GOLD2022

Project CU, Inc.

St. Louis, MO   |  www.projectinc.org

Mission

Our social mission is to provide stable long- term employment for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Our environment is one that encourages positive social interaction. At Project, Inc. our workers experience the pride, dignity and joy that come from accomplishing a job and achieving economic worthiness. We strive to give people hope and a sense of purpose for their lives. The adults whom we serve cannot have their intellectual disabilities altered by taking a pill or using a wheelchair or hearing aid. We provide the supervisory staff required to guide each worker down the learning curve for each job that comes in house, creating individualistic success.

Notes from the nonprofit

Project, Inc. was established in 1958 as the first workshop in Missouri. It's mission continues to stand true today by providing longstanding employment to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The employees are prideful to complete contract work from area businesses in a structured supported and adaptive environment.

Ruling year info

1960

Executive Director

Mr. Kit Brewer

Main address

2828 Brannon Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63139 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

43-0733936

NTEE code info

Vocational Rehabilitation (includes Job Training and Employment for Disabled and Elderly) (J30)

Sheltered Remunerative Employment, Work Activity Center N.E.C. (J33)

Services to Promote the Independence of Specific Populations (P80)

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

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

A job provides self-worth, pride and dignity to an individual. Yet, there are very few places where an individual who has an intellectual and developmental disability, one to such a degree that they are unable to work in supported competitive or competitive employment, can work. At Project, Inc. we provide employment for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in an environment fostering positive social interaction and friendships. We gently guide the workers down the learning curve for each job in house, as our workers are slow to learn and quick to forget. There is no pill, hearing aid, wheelchair,.. that will alleviate what prevents our individuals from working in competitive or supported competitive employment. Our workshop is the accommodation for these individuals, who find meaning in their lives by working at Project, Inc.

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?

On the job training

Project, Inc. provides job skill training for employment within the workshop in the areas of hand assembly, packaging, quality inspection and fulfillment.

Population(s) Served
People with intellectual disabilities
Adults

Where we work

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.

At Project, Inc. our goal is to provide long-term safe and secure employment for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We strive to stretch the individuals who are working here to their highest level of functionality, without frustrating the individuals. Through the dignity experienced with having a job, we have been transforming lives for 59 years. We give people whom society would rather sweep under the rug as worthless feelings of hope and purpose for their lives. We have 92 workers, many of whom have been working for Project, Inc. for 20 years. We have a waitlist of over 100 workers, and our goal is to offer every individual on that list a chance to work, if they so desire. We make a material impact on the lives of those whom we serve here, and we make a difference in the lives of the individuals' families, as they are given a choice about whether to enter the workforce.

Our social mission is to provide long-term jobs in a nurturing environment for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Because those who work at Project, Inc. do not have a uniform degree of intellectual disability, we strive to maintain jobs in house that have varying degrees of complexity. Further, we work hard to keep our accounts diversified across many economic sectors. This has entailed letting the community know we have an FDA/USDA Certified Clean Room that can be used for the food industry or pharmaceutical packaging. Our 59 year history of fast turn times and hand assembly for the printing industry have given us a long and solid reputation. We continue to work on strengthening the relationships we have in this industry. The social mission strategy is to create awareness in the community for who we are, what we do, and why people should care. Our Business Manager and Director of Development both reach out to the local communities to create this awareness. Our Director of Development strives to raise necessary funds to make infrastructure upgrades and to purchase equipment. These initiatives will allow us to bid on more jobs and to sustain and further our social mission of providing safe long-term employment to adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities for the next 50 years!

Project, Inc. has a 59 year history making a material impact on the lives of the individuals whom we serve, their families, the communities where these individuals live, and the greater St. Louis business community. The staff and board of Project, Inc. try to position the organization so that there is a variety of work that our workers can do either with their ability to turn-key any job (large or small), or to handle longer run jobs. Our supervisors play an indispensable role in training and supporting the workers so that the jobs can be accomplished with dignity and pride. They have an innate sense of the capabilities for each worker, as well as knowledge of which individuals work best together.

The organization is 59 years old, and we are only in the beginning stages of creating a development program aimed at fundraising, awareness and building a donor base. In trying to position ourselves for continued success and growth over the next 50 years it is clear that some infrastructure and equipment purchases need to be made. We hope to continue creating awareness for who we are, what we can do, and why someone may want to invest in our social mission. We are grateful to have secured funds from The Pershing Charitable Trust for a forklift, from The Dula Foundation for a walk-in refrigerator, from Sunnen Foundation for ink jet printers, from Gertrude and William A. Bernoudy Foundation for rolling lockable collection bins for our secure document venture, and from Service Bureau Foundation for a new lawn tractor. We installed a new roof, and our fundraising efforts have been aimed at replacing funds allocated to this large project. In order to go forward for the next 50 years we need a variety of jobs, steering away from a single industry model, so that we can have a healthy business model and sustain our social mission. We would also like to secure unrestricted funds for ongoing operations. The Emerson Charitable Trust, Pettus Foundation, Gertrude and William A. Bernoudy Foundation, and Dula-Kobusch Charitable Trust have helped us with operating expense grants. After 59 years our long reputation proceeds us, and with awareness and fundraising we will be poised for achieving diversity in accounts and sustained health for our social mission.

Financials

Project CU, 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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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

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Project CU, Inc.

Board of directors
as of 01/12/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Tom Morrissey

Challenge Unlimited, Inc.

Erica Orrison

Pridestaff

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 1/12/2023

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:

Gender identity
Male

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

No data

 

No data

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data