City Gospel Mission
Breaking the cycle of poverty and despair ... one life at a time.
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Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Last year, more than 6,000 people experienced homelessness in Cincinnati/Hamilton County. Homelessness and poverty go hand in hand and in Cincinnati, the need is great. Approximately one in three Cincinnatians fall below the poverty line. Our city's poverty rate is almost twice the national average. Individuals living in poverty are often one illness, or accident, or paycheck away from living on the streets. City Gospel Mission's many programs address some of the root causes of poverty and homelessness including unemployment, mental illness, addiction, and lack of education. We also provide relief and basic needs for the poor and homeless including and food and shelter.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Men's Recovery Program
The men's recovery program is a long-term residential recovery program for men struggling with drug or alcohol addictions and other life-controlling issues. This program specializes in stabilization and basic training for men in need of renewing their hope and rebuilding their lives. It is not a time-oriented process, but a goal-oriented process. Although a typical stay is ten to twelve months, the manner in which a participant meets the goals of his treatment plan determines the length of stay.
The following are key components of the program: goal setting, accountability & support, spiritual development, inner healing, health & wellness, job readiness/retention, personalized case management, and life skills.
Graduates are encouraged to participate in City Gospel Mission's next level of support, long-term supportive housing in our Magnolia apartments.
Whiz Kids Tutoring & Mentoring
Whiz Kids is a literacy-based, one-to-one tutoring and mentoring program. The program reaches 350 at-risk youth in 26 tutoring sites throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Whiz Kids partners with more than 30 local churches and 26 public elementary schools, reaching at-risk youth from Avondale, College Hill, Deer Park, Finneytown, Montfort Heights, Norwood, Price Hill, Westwood, Maineville, Goshen, Florence, Union, Erlanger, Independence and more.
A local church or organization embraces a neighborhood public elementary school, develops relationships with school administrators and teachers and provides trained and screened volunteer tutors.
For more information about Whiz Kids please call (513) 621-2873.
Women's Recovery Program (Having the Courage to Change)
City Gospel Mission’s recovery program for women, Having the Courage to Change, is designed to serve women of diverse backgrounds with equally diverse needs. This program provides structured transitional living to women who seek to recover from life-controlling behaviors such as substance abuse, prostitution, homelessness, job instability, and abusive relationships. Its holistic approach offers discipleship, life-skills training and individualized treatment in a residential setting.
The program offers: counseling, peer recovery coaches, job training, exercise and nutrition training, Bible study, financial counseling, parenting skills, recreation, and volunteer opportunities.
A typical stay is twelve to twenty-four months, but the program is goal oriented, not a time-oriented.
Food, Shelter and Services for the Homeless
Up to 74 men are welcomed as guests each night in City Gospel Mission's clean, safe, emergency shelter. During that time they are encouraged to enter one of our three programs for men: Recovery Program, Special Needs Program, or Work Program.
City Gospel Mission serves a hot breakfast and dinner to 115 guests every day of the year.
Other services such as a health clinic, clothing distribution, case management, transportation, counseling, laundry, and job training are also provided to the homeless and hurting at City Gospel Mission.
JobsPlus
Jobs Plus was founded in 1994 and has a 29-year track record of breaking the cycle of poverty by helping people prepare for and find employment. Nurturing individuals’ growth through personal relationships is at the core of our work. The JobsPlus curriculum, Holistic Hardware, has been customized to meet the needs of the four different populations served by our different program tracks (high school seniors, River City residents, participants in our full 10-week program who have many employment barriers, and Fast Track participants who have fewer barriers).
Throughout the process, participants work closely with staff and volunteer mentors to overcome issues that can be barriers for employment including transportation, legal issues, health issues, birth certificates, lack of work history, career wardrobe, and more. Mentoring relationships are formed that play a vital role in the success of finding and maintaining employment.
Princesses Ballet
Princesses Ballet began in 2003 with 8 girls and has grown to serve over 380 girls. The program serves girls ages 2-18 at 19 sites across Greater Cincinnati. Our dancers are from low-income families and sometimes referred from homeless shelters.
The majority of participants could not otherwise afford private dance lessons of any kind. Princesses Ballet is provided for free, except a modest cost for dance wear. The program, with a mentoring approach and a focus toward success for each girl, helps youth build character, self-esteem, discipline, and a love of dance.
In addition to weekly dance classes during the school year, Princesses Ballet also offers summer clinics, offering dance instructions for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. The Princesses Ballet public performances are in high demand, as they are requested to perform at 20-30 events each year throughout Greater Cincinnati.
Thanksgiving Exchange
City Gospel Mission’s Thanksgiving Exchange is a grocery store for people with very low-incomes. Participants are referred by local churches and pay $10 to shop for their Thanksgiving groceries. The Exchange empowers shoppers to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families without destroying their extremely tight budgets.
We anticipate over 500 shoppers at the Thanksgiving Exchange each year.
Christmas Store
Many parents and caregivers in Greater Cincinnati want to make Christmas special for their children but can't afford presents. City Gospel Mission's Christmas Store is for people with very low-incomes. Referred by local churches and community organizers, participants pay $10 to shop for one new toy and one new clothing item per child. Shoppers also enjoy the gift wrapping station, refreshments, and holiday cheer shared by volunteers running the Christmas Store. Each year the Christmas Store partners with parent shoppers to provide gifts for about 600 children. Donations of new toys and new children's clothing are needed to stock the shelves.
Little Village
Little Village is an early learning play space for low-income families with children from birth to age 5. The program is based on the Swedish social learning space of "oppen forskolan" which helps young families develop healthy learning and community. Families participate free of charge. The main goal of the program is to establish a life-long love of learning. This is accomplished by three main objectives: 1. Being an early learning play space for caregivers to engage with their children, 2. Building neighborhood peer and mentor relationships, and 3. Offering parenting classes and resource events in partnership with other agencies in the community.
Jeremiah Scholars
Jeremiah Scholars is a partnership between City Gospel Mission and private donors committed to helping students break the cycle of generational poverty. We invest in young adults in financial need who come from backgrounds and communities where educational and life-skill success have greater obstacles. A trained, volunteer mentor is assigned to the recipient to walk with them throughout their journey. The Jeremiah Scholars Program reflects the heart of Jeremiah 29:11 to create “A plan to prosper and give hope” to all recipients. The goal is for Scholars to graduate – from college or trade school – with a clear path to a successful career.
Where we work
External reviews
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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of emergency meals provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Food, Shelter and Services for the Homeless
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The number of meals provided in 2020 and 2021 were reduced because of safety measures in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Number of participants who gain employment
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Unemployed people
Related Program
JobsPlus
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This is the number of JobsPlus program participants who gained employment. Employment was negatively impacted by the COVID pandemic 2020-2022.
Number of clients who complete job skills training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Unemployed people
Related Program
JobsPlus
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This is the number of people who graduated and fully completed our JobsPlus employment program.
Number of students who demonstrate improved overall literacy
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Whiz Kids Tutoring & Mentoring
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of Whiz Kids students who demonstrate improved literacy. Please note: The COVID-19 Pandemic had a serious negative impact on academic progress in 2021 and 2022.
Number of households that obtain/retain permanent housing for at least 6 months
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people, Men
Related Program
Food, Shelter and Services for the Homeless
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The COVID-19 pandemic and its affect on our economy have had a serious negative impact on affordable housing &mental health. 2021-2022 it was more difficult to find and retain affordable housing.
Number of people using homeless shelters per week
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Men and boys, Homeless people
Related Program
Food, Shelter and Services for the Homeless
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
City Gospel Mission's shelter has 74 beds and is almost always full.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
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?
City Gospel Mission's main goal and mission is to break the cycle of poverty in Greater Cincinnati, one life at a time. We provide people experiencing poverty the tools, skills and resources to overcome homelessness, unemployment, hunger and addictions.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
City Gospel Mission programs provide basic needs like food and shelter as a first step, but go beyond basic needs to help transform the whole person for a lifetime - physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. All programs incorporate a key strategy that we believe is one of the most important in breaking the cycle of poverty: caring, supportive, healthy relationships with mentors and staff.
1. Food & Shelter. Up to 74 men are welcomed to the emergency shelter each night. Guests receive life-skills classes, case management, mental health services, help finding housing and aftercare.
2. Recovery. Up to 36 men and 36 women in long-term residential recovery from substance abuse and other life-controlling issues. They participate in classes, case management, counseling, transitional housing and aftercare.
3. Jobs. Those with barriers to employment like felony histories and those without - receive job training, seminars, coaching, job placement, transportation, professional clothing and career development follow-up.
4. Youth and Family Development: Nearly 3,000 at-risk kids from birth to early adulthood are helped each year through a variety of free programs, including early learning play, tutoring, mentoring, scholarships, ballet, summer camps, teen outreach and Holiday outreach.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
City Gospel Mission has strong community support with a donor base of 22,000 and a committed team of more than 3,500 volunteers. 96% of City Gospel Mission's workforce is volunteer driven. Our experienced and professional staff are committed to breaking the cycle of poverty. The organization has consistently met its annual fundraising goals throughout its 99 year history.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Every year, City Gospel Mission continues to improve our programming to serve people in better ways. We continue to see improvements in program outcomes each year with more men and women exiting to safe housing, obtaining a job, and remaining sober for longer periods of time. Our youth programs continue to help children prepare for lifelong success. For example, Whiz Kids improves childhood literacy, helping kids increase 3/4 of a reading level each year they participate.
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?
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 strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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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 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
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for 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
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
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.
City Gospel Mission
Board of directorsas of 11/28/2023
Brad Trucksis
Retired P&G
Dick Alexander
Christian Missionary Fellowship
Deborah Merritt
Christ Emmanuel Christian Fellowship
Jason McSwain
McSwain Carpets & Floors
Lonnie Grayson
Environmental Safety Solutions Inc.
Dawn Satterwhite
Crossroads Church
Brad Trucksis
P&G Alumni
Jonathan Adams
SALIX
Sharon Doering
Discover Solutions, LLC
David Lindner
United Dairy Farmers
Carla Messer
BestWork
Dan Owens
VonLehman and Co.
Rodney Swope
Rod&Staff Enterprises
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 -
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
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
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 11/28/2023GuideStar 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 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.