PLATINUM2023

Street Medics Austin

Providing neutral first aid support to events and demonstrations, and offering free first-aid training to the Austin area community.

Mc Neil, TX   |  https://streetmedicsaustin.org

Mission

Street Medics Austin (SMA) is a community-led, community-focused nonprofit organization committed to providing accessible medical care, education, and support to underserved communities and those who wish to peaceably assemble in the Austin area. We strive to achieve this mission by providing free and accessible medical training, in-person support for individuals engaged in 1st amendment protected activities, and emergency medical care to people in need.

Ruling year info

2023

President

Thomas Mahler

Co Principal Officer

Matthew Blaney

Main address

PO Box 56

Mc Neil, TX 78651 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

88-3680445

NTEE code info

Civil Rights, Social Action, and Advocacy N.E.C. (R99)

IRS filing requirement

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

Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Austin faces two intertwined healthcare crises. Firstly, ATCEMS's response capacities are stretched due to staffing shortages and increased emergencies, especially since 2022. This has led to longer waiting times and strained resources, leaving those in need, especially the growing homeless population, at risk. The homeless, 45% larger in just a year, often avoid conventional healthcare due to various fears and stigmatizations. Secondly, many community members who desperately need first-aid skills lack access to crucial training from mainstream providers because of financial and time constraints. While Street Medics Austin provides vital medical training, further resources are needed to certify more community members in essential lifesaving skills. These combined challenges underscore an urgent need for specialized medical response and community training, aiming to ensure timely, compassionate, and skilled care for all in Austin.

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?

First Amendment Activity Support

Street Medics Austin (SMA) was created in response to an increase in protest related injuries observed during the Black Lives Matter and police brutality protests in May 2020. We coordinated and provided free medical care services and resources to ensure the safety of everyone in our community over the weeks and months during and after the protests.

Since then, we have provided a vital support role for various other movements and actions – both local and in other parts of Texas – as individuals and as a group. Today, we continue to provide free medical services in situations that are difficult to serve for traditional institutions – protests, disaster areas, and under-served communities, including regular unhoused outreach across Austin. We also contribute to state-wide and country-wide mutual aid networks, providing coordination support, volunteers, and supplies to organisations in need during natural disasters and civil unrest.

Population(s) Served
Activists
Veterans
Unemployed people
LGBTQ people
Economically disadvantaged people

Being able to provide first-aid and basic life support to family, friends, and neighbors is a basic foundation of a healthy society. We believe that the next best thing to having Street Medics Austin supporting an event is to ensure that we teach as many members of our community how to help each other.
The challenge is that often the communities that are represented in many 1st amendment protected activities do not have the ability to receive commercially provided training by organizations like the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association due to financial or free-time constraints.
Street Medics Austin works with these community groups to provide free medical training on their terms and in locations that are convenient to them.
We offer certifications such as American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR, AED and First Aid, Basic Life Support, Stop the Bleed, and other classes of our own creation.

Population(s) Served
At-risk youth
Economically disadvantaged people
Victims and oppressed people
Activists
Unemployed people

As protests in Austin started to slow towards the end of 2020, we began to partner with local charitable organizations (including Cooking for Causes, community medical clinics, etc.) to provide first aid clinics for unhoused camps upon request. The work involved providing support with distributing food,
sanitary supplies, wound dressing, talk therapy, and counseling.

Population(s) Served
Homeless people

Where we work

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of public events held to further mission

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

First Amendment Activity Support

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Street Medics Austin is a non-profit corporation and shall operate exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future Federal tax code. Street Medics Austin’s purpose is to provide free medical services in situations that are difficult to serve for traditional institutions – protests, disaster areas, and under-served communities, including unhoused outreach across Austin. We also contribute to state-wide and country-wide mutual aid networks, providing coordination support, volunteers, and supplies to organizations in need during natural disasters and civil unrest.

We will provide education by increasing access to free/low-cost first-aid training.

Our programs include deploying trained medics and support staff to protests, rallies, marches, and other mass gatherings, to hold fundraising events to provide first-aid and other medical training to underserved communities, and to offer free medical training to mutual aid, harm reduction, and other community groups regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or political belief.

To maximize our impact on current efforts, we may seek to collaborate with other non-profit organizations which fall under the 501(c) (3) section of the internal revenue code and are operated exclusively for educational and charitable purposes.

At times, per the discretion of the board of directors, we may provide internships or volunteer opportunities which will provide opportunities for involvement in said activities and programs in order to have a greater impact for change.

1. Supporting 1st Amendment Activities

We provide free harm reduction and emergency medical aid during events like protests and rallies. Our Medics:

Treat trauma injuries, heat stress, seizures, and more.
Focus on injury prevention, education, and harm reduction.
Enhance scene safety, conduct patient evaluations, and offer aftercare.
Stay neutral, serving everyone, regardless of beliefs.
Boast diverse medical backgrounds, from basic First Aid to specialized fields.
Since 2020, we've supported over 40 events, addressing dehydration, hypoglycemia, and multiple injuries.

2. Free Community Harm-Reduction Training

Recognizing the importance of first-aid skills, we offer free medical training tailored to the community's needs. Many face barriers accessing conventional training due to costs or time. We fill this gap. With future funding, we aim to certify our trainers officially in CPR, AED, Stop the Bleed, and Basic Life Support.

3. Support for the Unhoused Community

Understanding Austin's unhoused needs, we partner with charities to run first aid clinics. Beyond medical aid, we assist with food, sanitary supplies, wound care, and offer emotional support.

Street Medics Austin focuses on holistic health, blending event support, education, and targeted assistance for Austin's vulnerable.

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 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 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

Financials

Street Medics Austin
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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

Subscribe

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.

Street Medics Austin

Board of directors
as of 09/08/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Thomas Mahler

Rosalind Bradshaw

Joseph John Wawrzynski

Kara Bradshaw

Joyce Zhuang

Shawntil Bailey

Britney Thornton

Matthew Blaney

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? No
  • 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 9/8/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

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
Non-binary, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual orientations in the LGBTQIA+ community
Disability status
Decline to state

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person with a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 08/23/2023

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.
Policies and processes
  • 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.