PLATINUM2023

BERNADETTES HOUSE, INC.

Believe, Blossom, Soar

aka Bernadette\u0027s House   |   Laurel, MD   |  www.bernadetteshouse.org

Mission

To provide a safe and supportive environment for young, under-served girls to explore their purpose in life.

Ruling year info

2013

Founder and CEO

Ms, Carol Nash

Main address

306 Montgomery Street

Laurel, MD 20707 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

46-1080717

NTEE code info

Youth Development Programs (O50)

Girls Clubs (O22)

Family Services (Adolescent Parents) (P45)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.

Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Bernadette\u0027s House is working to address the needs of under-served pre-teen and teenage girls in Laurel, MD, which including Prince George\u0027s, Anne Arundel and Howard Counties. The girls who have benefited from the program come primarily from disadvantaged backgrounds, with many of their family members working multiple jobs to make ends meet. By providing mentoring, homework help, access to computers and a supportive, home-like after school environment, the girls are provided with the tools that they need to Bloom, Blossom and Soar!

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?

BH Girls Home After School Program

Statistically, the most vulnerable population of at-risk and exploited youth facing hardships are in our own neighborhoods. These hardships create a disadvantaged community of young girls, whose education levels are extremely low. The barriers to change are many, including limited access to psychological, social, and educational resources. By providing one-on-one mentoring, access to safe and fun activities for girls and their families, and classes on life skills, Bernadette’s House bridges this gap, allowing young girls in the program to grow and reach their true potential.

Population(s) Served
Women and girls
Children and youth

Where we work

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of overall donors

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Women and girls, Children and youth, Ethnic and racial groups

Related Program

BH Girls Home After School Program

Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

We are always striving to increase our donor base. We have recently engaged with the Network for Good and are using their donor recruitment software to expand our reach and stay in closer contact.

Number of volunteers

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Women and girls, Children and youth, Ethnic and racial groups

Related Program

BH Girls Home After School Program

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

We have been increasing our usage of Volunteer Match, to expand the number of program volunteers that we train and invite into our programming.

Number of youth mentored

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Women and girls, Children and youth, Ethnic and racial groups

Related Program

BH Girls Home After School Program

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

It is our goal to expand the number of lives that we can impact with our educational and mentoring programming. We are trying to increase fundraising efforts to allow for additional scholarships.

Hours of mentoring

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Women and girls, Children and youth, Ethnic and racial groups

Related Program

BH Girls Home After School Program

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Our mentoring program, which provides a positive role model and one-on-one activities and support for the young ladies in our program is central to our mission. We always welcome new mentors!

Hours of volunteer service

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Women and girls, Children and youth, Ethnic and racial groups

Related Program

BH Girls Home After School Program

Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

By tracking hours of time donated by our volunteers, we can better assess community involvement and impact. Increased utilization of Volunteer Match will help us reach our volunteer goals.

Hours of tutoring administered

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Women and girls, Children and youth, Ethnic and racial groups

Related Program

BH Girls Home After School Program

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Core to our goal of providing a safe environment for girls to blossom is our learning center, computer laboratory and homework help. Recruiting top talent to assist the girls is paramount to success.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

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.

The goal of the organization is to meet the needs of our under-served youth, and enable them, through a one-on-one mentoring relationship and supportive environment, to achieve their goals and become happy well-adjusted and contributing members of society.

Bernadette\u0027s House provides programming for the girls that not only gives them the tools that they need to be successfully academically (e.g., tracking of grades, computer-lab access and homework help from dedicated educational staff), but also the relationship and social skills (e.g. summer camps, dance lessons, bible study opportunities, debutantes training, field trips, etc.) that they need to be successful. In addition, the program helps train the girls in valuable life schools, such as personal responsibility, and time management. All of this happens in a supportive, after-school, home-like environment, in which the girls feel comfortable to explore who they are and what their goals are. The organization also is beginning a parent education program, to assist the entire family, not just the girls who come to the house.

Bernadette\u0027s House is currently an all-volunteer organization, whose work is guided by a Board of Directors. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the founder, Ms. Carol Nash, the program conducts fundraisers, seeks grants opportunities and relies on donations from individuals who support the mission of the no-profit. Each girl in the program is paired with a hand-selected mentor, who becomes a valuable part of the girl\u0027s life - supporting her both in school and outside. The charity is blessed to have many volunteers who are passionate about helping children, which has allowed the program to continue uninterrupted since 2012. The organization charges a nominal fee for families who have a child in the program, but hope to eliminate this fee once more solid financial footing is achieved.

Having worked with youth in Laurel, MD since 2012, there are now many success stories of girls who got their educational footing in the Bernadette\u0027s House mentoring and after-school program. Many have gone on to get college degrees or solid careers in their community.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    Bernadette's House offer one-on-one mentoring and positive life experiences for underserved girls ages 8-17 in Laurel, MD and surrounding counties. We also serve the entire family by provide support and guidance to help parents and guardians raise respectful and productive young women.

  • 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 strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    We have moved from the previous 100% virtual mentoring environment (due to COVID-19) to a hybrid format, where mentors and mentees are encouraged to meet in-person, but given the tools that they would need to succeed in a virtual environment, based on their comfort level. This decision was made in response to feedback from the girls and our volunteers that they wanted to have space available for in-person interactions, but not everyone was quite ready.

  • 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 people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, 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

  • 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 find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection

Financials

BERNADETTES HOUSE, 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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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build 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.

BERNADETTES HOUSE, INC.

Board of directors
as of 03/18/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Ms. Carol Nash

Bernadettes House

Term: 2023 - 2025

Andrea Lynn Cohen

National Institutes of Health

Robin Edwards

Celeste Cummings

Cynthia Rankin

Retired

Katherine Bricker

National Institutes of Health

Gayle Lomax

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 3/18/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

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
Black/African American
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 01/14/2020

GuideStar 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

Data
  • 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.
Policies and processes
  • 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 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.