11: Pivot in the Pandemic with Marcus Pope and Matt Norris of Youthprise

Youthprise pivoted their service model during the pandemic. No one could have predicted what happened next.

Not every family has equal access to afterschool and summer programs. These programs often carry a price that is too great for impoverished families. A few years ago, the state of Minnesota came up with a great idea – provide tax credits so low-income families can take part. But there is a catch. The families must first front the cost and wait for the credit to appear on their taxes many months later.

Youthprise and Venn Foundation teamed up to launch Minnesota Afterschool Advance. They help low-income families pay for afterschool and summer programming. They do so by using an innovative financing model. They help families use a state tax credit that can cover 75% of the cost of these activities.

Marcus Pope of Youthprise explains. “For systemic reasons, this tax credit is underutilized. Only about 4% of the potential funding is claimed each year. If every eligible family in Minnesota used the full amount, it would be about $275 million.

In the first 18 months, those same systemic barriers constrained the program’s growth. But, after months of work, the plan was finally showing signs of traction.

According to Matt Norris of Youthprise, “As we entered 2020, we saw a summit of statewide partners as a critical inflection point. That would springboard us into our biggest summer and fall by far.” That is until all activities ground to a halt because of COVID-19. “The order to self-isolate came just days before the summit,” Matt explains.

The prospect of afterschool programs being shuttered weighed heavily on Marcus and Matt. “It was frustrating,” Matt says. We were of thwarted by something completely out of our control. This happened just as the program was starting to build real momentum. It was intense. But we focused on the opportunities to advance our mission and build momentum.”

The Minnesota Afterschool Advance program focused on access to afterschool programs. The same tax credit can also be used for up to $200 of computer hardware per family per year. Marcus adds, “The entire state prepared to shift to distance learning over just two weeks. We saw an opportunity to help low-income families prepare for the transition. We scoured the internet and found Chromebooks for under $200. We quickly threw together a flyer and started sharing it with our network.”

Marcus remembers the moment well. “I can tell you almost to the minute when the first school district sent the flyer out to every one of their families. In the blink of an eye, the applications started pouring in, and my phone and inbox lit up. In the next 48 hours, our program received more applications than it did in all 2019!”

More schools started sharing the flyer district-wide. Local influencers posted about it on their social media. The next week became a mad scramble to marshal the product, dollars, and people to deliver for families. “The deluge hasn’t stopped since,” Matt says. “At one point, demand became so overwhelming we had to shut down our application and start a waiting list while we shored up our supply of devices. We tried to refine a process that was strained by the unprecedented volume. We’re now working through a waiting list of over 150 families with more added every single day.”

In just one week, with one pivot, they responded to an immediate need. Youthprise shifted from a program grieving a loss to one meeting the demand for its services. 

Learn More About Youthprise:

Youthprise: https://youthprise.org

Minnesota Afterschool Advance: https://mnafterschool.org

Venn Foundation: https://www.vennfoundation.org

Chief Learning Officer
About the Author
Tony Loyd is a leadership development expert. He is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and coach. He helps purpose-driven business leaders to thrive so that they can connect with others and contribute to the world. Find out more at https://TonyLoyd.com.

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