral management skills. We believe in transitional living programs that provide support, resources, and a safe place to call home for disadvantaged kids.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
At-risk youth
Economically disadvantaged people
Foster and adoptive children
Foster and adoptive parents

Forming a secure attachment to at least one parenting adult is critical to the healthy development of a child’s sense of well-being. At any given time, Spokane has 700-800 children in foster care who are cared for by a close relative, a foster family, or within a group facility. More than half go back to live with their family, but the goal of our programs is to make sure foster kids are matched with a stable forever families. We proudly support programs that provide foster kids a leg up and equip families for foster parenting or adoption.

Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Foster and adoptive children
Transitioning children

Wraparound services are helpful for struggling children who need a coordinated plan they can buy into. In this scenario, community-based services, including counselors and social workers, literally “wrap around” the child, their family, school, and community to provide a coordinated effort to get them back on track. These services are individualized to the child’s goals and guide them through legal trouble, develop a safe and stable living situation, calm their emotional state, improve academic performance, and build healthy relationships.

Population(s) Served
At-risk youth
Victims of crime and abuse
At-risk youth
Victims of crime and abuse
Homeless people
LGBTQ people
Children and youth
Pregnant people

Education allows children to open up to new areas of growth so they can be more creative, develop new ideas, and meet the challenges they will face in life. What kids will achieve in their lives is only limited by how strongly they believe in themselves and the level of self-confidence and self-awareness they develop as youth. Education fuels children’s self-confidence and instills belief in their own success. That’s why Believe in Me Foundation invests in education through Title I schools, STEM and tutoring programs, ECEAP, and Head Start.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
At-risk youth
Economically disadvantaged people
Immigrants and migrants

There is something magical about creating art, playing music, and exploring outside. These activities take kids to another place and provide them opportunities to use their imagination and see a new world full of possibilities. Positive play environments, getting outdoors and learning to enjoy the arts allow the whole child to be spontaneous, exhibit their resilience, and find the enchantment to spin up their own dreams and play out their instinctive nature. Believe in Me Foundation values these important components in the development of our community’s kids.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
At-risk youth
Economically disadvantaged people
Children and youth
At-risk youth
Economically disadvantaged people
Immigrants and migrants

Where we work

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Financials

Believe in Me
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Operations

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

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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.

Believe in Me

Board of directors
as of 05/19/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Aaron Riley


Board co-chair

Stacey Davis

Banner Bank

Term: 2002 - 2003

Stacey Davis

Banner Bank

Lori Brennan

Multicare

Paul Sorensen

Aaron Riley

SNAP

Shawn Davis

Zipline Interactive

Pat Atwal

Dan Menser

Seattle Alliance of Angels

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? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 4/29/2022

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 11/01/2021

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 ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • 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 use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • 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.