SPECIAL OLYMPICS MISSISSIPPI, INC.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Improving lives of people with intellectual disabilities in Mississippi through sports competition, school programs promoting inclusion, health and wellness screenings, and leadership training.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Unified Champion Schools
Unified Champion Schools brings youth with and without intellectual disabilities together through education and sports. The goal is to create school communities of acceptance and respect.
Healthy Athletes
The Healthy Athletes program is dedicated to providing health services and education to Special Olympics athletes, and changing the way health systems interact with people with intellectual disabilities
Young Athletes
Special Olympics Young Athletes is a sport and play program for children with and without intellectual disabilities (ID), ages 2 to 7 years old. Young Athletes introduces basic sport skills, like running, kicking and throwing. Young Athletes offers families, teachers, caregivers and people from the community the chance to share the joy of sports with all children.
SO College
Special Olympics College Clubs functions as an official club on campus and connects college students and individuals with intellectual disabilities through sport to build friendships and help lead the social justice movement of Special Olympics.
Special Olympics College Club programs are made up of three core elements: Unified Sports, Youth Leadership, and opportunities for Full Campus Engagement.
Together these components can help students work for and with Special Olympics athletes to help transform school campuses into communities of acceptance and respect. Below are examples of how these components can work in your school.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of competition entrants
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2021 numbers continue to be down significantly due to COVID-19
Number of Athletes involved with sports trainings and competitions.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2021 numbers continue to be down significantly due to COVID-19
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn 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?
The ultimate goal of Special Olympics is to help persons with intellectual disabilities become productive members of society. We believe this can be accomplished by offering fair opportunities to develop and demonstrate their skills and talents through sports training and competition.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
- Special Olympics Mississippi offers 20 individual and team sports that provide year-round training and competition opportunities for persons with intellectual disabilities.
- Promote social inclusion through sports experiences, like Unified Sports. These experiences allow people with and without intellectual disabilities to play on the same team.
- In collaboration with the Golisano Foundation and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our Healthy Athletes program is an initiative developed with a mission of improving the overall health of our athletes through various health screenings.
-Continue to grow the partnership with the Boys and Girls Club to help athletes transition from school-based to community-based.
-Implement major gifts strategy to fund and further the mission of SOMS.
-Identify growth and outreach opportunities.
-Connect donors to a programming opportunity to enrich their experience.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Special Olympics Mississippi offers year-round programs and services to all eligible individuals in Mississippi's 82 counties. Volunteer area management teams provide coordination and guidance for all Area (county) level activities. SOMS' accredited Areas establish Special Olympics sites through their communities, schools, parks and recreation departments, etc., all working together to enroll new athletes, coaches, and volunteers to ensure continued growth. Each year, SOMS holds over 200 Area and State-level competitions throughout the state. SOMS state office provides day-to-day management of the volunteer area management teams through support services such as volunteer training, fiduciary oversight, insurance coverage, accreditation fees, legal services, and other services to support the overall mission.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Athlete numbers have consistently increased year after year. We currently serve approx. 6,000
# of Schools engaged with SOMS - 200
# of Unified Champion Schools - 43
# of SO College Programs - 4
# of Young Athlete Programs - 15
# of Youth Leaders - 283
# of local and state-level competitions - 226
# of athletes participating in a structured Fitness Activity of 6 weeks or longer - 494
In 2022, the number of athletes, Unified partners, coaches, Unified Champion Schools, and SO Colleges will be increased. SOMS continues to grow its relationship with The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Delta, the Mississippi Head Start Association, and the Mississippi Library Association. Our goal to expand these relationships will be done by engaging additional sites which will broaden our reach throughout the state.
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 identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, 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 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 engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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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, 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.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS MISSISSIPPI, INC.
Board of directorsas of 10/11/2022
Assistant Chief Christopher De Back
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? 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
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 05/10/2021GuideStar 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 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 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.
- 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.