Discovering Options

What it reported doing in 2014

Since the inception of prep in 2001, discovering options delivered after school programs to over 1000 at-risk children that attend saint louis city schools. In order to address the lack of high quality and evidence based after school programming for st. Louis' most academically and socially impoverished children, discovering options developed an enriching after school program we called prep.the promoting responsibility through education prevention (prep) program was an after-school substance abuse and violence prevention program targeted at 4th and 5th grade high-risk youth who are predominantly african-american. The program included hands-on cultural cooking classes, yoga, art, social skills training, substance abuse prevention classes, conflict resolution sessions, behavior management and one-on-one therapeutic support. Change in social skills, an important protective factor for reducing substance abuse and violence, was assessed for 10-week prep sessions. There was a statistically significant improvement in child social skills for those attending the ten week sessions. These findings suggest that prep may help to fill the gap in evidence-based after-school program options for at-risk african american elementary school children. Prep was the cornerstone of discovering options after school programming. For many years, discovering options delivered enriching after-school and mentoring programs to fourth and fifth grade children (elementary prep) with one or more social, academic or familial risk factors for substance abuse. Each year we have delivered highly structured after school programs to at-risk youth. Elementary prep was an evaluated, award winning, substance abuse prevention after-school and mentoring program targeted to 4th and 5th graders with multiple risk factors attending st. Louis public, or charter schools. When fully funded, there were four elementary prep sessions each year with each session lasting ten weeks. Services included clusters of three after school sessions, twice a quarter, with five family dinner nights. Discovering options staff conducted home visits and worked with parents, but in paricular, mothers on coping, stress reduction, yoga and games to play with their children. When fully funded, prep ran monday through thursday, from 3:15 - 6:00 p.m. The after-school program was led by the prevention services coordinator who holds a master's degree in social work. Children were picked up from their school by first student transportation and transported to the first unitarian church at 5007 waterman. Children were transported to their homes after each class.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 71.1%; rating input score 71
• Program expense ratio: 40.7%; rating input score 41
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -74.9%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -125.8% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -51.8% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -49% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings