Mission Statement
Our mission is to teach and foster decision-making and life-planning skills among women who are incarcerated, and others expressing interest, by means of a structured curriculum delivered by trained volunteers. The ultimate goal is to reduce recidivism among female offenders and to break the intergenerational cycle of crime by teaching women (most of whom are mothers) how to gain more control over their lives by setting goals, deciding rather than reacting, and making and sticking to concrete plans for changing their attitudes and behaviors.
Leadership
CEO/Executive Director
Ms. Kathy Masulis
Board Chair
Ms. Peggy West
Board Chair Company Affiliation
Community Volunteer
History & Background
Year of Incorporation
1999
Organization's type of tax exempt status
501-C3
Financial Summary
Projected Expenses
$39,050.00
Projected Annual Revenue
$39,050.00 (2015)
Statements
Mission
Our mission is to teach and foster decision-making and life-planning skills among women who are incarcerated, and others expressing interest, by means of a structured curriculum delivered by trained volunteers. The ultimate goal is to reduce recidivism among female offenders and to break the intergenerational cycle of crime by teaching women (most of whom are mothers) how to gain more control over their lives by setting goals, deciding rather than reacting, and making and sticking to concrete plans for changing their attitudes and behaviors.
Background
Better Decisions began in 1985, when a concerned and knowledgeable community volunteer (Candy Markman) observed that women leaving prison had an especially difficult time making the transition back into the community. Most of these women struggle with substance abuse, and many have a history of physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse. More than 50% lack a high-school diploma or GED. Institutionalization strips away any opportunity for decision-making; and yet, upon release, these women are expected to find housing, jobs, and rejoin their families and communities as fully functioning members. While searching for a prerelease program that would better prepare women for release, Candy discovered an eight-week decision-making curriculum. She recruited community volunteers as mentors, and began the first cycle at TPW in January 1985. Initially a program under the umbrella of other nonprofits, Better Decisions incorporated as a 501(c)3 in March 1999. Twice a year, Better Decisions has trained 25-30 new volunteers during a 10-hour weekend workshop in Nashville. (The Board voted in 2007 to limit trainings to one weekend per year to increase efficiency and decrease costs, and to focus more on volunteer retention.) Volunteers are then matched with inmates at the Tennessee Prison for Women who have voluntarily signed up for the program. The 8-week cycles include two components: (1) a Monday night class, taught by two experienced volunteer teachers, in which 15-20 inmates learn a 5-step decision-making model, and (2) 1-on-1 sessions later in the week in which each inmate meets with her trained volunteer mentor to practice and reinforce the skills she learned on Monday night. Both teachers and volunteer mentors use a structured curriculum. Over 1,500 inmates have graduated, and about 1,130 volunteers have been trained and partnered with incarcerated women.
Impact
Last Year's Impact
1) 44 TPW inmates graduated from the core program, each of whom was matched with a trained volunteer mentor..
Current Year's Goals
1) Continue core program at TPW in spring and fall 2015; 2) Hold Energizer event for experienced volunteers in January; 3) Hold 30th anniversary celebration in late spring 2015; 4)Train new volunteers in Sept. 2015.
Needs
1. Volunteers
2. Financial support for operational expenses
3. Research assistance (for statistical analysis of recidivism among program graduates)
4. Assistance with editing and new graphics for curriculum revision.
5. Additional Board members.
Other ways to donate, support, or volunteer
We gratefully accept donations in any amount! Two options are available: 1) Donate by credit card on
www.givingmatters.com or 2) Mail a check to Better Decisions, P.O. Box 120754, Nashville, TN 37212.
We also train new volunteers in Sept. of every calendar year. For more information, please see our website
www.betterdecisions.org.
Service Categories
Primary Organization Category
Crime & Legal - Related / Inmate Support
Secondary Organization Category
Human Services / Human Services NEC
Tertiary Organization Category
Public & Societal Benefit / Public & Societal Benefit NEC
Areas of Service
The Tennessee Prison for Women (TPW) in Nashville is one of 3 state prisons for females in Tennessee (the others are in Memphis and in Bledsoe County). TPW is located in north Nashville, in the Bordeaux area, near the intersection of Briley Parkway and Ashland City Highway.
CEO Statement
Better Decisions fills a gap in programming at the women's prison by providing much-needed instruction in life-planning and decision-making skills. Inmates not only benefit greatly by gaining competence and confidence in their ability to make wiser choices, they also profit from their contact with women from the Free World. In many cases, an inmate's 1-on-1 weekly session with her trained volunteer partner is the only visit she receives during her incarceration. Volunteers thus serve as invaluable role models for women who are largely invisible to the community. Better Decisions truly builds bridges between women behind the walls and women in the greater Nashville community. We strive for a diverse volunteer pool,and provide a uniquely gratifying volunteer experience. Written evaluations consistently reveal that volunteers, as well as inmates, find participation in BD to be a unique learning experience. Better Decisions is a volunteer-driven organization, employing just one part-time staff person who maintains a home office. Every donation goes directly into program services, with very little lost to administrative or development costs. Donors know that their dollars are well spent.
Administering Better Decisions at the TPW has grown more challenging since 2013 due to changes in TDOC regulations governing volunteer certification. We reluctantly postponed our Sept. 2013 training for new volunteers in order to give the TPW staff time to develop and implement new policies in order to be in compliance with federal mandates. While these changes impacted the numbers of inmates/volunteers who participated in 2013, we were able to train 12 new volunteers in Sept. 2014 and are grateful to be back up to our typical number of participants.
Board Chair
Board Chair
Ms. Peggy West
Company Affiliation
Community Volunteer
Term
Feb 2012 to Mar 2015
Email
pegsulu2@comcast.net
Board Demographics - Ethnicity
African American/Black
2
Asian American/Pacific Islander
0
Caucasian
10
Hispanic/Latino
0
Native American/American Indian
0
Other
0
Board Demographics - Gender
Male
0
Female
12
Unspecified
0
Governance
Board Term Lengths
2
Board Term Limits
2
Board Meeting Attendance %
74%
Does the organization have written Board Selection Criteria?
Yes
Does the organization have a written Conflict of Interest Policy?
No
Percentage of Board Members making Monetary Contributions
100%
Percentage of Board Members making In-Kind Contributions
100%
Does the Board include Client Representation?
Yes
Number of Full Board Meetings Annually
6
Executive Director/CEO
Executive Director
Ms. Kathy Masulis
Term Start
Aug 1997
Email
kathymasulis@comcast.net
Experience
Kathy has been a volunteer teacher with Better Decisions beginning since spring of 1991. She was hired as Program Director in August 1997. Kathy has a masters degree in religious education from Loyola University. She has been a local community volunteer including serving as the board president for Penuel Ridge Retreat Center.
Staff
Full Time Staff
0
Part Time Staff
1
Volunteers
60
Contractors
0
Retention Rate
100%
Plans & Policies
Does the organization have a documented Fundraising Plan?
Yes
Does the organization have an approved Strategic Plan?
No
In case of a change in leadership, is a Management Succession plan in place?
No
Does the organization have a Policies and Procedures Plan?
No
Does the organization have a Nondiscrimination Policy?
Yes
Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year Start
July 01 2014
Fiscal Year End
June 30 2015
Projected Revenue
$39,050.00
Projected Expenses
$39,050.00
Endowment Spending Policy
N/A
Endowment Spending Percentage (if selected)
0%
Detailed Financials
Short Term Solvency
Capital Campaign
Is the organization currently conducting a Capital Campaign for an endowment or the purchase of a major asset?
No
Capital Campaign Goal
$0.00
Capital Campaign Anticipated in Next 5 Years?
No
State Charitable Solicitations Permit
TN Charitable Solicitations Registration
Yes - Expires Dec 2015
Organizational Budgets and Other Documents