Weighing Growth

Stephen M. Pratt, President

Dear Friends:

In the Out-of-School Time field, we face an apparent trade-off. On one hand, we want to spread the availability of programs broadly enough to meet the needs of as many young people as possible. On the other hand, youth programs work best when they offer young people intimate environments where they can develop strong relationships with adults and peers. How do we reconcile the need to bring quality programs to scale with the need to maintain the elements that made them quality programs in the first place?

Here in Boston, this is no abstract question. In a city that remains troubled by youth violence, only a third of our city's teens participate in out-of-school programs. While there are dozens of successful, high-quality program models for teens spread throughout the city, few of them are ready to consider moving beyond small-scale models serving handfuls of kids.

In this issue, we consider the trade-offs from a number of perspectives: program provider, funder, and board member. And we ask if scale and quality are truly at odds. The question is not abstract, but more importantly, the answers cannot be. Too many kids in this city still need high-quality support programs in order to succeed.

Thanks for reading,

Steve

Guest Column

"Like watching a young child learn to walk, watching a young organization grow can be quite alarming at times. To keep the balance that is necessary to avoid toppling over, a CEO and Board must work closely together, each taking heed of the other's instincts about the current status of the enterprise and the near-term imperatives."

By Ed Kania, Not-for-Profit Board Chair and Venture Capitalist 

New Additions on this Topic to our Online Research Library

Growth of Youth-Serving Organizations

The Bridgespan Group (commissioned by the E. M. Clark Foundation)

This paper presents the results of interviews conducted with 20 youth-serving organizations which demonstrated successful growth in the last few years. Outlined are the need for growth in youth-serving organizations, tips for successful expansion, and the financial and organizational challenges faced in the expansion process.

The Costs of Out-of-School-Time Programs: A Review of the Available Evidence

The Finance Project and Public/Private Ventures

This article looks at the costs of funding out-of-school time programs, program implications and the difficulty in developing cost estimate models. It provides an overview of costs and cost estimates for related fields such as Education and Early Care and offers suggestions and benefits for OST programs moving twoard "economies of scale."

Lessons Learned About Effective Policies and Practices for Out-of-School Time Programming

Glenda Partee, American Youth Policy Forum

This report highlights lessons learned about out-of-school time programs and policies. Challenges, such as going to scale, roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, funding, and sustainability are also presented. The author also discusses models of OST programs and their importance.

Other Resources

Replicating Social Programs

This pamphlet provides a description of the need for replicating and expanding social programs and illustrates the process as a guide for organizations.