F.I.N.D. Design
Executive Director
| Executive Director | Ms. Kara James |
|---|---|
| kjames@thefinddesign.org | |
| Term Start | January 2013 |
| Kara's Experience: Kara James-Johnson was born in Pontiac, MI to an abusive father. By the time Kara was four, her father had been sentenced to 15 years in prison and her mom had become a single mother on welfare. Statistically, Kara was 6 times more likely than most to end up imprisoned herself. Because of these factors, Kara understood first hand the struggle that young people faced when dealt a difficult hand. After making poor decisions that resulted in stiff consequences during her teen and young adult years, Kara made the conscious decision to turn her life around and conquer the obstacles that had been thrown her way. She began working as a Pre-K teacher while studying Psychology at the University of Phoenix, after which she joined corporate America where she would spend the next 15 years moving up the corporate ladder working in different departments such as Quality, Risk Management, Special Investigations and the office of the CEO. Kara also worked part-time as an Employment Specialist where she assisted individuals in finding employment after becoming disabled due to a workplace injury. Eventually, Kara took the experience of the corporate sector and her understanding of business and Co-founded The F.I.N.D. Design along with co-worker and counterpart, Sharese Chapman. Kara serves as the full-time Executive Director where she is accountable for development, fundraising, board relations, communication, marketing, and overall vital direction and leadership. | |
Senior Staff
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Sharese Chapman | Director of Operations |
| Destini Burns | Director of Programmatic Innovation |
Staff
| Full Time Staff | 3 |
|---|---|
| Part Time Staff | 0 |
| Volunteers | 1 |
| Contractors | 1 |
| Retention Rate | 50% |
Plans & Policies
| Does your organization have a Fundraising Plan? | Under Development |
|---|---|
| Does your organization have a Strategic Plan? | Yes |
| Years Strategic Plan Considers | 5 |
| When was the Strategic Plan adopted? | October 2022 |
| Does your organization have a Management Succession Plan? | Under Development |
| Does your organization have a Policy and Procedure Plan? | Yes |
| Does the organization have a Nondiscrimination Policy? | Yes |
| Does the organization have a Whistle Blower Policy? | No |
| Does the organization have a Document Destruction Policy? | Yes |
Evaluation
| Is there a formal evaluation for... | Frequency (if applicable) | |
|---|---|---|
| CEO/Executive Director | Yes | Annually |
| Senior Management | Yes | Semi-Annually |
| Non-Management | Yes | Quarterly |
Awards
| Award / Recognition | Organization | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Grant | Rite Aid Foundation | 2018 |
| Grant | Community Foundation-The Women's Fund | 2018 |
| Grant | U.S. Bank Foundation | 2018 |
| Grant | Nashville Predators Foundation | 2018 |
| Grant | Maddox Charitable Fund | 2019 |
| Grant | Mckesson | 2017 |
| Grant | Community Foundation- The Women's Fund | 2019 |
| Grant | Rite Aid Foundation | 2017 |
| Grant | Emma Lou Foundation | 2018 |
| Grant | Juvenile Court Partnership | 2020 |
| Spotlight Organization | Antioch Middle School | 2017 |
| Partner of the Year | Youth For Christ | 2020 |
CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments
| It's generally understood that newer nonprofits often find themselves faced with a multitude of challenges. We are currently addressing the issues we've experienced in the following ways: 1. Diversifying Funding Streams - As specified in our strategic plan, it's been a top priority for our organization to secure and diversify funds. From 2016-2017, our organization had increased its revenue by 314% and in the first month of 2018, due to key partnerships with Metro Nashville Public Schools, Metro Nashville Police Department, Juvenile Court, The Community Foundation, The Women's Fund, and other organizations, we had far surpassed our total revenue of 2017. Since then, continuing this trend has been essential in ensuring our mission is being executed, services are continued, and our staff is compensated for all the hard work they put into meeting our organization's goals. 2. Continuous Education - Another priority for F.I.N.D. is to ensure that each of its employees and volunteers receives continuous education and training. Training strengthens employees understanding of their importance to the organization. Through continued education, leadership has the opportunity to assist staff members in accomplishing individual and business goals and expanding their knowledge of job expectations. 3. Teaching a positive experience - A company should establish a series of values as the basis for cultures such as honesty, excellence, attitude, respect, and teamwork (IOMA, 2008.) F.I.N.D. prides itself on establishing a culture that attracts passionate, teachable, and productive employees and retaining these individuals. 4. Mentoring - Not only does F.I.N.D. offer mentoring services for its clients, but F.I.N.D. is also adamant about providing these services to its employees. Research shows that a mentoring program integrated with a goal-oriented feedback system provides a structured mechanism for developing strong relationships within an organization and is a solid foundation for employee retention and growth (Wingfield.) F.I.N.D. has established a one-on-one mentoring program with the Executive Director that offers one-on-one feedback and the opportunity to share individual goals. The ED offers feedback and a plan as well as accountability checkpoints to ensure goals are being met. Additionally, beginning in 2019, F.I.N.D. began incorporating "appreciation activities" that help promote positive relationship building in the workplace, which in turn increases overall productivity and efficiency. |
