Friends of Switchpoint Inc
CHANGING THE FACE OF POVERTY-IT TAKES ALL OF US
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Switchpoint addresses the complex issues leading to families, seniors, veterans, and individuals experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, and poverty. We are addressing the housing crisis by creating deeply affordable housing for our most vulnerable citizens. The needs are varied and individual and must be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Emergency Shelter
24/7 Emergency shelter facilities for men, women and families. Provides individualized case management to support clients to get back on their feet and move to self-sufficiency
Food Pantry
Providing food for those experiencing food scarcity
Job Shadow & Training
Provides job shadow and training through our micro enterprises - Switchpoint Thrift Store & Boutique, Tooele Thrift Store, Bed n Biscuits Dog Daycare, Rise Aeroponic Garden, Stepping Stones 24/7 Childcare - to restore skills necessary to return to the workforce for adults that have been displaced.
Housing Program
To assist families to remain housed or rehouse them from emergency shelter facilities.
Circles USA Chapter Program
A Circles USA chapter gathers people who are motivated to move out of poverty and matches them with middle-income and high-income volunteers who can support and encourage them on their journey.
Through training and weekly meetings, participants (called Circles Leaders) build friendships with volunteers (called Circles Allies). Over time, these relationships help families climb out of poverty and achieve financial stability. The families’ experiences of opportunities and the obstacles are shared with the larger community — so successes can be celebrated, and barriers can be avoided.
Switchpoint Community Soup Kitchen
Servers on average 125 hot meals daily Monday - Friday to those experiencing food scarcity in Washington County. Serves sack lunches in Tooele County.
Where we work
Awards
Innovator Award 2018
Utah State Homelessness Programs
Non-Profit of the Year 2019
St George Area Chamber of Commerce
Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Social Impact 2020
Ernst Young
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total number of volunteer hours contributed to the organization
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth
Related Program
Food Pantry
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2020 hours dropped dramatically due to the Covid-19 Pandemic Volunteer hours include those served through all programs: Job Shadowing, Circles, Emergency Shelter, and Food Pantry & Soup Kitchen
Pounds of food distributed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults, Families
Related Program
Food Pantry
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The Food Pantry serves on average 1,700 households each month
Number of children served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Emergency Shelter
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of children residing in emergency shelter
Number of families assisted with rent or mortgage to avoid eviction
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of clients who became employed through our Education and Employment Services partners.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Job Shadow & Training
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of clients served through emergency shelter facility
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults, Veterans
Related Program
Emergency Shelter
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Individuals and families coming into shelter and using programs.
Number of clients participating in educational programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Circles USA Chapter Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
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?
Switchpoint mobilizes people and resources to deliver innovative solutions to community problems.
We empower those in need by identifying the contributing factors leading to homelessness and poverty - providing a comprehensive plan, and supporting them on their journey to self-sufficiency.
Our goal is to help every individual embody their worth and value. With self-esteem, hope and abilities restored, return them to a space of thriving in affordable housing and once again contributing to society.
We strive to achieve the same goals we ask of our clients - self-sufficiency with limited reliance on government aid programs, the reason for developing microenterprises.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Switchpoint's model works with existing community resources to direct individuals to the right path to address their specific housing barrier and obtain a place to call home.
We provide individual and comprehensive case management, working with the client to trace back to when life was good for them and identify what happened to change that. With the client, we then create a plan to work toward a place of confidence and stability, providing classes, and connecting them with the resources needed to accomplish their goals.
Through our micro-enterprises – Thrift Stores, Bed n Biscuits Dog Daycare, Rise Aeroponic Garden, and Stepping Stones 24/7 Childcare – we provide job shadowing and training, giving them experience and confidence to return to the workforce. These enterprises are a model to lead to self-sufficiency.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have highly trained and dedicated staff who continue their training in the areas needed to serve this population. In addition, we collaborate with 20 different organizations and government agencies. Rather than duplicate services offered in our community, we bring those services onsite so that our clients may access them easily.
We offer classes each week, including but not limited to, parenting, financial planning, and budgeting, anger management, addiction recovery and support, life skills, etc. We provide safe shelter, hot meals, and community, creating opportunities for clients to contribute to the betterment of all in the shelter and our community.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since opening in 2014 Switchpoint has served over 9,200 homeless individuals and families. 79% of those seen in shelters were single adults, 8% were veterans and 13% of those seen were families.
In 2020 services were expanded to Salt Lake and Tooele County, operating an emergency shelter, a domestic violence shelter, a food pantry, community resource center with drop-in services, showers, and computer access.
Tackling the housing crisis Switchpoint created deeply affordable housing by repurposing two hotels adding 152 units of permanent housing to the 55 units opened in 2020, with 226 more units on the horizon in 2023.
Continuing to assess the barriers for our clients Switchpoint opened a 24/7 childcare facility to meet the need of those seeking care outside of traditional hours. In addition, Rise Aeroponic Tower Garden was opened to offer nutrient-rich greens for our clients and community, and bring revenue to support the shelter operations.
In line with our aspiration to become self-sustaining, 71% of Switchpoint funding is provided by private donations and profits from our entrepreneurial ventures. We continually look for opportunities to expand our business ventures that are mission-driven and meet our values criteria.
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, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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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
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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, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, 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
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
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.
Friends of Switchpoint Inc
Board of directorsas of 12/01/2022
David Dangerfield
Retired Mental Health Care
Term: 2015 - 2023
Bruce Jenkins
Attorney
Term: 2015 - 2023
Wayne Hepworth
Retired Merrill Lynch
Mary Helen Stricklin, MSN, RNC
Intermountain Healthcare
Bob Nicholson
Retired St George City Planning Commission
Jimmie Hughes
Hughes Mortuary
Shirlayne Quayle
Economic & Housing Development
Jeri Schnitker
Planned Legacy Giving
Abraham Thiombiano
Real Estate
Stephanie Mackay
Non Profit Leader
Doug Thomas
Mental Health
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
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/11/2022GuideStar 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 analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- 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 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.