PLATINUM2023

A+ Academic Resources

Together We Can

SAN ANTONIO, TX   |  www.aplusacademicresources.org

Mission

To provide educational resources to k - 12 students in San Antonio public schools who lack the necessities for academic success

Notes from the nonprofit

100% of funding goes to Mission Accomplishment. All Board and Staff members serve as volunteers.

Ruling year info

2017

CEO

Adriene R Walker

Main address

17503 LA CANTERA PARKWAY SUITE 104 BOX 276

SAN ANTONIO, TX 78257 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

26-3760450

NTEE code info

Educational Services and Schools - Other (B90)

IRS filing requirement

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

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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Solve World Academic Resource Scarcity

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?

Academic Resources

Students receive academic resources such as school uniforms, gym shoes, backpacks, books and school supplies to allow them to go to school and learn.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

Where we work

Awards

Volunteer Angel 2022

Boysville

Affiliations & memberships

Texas Association of Nonprofit Organizations 2018

National Education Association 2020

National Association of Nonprofit Organizations & Executives 2021

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 snacks served for students participating in programs

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

Children and youth

Related Program

Academic Resources

Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of students educated through field trips

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

Children and youth

Related Program

Academic Resources

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of students who demonstrate the desire to succeed in the academic setting

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

Children and youth

Related Program

Academic Resources

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of students receiving personal instruction and feedback about their performance

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

Children and youth

Related Program

Academic Resources

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of programs documented

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

Children and youth

Related Program

Academic Resources

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

A+ Academic Resources has 3 programs: (1) Academic Resources; (2) Snacks & Meals ; (3) College & Career Track. We have 3 services: (1) Tutoring; (2) Writing; (3) Educational Consulting & Counseling.

Number of youth who plan to attend post-secondary education

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

Children, Adolescents, Preteens

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

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.

A+ Academic Resources is aiming to provide academic resources to K - 12 students worldwide who lack the necessities for academic success.

A company’s strategy is dependent on the leadership of the organization and the actions they take that outperform the organization’s competitors as well as their ability to achieve superior profitability. Using this vantage point, A+ Academic Resources provides educational resources to children based on generic and diversification strategies.

Generic Strategy or Strategies: A+ Academic Resources uses a differentiation strategy to establish and defend its desired strategic position against the organization’s rivals. This differential business strategy enables the organization to establish and exploit a competitive advantage within a particular scope. Differentiation is quite successful for the organization because patrons choose us over our competitors due the differentiating features of (a) well-seasoned staff (intellect, skill, and resilience) of dedicated veterans, (b) sharp military tutors, (c) high quality educational resources and (d) Standards of Excellence.


Diversification Strategies: “Related diversification is when a firm moves into a new industry that has important similarities with the firm’s existing industry or industries” ("Selecting corporate-level strategies," 2012). The organization uses a related diversification strategy by teaming-up with local corporations to develop and exploit its core competency of providing high quality educational resources and to better improve the community as a whole ("Diversification strategy," 2009). There are several major corporations that provide money and manpower for nonprofits to advance social missions. This much needed synergistic effort secures a diverse revenue stream for the Foundation in a nonprofit valley plagued with resource scarcity.

Business Model: A business model is a key component of an organization’s strategic plan. A business model is the vehicle an organization uses to garner profits (Defining Strategic Management and Strategy, (2012). A+ Academic Resources uses the Local Nationalizer funding model as its business model. This model is suited for organizations who focus on issues such as poor schools or children who are in need of adult role models. This model is best suited for the organization and its programs chiefly because the funding source is mixed and the funding motivation is altruism (Foster, Kim, and Christiansen, 2009).

Strategic partnerships provide a broader range of resources to accomplish organizational goals and objectives for better mission accomplishment (Samuel, 2013). Major gifts and special events are the main sources of funding used in the Local Nationalizer funding model. Building and sustaining a funding model is key to successful fundraising in nonprofit organizations (NPOs). A funding model that is tailored to the size, mission and capabilities of an organization will feed the growth and development of the organization (Foster, Kim, & Christiansen, 2009). The Local Nationalizer funding model works well for the organization.

A+ Academic Resources has a unique Staff composition. The Staff is composed of talented and passionate veterans from across the Armed Forces. The Staff has strong relationships that were built over decades of working together to accomplish a shared beloved mission. The staff is very dedicated to the organization and its mission. Passion and teamwork are the keys to mission success. The Staff fervently works as a team to provide excellent programs and services to children in San Antonio schools who face educational resource deficits. The Staff is accountable. The organization has a rare Accountability Statement that is aligned with its business strategy (funding model). The Staff has a responsibility and an opportunity to be part of the solution. While the Staff alone cannot solve all the resource shortages, the Staff vows to make a remarkable difference. The important takeaway is A+ Academic Resources sets itself apart from its rivals and embraces transparency, accountability and responsibility for mission success.

The Academic Resources Program provides academic resources such as (a) school uniforms, (b) gym shoes, (c) backpacks, (d) books and (e) school supplies to keep children in school. These resources are provided to children in need. Beneficiaries are students attending public schools, from K - 12 grade. The Academic Resources Program is our main program. In 2018 (July - December), all funding ($13,291) was used for this major program. A total of 534 students received academic resources.

In 2019, A+ Academic Resources vows more Mission. We are working to create diverse revenue streams to support our programs, chiefly the Academic Resources Program. The Board and Staff will continue to financially support A+ Academic Resources. The organization wants the Snack and Meals Program to start benefiting students who are suffering from hunger during food service gaps. We realize that students receive breakfast and lunch at school. However, there are students who arrive to school on Monday in a starved state due to a lack of adequate food supply and nutrition at home during the weekends and holiday breaks. A+ Academic Resources hopes to close the food supply gap by proving Snack Packs during school and Box Meals while at home. The Tutoring Services, Writing Services, Educational Consulting and Counseling Services and the College and Career Track Program will be better advertised to best meet student needs.

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 demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.
  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    A+ Academic Resources serves disadvantaged youth in San Antonio public schools, the local orphanages, children's shelter, and foster care. We provide a wide range of educational resources to set children up for success in school, career, and life. We ensure these deserving children have better outcomes.

  • 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 strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    We surveyed one of our schools to gather data on the availability of laptops for students to access our mentorship program opportunities. The principal informed us that the students are issued laptops from the school district which controls the websites that the students can access. Therefore, we made an evidence-based decision to purchase laptops for students to have full access to our programs and services for their college and career success.

  • 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?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Financials

A+ Academic Resources
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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
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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.

A+ Academic Resources

Board of directors
as of 03/20/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Jonathan Newell

A+ Academic Resources

Term: 2018 - 2026

Jonathan R Newell

A+ Academic Resources

Fatoumata F Bility

A+ Academic Resources

Demesha L Cisco

A+ Academic Resources

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 3/20/2023

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
Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethnic (2+ races/ethnicities)
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person with 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: 09/06/2022

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 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 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.