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Great State 2019 Inc

aka Great State Alabama   |   Tuscaloosa, AL   |  greatstatealabama.org

Mission

Great State Alabama endeavors to support, advocate and drive improvement in the lives of the most vulnerable and marginalized men, women and children.

Ruling year info

2020

Executive Director

Daniel Sparkman

Main address

4960 Rice Mine Rd NE Suite 30A

Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 USA

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EIN

83-2125710

NTEE code info

Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (E01)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Rural Healthcare

In 65 of Alabama’s 67 counties, there is a shortage of doctors. Alabama ranks 40th in the country in the number of physicians per capita. It is no wonder then that we see rising rates of preventable and manageable disease, especially among rural, low-income counties. The majority of Alabama is rural, yet rural physicians make up less than 10-percent of the physician workforce.

Access to healthcare in rural Alabama is a recognized issue in our state. An even greater issue in our state is the lack of access to quality healthcare in specialty fields.Great State Alabama recognizes this disparity among regions of the state as it relates to access to specialized medicine. Where some rural and underserved regions may have at least limited access to family medicine, specialists serving these regions are rare. This results in patients ignoring pressing medical issues.

To help provide specialty clinics in underserved areas, Great State Alabama conducts Great State Rural Clinics, providing a range of free examinations, diagnoses and treatments.

Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people

Alabama’s Foster Hope Scholarship established in 2016, offers children currently or formerly in Alabama’s Foster Care program the opportunity to receive a college education. The Fostering Hope Scholarship Act was passed by the Alabama Legislature and signed into law in 2015. The scholarship provides eligible participants the option of receiving tuition and required fees at any public two-year or four-year institution of higher education in the state of Alabama, or payment for required fees for state-provided job training courses or skill certification. Great State Alabama supports this program and will advocate for its continuation and increased funding.

As Great State Alabama grows in capacity, we foresee the ability to establish, endow and administer scholarships for qualifying applicants in the foster care system.

Population(s) Served
Foster and adoptive children
Orphans

The state of Alabama’s First Class Voluntary Pre-K program is a shining star of success in Alabama. First Class Pre-K is consistently ranked among the best in the nation and serves as a model for other states. Statistics show children who attend Pre-K are more likely to read at grade level quicker, their math scores are higher and they are less likely to need special education services. Great State Alabama recognizes the impact quality Pre-K programs have on children in rural and economically suppressed areas of the state. We will work to promote greater access to educational opportunities for preschool and school aged children through providing needed financial support to help classrooms meet the First Class Pre-K standards.

Population(s) Served
Children

Underfunded courts, overcrowded prisons and limited rehabilitation services for offenders are all major contributors to a failing criminal justice system. Great State Alabama recognizes the need to reduce the capacity of Alabama's overcrowded prisons, which are at about 190 percent of what they were designed for. Rehabilitation services for offenders within the criminal justice system as well as sentencing reforms for non-violent offenders are essential to reducing a prison population and reducing recidivism. Great State Alabama advocates for comprehensive criminal justice reforms that will both reduce Alabama’s prison population and provide rehabilitation and job skills for offenders. Great State Alabama recognizes these reforms and measures must be applied equally to all incarcerated individuals in Alabama’s Correctional facilities, including Alabama’s only women’s correctional facility.

Population(s) Served
Incarcerated people

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics 2021

Alabama Association of Nonprofits 2021

Alabama Rural Health Association 2021

Americares Partner Program 2021

Direct Relief Partner Program 2021

Alabama Association of Free and Charitable Clinics 2021

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.
  • 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

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, 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 demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), 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

  • 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

Financials

Great State 2019 Inc
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Build 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.

Great State 2019 Inc

Board of directors
as of 01/03/2024
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Dr. Robert Bentley

Dermatology Care of Alabama

Leah Batt

Rachel Gandy

Wesley Helton

Rebekah Mason

Daniel Sparkman

Phil Webb

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • 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? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 7/26/2022

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
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 06/08/2021

GuideStar 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

Data
  • 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.
Policies and processes
  • 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 help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
  • 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.