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Family & Children’s Place named Pyramid Collaboration Award winner

August 8, 2018

Child abuse prevention, care agency shares honor with Volunteers of America Mid-States

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Aug. 8, 2018) – Family & Children’s Place is pleased to announce that it is a winner of the 2018 Pyramid Award for Collaboration, along with Volunteers of America Mid-States. The Center for Nonprofit Excellence, which annually awards the honor announced the award Thursday.

“We could not be more proud of this award, or of the wonderful collaboration with Volunteers of America that led to this recognition,” said Pam Darnall, president and CEO of Family & Children’s Place, a child abuse prevention and treatment agency. “Through this amazing partnership we were able to overcome a challenge to ensure that critical services would continue to be available with a minimum of change for at-risk clients.”

The award, sponsored by Deming Malone Livesay & Ostroff CAP, recognizes excellence, in this case two or more nonprofits, or with a corporate partner, that have:

  • Developed a common vision and shared values.
  • Addressed training, team-building, and power-sharing issues.
  • Generated outcomes improved by the collaboration.
  • Realized savings through collaboration.

Last year, due to fund challenges like those faced my many community nonprofits, Family & Children’s Place was forced to consider closing one of its core programs, Family Stabilization, which worked with children and families that were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

The program delivered exceptional results – 277 families helped, 95 percent tracking income to expenses, 62 percent had reduced or erased debt, 52 had increased assets – but available funds didn’t cover costs of the program, so closure was considered. But F&CP was determined to keep services available even if it could not continue as provider, so it reached out to other agencies to gauge interest in taking over the program.

Volunteers of America Mid-States expressed interest, so leaders from the two agencies discussed, agreed to, planned, and prepared for the change. Under the agreement, VOA would take all staff, client families, and services, though one program, due to government regulation, could not be transferred. Family & Children’s Place helped connect those families to other, third-party providers.

“The power of the partnership, and the shared commitment to clients, enabled us to manage a seamless  transfer from Family & Children’s Place to Volunteers of America,” said Darnall. This ensured there were no service disruptions, and that families could continue to meet with case managers they already knew and were comfortable with.

“It was bittersweet, letting go of longtime clients as well as staff who were not just co-workers, but friends, but it was the right thing at the right time,” said Darnall. “And we’re so pleased that VOA shared the vision so staff could continue to work with families to build toward independence and sustainability.”

Funding support for the transition was provided by a local foundation, “and though they choose not to be identified, this partnership and commitment to children and families and their futures would not have been possible,” said Darnall.

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence will present the 2018 Pyramid Award for Collaboration to Family * Children’s Place and Volunteers of America Mid-States on Oct. 9 during its annual conference, which this year features “Changemakers” as its theme.

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About Family & Children’s Place
Family & Children’s Place protects Kentuckiana children, families and communities from abuse, neglect and exploitation and, through evidence-based services, helps them heal. The organization has supported families for135 years and helps more than 6,000 children and family members annually. For more information about Family & Children’s Place, visit www.famchildplace.org or call 502-893-3900.