Warren Village Inc.
Transforming Parents' Lives. Improving Children's Futures.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The singular purpose of Warren Village is to create opportunity and community to empower formerly homeless, low-income, single-parents to change the trajectories of their lives and achieve sustainable personal and economic self-sufficiency. Our organization was founded in 1974 in central Denver by a group of engaged citizens who recognized the dire situations faced by low-income, single-parents and envisioned a model that would allow for those families to change the trajectory of their lives. Our model rests on three integrated programs: safe and affordable housing, quality early education and childcare services, and self-sufficiency programming that includes onsite college courses, career counseling, and life skills courses. Residents are primarily single mothers between the ages of 21 and 29 with one child under the age of five. Less than 50% are employed when they arrive, and 100% are homeless or unstably housed.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Family Services
Our adult self-sufficiency program has four essential elements. First, all residents attend a post-secondary educational program (majority through Community College of Denver) or work full time (or a combination of both) with support from our staff. Second, all residents participate in weekly Life Skills Classes to develop foundational skills for personal and economic self-sufficiency. Third, all residents work with an assigned Family Advocate (licensed social worker) who guides them through the creation and implementation of personal and wellness goals. Fourth, residents receive holistic supports through our Wellness Initiative. The Wellness Initiative teaches the key elements of physical, psychological, social, and financial well-being through a special Life Skills Class Series. As a complement to the Wellness Initiative, family mental health services are offered on-site to families in need of more intensive support through the Tennyson Center for Children.
United Airlines Early Learning Center
A key and central component to the Warren Village model is The United Airlines Early Learning Center. 106 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers at a time have access to high-quality early care and education in the Learning Center. By focusing on the holistic development of children who have been exposed to trauma, with a special focus on social-emotional development, our Learning Center helps to close development gaps often seen between low-income children and their higher-income peers.
Transformational l Housing
The Warren Village affordable housing building features 92 units in which single-parent led families can stay for two years (with the possibility of a third-year extension depending on progress toward educational and career goals). Each parent pays rent, which equals 30% of their gross monthly income (or a minimum of $25 per month). The focus of the Warren Village program is to promote educational attainment, increase income, and support transition into stable and permanent housing upon program exit. In the fiscal year of 2020, we housed 139 unique, low-income adults and 222 children and served 177 alumni for a total of 538 unique individuals in the reporting year.
First Step
Warren Village First Step is a one-year transitional living program for single women and women with children. First Step offers communal housing, case management, on-site life skills classes, volunteer opportunities and on-site staff to assist residents in becoming self-sufficient and obtaining permanent housing. We have 13 units for female-led, single-parent families
First Step is a Warren Village program in partnership with Denver’s Road Home & the Denver Department of Human Services.
Where we work
Awards
Charity of the Month 2017
Better Buisness Bureau
Affiliations & memberships
United Way Member Agency 2017
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Percentage of resident families who achieve permanent housing upon program exit
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Transformational l Housing
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Percentage of resident parents who have increased their personal competencies at program exit
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Family Services
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Growth in personal competencies are self-reported and recorded as snapshots throughout the program. While we want to prioritize soft-skills development, we recognize the margin for error in reporting.
Number of children who have access to education
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Infants and toddlers, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
United Airlines Early Learning Center
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Total number of children served in the Learning Center during the year.
Percentage of resident parents who have completed an education or career track program or are on track to complete an education or career track program at program exit
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Family Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Residents are not required to pursue a degree or certificate. However, given the correlation between education attainment and income, post-secondary education is encouraged and supports provided.
Percentage of resident parents who maintain a full-time schedule of education and/or employment
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Family Services
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
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 Strategic Goals for the organization include: 1) improving the quality of outcomes achieved by our program participants and alumni in the areas of college/vocational attainment, wage growth, life skill development, and long-term housing stability post-program; 2) improving the quality of outcomes in the Learning Center as measured by increased Teaching Strategies GOLD® (TSG) scores, full State compliance, and healthy adult-child relationships; 3) strengthening Warren Village’s operational efficiency and financial solvency; 4) Warren Village will collaboratively create a community that celebrates residents, staff, and board members’ identity in terms of disability, race, ethnicity, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, age, national origin, or ancestry and actively addresses barriers to full, authentic participation and individual success in our environment. This fourth goal is NEW in FY22 - outcomes will be reported in April 2022.
Our Programmatic Goals include: 1) provide safe and affordable housing and comprehensive wrap-around services to at least 150 low-income single-parent families; 2) provide high-quality early care and education to approximately 250 vulnerable children (106 children at a time ages six weeks to 10 years in our United Airlines Early Learning Center in addition to school-aged children with our after-school programming); and 3) provide supportive services to at least 100 Warren Village alumni each year.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Warren Village is responsive to the stress that poverty and familial instability can inflict on parents and their children. A team of highly qualified social workers meets the needs of our residents through coaching, support in completing post-secondary education (college or workforce), and referral services. Each resident is required to create goals, maintain a full-time schedule of employment and/or higher education, attend three Life Skills Classes per month, and volunteer two hours per month. The requirements of our program are tactics for helping our participants regain self-esteem, reconnect to the community, and ultimately claim a productive place in the economy.
Our safe and affordable housing complex and United Airlines Early Learning Center are vital to the overall success of this Two-Generation (2Gen) program; when our residents know they have a safe place to live and have access to quality care and education for their children, they are better able to commit to the rigorous requirements of our program. Our ultimate goal is that each single-parent who graduates from our program can join the workforce, earn a family-sustaining wage.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Current Programs:
Safe and Affordable Housing:
The Warren Village affordable housing building features 92 units in which single-parent led families can stay for two years (with the possibility of a third-year extension depending on progress toward educational and career goals). Each parent pays rent, which equals 30% of their gross monthly income (or a minimum of $25 per month). The focus of the Warren Village program is to promote educational attainment, increase income, and support transition into stable and permanent housing upon program exit.
Adult Self Sufficiency:
Our adult self-sufficiency program has four essential elements. First, all residents attend a post-secondary educational program (majority through Community College of Denver) or work full time (or a combination of both) with support from our staff. Second, all residents participate in weekly Life Skills Classes to develop foundational skills for personal and economic self-sufficiency. Third, all residents work with an assigned Family Advocate (licensed social worker) who guides them through the creation and implementation of personal and wellness goals. Fourth, residents receive holistic supports through our Wellness Initiative. The Wellness Initiative teaches the key elements of physical, psychological, social, and financial well-being through a special Life Skills Class Series.
The United Airlines Early Learning Center:
A key and central component to the Warren Village Two-Generation (2Gen) approach is The United Airlines Early Learning Center. 106 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers at a time have access to high-quality early care and education in the Learning Center. By focusing on the holistic development of children who have been exposed to trauma, with a special focus on social-emotional development, our Learning Center helps to close development gaps often seen between low-income children and their higher-income peers.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Goal 1: Empowered and Thriving Program Participants and Alumni
59% of residents completed a degree or certificate program, or are currently “on track” to finish
86 % of families found permanent housing
76% of residents increased their personal competencies
The average annual salary of residents working full time is $35,553
70% of alumni can meet their monthly expenses and needs through income and benefits
37% of 126 alumni respondents received a degree or certificate since leaving Warren Village
89% of alumni are either living in a house they own, in full-market housing, or in subsidized housing
Goal 2: Elevated Learning Center Achievements
TSG (MyTeachingStrategies, GOLD®) is an observation-based assessment system where teachers look for behaviors indicating how closely students are meeting widely held expectations for children of similar age. The Learning Center assesses six developmental and learning categories during the fall, winter, and spring seasons. This year’s TSG assessments are incomplete because the coronavirus outbreak forced the Learning Center to close, however, the numbers demonstrate positive performance:
80% or more of Learning Center children are meeting or exceeding national cognitive, literacy, mathematics, and physical benchmarks
63,000 Nutritious Meals served to Learning Center children
Learning Center operating at Level 4 Program Rating from Colorado Shines
Goal 3: Maximized Organizational Efficiency
Warren Village had a strong year regarding fundraising in all areas and stayed largely under budget on most expenses. The overall financial picture shows a strong position for the organization going into the next fiscal year. GuideStar uses financial reports submitted by nonprofits to give them seals indicating their organization’s level of transparency. The highest level of recognition is platinum, followed by gold, silver, and bronze, respectively. For the third year in a row, Warren Village received the platinum seal.
Goal 4: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Culture - NEW for FY22
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 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 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
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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.
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.
Warren Village Inc.
Board of directorsas of 09/05/2024
Mr. Joel Rosenstein
Kyle Craig
Shalyn Kettering
Craig Brown
Tasha L. Jones
Jessica Perrill
Jordan Yarmon
Sarah Bracken
Sharon Butler
Victor Davis
Peter Dellgren
Marcus Divita
Stefannie Emerson
Gina Carbone Fenton
Jessica De Gortari
Katie M Goodwin
Debbie Herrera
Reba Jones
Cristen Lawton
Nicole Marquez
Rachel Nixon
Andrea Stiles Pullas
Laneeta Sowell-Pruitt
Kate Sansing
John Shellenberger
Kristin Sullivan
Mike Walters
Angela Williams
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
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 09/05/2024GuideStar 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 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 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.