KIZER INC.

Housing The Homeless

The Company Of The Future
Kizer 7/19/2012

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I.

Company Information We are Housing the Homeless a non-profit organization. We regularly offer classes in

literacy, GED preparation, basic computer skills, spirituality and creative expression totaling over 1,300 classes. Through a partnership with the Metro Police Department, we also provide a safe alternative to jail. The partnership allows us to offer food and shelter 24 hours a day to individuals undergoing alcohol and drug treatment. Housing the Homeless also provides medically fragile homeless people a safe place to recover from illness or recent hospitalization. Shelter, meals, and medications are provided. In partnership with the Metro Health Department, medical care is provided. While recuperating, needs assessments are completed to link the individual to mainstream services. Our mission is emphasizing the scriptural ideals of love and community through service to the homeless, our company provides faithful people of Nashville an opportunity to respond directly to the broken and disenfranchised among us. This fellowship with the poor is at the heart of our purpose. We also value the power of spirituality and the practice of love, while providing hospitality with a respect that offers hope in a community of nonviolence. Our agency is a model of public/private partnerships, committed to providing enhanced services to the people who are homeless as well as improving the "system" by which these services are delivered. II. Organizational Structure Since people drive our organization, we like to honor their input. We approach our organization with a participative style. This style of operation allows communication to be more

open between superiors and subordinates. The decision making process is decentralized and information flows freely through all channels of communication. Through this process performance goals are set high but realistic. Finally, control is decentralized to allow team members to use feedback in order to exercise self-control. (Papa, Daniels, & Spiker, 1997, p.9495) An article written by Mitch McCrimmon described the effectiveness of being a participative style organization. He said You can pat people on the back and recognize their efforts but this is not as effective in motivating people as involving them in important decisions.(McCrimmon, 2011) Therefore, a participative management style requires more time but since a decision is required to make which affects others, getting feedback from the affected parties can cushion some negative impact during implementation. This management style has the element of democracy but it involves more intensive input from others. And the key difference is decision is based on logical evaluation of various options rather than by majority. Our organization is mainly powered by volunteers. Volunteers are welcomed in every area of Housing the Homeless. They serve in many roles, according to their gifts and talents and Housing the Homeless needs. Our number one concern that all volunteers and staff share is that we should deliver a sense of grace in our hospitality to the homeless community. While many organizations in the nonprofit society are ordered by rules of exclusion, Housing the Homeless strives to create a partnership based upon inclusion. Our organization believes the special

relationships that develop among participants, volunteers, staff, and friends of Housing the Homeless are essential to building and maintaining an inclusive community. Michael Worth, a nonprofit expert, once stated that the perception of nonprofits was collections of well-intentioned people who struggle with minimal resources to meet human needs.(Worth, p. xvi) Housing the Homeless is different because we offer a way for more people to understand the problems of the homeless by becoming directly involved with people who are homeless. Furthermore, we are about changing people, guests and hosts alike. We create the opportunity for guests to learn that there are people who care and for the hosts to come to understand that the faceless figure on the street corner is more than a statistic and that there are solutions. We are about serving without prejudice or pride. Housing the Homeless is about accepting everyone. III. Communication Flow Internal communication is essential to motivate, inform, and counsel people to achieve organizational excellence. Our organization uses internal communication in order to effectively welcome alternative perspectives, which it invites and encourages participation at all levels, also minimizes defensiveness, and builds and maintains camaraderie. Our internal communication flows freely up as well as down, horizontally as well as vertically. Our management team solicits actively, listens carefully, and responds respectfully to the views of our internal constituents. Our internal constituency communication method includes policies and practice manuals, open meetings, newsletters, e-mail reports, suggestion boxes, friendly one on one suggestion sessions,

reports on meetings of the board and its committees, recognition awards and receptions for board, staff and volunteers. Furthermore, external communication is essential to attract and retain users of our organizations services and to raise public consciousness, understanding, commitment to, and funding of the organization. We practice marketing which entails a plan to identify and keep in touch with our organizations external constituencies about their needs and desires and explains and promotes how our organizations programs meet those consumer needs. Also, we focus on our relationships between the organization and the public. These relationships include news information, crisis management and government relations. We have several external communication objectives: a. Visibility Does our public know who we are? b. Reputation Can we be trusted? c. Accessibility Can our public get information quickly from us through a live and knowledgeable staff member?

Other important avenues of external communication methods we use are: web site, annual report, advertising, public service announcements, promotion brochures and flyers, news releases, press conferences, feature stories, special events and promotions. As the services and operations of charitable nonprofits become more complex, there is an increasing need for specially trained paid staff with a dedicated time commitment.

We have extensive documented policies and practices which define our paid staffs status and guide their work. First, our human relations policies cover: a. Position descriptions. b. Interview standards. c. Terms and conditions of employment. d. Compensation and benefits. e. Training and development. f. Performance review. g. Promotion policies. h. Disciplinary grounds. i. Termination grounds and procedures. j. Conflict resolution procedures. k. Grievance procedure. We also offer employee protection through non-discrimination, including harassment and whistle blowing. Also, we carefully interview and plan the first few days of an employees work with adequate orientation and mentoring. We provide a stimulating, flexible, and enjoyable working environment. As a charitable nonprofit we invest in our staff. In dealing with our limited budget we give priority to paying staff adequate compensation and fringe benefits. Through this we are able to provide a budgeted amount for staff training that will improve skills and morale. Finally, we try to express appreciation and also show respect for staff work well done in spontaneous as well as through formalized recognition awards.

References Papa, M. J., Daniels, T. D., & Spiker, B. K. (2008). Organizational communication: perspectives and trends. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Worth, M. (2009). Nonprofit Management: Principles and Practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc. What is Participative Leadership?: The importance of involving employees in making decisions | Suite101.com. (n.d.). Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. Retrieved July 20, 2012, from http://suite101.com/article/what-is-participative-leadership-a23335