Working Families' Friend
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Emergency Assistance
We provide emergency assistance, training and support to working people who do not qualify for assistance through other traditional social service programs. Assistance comes in the form of advocacy in most cases. Whether it be contacting our clients' lenders, utility companies, medical providers, funeral homes or other creditors, Working Families' Friend helps alleviate or reduce the client's financial challenge or helps to insure that they receive the services or financial assistance they need during a time of crisis. We believe that by providing assistance before a family is forced into economic hardship due to their inability to face an unexpected financial burden, we can maintain a healthy and productive workforce which has a direct bearing on maintaining a healthy and productive community. Clients are referred by trained Community Counselors within the workplace of the client, or through other social service providers who cannot serve them due to the individual's income level or other circumstances.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
United Way Member Agency 2003
Greater Kansas City Community Foundation Gold Seal of Approval 2020
External reviews
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Working Families’ Friend has one main goal, to provide advocacy and financial emergency assistance to people who do not qualify for assistance from other social services. We assist working, or recently unemployed, individuals without any demographic or geographic guidelines or restrictions. Most traditional social services have low-income requirements to qualify for assistance. People who have worked and supported themselves and their family for years, donated to charities and gave back to their communities in many ways, find they usually do not qualify for help when faced with an unexpected, one-time crisis of their own. We provide this unique and unduplicated service to working people. Much of the service we provide is advocating on behalf of the client to their lenders, utility company, medical providers and funeral homes. Our clients are referred to us by trained community counselors. When financial assistance is needed, we do our best to validate the need and verify that the financial assistance provided is used for its intended purpose. We believe that by providing assistance before a working person is forced into economic hardship, we can help maintain a healthy and productive workforce in a productive community that benefits us all. We continually measure the success of our goal to carry out our mission by the number of people we are able to assist at their unexpected time of need and the increasing amount of funds raised each year.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our strategy is always focused on our mission, to assist working people at a time in need when no other assistance is available. In order to do this, our goals always include strategies to strengthen our financial stability. In addition to adding new corporate and individual donors, we have received funding from two different grants for the last three years. This demonstrates a successful effort to increase our financial stability for the future. We have identified new ways to use our recently purchased software program to manage our donor base more efficiently and effectively. Our on-going goal is to increase our fundraising ability which will allow us to serve an increased number of individuals. As our agency has grown over the years we see this on-going goal is met with success. The number of people that seek our services from year to year changes with the economy and the workforce. However, as we network in the communities we serve, awareness of the services we provide becomes more prevalent. That awareness is met with increased usage. As more people become aware of our mission and our service, our support increases as well. We continually work to expand our donor support from businesses willing to sponsor our fundraising events, as well as seeking new grant opportunities.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our agency was founded in 2003 to meet a need in the community not being addressed by any other organization. Our founder, as well as our current President, have a rich history in not-for profit and fundraising. Our staff now includes an Office Manager and a Development Director. Our agency operates at less than 7% AFR and works closely with a strong volunteer Board of Directors. Our Board is very committed to the ongoing success and stability of our agency. They provide great insight to our diverse community and the population we serve, as well as networking opportunities for future growth and support. Working Families’ Friend provides a unique service in the community. Our mission is clearly stated. Our goal is to identify resources in the community to assist individuals in maintaining quality of life at a time of unexpected hardship. We do not do case management within our agency. We rely on trained community counselors in the workplace as our referral agents. These are the people who know the employees and their personal situations. They validate the genuine need for assistance and are the “gatekeepers” we rely on in the community for our referral process.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The continued growth of the agency over the last decade has guided the decisions and practices of our Board of Directors and the agency. Much insight has been gained in our fundraising efforts pertaining to what does and does not produce successful results. One great accomplishment was the success of our 3 year Burn the Mortgage Campaign. We were able to raise enough money from special contributions to complete the mortgage pay-off and secure ownership of the building that houses the agency. We continue to focus on the efforts that have proven the best results, as well as exploring new opportunities in fundraising. The policies and procedures that were put in place at the inception of the agency, however, have proven to be efficient and effective. One example is our referral process for emergency financial assistance. Our policy is to provide financial assistance to an individual once in a year and twice in lifetime. This is with the intention of protecting our mission to assist people faced with a one-time crisis, not the chronically needy or those that regularly mismanage personal funds. Our supporters understand and appreciate our mission, and expect us to be good stewards of their financial contributions. We do work continually to make our services available to an increased number of people in need. We have offered our services, as well as gained support, from people we have networked with outside the local metropolitan area.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Working Families' Friend
Board of directorsas of 09/14/2021
Mr. Kevin Ryan
Governor Stumpy's Grill House
Term: 2018 - 2023
Alise Martiny
Greater KC Building and Construction Trades
Reginald Thomas
Construction and General Laborers #264
Ralph Stubbs
Teamsters Local #41
Pat Dujakovich
Greater KC AFL-CIO
Kevin Ryan
Governor Stumpy's Grill
Greg Chastain
Sheet Metal Workers #2
Rocky Kloth
Carpenters Regional Council St. Louis-KC
Joan Putthoff
Working Families' Friend
Kevin Noblit
KCP&L
Alan Frisbee
Teamsters Local #455
Frank Carpenter
Painters DC #3
Griffin Goetz
Ullico, Inc
Lance George
Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa
Jennifer Hart
Hartline Construction, LLC
Kevin Hendrickson
Pipefitters Local #533
Jason Starr
UAW Local #249
Bridgette Williams
Heavy Constructors Association
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 09/14/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.