Programs and results
What we aim to solve
At Branches, we provide life-changing opportunities to help working families and their children break the cycle of generational poverty. We fulfill our mission by engaging children, youth and adults with opportunities for them to become better educated, become more financially stable and make long-term, positive life choices. Our focus is on student achievement, family services, and financial stability and our programs serve children, youth, adults and families through our three respective program areas: Grow, Climb and Achieve. Branches serves just Miami-Dade County and considering that nearly 60% of individuals living in this county are either living in poverty or are one paycheck away from disaster, Branches' services are crucial to this community.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Grow Program (children)
The Grow Program serves elementary students preparing them for lifelong success through enrichment of their minds, bodies and hearts. Our engagement with the students begins after school with tutoring and homework help but continues with enrichment activities including:
•Summer Shade Camp
•Recreational Activities
•Social Skill Development
•Mentoring
•Healthy Meals and Snacks
The Grow Program lays the foundation to make a long-term impact in the lives of children by retaining a high percentage of students over many years. Consequently, the learning and the growth that take place in the life of a Branches student in one year becomes the foundation for further personal development and growth the next year. After just a few consistent years of engagement at Branches, students are not only in the mindset of setting goals but they are achieving goals on a regular basis.
Climb Program (youth)
The Climb Program serves middle and high school students focusing on the development of their individual assets in order to maximize opportunities to become better students and better people. Through the guidance and support of caring staff and volunteers, Branches youth are able to participate in:
•Academic Tutoring & Support
•Life Skills
•Service Projects
•OASIS Spring Break Camp
•Retreats
•Climb thru College Scholarships
Branches' Climb to College & Career initiative specifically focuses on postsecondary success and helps to prepare and assist high school students to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviors necessary for that next step after High School. Climb to College & Career provides a series of workshops, mentoring and completion of a postsecondary plan.
The college and career students will also be eligible for a Climb thru College & Career Scholarship designed to enable highly motivated high school graduates who have participated at Branches for at least two years to compete for college to technical/vocational scholarships. This additional support is intended to be an incentive and a reinforcement toward successful pursuit of becoming a postsecondary graduate.
Through workshops and mentoring, youth stay on track to climb in their outlook, climb in school and climb in life.
Achieve Programs (financial stability)
The Achieve Programs target the well-being of the entire community through services fostering financial stability and long term success. Achieve programs are uniquely branded and primarily serve Miami-Dade County and parts of Broward County.
•United Way Center for Financial Stability (UWCFS) – housed and operated by Branches, the UWCFS offers a full range of personal financial coaching services to enable working families to achieve economic stability and success.
•ASSETS Small Business Solutions – provides a range of business training and services for underserved micro-entrepreneurs to help them overcome business challenges and build profitable ventures.
•Ways to Work Car Program – provides financial education for low-income families and affordable loans to purchase reliable used vehicles to meet their critical transportation needs.
•VITA Tax Preparation – offers free tax help to qualified individuals who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing.
•Emergency Services Network – consists of more than a dozen local congregations that provide several forms of emergency services including food pantries, delivered meals and prepared hot meals.
The Achieve family of programs provides a continuum of financial services that equips and enables families to achieve increased financial stability and long-term success in life. Achieve programs create opportunity, stimulate productivity and ultimately lead to stability;
Where we work
Awards
Community Champion - Kim Torres 2010
Molina Healthcare of Florida
Excellence Award - Public Service 2006
The Children's Trust
Reflections in Excellence 2005
Conrad Miami and Miami Today
Partners in Transformation - Community Service Collaborations 2005
FASTEN Award
Women Extraordinaire - Isabelle Pike 2011
Southern Business Leader
Outstanding Board Leader - Rod Bell 2013
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce
Rising Star - Lars Gilberts 2012
South Florida Community Development Coalition
Neighborhood Builder Award 2015
Bank of America
AmeriCorps Program of the Year 2016
Volunteer Florida
Outstanding Board Leader - Ed Deppman 2016
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce
Excellence Awards- Not for Profit Award 2014
ChamberSOUTH
Volunteer Recognition Award- Margaret Cox 2017
ChamberSOUTH
Lighting the Way Award 2018
SunTrust
Rising Star Awards - Isabelle Pike 2018
Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce
Climb to College & Career Program 2019
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce NOVO Award
Outstanding Volunteerism Award – Jim Morga 2019
United Way of Miami-Dade
Monsignor Walsh Outstanding Human Services Professional Award – Brent McLaughlin, Executive Director 2019
United Way of Miami-Dade
External reviews

Photos
Videos
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 Model
The social impact and value we create in people’s lives and in the communities where we serve utilizes coaching and empowerment, is long-term in nature and is holistic in scope.
Coaching and Empowerment – We ultimately want people to succeed in their endeavors and live more fruitful and productive lives. We also believe that motivated people are more likely to benefit from strategic opportunities provided to them. Therefore, Branches has incorporated both coaching and empowerment methodologies in how we engage children and families.
Long-term – Human services have traditionally been transactional in nature. Branches social impact is more substantive and transformational because of the high value we place on achieving long-term outcomes built from ongoing relationships with people.
Holistic – Our program focus is broad enough to address the critical areas in people’s lives such as education, financial knowledge, income, healthcare, relationships and personal values.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our strategies for success include:
-Developing highly impactful programs that are led by empowered individuals and responsive teams;
-Integrating voluntary service as a means to enhance lives and services;
-Creating community partnerships and convening networks to leverage resources, promote collective impact and address systemic issues; and,
-Establishing deeply engaged neighborhood centers that have an outward focus and impact on the community and region
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Branches' staff and leadership team is extremely qualified, passionate and gifted, full of a desire to serve the working poor. Branches also values partnerships immensely because we can accomplish more and make a greater impact together which is why Branches partners with many different organizations in our local community. Branches' Executive Director has been leading the charge since 2001 and this kind of commitment and stability is key when structuring and growing an organization and its services. The most recent Strategic Plan promises more growth and impact and even better and expanded programming for the children and families we serve every day.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Branches' impact in the community has grown significantly over the several years. From two programs serving less than 500 individuals in the year 2001, Branches now has a dozen programs that serve more than 15,000 individuals each year from 3 sites across our community. Thanks to outstanding results, Branches has experienced an incredible inflow of resources to sustain the growth from a budget in 2001 of $108,000 to a current $5.2 million annual budget. Branches provides the most-comprehensive, caring and long-term services to children and youth in this community and is the leader in personal financial coaching. Growth to 2 additional sites should be expected over the next couple years so Branches can serve more working poor families and their children at the highest level.
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 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 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?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to 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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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.
Branches, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 02/08/2022
Mr. Rodney Bell
retired from Holland & Knight, LLP
Term: 2006 -
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:
The organization's co-leader identifies as: