Youth On Their Own

YOTO's ultimate goal is keeping homeless and unaccompanied students in school while mitigating dropout due to students' attendance. We accomplish this through the following key values:

As a youth-serving, youth-centered organization, we believe…
- YOTO is a safe place for youth to ask for help. No youth should be abandoned and every youth deserves the compassion and support of their community. The simple act of being cared about is transformational for youth.
- Every youth experiencing homelessness has potential and deserves to graduate from high school. Youth deserve to know that a bright future is their right, but that it requires effort to attain.
- YOTO provides guidance during the most challenging time in a young person’s life, helping youth learn accountability, responsibility and self-sufficiency. Guidance and belief in the student is just as important as the stipend and material support.
- Today’s youth are tomorrow’s future. Our investment in youth today leads to a positive impact on the future of our entire community.

As a nonprofit organization providing social benefit in our community, we believe in…
- Building and maintaining trust and transparency with our donors and honoring the intent of their gifts.
- Being good stewards of money and maintaining a sustainable organization.
- Communicating the impact of our donor’s gifts.
- Taking care of our staff and volunteers who are serving our youth.
- Nurturing collaborative relationships with schools and other nonprofits in our community, without whom we could not do this work.

We outline three key goals in our 2021-2024 Strategic Plan.

1. PATHWAYS: How we deliver our programs and services
GOAL: To grow, modify, and establish services that provide the maximum benefit for YOTO youth
• Increase staffing for direct student support
• Improve assessment of student needs to inform eligibility and level of service (tiered services model)
• Modify requirements for student stipend requests to align with national performance data for vulnerable youth
• Replace outmoded student database with robust student portal to improve tracking and student access to services
• Formally establish an alumni program to support YOTO youth in their education and employment efforts post high school
• Explore and pilot new programs in areas of high student need
• Expand 2-generation service approach to best meet the needs of parenting youth and those supporting siblings
• Strengthen program infrastructure and clarify staff roles


2. PARTNERSHIPS: Who we partner with to serve our students
GOAL: To establish, nurture, and strengthen relationships with our community partners and stakeholders
• Improve relationships with school liaisons through shared expectations, clarified roles, and enhanced site-based training
• Grow community referral network to improve student access to services and reduce duplicative efforts
• Build and grow an organized cohort of volunteers that addresses YOTO’s everyday operational needs and strengthens our network of individual and corporate supporters in the community
• Actively participate in collaborations and conversations pertaining to youth homelessness, education access, and programs/policies that directly impact the students we serve


3. CAPACITIES: What we need to achieve our goals
GOAL: To make targeted organizational investments enabled by increased community awareness and support
• Facilities: Identify and pursue a long-term solution to YOTO’s space needs
• People: Improve YOTO’s human resource management, grow internal leaders, and cultivate an inclusive organizational culture
• Financial Support: Establish and/or strengthen relationships with YOTO donors through enhancements to annual giving, major giving, and legacy giving programs
• Technology/Communications: Ensure that YOTO is equipped with the necessary technology to fulfill its mission and clearly communicate YOTO’s positive community impact
• Evaluation: Utilize expert and stakeholder feedback to continually improve our services

The YOTO Program is truly a collaborative effort between the Pima County public, private and charter schools and YOTO staff. Without the volunteer School Liaisons who work in the approximately 100 schools YOTO students attend, it would be impossible for this program to continue. Volunteers also provide critical in-house assistance to the stipend program, our Caring Couriers Delivery Program, and our Mini Mall. In 2019-2020, volunteers donated more than 8,680 hours of their time saving YOTO more than $220, 800!

Youth homelessness is often hidden under borrowed roofs and behind tired eyes. Helping these young people, who have the odds stacked against them, stay in school and graduate is an economically wise choice. A high school diploma is a critical step toward self-sufficiency and fosters lifelong economic benefits such as better job opportunities and higher wages; those who dropout may forfeit a lifetime of occupational opportunities. In addition, many YOTO alumni live in, work for, and give back to the Southern Arizona community by serving as volunteers, mentors, police officers, nurses, business owners, and YOTO board members. YOTO’s graduation track record and cohort of alumni prove that this program provides a powerful return that benefits our community’s quality of life.

In recent years, YOTO has received recognition for its ethical work supporting youth experiencing homelessness and for its commitment to leadership development. In 2021, BBB of Southern Arizona awarded YOTO the Torch Award for Nonprofit Ethics, recognizing organizations that demonstrate ethical practices, promote a culture of ethics, are committed to the growth of all staff members, and engage and improve our Southern Arizona community. In 2020, YOTO was selected for the prestigious Bank of America Neighborhood Champions Award, presented to one nonprofit organization each year that is poised to take their work and leadership to the next level. Additionally, YOTO maintains the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency and a four-star Charity Navigator rating, awarded to organizations that exceed industry standards of financial health, accountability, and transparency.