Mission
UpSpring's mission is to empower children experiencing homelessness by providing opportunities for education and enrichment. Our vision is to positively transform our communities by breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty. As Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's only non-profit exclusively serving the educational needs of homeless children and youth, UpSpring provides these students with the consistency needed to achieve academic success and become well-rounded, active participants in their community. A consistent education breaks the cycle of childhood homelessness and elevates kids, families, and communities.
Ruling year
1999
Executive Director
Alex Kuhns
Main address
P.O. Box 23300
Cincinnati, OH 45223 USA
Formerly known as
Faces Without Places
EIN
31-1628027
NTEE code
Other Youth Development N.E.C. (O99)
Homeless Services/Centers (P85)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2021, 2020 and 2019.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
THE FACTS ABOUT CHILDHOOD HOMELESSNESS There are more than 8,000 children who experience homelessness in Greater Cincinnati each year. Nearly half of children in the Greater Cincinnati area live in poverty - between the 2nd and 4th worst rate in the country. Kentucky has the worst childhood homelessness rate in the country. Today, in the U.S., the average age of a person experiencing homelessness is 9 years old. Only 25% of students experiencing homelessness graduate from high school. Profile of an average local family experiencing homelessness: single mother age 30 with 2 kids under the age of 6. Children experiencing homelessness are typically 2 to 3 years behind in school.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
UpSpring Summer 360
UpSpring Summer 360 (formerly Yellow Bus Summer Camp) is an educational and enrichment-based program for local children experiencing homelessness. Each morning our students (ages five to twelve) focus on literacy and math lessons delivered by licensed teachers. In the afternoon our students engage in enrichment, fitness, and other activities. One day a week is generally reserved for an off-site field trip. UpSpring provides transportation and meals to the students each day, completely free of charge.
The Program's objectives are:
-To improve students’ literacy and math skills
-To boost students’ social, emotional, and physical health
-To expand enrichment opportunities and important childhood events
UpSpring Summer 360 has proven results for our region’s most at-risk students. For example, our pre and post-testing shows that 95% of our students retained or increased their literacy and/or math skills. Furthermore, metrics designed in conjunction with Dr. James Canfield of the University of Cincinnati revealed measurable increases in several “well-being measures” including health, self-confidence, stability, belonging, hope, and comfort. Students who are housed have more hope as their basic needs are met. When a young person is focused more on survival than aspiration, then he/she is far more likely to give up. UpSpring provides hope for a better future.
UpSpring Resource Collaborative
Through UpSpring Resource Collaborative, we work with over 60 direct service providers (such as schools, shelters, and agencies) to identify and meet the needs of children experiencing homelessness by providing items that they need to attend and succeed in school.
The items include bus passes and gas cards, school supplies, book bags, school uniforms, personal hygiene items and more. It is through our collective approach for improving school achievement that we are able to have a measurable impact on the children we serve and our community as a whole.
UpSpring After School
UpSpring After School provides educational opportunities with a service-learning curriculum to students experiencing homelessness at Newport Intermediate School in Newport, KY.
Where we work
Awards
Difference Maker 2012
Cincinnati Children's Museum
Outstanding Individual Working in a Program to Beth Griffith-Niemann 2012
National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
Affiliations & memberships
Community Shares 2003
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Percent of children felt healthy
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Homeless people
Related Program
UpSpring Summer 360
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Percent of children felt they could be successful at school
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Homeless people
Related Program
UpSpring Summer 360
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Percent of children had hope for the future
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Homeless people
Related Program
UpSpring Summer 360
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
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?
UpSpring enables students experiencing homelessness to have the same access to opportunity as all other children. We provide the necessary resources for these children to get to school, stay in school, and succeed in school. Our programs & services change lives, and therefore our region, for the better.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
UPSPRING SUMMER 360°
A seven-week summer day-camp that provides structure for continued learning and academic skill-set retention. In preparing for the school year ahead, the curriculum addresses math, literacy, and social-emotional intelligence, with an emphasis on fun and enrichment.
UPSPRING RESOURCE COLLABORATIVE
We work with over 70 direct service providers to meet the needs of children experiencing homelessness by distributing items needed to attend & succeed in school.
UPSPRING AFTER SCHOOL
Site specific programming uniquely designed to meet the extra-curricular education and enrichment needs of students ages 9-18
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our experienced Program Team has developed and implemented a well-rounded and balanced curriculum based on trauma-informed care. They integrate a variety of experiences, educational lessons, and exploratory opportunities to ensure that students are empowered during their summer with UpSpring. Year after year, this program has proven results. We feel very confident in the structure of this program and know the importance of it for the students who partake.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since our founding in 1998, we've elevated more than 45,000 children experiencing homelessness. Each year UpSpring empowers the lives of approximately 3,500 children experiencing homelessness in our region. We are looking to expand our programming to additional school sites to be able to serve more children.
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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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Children experiencing homelessness
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Case management notes,
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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 inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, 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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What significant change resulted from feedback?
We changed tactics with math lessons to reflect our digital age and increase participation.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
The children we serve are at the forefront of everything we do; listening to their feedback helps us meet them where they're at.
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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 engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive,
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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, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve,
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
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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.
UpSpring
Board of directorsas of 02/08/2022
Ryan Higgins
EY
Term: 2019 -
Rebecca Riegelsberger
The E.W. Scripps Co.
Kara Wysinski
Barnes Dennig
Jordan Celestin
KPMG
Courtney Barlow-Schulte
Working in Neighborhoods
Jonathon Bresnen
Mariner Wealth Advisors
Antwone Cameron
Thomas More University
Vagelis Kontopos
The E.W. Scripps Co.
Kelsey Mehaffie
Thompson Hine LLP
Margaret Palmer
Johnson Investment Council
Lena Stringham
Anthem, Inc.
Wendy Ungard
Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Denise Weinstein
Envoi Design
Tamara Vest
National Government Services
Tamara Vest
National Government Services
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? No
Organizational demographics
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
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/09/2021GuideStar 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 employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- 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 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 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.
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