Social Innovation Fund
Subgrantee Progress Report
Report through March 31, 2014; due April 15, 2014 to Jennifer.Callans@LiveUnitedSEM.org
Organization:
Starfish Family Services
Person completing this report: Tanya Upthegrove
SIF Initiative web page (hyperlink): http://www.inksterflm.org
Population Served: Provide a number of children served by your organization’s SIF Initiative for Year 2 only
(9/1/13 through 3/31/14).
Children served: 350 Actual
Measurement method (such as sign-in sheets, headcounts, etc.); if estimated, how did you calculate that
estimate?
Participant registration forms and sign-in sheets were used as the measurement methods to calculate the total
children served.
Narrative description of progress for this reporting period only, September 2013 through March 2014:
Despite a relatively slow programming start experienced during the first quarter due to staffing transitions and
low participant turnout, the Inkster Family Literacy Movement (IFLM) finished the second quarter with new
partnerships and program activities as well as renewed momentum for engaging children, families, and
community stakeholders in its work.
Along with the Storytime at Inkster Library, 5000 Books Campaign, and Book Clubs all of which were program
enhancements which took place during the first quarter, IFLM also began the following program activities based
on feedback from participants and community members:
 Field Trips to The Henry Ford and Greenfield Village – On Macy Monday’s IFLM will offer field trips to The
Henry Ford and Greenfield Village on a monthly basis with transportation provided from Starfish Family
Services main location and the LeMoyne Gardens Community Center located within Inkster Housing. This
program offering was a direct response to feedback from the KABB survey which indicated that less than
25% of survey respondents had visited a museum within the last month prior to completing the survey.
While currently targeting playgroup and book club participants, beginning in April we will begin an “Invite
a Neighbor” campaign to increase participation as well as encourage involvement in other IFLM program
activities.

Monthly Book Distributions – Due to the overwhelming response from the community in donating books
to support the 5000 Books campaign, IFLM has established a monthly book distribution in which families,
individuals and community organizations can receive new and gently used book donations. The Monthly
Book Distribution also offers opportunities for attendees to learn more about the programs and services
available through IFLM. Within the two month timespan of its start, over 1600 books have been
distributed just through the monthly book distributions alone. While we only track books that are
distributed specifically to Inkster children and families for our program metric (1897 of 5000 Books as of
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Social Innovation Fund
Subgrantee Progress Report
Report through March 31, 2014; due April 15, 2014 to Jennifer.Callans@LiveUnitedSEM.org
March 31st), there is a clear interest in having ongoing access to both new and used books within the
Inkster community.
Such program enhancements have been instrumental in outreach efforts as well as realizing progress toward the
5000 Books Campaign, a key program metric for the 2013-14 program year. Additional successes and challenges
which have impacted the number of children served are described in detail on pages 2-4, in ‘Program Challenges
and Successes’.
Events Held During the Reporting Period*:
Date
2/10/14
2/12/14
2/17/14
2/24/14
2/28/14
3/13/14
3/27/14
Event
Total 0-5 Participants
Field Trip to The Henry Ford
McDonald’s Family Literacy Night
Storytime at the Library
Storytime at the Library
Black History Month Reading Rally
It’s Motorful Life
McDonald’s Family Literacy Night
Total Participants Quarter Two
Total Unduplicated from Quarter Two
Total from Quarter One
Total Quarter 1 and 2
6
25
2
1
25
214
22
295
268
82
350
*NOTE: The events captured above do not include parent participation or children over age 5.
Match: Provide an accounting of commitments and actual cash received by your organization’s SIF Initiative for
Year 2 only (9/1/13 through 3/31/14). Your organization must match subgrants on a 1:1 basis, with non-federal
funds.
Year 2
(9/1/13-8/31/14)
SIF Subgrant
$212,470
SIF Match commitments (pledges; this includes pledges that have been paid in part $0
or in whole)
SIF Match payments (cash received and/or organizational cash such as Indirect
$115,543
Costs)
Match measurement method (such as signed promissory notes): Match payments received.
Narrative description of progress for Year 2 only (9/1/13 through 3/31/14):
Ongoing fund development efforts are taking place to secure the SIF match which includes proposal submissions
to identified foundations as well as an upcoming spring donor appeal mailing to individual donors. It is expected
that the remaining match will be secured prior to the end of the grant year.
Grant proposals have been submitted to the following funders: National Book Foundation, Gannett Foundation,
Build A Bear Workshop Foundation, State Farm Neighborhood Assist, Better World Books, Art Van Charity
Challenge.
Challenges: What SIF-related challenges has your organization encountered from January 2014 through March
2014, and how have you dealt with them?
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Social Innovation Fund
Subgrantee Progress Report
Report through March 31, 2014; due April 15, 2014 to Jennifer.Callans@LiveUnitedSEM.org
Staff Transitions – Following the staff transitions which took place during the first quarter which brought a new
Family Literacy Coordinator (Arlene Reese) and an Evaluation Specialist (Janasha Higgins) in September and
October, a new quarter-time Administrative Assistant (Ayanna Higgins), and a new Family Literacy Outreach
Coordinator (Daisy Truss) joined the IFLM staff team during the months of February and March, respectively.
Other staff transitions included both the Program Manager and Volunteer Outreach Coordinator shifting their
responsibilities exclusively to the Inkster Family Literacy Movement. Having reached full staff capacity, it is
expected that the Inkster Family Literacy Movement will realize significant gains in program activities held, total
books distributed, volunteers engaged, and participant turnout. This progress has already begun to take form as
evidenced in the month of March when IFLM achieved its strongest program metrics to date. (See details in the
Program Successes Section)
Participant Turnout & Facility Space – Low participant turnout originally experienced during the first quarter
continued into January as several Playgroups and Book Club Sessions were cancelled due to inclement weather
and subsequent school closures. Additionally, two key locations for IFLM programming – Leanna Hicks Public
Library and the Booker Dozier Recreation Center were both closed during the month of January due to flooding
issues. While the Library has since reopened, weekly attendance for the weekly Storytime at the Library has
dwindled. The Booker Dozier Recreation Center has been closed indefinitely, placing a significant strain on
various community organizations that were heavily reliant on the facility for ongoing program needs.
This issue has been inadvertently addressed as IFLM has begun programming at McDonald’s as well as with
elementary school partners such as Daly Elementary (located within Westwood School District, an IFLM Coalition
Partner), and Romulus Elementary. This strategy has allowed IFLM to strategically target each schools families to
attend scheduled events.
Other Program Challenges
Family Literacy
3 Book Nooks
established with
identified partners
Six, 6 week Literacy
Chat sessions held
(36 individual chats)
500
parents/caregivers
will participate in
Family Literacy
Movement events by
end of the program
Jan-14
Feb-14
Mar-14
Total since
9/1/13
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
6
18
74
37
276
Comments/Insight
It is expected that 1-2 additional locations for book
nooks will be established by the end of the program
year. Two prospective locations have been identified
(Gracie Sees Pastaria and Southwest Block Club),
conversations need to take place between IFLM staff
and respective organizations to solidify the
agreement.
It is expected that the Literacy Chats will begin to
operate in late April and will continue through the end
of the program year.
Because we did not host a traditional reading rally
during the month of March, we experienced a decline
from the previous month. The total reflected only
includes the ongoing programming (Book Club,
Storytime at the Library, & McDonald’s Family Literacy
Night). An increase in this metric is expected for the
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Social Innovation Fund
Subgrantee Progress Report
Report through March 31, 2014; due April 15, 2014 to Jennifer.Callans@LiveUnitedSEM.org
Family Literacy
Jan-14
Feb-14
Mar-14
Total since
9/1/13
year (42/month)
Comments/Insight
month of April as we will be jointly hosting a Reading
Rally with David Hicks Elementary School.
10 Reading Rallies
0
1
0
4
While we did not host a reading rally in the traditional
sense, we did host the Motorful Life event which used
the same format of engaging children – primarily 2-5 –
in hands on literacy activities as well as distributing
books to each child.
Successes: Please describe any progress your organization has made towards SIF implementation goals from
January 2014 through March 2014. Highlight noteworthy successes your organization achieved.
During the reporting period, Tanya Upthegrove and Arlene Reese presented at the National Conference on Family
Literacy. The session titled ‘Let’s Get it Started! Building a Family Literacy Movement from the Ground Up!’ was
well received by nearly 40 workshop attendees including both emergent literacy coalitions and experienced
programs alike. As a follow-up, The Literacy Center of West Michigan will be visiting IFLM to learn more about the
program activity, community partners, and sustainability efforts. The visit is scheduled for May 28th, which is also
the May date for the McDonald’s Family Literacy Night.
IFLM has also secured the services of an Inkster-based photographer that will capture photos during IFLM events
on a continuous basis. Identified images will also be used for key publications including the Starfish Spring Donor
Appeal letter, as well as the IFLM Year 2 Report to be held during the Community Impact Awards scheduled for
October 2014.
Other Program Successes
Family Literacy
Jan-14
Feb-14
Mar-14
Total since
9/1/13
5000 Books will be
distributed to
Inkster children
and families
(417/month)
298
306
457
1897
900 Inkster
children will
participate in IFLM
events by the end
of the program
year (75/month)
0
86
213
559
Comments/Insight
The total number of books distributed to Inkster children
and families has been steadily increasing over the past 5
months after experiencing a decline during the month of
November. Our most recent increase during the month
of March can be attributed primarily due to the Motorful
Life event in which 187 books were distributed to Head
Start and Even Start children.
As described above, this increase is primarily due to the
Motorful Life event.
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Social Innovation Fund
Subgrantee Progress Report
Report through March 31, 2014; due April 15, 2014 to Jennifer.Callans@LiveUnitedSEM.org
Family Literacy
150 volunteers will
be actively
engaged in IFLM
events and
activities
Jan-14
1
Feb-14
19
Mar-14
15
Total since
9/1/13
Comments/Insight
72
We are progressing toward achieving our annual goal;
with a sizable increase based on the full-time
engagement of our IFLM Volunteer Coordinator and her
ability to recruit specifically for the IFLM project. It is
expected that volunteers will become trained to take on
additional roles within programming as well as provide
support to our partner organizations as needed.
Partnership/Collaboration Development: Please describe any noteworthy activities relating to partnership
development, as they relate to or were the result of SIF.
IFLM formalized the following new partnerships during the reporting period:
1. Seeds to Feed Foundation – Co-hosted Black History Month Reading Rally
2. Top Ladies of Distinction – Donated and distributed new books as part of the 5,000 Books Campaign
3. Ford Motor Company Fund – Received grant funding to host the “It’s a Motorful Life” event for Starfish
Family Services Head Start students. Ford Motor Company Fund recruited volunteers that engaged the
children in literacy based activities.
4. Dearborn Heights Rotary Club – Collaborated to purchase books as part of the Books and Bookcases event
with Daly Elementary.
5. Delta Sigma Theta, Inkster Alumni Chapter – Collaborated to host a book distribution as part of the Books
and Blankets event held at Romulus Elementary.
Sustainability: Please any describe any specific developments or steps your organization has taken to strengthen
its longer-term financial stability.
IFLM will be revisiting its fund development strategy for the remaining 3 years of the SIF grant to include a more
clearly defined mix of fundraising efforts including grant funds (event-based, as well as single and multi-year
commitments), individual donors, and special events and strategic partnerships. It is expected that a
comprehensive 3 year development strategy will be completed by June 30th.
During the second quarter, the IFLM Coalition participated in a capacity mapping assessment exercise facilitated
by MSW students from Wayne State University as part of their capstone fieldwork project. Each Coalition partner
completed the Marguerite Casey Organizational Capacity Assessment and participated in an interview is a pair of
WSU students who asked probing questions to gain a better understanding of each organization and insight to
their responses on the survey. The students have since completed all interviews and will be presenting their
findings to IFLM staff and coalition partners in an effort to inform key areas for capacity building within each
organization as well as across the coalition for increased sustainability. This in turn will also be incorporated into
the overall approach for the fund development strategy as grant opportunities will also be sought to address key
organizational areas including volunteer engagement, data management, leadership development, and other
identified areas for capacity improvements. The findings will be presented in late April.
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Social Innovation Fund
Subgrantee Progress Report
Report through March 31, 2014; due April 15, 2014 to Jennifer.Callans@LiveUnitedSEM.org
Great Stories: Describe an interesting or inspiring story or anecdote that reflects the value of your SIF Initiative.
Include references to press coverage here, with hyperlinks when possible.
Henreshia has regularly participated in the programs and events at the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) as
she knows how important such activities to her child’s development. While attending a field trip, she hears an
announcement about an Adult Book Club that is just beginning at the LeMoyne Gardens Community Center. Not
only was Henreshia not interested, but she physically turns away from the Family Literacy Specialist who is
announcing about the book club to demonstrate her disinterest to everyone on the bus. When approached, Jane
explains that she is not interested in attending the book club because she does not read books on her own.
Although Henreshia sees the value of early learning for her child, it becomes difficult for her to model early
literacy practices or to create a literacy rich environment if she does not see the value of reading on her own.
Arlene Reese, the Family Literacy Specialist continued to extend the invitation to the Adult Book Club. She
emphasized how the book club offers a social outlet to parents and caregivers to engage with and support one
another along their reading journey. She also explained that with the book club being held within her community,
it gives her the opportunity to interact with her neighbors on a weekly basis.
The IFLM Adult Book Club is facilitated by the Family Literacy Specialist, but the participants play an active role in
identifying the selected books to read, leading ice-breakers, and ensuring participation from all attendees.
While Henreshia remained hesistant to attend the book club, she couldn’t help but notice that many of her
neighbors decided to join and spoke positively about the experience. Although still skeptical, Henreshia attended
her first book club and was positively overwhelmed by the experience. Reading was not a particular interest to
her, but the Adult Book Club felt different than what she expected. Since first attending, she has actively
participated in multiple book club sessions which featured titles such as The Great Gatsby, Push, and The Coldest
Winter Ever. Henreshia demonstrates her newfound interest by regularly reading in her home.
List of SIF-funded sites:
List here any locations where your organization has run SIF-funded programs to date. If you prefer, you may
attach a spreadsheet with this information.
Site Name
Street Address
City
Zip
Starfish Family Services
30000 Hiveley
Inkster
48141
Starfish Family Services
26429 Michigan Ave
Inkster
48141
LeMoyne Gardens Community
30005 Pine
Inkster
48141
Center
Booker Dozier Recreation Center 2025 Middlebelt
Inkster
48141
Leanna Hicks Public Library
2005 Inkster Road
Inkster
48141
McDonald’s Restaurant
25341 Michigan Ave
Dearborn 48124
McDonald’s Restaurant
27125 Cherry Hill Road
Inkster
48141
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