Trinity River Mission Inc

“The form 990 is prepared by an independent accountant. The completed form 990 is reviewed by the executive director, the treasurer and/or the finance committee. Once the return is filed a copy is electronically mailed to each member of the board of directors.”

“The organization has a conflict of interest policy which employees are required to comply with. The policy is included in the employee handbook. Additionally, if the organization becomes aware that a board member's actions may go against the policy then it is first addressed with the executive committee and then taken to the full board for discussion and for decisions to be made.”

“Compensation of the executive director is reviewed and approved by the board of directors. The organization uses a compensation survey of local not-for-profit organizations to establish the executive director's compensation.”

“Compensation of other officers or key employees is reviewed and approved by the board of directors. The organization uses a compensation survey of local not-for-profit organizations to establish the other officers- or key employees' compensation.”

“The organization's governing documents, conflict of interest policy and financial statements are available to the public upon request.”

“Trinity river mission is a volunteer based community learning center that promotes literacy, encourages academic success and develops effective life skills among disadvantaged youth in west dallas, in the belief that education connects us to life's possibilities.”

“Believe & achieve (b&a): as a student enters the 6th grade, they transition into our believe & achieve youth development and scholarship program. The ultimate goal of the believe & achieve program is to increase the number of students who pursue and are prepared to succeed in post- secondary education. Students come to b&a to prepare to succeed in college, learn valuable life skills that will help them obtain a future career, and earn a 4,000 scholarship. In order to do so, the youth sign a contract of agreement to fulfill program requirements, including participation in age-appropriate college and career preparation workshops (e.g., free application for federal student aid (fafsa) training, sat practice, financial literacy, networking skills, and career/school fairs), 10 college field trips, 20 hours of computer literacy, submission of report cards and test scores, and 20 hours of community service. Students also have access to homework assistance through study hall and trm's tutor power hour program. To fulfill community service requirements, students have the option to volunteer as a reading buddy to trm's k-3 grade students, an opportunity that teaches them leadership skills and how to be a role model. B&a implements a variety of skills-based training opportunities to help our students succeed in school, career, and life, such as lemonade day, an experiential entrepeneurial program created by prepared 4 life that engages youth in starting and running their own small business. Students are asked to set goals, create and implement plans, and take steps toward financial literacy. The goal of b&a life skills training is to teach such valuable skills as planning, fundraising, organizing, teambuilding, and leadership skills that will help our students long after they have graduated our program. Students also have the opportunity to be paired with mentors based on common interests, career paths, and extracurricular activities. Meeting in-person at least twice per month and communicating via phone, social media, or email, mentors are key role models for students who assist with problem solving and critical thinking and are a source of guidance and support through the educational exploration of each student. Mentors allow students to have experiences they may not have otherwise by exposing them to art, music, sports, recreation, and other educational and cultural activities. Through college fair opportunities, collaboration with parents on the college process, student conferences, and sat/act prep through kaplan, trm works to ensure that students are college-ready. Students can also go on exploratory in- and out-of-state college campus visits that parallel what they would encounter as they register and enroll in college, including the exploration of dorms and/or apartments, financial aid options, lecture halls, student life, campus traditions, and much more. Upon successful completion of all program components and high school graduation, each student is eligible to receive a 4,000 scholarship. When a student graduates from the believe & achieve program, he/she has the academic knowledge, skills, and attitude to thrive in college, career, and life and be a positive and contributing member of their community. Outcomes: - 245 students served in believe & achieve - 23 mentors - 96% of seniors graduated high school - 96% of students were promoted to the next grade level - 64% of students improved their literacy and/or math grades by 15% - 80% of students reported increased positive attitude/beliefs/perceptions of self and future - 33% of students who took act/sat were college-ready (new outcome that was difficult to measure because of low number of students submitting sat/act scores a different measurement will be used in the future that will measure students' ability to enroll and attend their 1st semester of college)”

“Tutor power hour: if a k-12 grade student requires additional assistance in reading or math, as determined by report card grades, academic interactions with the student such as during homework help, and student/parent tutoring requests, trm staff matches that student with a trained volunteer tutor that meets with them one-on-one for one hour per week through our tutor power hour program. The program includes literacy tutoring, reading buddies, and online math tutoring. Embedded in the program is the philosophy that students learn by doing, by being totally immersed in the new learning, and by sounding out loud their reactions and opinions with the knowledge that they are supported by a volunteer who encourages and cares about them. It is this critical thinking, confidence-boosting process that is the strength of the tutor power hour program.”

“Homework help: the homework help program takes place monday-thursday from 3-6pm for students in grades k-5 with additional project hour support from 6-8pm as needed. Americorps members, staff, and volunteers provide academic support to students by assisting with homework and providing tools and resources for school projects. Students are rewarded for homework completion, attendance, and good behavior by earning "trm bucks" with bi-annual events to spend their "bucks" on school supplies and toys. This system not only serves as a measurement of progress for students but, also, begins to teach the importance of accountability at a young age. In 2015-2016, trm re-focused our plaza arts and crafts activities, which students partake in after completing their homework, to steam (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) activities. Each day, students can participate in a new hands-on lesson that incorporates one or more steam categories, such as tessellations day, which exposes students to the concept and properties of tessellations by using the artwork of m.c. Escher. Our long hours give students more time to complete their homework, create a space for students and parents to work together on projects, and ensure that students learn and practice good time management skills. Students are also exposed to college at an early age through yearly trips to southern methodist university for easter and halloween festivities and trm's "wall of honor," which showcases our believe & achieve high school graduates. Outcomes: - 220 students served - 98% of students were promoted to the next grade level - 92% of students participated in special events/projects/field trips that exposed students to college at an early age - 95% of students reported an increased positive attitude/beliefs/perceptions of self and future - 95% of 5th grade students transitioned into the believe & achieve program”

“Kid's cafe: in partnership with citysquare and north texas food bank, trm feeds any child from the community who needs a nutritious, homemade meal. Meals are prepared daily during programs. Expenses 163,150. Including grants of 0. Revenue 0. Family connection rewards families for giving back to their community, improving themselves through education, and supporting the development of educational success in their children. The program was initiated in 2005 by the parents of trm who desired to earn the services and goods their children received from trm, set a good example for their children, and increase parental involvement. Families volunteer a minimum of 60 hours/year for access to our back-to-school drive in august and family adoption program for christmas. There were 107 families participating in this program. Expenses 90,054. Including grants of 0. Revenue 0.”