DCFYI Volunteer Consulting Project

Family & Youth Initiative (DCFYI) is a small DC based non-profit that gives teens who are in foster care a supportive community and lasting relationships with committed adults. They bring teens and adults together at weekend events where they get to build relationships naturally, which leads to teens being matched with mentors, weekend host parents, committed community members, and adoptive families.

DCFYI is the only area organization, and one of few nationally, that focuses solely on ensuring that teens in foster care have lasting relationships with caring adults.

Ensuring that young people do not enter adulthood alone is critical. Teens who do not achieve permanency remain in foster care until they turn twenty-one and emancipate or “age out” of care. These young people face a very difficult transition to adulthood, both absolutely and relative to their non-foster care peers. A multi-state study of youth who aged out documents that by age 26, more than a third experience homelessness; only 6% complete a two or four-year college; almost half are not working; and nearly 60% of men and 30% of women have been convicted of a crime. Yet research shows that a lasting relationship with at least one caring adult is the most important factor in changing outcomes.

STRATEGIC VOLUNTEER REQUEST: Over fourteen years of existence, DCFYI has grown its funding but still has gaps. One area where they have not yet been successful is in attracting more corporate funding (beyond sponsorships for the annual Establishing Roots fundraiser). They are looking for partners to help them find a successful approach – both crafting targeted messaging that highlights the importance of DCFYI’s mission and the value of investing in youth transitioning out of foster care; and creating a list of potential companies or key individuals to engage based on their community focus, philanthropic interests, or direct connections to foster care and adoption.

By signing up for this event, you are agreeing to be a part of a short term consulting project team. Your hours will be eligible for both MOV and Community Fellow awards. Follow up meetings will be scheduled based on the availability of team members and DCFYI leadership. SGA VP of Community & Wellness will contact registered attendees with more information. Lunch will be provided for any onsite meeting that we require.


For more information about DCFYI, you can visit their website here: https://www.dcfyi.org

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