PLATINUM2023

Friendship Community

Impacting the World with Capabilities

aka Friendship Ministries   |   Lititz, PA   |  www.friendshipcommunity.net

Mission

Friendship Community is a Christian ministry cultivating capabilities of Individuals with Intellectual Disability and Autism in south central Pennsylvania since 1972. Our Vision is "Impacting the World with Capabilities". Friendship Community provides residential settings and support services for Individuals, who with their families, desire a Christian program. Friendship Community offers a variety of services - including day programs, self-advocacy, job and vocational skills training, community integration and much more. Meaningful activities are planned to provide stimulation for the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of each person.

Ruling year info

1988

CEO

Mary Ellen Farber

Main address

1149 E Oregon Rd

Lititz, PA 17543 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

23-1892383

NTEE code info

Human Service Organizations (P20)

Visual Arts Organizations (A40)

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

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Workforce crisis, aging in place and the high needs of care and support are the three major issues the Intellectual Disability/Autism (ID/A) industry and Friendship Community (FC) are facing. FC provides accessible homes, home care and day programs. The Professional Support Team assists with activities of daily living and fosters independence and abilities. State regulations and excessive documentation create unnecessary burdens and distractions for staff. Funding has limited wage increases over the last 10 years, which has caused extreme turnover in Direct Support Professionals; therefore, we actively advocate for higher wages, since we are Medicaid dependent. Through organized rallies, educational meetings, active partnerships with Chambers of Commerce and businesses, County and State Associations and fellow Providers, FC strives to address the lack of resources, community integrated opportunities and relationships to support this ID/A population appropriately.

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?

Residential Services

Provides community group home living for adults with intellectual disability and autism

Population(s) Served
People with intellectual disabilities
Adults

Provides support for adults with intellectual disability and autism to live as independently as possible

Population(s) Served
People with intellectual disabilities
Adults

Provides Artists with intellectual disability and autism the means to learn artistic skills to create and market this art

Population(s) Served
People with intellectual disabilities
Adults

Matches adults with intellectual disability and autism with families who are willing to open up their home and lives for a long-term commitment

Population(s) Served
People with intellectual disabilities
Adults

Provides spiritual enrichment for adults with intellectual disability and autism

Population(s) Served
People with intellectual disabilities
Adults

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

Chamber of Commerce 2022

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of clients in residential care

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

People with disabilities

Related Program

Residential Services

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

FC aims to accomplish a stable workforce, fiscal strength to endure the volatile funding environment and competence to provide necessary life care services to those with ID/A.

FC identifies annual goals according to strategic planning related to the current environmental scan.

Currently, the goals are:
1. Nurture a R.I.S.E. Culture (Values - Relationships, Integrity, Spirituality, and Excellence)
2. Diversify Income Streams
3. Strengthen Financial Performance
4. Establish Proactive Strategies for Future Expansion/Growth

FC promotes a culture of Respect, Communication, Collaboration & Competence. We strive to incorporate these 4 pillars in all communication & operations throughout FC and when representing FC in the greater community.

Professional Development Plans, which incorporate these pillars, are utilized for every Team Member in order to promote professional & personal growth.

Learning Enhancement (training), Mentoring, Coaching, various Team Building efforts, Fiscal Audits, Donor Transparency, etc...promote FC's strategies for best practices & positive outcomes for Team Members & ID/A Participants alike.

Legislative advocacy & education is ongoing. Integration & education with community partners enhances awareness & engagement.

The organization strives to be an innovative leader positioning FC for sustainability & growth into the future. An example is the Friendship Heart Gallery, located in the Lancaster Art District, which has grown from 6 to 77 Artists, within the last 10 years.

The experienced & committed Executive & Leadership Teams, in conjunction with the Board, strive to perpetuate the established strategies throughout FC. Through careful selection of Team Leaders & Members, who are communicative, committed & flexible, training focuses on their development towards purposeful competence.

FC is continually seeking creative ways to recruit and retain incredible Team Members. The Team networks with appropriate community resources in order to accomplish this goal.

FC has committed capital in focused areas in order to accomplish the established goals, such as, adding key positions in Operations, HR & Finance departments, as well as through Quality Council, Safety, Risk & Finance Committees, Corporate Compliance, Contentment Surveys and Exit Interviews & the ongoing monitoring of schedules & workload.

Legislative advocacy & education is an imperative accomplished through State and Local Associations, FC & other grassroots advocacy efforts.

The liquidation of assets (3 personal care homes & The Old Mill Apartments) that caused financial stress to the organization occurred since 2014.

The ongoing process of culture change and transformational thinking began in 2014. Collaboration, respect & communication, within the realm of all Leadership & Management Teams, is evident. Ongoing efforts to promote these goals, among the DSPs and Administrative staff are practiced daily.

A restructuring of the Operations Team enabled promotions, which increased development of leaders with grassroots knowledge & experiential input, greater accountability & promoted career ladder movement within the organization.

FC implemented an empowerment practice to promote greater efficiencies, while reducing costs.

FC implemented Team Member retention strategies, which include flexible scheduling, a small loan program, a robust benefit package with options and a matching retirement investment option, to name a few.

Financials

Friendship Community
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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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  • 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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Friendship Community

Board of directors
as of 02/14/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Chuck Albert

C.J. Albert Jr. Consulting LLC

Term: 2023 - 2026

Chuck Albert

C.J. Albert Jr. Consulting LLC

Mike Hurst

Meridian Products

Ryan Curran

Fulton Financial Corporation

Rhonda Kurtz

Case New Holland

Sylvia Kauffman

Kauffman Family Limited Partnership

Lynda Wolfe

Retired - McNeil Consumer Pharmaceuticals

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 ? No
  • 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 2/2/2023

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

No data

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

No data

 

No data

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data