East Texas Human Needs Network
Together we can create a better future for all.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
We are working to reduce the number and percentage of people living in poverty by bringing cross-sector organizations together to develop and implement solutions.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Understanding Poverty
Poverty Education. Including poverty simulations, Bridges Out of Poverty workshops, and Getting Ahead work groups.
Collective Impact
More than 90 cross-sector organizations working together to address complex social problems through education, employment, healthcare, housing, and transportation.
903HELP.org
Online social services directory. Maintained by those who own the data - 903help partner organizations.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of coalition meetings
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Adults, Children and youth
Related Program
Collective Impact
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Monthly coalition meetings in-person or via Zoom, plus subcommittee meetings at various/multiple times monthly.
Number of members from priority population attending training
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Understanding Poverty
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2020 and 2021 impacted by pandemic protocols for in-person meetings (Zoom used as appropriate to deliver training).
Number of training workshops
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Understanding Poverty
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Training Workshops: Bridges Out of Poverty, Poverty Simulations, Bridges to Health and Healthcare (2020 and 2021 impacted by pandemic protocols)
Number of public events held to further mission
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Collective Impact
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Annual Summit
Number of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Understanding Poverty
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Getting Ahead 16-week adult poverty education workshops (2020 and 2021 impacted by pandemic protocols)
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?
Reduce the number of percentage of people living in poverty. Currently working primarily in Smith County, but reach extends throughout the 27-county East Texas area.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Collective action - engaging cross-sector organizations, researching community needs, agreeing on problems and solutions, communicating effectively, and measuring results.
Improving understanding of poverty - reduce the stigma associated with poverty, develop relationships of mutual respect, together we can create a better future for all.
Improving access to information - developed an online social services directory where partners maintain accurate data in a language that those they serve will understand. Including a Help Form to identify areas of crisis and what organizations can help. Ensuring that social services providers ask all the questions needed to serve the whole person, not just provide the service that their organization provides.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Effective engagement through communication in an environment of trust and transparency. Design and implementation of a needs assessment that receives institutional review board approval from the University of Texas at Tyler. Coordinating regular monthly meetings of Councils in Education, Employment, Healthcare, Housing, Behavioral Health, and Transportation.
Certified trainers in aha! Process Bridges Out of Poverty, Bridges to Health and Healthcare, and Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin' By World, as well as the Missouri Community Action Poverty Simulation.
Designed, implemented and manage 903HELP.org with technical support from Simon Solutions, home of Charity Tracker.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Started the summer of 2012 with 23 organizations. Incorporated into a 501c3 in December of 2014. Currently, have more than 90 organizations engaged in our Human Needs Network.
We've completed three tri-annual comprehensive community needs assessments with institutional review board approval. The data provided the top needs and goals for councils in Education, Employment, Healthcare, Housing, and Transportation. (Summer 2022 is the next scheduled needs assessment.)
We've provided training for understanding poverty to non-profit staff, volunteers, and board members, schools, universities, medical schools, businesses, juvenile parole offices, and more. We continue to receive requests for training throughout our community and from neighboring Texas Counties.
We designed and implemented a social services directory that meets the needs of social services providers and the population at large. The directory currently covers two counties in Texas. We plan to expand to two additional Counties and are receiving requests for support from other cities, including some out of the state of Texas.
We believe we've designed a model that can be replicated. Collective action, including training to understand poverty, and a social services resources directory come together to effect collective impact. We will continue to replicate the process as long as it continues to help and as long as we have the resources available to help all those willing to work together to prevent, reduce, and eliminate poverty.
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 strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.)
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What challenges does the organization face when 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.
East Texas Human Needs Network
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Lisa Lujan
Mentoring Minds
Term: 2018 - 2022
Lisa Lujan
Mentoring Minds
Stephanie Barnard
University of Texas at Tyler
Jesi McKenzie
United Healthcare
Gloria Bell
Tyler Independent School District
Vince Huerta
East Texas Council of Governments
Lucretia Dixon
BCFS Health & Human Services Tyler
Christopher Taylor
Mosaic Counseling Centers of East Texas
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 ? 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? No
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
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 07/27/2020GuideStar 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 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.