Our Mission

Futures for Children enhances the quality of the educational experience for American Indian students through mentoring and leadership development.

The primary goal of Futures for Children is to increase the breadth and depth our programs, the Three Circles of Support: Friendship, Youth Leadership, and Families in Action. For more information about our programs click here.
 

Executive Committee

Peter Fagan, Chairman~Sedona, AZ

Jeff Blade, Treasurer and Finance Chair~Indianapolis, IN

Mary Anne Larsen, Secretary~Santa Fe, NM

Mike Eagle, Member at Large and Development Chair~Rancho Santa Fe, CA

Dr. David Beaulieu, Ph.D, Governance Chair~Milwaukee, WI
Tribal Affiliation: Minnesota Chippewa, White Earth Reservation

James L. West, President/CEO~Tijeras, NM
Tribal Affiliation: Cheyenne


 

Futures for Children Annual Report

Fiscal Year 2009

2009 Futures for Children Annual Report
 

Self-Help

Self-Help is based upon the idea that communities have not only the ability to define their most pressing needs, but also the capabilities and resources to address, meet, and solve those needs. The Futures' mission, curricula, training, and programs support the community's initiatives.

 

Chairman’s Message

Fiscal Year 2009 Annual Report Chairman's Message

Wikipedia defines the future as “a time period commonly understood to contain all events that have yet to occur. It is the opposite of the past, and is the time after the present.” At Futures for Children we certainly understand that definition. For over 40 years we have made our life’s work the future of American Indian children.

Over 20,000 children have successfully gone through our various programs. Our past successes are indicative of what our future holds. We have the track record that proves we can “walk the talk.” We haven’t done that alone, and we will not walk alone in the future. We have a dedicated staff, committed children, countless volunteers at our various sites, and financial supporters who have kept this organization going over these 40 plus years.

At times it hasn’t been easy, but we have stayed the course, focused on our core mission of enriching the future of children. Without this focus Futures for Children would not be the organization that it truly is.

It is my personal gift to serve a second term as Chairman of the Board. My wife Janet and I have been involved with Futures for almost 25 years. Over the last two years we have been privileged to attend the Youth Leadership Summit at Northern Arizona University, where over 100 teenagers gather for a week of interactivity and leadership programs. It is an incredible experience that helps establish and build leadership in young adults.

We have witnessed many opportunities and challenges. At the heart of grasping an opportunity or meeting a challenge is the central theme of this organization. Futures has never swayed from that mission and as the future unfolds the organization never will.

As I write this, the challenges facing American Indian Children are enormous. School dropout rates are at record levels. Unemployment rates in many parts of Indian country are among the highest ever recorded. Many Indian children are from single parent homes. Even if they graduate from high school or post secondary education, can they find meaningful employment at home or will they have to leave the reservation? The list goes on and on.

Futures for Children, with its proven track record, stands as a beacon facing a number of these continuing and upcoming challenges. Yet, we cannot do it alone. We, like many of you, are struggling in these difficult economic times. We need the continued support of our many donors. We need new donors and new mentors. Please tell a friend about us or sponsor a get-together with a Futures’ spokesperson. Help us walk the Futures’ talk. We will be there and we need you to be there with us.


Peter Fagan
Chairman of the Board

 

Privacy Statement

Our Privacy Policy:

• We do not sell or share any information on our donors.

• We do not provide donor information of any kind to any other organization or business.

• We do maintain records of all monetary gifts made to Futures for Children, both designated and undesignated gifts.

• We do maintain biography files on donors and friends of Futures for Children. The information in these files is of the nature found in newpapers, magazines, other publications, and public records.

• We provide prospective and former donors the same protection as active donors with respect to the use of personal information.

• We maintain physical, electronic, and organizational safeguards to protect information of donors, friends, and prospective donors of Futures for Children.

• We review our policies and practices, monitor our computer networks, and test the strength of our security in order to help ensure the safety of the information we maintain.

• We value our donors and friends and we take their personal privacy seriously.

For further information, please feel free to contact the Futures for Children Development department.

Futures for Children is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, charitable organization. You may download our 501(c)(3) form here. All gifts are tax deductible.
 

Board Members

Roger Abelson~Glen Cove, NY

Joyce E. Chelberg~Chicago, IL

James P. Donahugh~Wood Dale, IL

Michael E. Godwin, Audit Chair~Albuquerque, NM

Elza Bergeron Gross~La Canada Flintridge, CA

Margaret Hartman, Program Chair~Dallas, TX

Seymour Merrin~Santa Fe, NM

Tracy Stanhoff~Huntington Beach, CA
Tribal Affiliation: Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation

Lisa Wallender~Manhattan Beach, CA

Denise Joe~Kirtland, NM
Tribal Affiliation: Navajo

Olivia Redhorse~Las Cruces, NM
Tribal Affiliation: Navajo

Elizabeth Duggal~Washington, DC

Terri Parsons~Congerville, IL



 

Programs at a Glance

Three Circles of Support

Friendship/Mentorship
In the Friendship Program American Indian children in grades K-12 are matched with mentors from across the United States and around the world. Through letters, emails, and phone conversations, mentors encourage their student(s) to complete high school and pursue a post-secondary education.


Youth Leadership
The Youth Leadership Program assists children in developing leadership skills while developing projects that contribute to the betterment of their communities. Each Youth Leadership group executes a project that benefits their community. The curriculum provides a framework in which students, guided by Project Coach volunteers, engage in activities focusing on improving leadership and confidence, both individually and as a group. Students learn to challenge their personal limits and achieve personal and group goals.

Families in Action
In the Families in Action Program, parents and family members are encouraged to identify barriers to academic success and proactively develop solutions that assist their students in overcoming these barriers.


 

2009 Financial Reports

For Fiscal Year July 1, 2008~June 30, 2009

Revenue and Support: $3,169,293

• Foundations & Grants $98,906
• Board of Directors $625,500
• Mentorship $646,607
• Annual Fund, Bequest
& Individual Donors $357,025
• Other Income $182,670
• Building Futures Campaign $1,527,639
• Return on Investments –$269,054

Expenses: $2,382,427

• Education, Mentoring & Training $1,469,488
• Public Education $98,881
• Fundraising & Marketing* $511,326
• Management & General $302,732

*Higher development costs reflect preparation for establishment of campaign.

 

President’s Message

Fiscal Year 2009 Annual Report President's Message

This message is being written from Farmington, New Mexico where I have visited with the Futures for Children Youth Leadership students at Navajo Preparatory School. The students shared lunch with me and talked about their projects for the semester. It seems appropriate that my annual message to you is written after this meeting, and I will do my best to do justice to the many ways in which these students embody the mission of Futures for Children.

These students include seniors who had been a part of Youth Leadership for 3 years and freshmen who had been in the circle for only two months. In addition to a common cultural heritage, they share an unspoken bond of working hard to achieve their goals and aspirations – they are focused on the future. They worked hard to get into Navajo Prep, they work hard at their education, and they are prepared to work hard toward the fulfillment of their dreams.

For 41 years Futures for Children has supported the educational success of American Indian children and young people just like these students. They have something in common with many past Futures’ students – they spend little time “resting on their laurels,” and they focus on their future with eagerness and imagination. They embody the concept of “the future.”

Mirroring the experience of these students, Futures for Children has also faced challenges and experienced significant success in the past 41 years. The circle of children, volunteers, mentors, donors, and staff is proud of this success, and we all know the success does not come without sacrifice and hard work. In fiscal year 2009, we worked to overcome challenges of decreased revenue, expanded need for services, budget cuts, and financial reserves diminished by the market. In fiscal year 2010, we face similar challenges and will work even harder to maintain the quality of our programs and sustain the children and young people we serve.

It is important that we face the challenges of today objectively and with determination to fulfill our mission. However, I would suggest that the young people in our program challenge us to look beyond the current economic climate, and focus on a future of hope for their success. We will need your help: your commitment as mentors, your donations, and your efforts to find other supporters who want to help young people like those in the Youth Leadership team described above. The American Indian students we serve challenge all of us to not only work hard for a bright future, but also to do so with an eager and enthusiastic commitment to succeed. After all, if they can continue to do so in the face of overwhelming odds, can we do anything less?


Jim West
President/CEO


 

Our Vision

Futures for Children seeks a world in which social and economic justice includes American Indian people. We partner with supporters to encourage American Indian students to develop into young leaders who find their voice and take action, while taking pride in their cultural indentities.

Our programs promote:
• Self-confidence and empowerment.
• Cultural values and learning.
• Leadership and teamwork.
• Goal-setting.
• Integrating Native and mainstream life.
• Improving one's community.
• Family support and involvement.
• Community mentoring and support from mentors who live outside of the reservation.
 

History of FCC

40 years of academic success for american indian children.

Since 1968, Futures for Children has provided mentoring and training in Hopi, Navajo and New Mexico Pueblo tribal communities to more than 15,000 American Indian students and their families.

Futures for Children provides these educational services through Three Circles of Support designed around the principle of self-help: Mentorship, Youth Leadership and Families in Action.
Over 150 volunteers from tribal communities work with Futures for Children to deliver and monitor the program and to create educational success among their children. Over 1,500 mentors world-wide provide support and encouragement to promote educational achievement.

Unfortunately, many American Indian children miss out. Schools on American Indian reservations have the highest teacher turnover. Resources are severely limited. 28% of American Indian students in the Futures service area drop out before graduating from high school (U.S. Census 2000). Less than 4% of American Indians hold college degrees. But Futures has a history of success: 95% of Friendship students are promoted or graduate. 45% of Futures Friendship students go on to college or post secondary educational pursuits.