Aspire 2 Inspire Foundation, Inc.
Serving the children of the DC Metropolitan Area
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Mentoring is often one component of a program that involves other elements, such as tutoring or life skills training and coaching. The supportive, healthy relationships formed between mentors and mentees are both immediate and long-term and contribute to a host of benefits for mentors and mentees.
Benefits for youth:
Increased high school graduation rates
Lower high school dropout rates
Healthier relationships and lifestyle choices
Better attitude about school
Higher college enrollment rates and higher educational aspirations
Enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence
Improved behavior, both at home and at school
Stronger relationships with parents, teachers, and peers
Improved interpersonal skills
Decreased likelihood of initiating drug and alcohol use
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
High School Debate Tournament
The High School Debate Tournament is part of a one-day full immersion experience where area high schools students have the opportunity to interact with professionals from the DC area and network with their peers from surrounding schools. This experience offers these students the opportunity to engage with other participants to improve their public speaking skills as well as learn tips for academic success. Each year a new topic is decided upon for teams throughout the Washington DC Metro area to debate on by siding with the affirmative side or the negative side.
The Debate Tournament is instrumental in engaging several dozen high school students from over seventeen DC Metro Area schools. The tournament isheld round robin style and consists of four rounds of intense academic debating. Stipend awards to our tournament team winners, best speakers and coaches. This experience is significant in providing youth an opportunity to continue pursuing excellence throughout their academic endeavors.
High School Talent Hunt
The High School Talent Hunt Program provides exposure, encouragement and financial assistance to talented young people participating in the performing arts. Performances exist in the fields of Vocal Rendition, Drama Theater, Instrument Performance, and Dance. Winners are awarded monetary stipends.
Toy Drive
The Annual Toy Drive occurs during the Winter Holiday season in which a local Elementary School is "adopted". This adopted Elementary School usually consists of a majority of children that are not fortunate enough to experience receiving presents during the holiday season. Ages and Genders are documented by the school leadership and we purchase toys for the entire grade (3rd Grade for example).
DC Rhinos Mentorship Program
One of the major areas of emphasis for the A2I Foundation is The DC Rhinos Program. The Black Rhinoceros, often colloquially abbreviated Rhino, is a species native to Africa which is critically endangered. The name DC Rhinos is derived from the intention of the program to have a positive impact on the alarming shortage of self sufficient, upwardly mobile African American men in society. The program was created to instill and reinforce the skills, character, and self motivation that young men need to transform from childhood to manhood. The Black Rhinos Mentoring Program provides a framework for these young men to actualize their dreams through positive reinforcement and enrichment activities and programs to help them develop and retain a "Can Do!" attitude.
A2I College Endowment Fund
The Aspire 2 Inspire (A2I) College Endowment Fund is an initiative aimed at bridging the gap between aspiration and access to education for underserved youth in Washington, DC. This visionary program emphasizes not only the importance of education but also mentorship, community involvement, and financial literacy.
The core focus of the fund is to award scholarships and grants to deserving students who demonstrate dedication to academics and community service. These financial supports allow them to pursue higher education and vocational training without the constraints of financial burden. By alleviating costs such as tuition and books, the fund ensures that education is accessible to all, regardless of economic background.
Backpack Tour
The Aspire 2 Inspire (A2I) Backpack Donation Tour is a powerful initiative aimed at supporting the educational journey of students in underserved communities throughout Washington, DC. Recognizing the importance of educational tools in fostering learning and growth, A2I has developed this program to provide essential supplies to children, particularly those in Kindergarten through 2nd Grade. Here's an overview of this inspiring initiative:
The primary goal of the A2I Backpack Donation Tour is to equip students with necessary educational tools, ensuring they have access to fundamental resources for their learning journey. By providing fully stocked backpacks, A2I is fostering a positive learning environment and helping children start their education on the right foot.
The success of this initiative rests on robust collaborations with partners such as the Jenner & Block Law Firm and the Sydney Paige Foundation.
Where we work
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of mentors recruited
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Men and boys, Children and youth
Related Program
DC Rhinos Mentorship Program
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Hours of mentoring
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Men and boys, Children and youth
Related Program
DC Rhinos Mentorship Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total dollar amount of scholarship awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
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?
Aspire 2 Inspire Foundation, Inc. has been working hard with the help of our members and volunteers to provide education assistance and social action opportunities to youth who reside in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. Our work is dedicated to funding and delivering charitable services, and we strive to inspire and improve the lives of children who need our support.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our organization has several strategies to ensure optimal success. To protect our infrastructure, we remain selective in choosing board members with demonstrated success in multiple disciplines, including medicine, business, education, and engineering. We also developed an aggressive marketing, social media, and fundraising plan to ensure that we remain visible to the community that we remain visible to our community, donors, and media partners.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Regarding capabilities, our organization has a marketing team dedicated to showcasing our footprints in the Washington, D.C. community. Collectively, A2I's Board of Directors have more than 60 years of organizational leadership experience and are well suited to meet fundraising goals.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
This year, we completed our first Talent Hunt competition as a 501c3 Non-Profit organization. We were able to award stipends to winning participants through our recent donors and we're so grateful to our supporters. We plan to begin a legacy throughout the Washington, DC metro area with this event as a jump start to each year!
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 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 ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, 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
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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.
Aspire 2 Inspire Foundation, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 08/07/2023
Uri Robinson
Cory Rudolph
Brandon Dickerson
Billy Holcombe
Willie Williams, Jr.
Glen Yonkers, Jr.
Ilandus Swinson
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 ? 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
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
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 11/10/2019GuideStar 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 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.