Programs and results
What we aim to solve
We are working to address the issue of violence in our community by providing inner city children with assistance in education, recreations, mentoring and family support.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Frankies Corner Little Thoroughbred Crusade
This program is in development in partnership with Frankie's Corner Little Thoroughbred Crusade will introduce youth and young adults to varioous aspects of the equestrian world providing a blended series of hands on education with a scholarly equine context. The goal of our organization is to build self-confidence, team work, independence and self-employmentto help them become productive members of society, while teaching cooperation, trust, mentoring and responsibility with a goal of transferring these skills into their everyday lives and reconnecting with peers, family and their community. We strive to have a world in which all youth succeed in life while feeling values and respected. Goals: To have the pilot program up and running by the end of the year.To expand the program beyond the initial pilot phase within 6 months.
Summer Youth Day Camp
The summer camp program is conducted to help develop the educational and work skills during their break from school. The camp helps build upon what has been taught to the youth throughout the school year. Scheduled activities include virtue/values and history teaching, hiking field trips, arts and crafts classes and physical activities.This program includes teen equine and Operation LexUp. Goals: Increase the number of participants to encompass a larger geographic area. Reach a more culturally diverse group of youth.
Challenge ConQuest Boy's and Girl's Club
Challenge and ConQuest strive to offer effective methods and materials to reach youth and teach them basic morals and values to become productive role models in the community. We instill positive reinforcement through diversity and mindset to develop future leaders/mentors.
Through Their Eyes Digital Photography
In 2019 we began the Community Inspired Photography Initiative. Community inspired Photography Initiative (CIPI) is an initiative to have youth of the inner city of Lexington to not only learn photography as an art or career, but also show our community the beauty of the world from their prospective. Goals for this project are to provide the youth of the program with a clear understanding of proper equipment use, composition of an image to tell a story, and the photographic process from shooting to printing and
at the end of the program, the chosen images will be on display at a local gallery. The hope is that our community will get a glimpse of the world through a child's eyes. We accomplished this goal in 2021 with the students work being exhibited in the Lexington Camera Club and Lexington Art League's "What Endures, Photographs from an Uncertain Time Exhibit.
CIS Free Food Pantry
In partnership with God's Pantry we began a free food pantry in September 2021. During our summer camp we identified the need to supplement some of the families in the community. Food items that were previously given to camp families began being distributed to senior citizens. When we realized the need was there we set up a free food pantry in Whitney Young Park in ST. Martin Village. We supply fresh fruit and vegetables and when available meat to approximately 35 families on a monthly basis. This program will continue as long as we see the need.
Where we work
Awards
MOSIIAC Award 2018
University Of Kentucky DIversity Office
Affiliations & memberships
Kentucky State University 2018
University of Kentucky 2019
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority 2018
External reviews

Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
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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 aim is to accomplish a decrease in violence in our community and provide a safer environment for all residents. We feel by providing alternatives to the negative lifestyle choices youth and young adults make we can have the long range impact of decreasing violence. We assist young adults, or other family adults with finding employment. We offer life skills training, goal setting and referral sources for the family. We provide youth with tutoring, mentoring and recreational activities to promote a positive environment and keep them out of trouble and off the street. We assist families with finding other community resources they may need to to provide safe housing, clothing, or life styles for their children. Our long range goals is to expand our services to other areas of the community since our services now are confined to one area of the city. The more youth/young adults we can impact the greater the chance of decreasing violence.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We plan to accomplish our long range goals by:Partnering with the city, other community organizations, citizens etc to provide tutoring, mentoring, education assistance and family support so that children in our community can grow and prosper in a safe environment.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our internal assets are a core group of about 12 volunteers who work tirelessly year round to insure our programming continues. We have added college students from the University of Kentucky who assist with tutoring, and mentoring. We bring in other community members to assist with various educational topics. We do this through after school programming in the fall, winter and spring and 4 weeks summer programming.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Established in 2014 our accomplishments are: Developed Challenge/ConQuest Boys (2015)and Girls Club (2016) in partnership with St. Peter and Paul School and local community leaders to mentor young boys and girls based on Christian Youth Ministry for families curriculum. Began our Summer Camp Program in 2015 to provide educational and recreational activities for youth during the summer break Developed partnerships for a youth Equine program to teach youth hands on training on the care of horses. Our Boys and Girls Club has expanded to include tutoring, mentoring, cultural diversity education, as well as monitoring and tracking grades and behaviors. To date we have had 3 students graduate high school, 2 be accepted to Carter G, Woodson Academy, 1 accepted to STEAM Academy, a 4th student slated for graduation this year. One student has graduated from Community and Technical College and is gainfully employed, and one attending cosmetology school and slated for graduation this year. A young adult male who had child support issues resolved his issues, gained full custody of his child and relocated his family to Florida where they are doing fine. Next we are developing virtual programming so we can reach our students even during the pandemic and have began hosting virtual classes.
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 collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Paper surveys, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, other,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client 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,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
We listened to the students and parents to develop virtual programming. We listen to the students when in deciding to develop an program allowing them voice their opinions on community matters of concern to them and plan to have it in place by October 2020.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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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, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection,
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
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- 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.
Community Inspired Lexington
Board of directorsas of 3/18/2022
Ms. Alicia Brown
Light and Love Ministry
Term: 2021 - 2024
Ms. Misty Sullivan
Rebecca Webb
CEO
Jeremy Reese
Board Member
Misty Sullivan
Co-Chair
Charles Kilgore
Attorney
Lakeshia Campbell
Board Member
Alicia Brown
Chair
James Brown
City Council/Board Member
Martha Crumbie
Board Member
Fr. Norman Fisher
Chaplain
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? No -
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
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/30/2020GuideStar 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 ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- 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 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.