KiDS NEED MoRE
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Children, young adults, and families that face serious illness are at a disadvantage both emotionally and financially.
- Extended in-patient care makes it difficult to maintain a natural support network of friends and family. Children that are isolated from typical settings are at risk for difficulty in developing social norms with peers.
- Financial strain due to increased medical bills and the need for caregiver services. When a child is seriously ill, one or both parents must choose to stop working to provide care. When the parent is diagnosed, in addition to wages lost there is a need for assistance with childcare.
- The trauma fractures the family structure, causing divorce and instability within the family unit. Siblings are reared with conflicting parenting styles and often isolated from one another. Siblings are at risk for not developing the natural protective familial bonds.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
KiDS NEED MoRE Camp Adventure
Our historic Camp Adventure program began in 1990. This one-week sleepaway camp is provided at no cost to children coping with cancer. Patients, along with their siblings enjoy a fantasy camp, with a different major event each night, including; rock concerts, carnivals, formal dances and challenging activities. It is entirely run by volunteers, from the nurses and doctors to the everday-heros that hang the decorations. This camp takes place on Shelter Island each August.
MoRE Hope for Johnathan
We deliver fun and friendship to families coping with cancer, serious illness, and trauma. Our volunteers are peer specialists with "been there" experience. We've experienced long hospital stays, the longing for normal activities and understand the challenges families face enduring a life-threatening illness.
Our volunteers visit families in the hospital, at the clinic, and at their home. We explore what special comforts will make the days a bit MoRE bearable.
KiDS NEED MORE HoLiDAY CHEER BUS
One day each year in July, children coping with cancer and their families are invited to a winter holiday street carnival. Completely run by volunteers, this carnival gives one MORE special holiday to a child that might not get to enjoy the next one.
MoRE UNiVERSiTY
Young people that are coping with cancer, life-threatening illness, and trauma are provided opportunities to lead and build skills to turn adversity into assets.
We offer retreats, conferences, and individuals leadership experiences.
CAMPSGiViNG
A family retreat designed for the weekend directly after Thanksgiving for families and young adults coping with loss, life-threatening illness and cancer.
KiDS NEED MoRE at Saddle Rock Day Camp
Fun-filled Day Camp with STEM projects, sports, arts, arts & crafts and live animal experiences for children ages 4 - 13 coping with cancer and life-threatening illness. 14 & 15-year-olds offered leadership experiences.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
American Camp Association - Member 2018
Association of Fundraising Professionals - Member 2018
Chamber of Commerce 2018
National Association of Social Workers 2018
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 youth who model positive behaviors for peers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents
Related Program
KiDS NEED MoRE Camp Adventure
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
As our child participants become teenagers they are encouraged to learn leadership skills and take on responsibilities.
Number of youth who demonstrate leadership skills (e.g., organizing others, taking initiative, team-building)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents
Related Program
MoRE UNiVERSiTY
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
As our teenagers demonstrate the ability to take on more responsibility they are given leadership roles. They work as counselors and mentors for younger children.
Number of families who report that service and support staff/providers are available and capable of meeting family needs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
MoRE Hope for Johnathan
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This number represents the number of families we successfully served and reported they were satisfied with our services.
Number of children with a disability supported to live at home
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
KiDS NEED MORE HoLiDAY CHEER BUS
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
These are the number of children identified through our outreach efforts.
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?
At KiDS NEED MoRE we believe that children and families coping with life-threatening illness and trauma deserve to do more than just survive – they deserve to thrive. Our programs and activities are designed to unite siblings, provide leadership opportunities and allow parents time for respite. Our goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We foster the initial network for families that are facing similar experiences, that turns into a natural fabric of ongoing community and support. We use a Palliative care model of service. Palliative care, or palliative medicine, is the medical specialty focused on people living with serious illness. It provides relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness, regardless of the diagnosis or prognosis.
- Outreach and Peer Support
- Community Organizing and Respite Activities
- Confidence building opportunities
We know It has been found that camps offering families coping with illness and loss an opportunity to connect with others with similar experiences, show an increased ability to accept their limitations and find healthy ways to cope. Individuals that have an opportunity to share treatments they have undergone and the physical changes that resulted are able to discover interests, enhance skills, and develop a greater respect for themselves and their abilities.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Outreach and individual attention for each family is provided through our outreach program. Families are offered peer counseling services. Our trained volunteers with “been there" experience can visit children and families in the hospital or at home. We engage families that are newly diagnosed and welcome them to join us in our community organizing programs.
Respite and bonding time for our children and families offered through our camping programs, retreats and day events. We weave the fabric of our community through these programs.
Through peer-mentoring we encourage leadership opportunities within our camps and retreats to our young people learn how to see adversity as an advantage, changing life's challenges into assets.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
From samples of our data, we have learned, that of our families coping with cancer and life-threatening illness
- 75% of parents want more time with their children and received it through KiDS NEED MoRE programs.
- 70% of couples received more time with one another
- 70% of families that received services have requested activities that encouraged healing modalities, including reiki, healing crystal bowls, meditation, and yoga
Almost all families reported that they enjoyed and had time activity time with their family as a whole.
Almost all families that have received facilitated talk time to process feelings found it beneficial.
Almost all families reported they received opportunities to connect with other families facing similar experiences
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 using feedback from the people you serve?
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
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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 find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
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.
KiDS NEED MoRE
Board of directorsas of 07/29/2023
Melissa Firmes
KIDS NEED MORE
Term: 2012 -
Jackie Lorenz
John Patrick Ray
Edward Orihuela
Verizon
Roberta Karant
Melissa Firmes
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? Yes
Organizational demographics
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
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 12/06/2019GuideStar 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 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 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 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.