AT KIDS CAN COMMUNITY CENTER, OUR MISSION IS TO EDUCATE, ENGAGE, AND INSPIRE CHILDREN THROUGH EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL EXPERIENCES.

Kids Can created a 2040 Vision to focus on community impact, and create the following key areas of aspiration: • Programs: Innovative; nationally recognized; engaged families; achieve community-altering outcomes. • Advocacy: Eliminate the cliff effect; leader in affordable childcare efforts; drive systematic changes; advocate for policies and laws to protect children and people of color. • Sustainability: Dynamic funding (foundations, earned revenue, government, corporations, individuals); ensure sustainability for future generations; $5M budget by 2025 • Work Environment: Be the best place to work; compensating staff aligned with value of their impact. • Racial Equity: Prioritize diversity and equity in staff, partnerships, and board; invest and embed racial equity into programs, training, and resources. • Expansion: Increase program outreach throughout the city, state, and beyond

Source: Nonprofit submitted responses

Goal One: Increase program outreach throughout the city, state, and beyond.

Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.

Goal Two: Create innovative; nationally recognized; engaged families; achieve community-altering outcomes.

Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.

Goal Three: Eliminate the cliff effect; leader in affordable childcare efforts; drive systematic changes; advocate for policies and laws to protect children and people of color.

Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.

Describe an investment in leadership

Kids Can firmly believes in the investment of individuals as a retention and recruitment tool for employees. In addition to ongoing professional development, Kids Can offers a tuition reimbursement program for any employee wishing to further their education. Most recently, the organization invested into the Mindset Leadership program for all leadership and supervisory staff.

This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:

• Strategic Partnerships

• Networks of Collective Impact Efforts

• Thought Leadership

• Raising Awareness

• Community Building

• Policy Advocacy

What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?

Kids Can has been a part of the Omaha community since 1908. The organization participates in many community-wide efforts, networking opportunities, and collaborative efforts. Examples of partnerships/cohorts: Nonprofit Association of the Midlands, Collective For Youth, MENTOR Nebraska. Advocacy partners: Voices For Children, Women's Fund of Omaha, First Five Nebraska. Community partnerships: South Omaha Neighborhood Association, North Omaha Empowerment Network.

The following was taken from the KidsCan.org website "From The CEO" section: UNCOMMON PROGRAMS FOR UNCOMMON TIMES I think we would all agree the past few months have been a whirlwind of uncertainty, anxiety, and discomfort. As with many nonprofit organizations, we are typically expected to fill in the gaps, equalize opportunities, and support those most in need. We’re expected to be nimble, yet dependable. We’re expected to be proactive, yet reactive. We’re expected to be fair, but equitable. At Kids Can, our staff have worked diligently to provide programming throughout this pandemic. Whether it is early childhood care, summer programs, or digital learning, we strive to be there for our families. As we prepared for our Fall programming, we realized we needed to do something drastically different. With the majority of our children attending Omaha Public Schools, we needed to alter our own programs to adapt to remote learning. Beginning in August, Kids Can will offer full-day programming for elementary students when they are not in school. Our priority is to maximize our program hours and facility capacity to serve as many families for the most hours possible. As we are keenly aware, there is not one solution that meets the needs of all families. We conducted a survey to our current families and over 75% responded they would prefer full day programs. In balancing the restrictions of our physical space, vehicles, and safety precautions. we simply could not provide both full day and before/after school programs. For the families that have depended on us for those traditional services, I hear you and understand your frustration. Be assured, those programs will return and we will be anxious to welcome you back. I thank you for your patience and support as we navigate these continually changing and challenging times.