GOLD2023

Buddy Up For Life, Inc.

Where there is a Will, there is a Way \u00AE

aka Buddy Up For Life   |   New Albany, OH   |  buddyupforlife.org

Mission

We exist to serve individuals with Down syndrome by providing a fun, active, and supportive environment for our Athletes to grow both physically and personally by engaging in activities that impact athletic, social, and emotional development.

Ruling year info

2010

Executive Director

Beth Gibson

Main address

3989 Farber Court

New Albany, OH 43054 USA

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EIN

27-0789426

NTEE code info

Down Syndrome (G25)

Student Services and Organizations (B80)

Other Recreation, Sports, or Leisure Activities N.E.C. (N99)

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?

Buddy Up For Life, Inc.

Buddy Up For Life strives to impact lives by cultivating increased independence, promoting greater health and wellness and fostering meaningful friendships for all individuals with Down syndrome through our programs including:
Buddy Up Tennis - a weekly, high-energy adaptive tennis and fitness program for children and adults with Down syndrome beginning as early as 5 years old.
Buddy Up Fitness - a full body circuit workout program designed for our Athletes ages 12 and over.
Buddy Up Summer Camp - a week-long experience full of opportunities for our Athletes ages 10 and over to learn, grow and explore through athletic, STEM and therapeutic programming.
Buddy Up Connections - provides a weekly opportunity for Athletes and Buddies to meet one-on-one and develop friendships that extend into their everyday lives.
Buddy Up Life skills - offers expertly driven skills-based training designed to empower individuals with Down syndrome (ages 14+) with skills enabling them to live meaningful and independent lives.

Population(s) Served
People with intellectual disabilities

Where we work

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.

Our programs are designed to embrace the physical and emotional challenges that individuals with Down syndrome face so our Athletes can learn, grow, and reach their fullest potential on and off the court.\n\nIndividuals with Down syndrome can experience physical and psychological health complications such as increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, low muscle-tone, looseness of ligaments, and decreased core strength, atypical development of motor skills, high susceptibility to depression and anxiety, social withdrawal, and challenges in behavioral activity. Buddy Up For Life was created with these risks in mind. We are the first and only organization with a customized program that proactively embraces these challenges in order to help our Athletes with Down syndrome thrive.

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.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    We exist to serve individuals with Down syndrome (our Athletes) by providing a fun, active, and supportive environment for our Athletes to grow both physically and personally by engaging in activities that impact athletic, social, and emotional development. Buddy Up for Life strives to impact lives by cultivating increased independence, promoting greater health and wellness, and fostering meaningful friendships for all individuals with Down syndrome. Our services and program offerings have tripled in the past year and have grown from Tennis, Fitness, and Summer Camps to Life Skills, Connections, and Virtual.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings/Town halls,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    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 started Life Skills classes after some of our parents expressed interest in having classes to teach their children independence skills.

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,

  • How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?

    Having discussions with the individuals we serve as well as there family members, allows us to continue to provide the support needed through our programs.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, 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 act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback,

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,

Financials

Buddy Up For Life, Inc.
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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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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.

Buddy Up For Life, Inc.

Board of directors
as of 03/07/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Melissa Hempel Hempel

Advanced Drainage Systems


Board co-chair

Beth Gibson

Buddy Up For Life

Beth Gibson

Buddy Up For Life, Inc.

Rick Gibson

Lape Mansfield Nakasian + Gibson, LLC

Melissa Hempel

Advanced Drainage Systems

Scott Barbour

Advanced Drainage Systems

Charly Bauer

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

Howard Bruss

Safelite Autoglass

Doug DiRosario

Wickertree Tennis and Fitness

Joe Evans

Joe and Patty Evans, Inc. with Remax Towncenter

Mark Fazzina

Executive Search Partners

Todd Fisher

Fisher Management Partners

Rob Griffiths

The Ohio State University

Andy Halpern

Halpern and Associates

Cheryl Halpern

Halpern Research

Suzie Harness

Ohio Health

Andy Livingston

Huntington National Bank

Reuben Lo

Safelite Autoglass

Dave Magnacca

MedVet

Murugu Manickam

Nationwide Children's Hospital

Eric Riedinger

Fifth Third Bank

Richard Sobieray

University of South Florida Healthcare

Jennifer Truby

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 3/7/2023
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
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 03/07/2023

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 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 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.