Unified Progress International Education Inc
UNLEASHING THE POWER INSIDE
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
UPI Education initially began in 2004 providing its Life Skills Solutions(TM) training program for middle, high school and college students. Likewise, we trained parents, teachers, mentors and caregivers to be better prepared in working with Gen X, Gen Z and today's children/youth. After 16 years of teaching Life Skills we realized that having life skills without access to capital is a no win situation. Thus, our work has expand to include the formation of the UPI Loan Fund, an African American led Community Development Loan Fund (CDLF) and Emerging Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), providing unbanked, under-banked, low/moderate income borrowers with a friendly alternative to predatory lenders. We include cloud-based Financial Wellness strategies to help borrowers achieve self-sufficiency as soon as possible.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
UPI Education Life Skills Solutions(TM) Training Curriculum for Ansonia Middle School
This project was a collaboration between the Ansonia Middle School of Ansonia, CT.; the Naugatuck Valley Boys and Girls Club; the US Golf Association (USGA) and UPI Education. The USGA Mentoring Program evolves around the game of golf while the UPI Life Skills Solutions 12-week life skills curriculum training program served as the educational componet for this project.
Character Education and Community Leadership
As Consultant, UPI established cohesion between Southside community members and local leadership by using a Temperament Sorter, entitled True Colors, that was designed to determine each participants, Awareness about personality types by color orientation and to validate the need and importance of respecting everyones input to the session. The shared acceptance and application of this technique set the stage for an effective Focus session that produced exciting and meaningful cross- generational dialogue. The primary Objective was to create structured activities that would lead to the recruitment of new members and potential leaders to share in this venerable process and to take ownership in improving some of the conditions of this impoverished community.
UPI Adult Training (Train the Trainer) Life Skills Solutions(TM)
The UPI Education "Train the Trainer” sessions engaged prospective UPI Facilitators in a series of workshops that exposed them to the overall UPI Mission, Curriculum and group development dynamics necessary to implement the UPI Life Skills Solutions™ program at local public and charter schools. Our goal was to maximize the experience and competence of each Trainee by increasing their general awareness about the gradual shifting in the social and public service paradigm from "Youth at Risk” to the new millennium paradigm of "Youth Development Continuum”. Where the ‘At Risk’ philosophy emphasizes a young person’s vulnerability to social deprivation i.e. Domestic & Gang Violence, Drug Abuse, Premature Sexual Involvement, Teen Pregnancy and Poverty-Criminal Habituation as ‘Human Deficits’ we recognize that all Young People possess latent ‘Human Assets’ that when nurtured and mentored through the individual and collective efforts of parents and caring adults, it provides opportunities for Youth & Teens to empower themselves.
Cloves Campbell Sr. Elementary School Life Skills Solutions(TM) Training
Unified Progress International (UPI) Education effectively implemented a 20-week, Life Skill Solutions™ Character Education and Leadership Training program, for the entire 6th grade at Cloves Campbell Sr. Elementary School (Phoenix, AZ). Arizona State University partnered with UPI on this project providing video filming and editing expertise.
UPI facilitated five (5) classes of sixth graders combining for a total of 75 students {Approximately (15) students per class}. Class time consisted of forty-five (45) minutes for each normal school week; over a 20-week period during normal school hours.
Steve Harvey / FBI Male Mentorship
- UPI was invited by, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Washington office) and TV Host Steve Harvey, to provide a UPI Life Skills Solutions™ seminar for single Mothers during a 3-Day Steve Harvey "Minority Male and their Single Mom’s” Symposium, held on Steve Harvey’s ranch in Little Elm, TX.
Summer Teen Leadership Camp
UPI will conduct a 5.5 week Summer Teen Leadership Camp in Partnership with Arizona State University; the Carver Museum of Phoenix; and the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department i.e. (Project Brave) (Harmon Park Recreation Center) and (Camp Colley). Teens age, 13-18 and three generations of adults (ages 25-30, 40-50 and 55-70) participated.
My Brother's Keeper Seminar
We conducted a one-day seminar in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday and President Obama's call for action re. My Brother's Keeper. The seminar was free to the public and included poetry, readings from key speeches made by Dr. King and spiritual song selections as provided by a local choir.
Summer Leadership Camp for Male Teens
This 8 week summer camp was designed to teach leadership skills to male teens (14-18 years of age). The program was based upon 10 Principals of Leadership. UPI's U-Team members conducted the training along with prominent members from the community who provided TED-Talk like sessions relative to the related topic and their personal life and work experiences. The program culminated with a graduation ceremony for parents, family and friends co-sponsored by Maricopa Community Colleges.
KOMPUTER KIDS STEM LOCOMOTION SUMMER CAMP
STEM education provides a unique opportunity for Arizona to tackle an unemployment problem that threatens the state's future economy viability. The Komputer Kids STEM Locomotion Summer Camp, held on six consecutive Saturdays from June 24 to August 5th, 2017, at the Arizona State University, Lattie F. Coor Hall in Tempe, Arizona, engaged, educated and excited 116 students (2nd-11th grades) about STEM careers. This camp differs from most, in that our students learn how to Design and Code, instead of just Drag and Drop. Our methodology focuses on teaching skills that enhance logic, critical thinking and problem solving, while teaching students to write basic computer programs from scratch. The workshops were hosted by three local nonprofits-- KomputerED Tools, UPI Education, and Linking Sports & Communities (LSC).
Train the Trainer UPI Life Skills Solutions(TM) Training
Pilot program - training senior managers from A New Leaf, Mesa Arizona. Training was designed to help the managers in their work with Foster youth.
Where we work
Awards
Top-Rated Great Nonprofits 2015
Great Nonprofits
Top-Rated Great NonprofitsGreat Nonprofits 2016
Great Nonprofits
Top-Rated Platinum 2017
Great Nonprofits
Top-Rated Platinum 2018
Great Nonprofits
Top-Rated Platinum 2019
Great Nonprofits
Top-Rated Platinum 2021
Great Nonprofits
Affiliations & memberships
Vitalyst Health Foundation 2016
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of free participants in conferences
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Character Education and Community Leadership
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Partners and programs under the UPI Education umbrella account for approximately three to four thousand touches per year in providing services (life skills training, summer camps, STEM, lectures, etc
Number of children who have the ability to understand and comprehend communication
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Non-adult children
Related Program
Character Education and Community Leadership
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total number of free admissions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Character Education and Community Leadership
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
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?
Our Vision is to provide affordable loans in support of low/moderate income communities, especially African American and people of color. We look to transform Capitalism into Humanism. We provide a unique behavioral approach in providing loans and financial wellness services to underserved communities. Our aim is to expand and grow nationally while eliminating the need for Payday and Title Loan lenders who charge borrowers 200%-400% in interest and fees.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
UPI's Strategies are:
1. We have already formed two contractual Partnerships with like-minded organizations located in different parts of the country, thereby creating two additional outlets for lending purposes to their unbanked, under-banked low to moderate income communities respectively.
2. We have applied for US Treasury certification to become a Community Development Financial Institution, which will enhance our ability to raise additional capital for lending and in-house technical assistance.
3. Our marketing company has created a meaningful Press Kit for marketing purposes.
4. We have begun to approach Foundations, Corporations, Banks and Municipalities for financial / partnership support of our efforts and we anticipate positive results.
5. We have and will continue to speak to large groups and via media/podcast interviews about our work (providing low cost loans and financial literacy) with the nation's poorer communities.
6. We will continue to build our board of advisors and supporters to enhance our ability to meet our goals and objectives.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
UPI's current organizational capabilities which allow us to address and meet our goals consist of:
UPI MANAGEMENT and ADVISORS - A capable UPI Management team, Board of Directors, Board of Advisors and Partners that has been cultivated over the past 17 years; consist of some of the best leadership minds, and skilled practitioners in the areas of finance, nonprofit, behavioral health, political science, business, social media, human resource development and faith-based categories, each sharing concern for the well-being and success of underserved communities.
UPI BOARD of DIRECTORS - Consist of a cross-sectional mixture of professionals dedicated to the success, growth and good governance of UPI.
UPI BOARD of ADVISORS (local and international members) - provide immediate advice and suggestions relative to their respective areas of expertise.
UPI LEGAL, ACCOUNTING and MEDIA REPRESENTATION - Insures compliance, professional advice and good governance.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
1. We have already formed two contractual Partnerships with like-minded organizations located in different parts of the country, thereby creating two additional outlets for lending purposes to their unbanked, under-banked low to moderate income communities respectively.
2. We have applied for US Treasury certification to become a Community Development Financial Institution, which will enhance our ability to raise additional capital for lending and in-house technical assistance.
3. Our marketing company has created a meaningful Press Kit for marketing purposes.
4. We have begun to approach Foundations, Corporations, Banks and Municipalities for financial / partnership support of our efforts and we anticipate positive results.
5. We have and will continue to speak to large groups and via media/podcast interviews about our work (providing low cost loans and financial literacy) with the nation's poorer communities.
6. We will continue to build our board of advisors and supporters to enhance our ability to meet our goals and objectives.
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?
We serve the unbanked, underbanked, low to moderate income communities providing low cost business and consumer loans as well as financial literacy educations and life skills.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Community meetings/Town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees,
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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?
In conducting our UPI Train The Trainer Life Skills Solutions(tm) Training, feedback indicated that we should expand the program from 2 days to 4 days given the depth of the training provided. As we began the start-up of the UPI Loan Fund feedback indicated that we should consider the formation of a Community Development Loan Fund (CDFI) via the US Treasury Department.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board, Our community partners,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
Asking for feedback from the people we serve enables them to feel and become part of our organization. We take their feedback seriously and when appropriate we act upon the thoughts, ideas and comments generated by those we serve.
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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 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, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting 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
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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.
Unified Progress International Education Inc
Board of directorsas of 07/02/2022
Mr. Christian Smith
Retired Pharmacist
Term: 2021 - 2025
FRANK Edward CRUMP
UPI Education
MAXINE HILL
RETIRED - EDUCATOR
SHARON SIMPSON
CONSULTANT
MICHAEL TUCKER
CONSULTANT
STEWART COLGATE
CONSULTANT
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 ? 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? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
No data
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 06/30/2022GuideStar 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 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 use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- 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 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.