Post 2- MISSION FARM!

"Our mission is to provide a safe and nurturing learning environment, which allows children to acquire a higher level of thinking through self and environmental exploration. As a childcare facility, we meet the diverse needs of each individual child. Our curriculum encourages and incorporates family and community involvement. We build the foundation for successful development in all areas of social, emotional, physical and cognitive learning."

SOOO... As the Farmhouse Preschool, I was shocked to see we have a mission statement. Only because, it is something that is second nature to me although I would put it into a simple sentence I remember. Also, it is not something we have plastered to our walls at the center. I found it on the about me on our Facebook page (this is also the only website page but there is an email and a phone number for contact to the center).

"Children learn in diverse and safe environments through play by the guidance of the peers and the adults around them." -Haley

• Although this is also a mind set I use when working with all children in all different settings, weather it be babysitting, birthday parties or teaching.  Which leads me to consider a few things after looking at the worksheet and my sentence. 

1. It is TOO vague! I could use this mission statement at any daycare, there is nothing in it that is original to Farmhouse (probably because we are part of a bigger corporate of daycare).  Many include something about how the children have live farm animals and can interact with them, and how that separates us from other centers.
2.  It is TOO wordy for a parent that is just starting to look for a daycare and does not understand all the advancements of child development. 
3.  Although, it does a great job being a mission statement AND NOT a vision statement, after all we are a daycare and do have to follow these standards. 

Post 1- Nonprofit- What is it?

What is a Nonprofit? 
A nonprofit is everything Americans believe it is and so much more. So, let us start with what Americans believe a non-profit is, they generally believe that it is an organization that helps to do good for a certain community without a concern for money for themselves (the workers). What is often overlooked is a nonprofit can be a billion dollar organization. For example, a hospital or a YMCA.   One thing that unites all nonprofits is that they live to follow their mission plans and values. Without these, the nonprofit would not stand.

Four Characteristics:

•  To be a nonprofit, the organization must have a mission statement of what they stand for. This helps when it comes to support for the organization and to build moral. The mission statement also helps for the organization to create maintainable/reachable goals
•  When you walk into a nonprofit, one can almost tell that there is never someone who is power hungry to answer questions. There is usually volunteers, and staffed leaders there to welcome guest to the nonprofit. Most staff organization is going to be the same on every level. Weather you go to a YMCA or a small affordable housing association, the staff organization will be the same. 

• When entering a nonprofit, style tends to be different and there is never the same layout. This is due to independence provided. For example, The government may state we need a boy and girls club and a YMCA but these two organizations look completely different although they are both nonprofits and both serve youth. 
•  How are all these things above decided? Someone can not enforce goals of a mission statement on their own? How does a nonprofit know these are being reached. A nonprofit usually has a board of directors that meets and discusses the organization and how things are running smoothly.  Boards can be made up of a few people or many people, it depends on the organization, oftentimes members are allowed to sit in on board meetings. 

One question I have:  I know the line between nonprofit and for-profit is getting smaller but how does one explain this to someone who will not have their nonprofit certificate. For example, the YMCA, there are so many branches and so many directors with different mission statements, how is this a nonprofit? Does it work because of the different branches?  Although, I am not sure if non employees realize there are branches??