CFUF 2022 Impact Report

PAVING PATHWAYS FORWARD

DISMANTLE POVERTY. PROPEL PROSPERITY.

THE IMPORTANCE OF HOUSEHOLD WEALTH HAS BECOME ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THROUGHOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WEALTH PROVIDES FAMILIES THE MEANS TO INVEST IN THEIR CHILDREN’S EDUCATION, START A BUSINESS, RELOCATE FOR NEW AND BETTER OPPORTUNITIES, BUY A HOUSE, AND HAVE GREATER PARTICIPATION IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. YET WEALTH IS VASTLY UNEQUALLY DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, ESPECIALLY TO BLACK HOUSEHOLDS WHICH HAVE ENDURED GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND OTHER STRUCTURAL BARRIERS THAT HAVE MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO BUILD, MAINTAIN, AND PASS ON WEALTH.

CFUF IS COMMITTED TO CLOSING THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP AND PROPELLING PROSPERITY FOR BALTIMORE BY USING OUR RESOURCES—OUR VOICE, OUR CENTER, OUR PARTNERS, AND OUR COMMUNITY—TO DRIVE POSITIVE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CHANGE. WE REMAIN ALL IN , ALWAYS.

WE ARE THE CENTER FOR URBAN FAMILIES



A leading voice in the national conversation on responsible fatherhood.

 A support network for Baltimore’s most vulnerable citizens.

 A staunch advocate for child support reform in Maryland.

 A provider of experiences, skills, and information to practitioners who seek to strengthen families with low-incomes.

IS

The year 2022 has been a transition from two plus years of global shutdown, social isolation, and fits and starts with reopening. The world at large continues to navigate what may become a COVID-19 endemic and evolves to create new innovations and opportunities. At CFUF, we too are transitioning, progressing, and evolving as a modernized human services organization to meet a new landscape of needs for our members and their families.

In September 2021, the Board approved implementation of our five-year strategic plan. Immediately, we went into action to begin reaching the four goals with the first step presenting the plan to key external stakeholders. The response was enthusiastic and the extreme generosity that materialized to support implementation of the strategic plan was the catalyst for our progress to date. Through the generosity of multiple public and private donors, we have identified or confirmed half of the $41M fundraising goal needed to successfully execute the plan over the next five years.

The critical adjustments we are making to our processes and services directly address the harsh realities, hardships, and inequalities that have existed for centuries and exasperated over the past two years on Black communities. While the massive racial wealth disparity is nothing new in this country, the gap widened again due to the COVID-19 pandemic and acute economic turndown that took hold. As risks and costs soared, many of our members’ households experienced material hardship—food insecurity, the threat of eviction or foreclosure, and an inability to pay bills and provide reliable conditions to support remote learning for children.

Eliminating the racial wealth gap is a generational challenge that requires consideration of the whole Black household. CFUF has always believed in the role that both parents play in the success of children and the whole family, and empowered by emerging research and data, we continue evolving our services to a two-generational approach that provides economic opportunities for adults and educational pathways for children. Intergenerational education and wealth are interconnected, and we see this exemplified through the stories of our members, partners, and staff included in this year’s Impact Report.

Initial implementation of our five-year strategic plan has included increasing the capacity of our organization, as summarized on the following pages, which can only be achieved with hard work and the continued support of our partners and donors. Through the generosity of many funders and individuals, we have brought on key hires that will drive growth and development; evolved our support model as part of EMPath’s learning community; introduced a new program portfolio that includes gateway programs and an alumni association; deployed data-driven platforms such as the Bridge to Self-Sufficiency; designed a cultivation strategy to increase the number of employer partners that offer career pathways and not just jobs; and are now proud to offer educational scholarships to ‘Bauder Scholars’ endowed by Dr. Lillian Bauder.

CFUF’s historical and ongoing success would not be possible without strong governance and Board leadership. At the end of this year, Henry Kahn will conclude his tenure as Board Chair and remain on the Board. Henry’s leadership and commitment helped steer us through a global pandemic and the development and implementation of our five-year strategic plan. In January, Ken Jones, SVP and Chief Operating Officer of the MacArthur Foundation, will succeed Henry as Board Chair.

We are encouraged and motivated by the early successes we are experiencing while implementing our strategic plan. Although, we were told our plan is audacious—CFUF is used to fighting above its weight class and will continue to do whatever it takes to be ALL In

Joseph T. Jones, Jr. Founder, President & CEO

FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN LAUNCH PHASE

Since Board approval of CFUF’s five-year strategic plan in September 2021, initial implementation has yielded early success and promising momentum moving forward. Guided by our ALL In strategy, the critical adjustments we are making to our organizational capacities are helping to strengthen our member support model and pave pathways for social and economic mobility for Black households. We’re excited to share our progress and accomplishments to date.

STRATEGIC

GOAL: PROVIDE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT TO ENCOURAGE PROGRAM ENROLLMENT, COMPLETION, AND ACHIEVEMENT OF MEMBER GOALS

Key hires have been made with a focus on member intake and program navigation, program strategy, and scaling fundraising: Director of Family Strengthening and Community Engagement, Senior Manager of Workforce and Education, Senior Manager of Member Engagement and Support, Support Manager, and Major Gifts Officer.

STRATEGIC GOAL: ENHANCE OUR PROGRAM PORTFOLIO AND PARTNERSHIPS TO PROVIDE HOLISTIC SUPPORT FOR MEMBER FAMILIES

In partnership with Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath), we have trained staff to begin using the mobility coaching framework as we support our members to enhance their skills in self-regulation, executive function, emotional regulation, and motivation—critical skills needed for workplace success.

CFUF now offers ‘gateway’ programs that members enroll in based on their needs, and upon completion, have access to member-only offerings including an alumni association, member circles, leadership and advocacy training programs with mini-grant awards, a homebuying assistance program, and scholarship opportunities through the Bauder Fund for the Center for Urban Families.

Our efforts to increase intergenerational wealth for our members is bolstered by an employer cultivation strategy designed to establish relationships with employer partners like—Whiting-Turner Contracting Company and All Roads—who are willing to co-create explicit career trajectories for our members.

STRATEGIC GOAL: EMPLOY CAPACITY BUILDING AND ADVOCACY TO ADVANCE RACIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE IN BALTIMORE AND BEYOND

To effect broad change and capacity building, we are collaborating with Baltimore City Head Start to fully integrate fatherhood services into its operations. Simultaneously, we are updating our Developing All Dads for Manhood and Parenting (DAD MAP) training curriculum designed to assist non-custodial fathers with lowincomes, to increase and build their fatherhood knowledge and skills. As CFUF is serving more young fathers (ages 18–24), the updated curriculum will have content, tools, and activities that directly addresses the challenges of today's urban and young fathers.

STRATEGIC GOAL: STRENGTHEN DATA SYSTEMS TO FOSTER INNOVATION, CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, AND IMPACT

Collaborating with EMPath, we are developing a customized Bridge to Self-Sufficiency, a data tool that will replace our 10-Dimensions of Self-Sufficiency. The Bridge will track members’ progress and quantify outcomes related to planning, reaching, and sustaining their personal goals along three critical pillars: (1) workforce development and economic success; (2) housing, health and family stability; and (3) social engagement.

Forward Thinking & Future Focused

OUR PROGRAM PORTFOLIO

As part of our five-year strategic plan, we continue to enhance our programming, both in-house and in collaboration with partners, so that available programs and services align with a clearly-defined set of mobility outcomes: workforce development, family strengthening, adult education, financial management, housing, health, social support, and social change.

Economic Success Programs to achieve workplace success:

STRIVE ® BALTIMORE

An intensive 3-week workshop that combines tangible skills, such as resume writing and interviewing, with attitudinal training that prepares individuals to obtain and retain employment.

BACK TO BUSINESS

A 3-day job readiness training that focuses on refreshing the soft skills and job search skills of individuals with prior work experience who are seeking employment.

BALTIMORE BOOST (BOOSTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY FOR FAMILIES)

A partnership between CFUF and the Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) that provides individuals, with low-incomes, access to work and life skills training, BCCC job training certification programs, job placement and retention support, and other supportive services to accelerate social and economic mobility.

TRAIN UP

Supported by the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, Train Up is a partnership with Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) that provides training, credential attainment, and job placement support to Baltimore residents, focusing on high-demand sectors that offer wage earnings at $15+/hour, including career pathways in healthcare, human services, transportation & logistics, construction, and information technology.

Family Stability Programs that strengthen relationships:

BALTIMORE RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD SERVICES

A 4-week training that utilizes CFUF's Developing All Dads for Manhood and Parenting (DAD MAP) curriculum to assist non-custodial fathers, with low-incomes, to increase and build their fatherhood knowledge and skills.

Place-Based

Initiatives

that build resident and community capacity:

BCAAN (BALTIMORE COMMUNITIES ASSISTING AND ADVANCING NEIGHBORS)

The Baltimore Communities Assisting and Advancing Neighbors (BCAAN) initiative utilizes partnerships with 20 community-based organizations to implement residentled solutions to help neighborhoods in the Greater Penn-North area of Baltimore City address poverty. Through the partnerships resident access workforce development, financial education, health and wellness, family stability, and educational services.

PRACTITIONERS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (PLI)

BALTIMORE 2GEN ECOSYSTEM INITIATIVE

CFUF and our partners, Union Baptist Head Start, Healthy Start, and the Judy Center at Dorothy I. Height Elementary School, are building the Baltimore 2Gen Ecosystem to ensure families have access to a streamlined referral process and collaborative case management services to support parents’ employment goals and economic stability, while simultaneously supporting and prioritizing children’s health and their educational trajectories.

PLI is CFUF’s nationally-focused initiative that seeks to promote excellence in the human services field by providing customized technical assistance and training for new, emerging and established organizations and their leaders, in order for them to better serve fathers and families with low incomes.

ALL IN ALWAYS

For self. For family. For future.

ALL IN IS CFUF’S COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO TACKLE THE CYCLES OF INEQUITY, ACCELERATE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, AND ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES THAT PROMOTE AN INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE ECONOMY FOR ALL. AS WE MAKE CRITICAL ADJUSTMENTS, GUIDED BY OUR FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, TO OUR SERVICES AND PROCESSES, ALL IN REMAINS OUR GUIDING MANTRA TO ENSURE OUR MEMBERS' SUCCESS IN ACHIEVING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STABILITY.

ALL In leverages two decades of applied learnings to: Target key critical areas of chronic underemployment and family instability AND

Link individual accountability, person-centered case management, and supportive networks with workforce development training, education, and civic engagement.

MEET OUR MEMBERS

MEMBERS

MEMBERS ARE THE DRIVING FORCE OF CFUF. OUR GOAL IS TO EQUIP THEM WITH THE RESOURCES THAT HELP THEM TO BECOME CHANGE AGENTS ABLE TO TRANSFORM THEIR LIVES, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES. EVERY DAY, WE SEE THE RESULTS OF THIS INVESTMENT THROUGH MEMBERS' PERSERVANCE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THERE IS NO GREATER REWARD.

INTERGENERATIONAL WEALTH AND EDUCATION CHANGES LIVES

On the campus of University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Devin Lee watched in awe as his daughter introduced herself to UMBC President, Dr. Valerie Sheares Ashby, and declared she chose the renowned research institution to launch her journey to becoming a psychologist.

One day soon, Anye Lee, a freshman, said she would share the same title as President Ashby: doctor.

“That’s what I’m talking about; we’re going to do this!” President Ashby said before turning to Mr. Lee, adding, “Thank you for letting me have your child.”

“You’re welcome,” Mr. Lee said. His navy blue t-shirt with the words “Black Daddy Gang” written in fluorescent green immediately gave away his title: proud father.

The encounter was the latest in a chain of events set in motion, almost a decade earlier, when Mr. Lee made the decision to walk through the doors at CFUF.

Anye was in elementary school at the time, and he knew he needed to make some changes in order to create the life he wanted for her.

The first change was in his attitude. Through CFUF’s signature workforce training initiative, STRIVE® , Mr. Lee said he learned to take more accountability and gained a better understanding of how to be a responsible father. In time, he learned skills to earn his commercial driver’s license and bought a home in West Baltimore. He dreams now of buying his own rig for hauling and working for himself.

The example he set was defining in Anye’s life.

“If my Dad wasn’t set on being successful in his own right, it would be a lot different in how I see myself being successful,” Anye, 18, said. “It is different when your parents are in front of you trying. That’s different. My Dad has matched his promises with actions, and it has gone very well for him. I have been a witness to his work ethic. Seeing his example pushed me.”

CFUF Director of Development, Marilyn Aklin, D.P.A.; CFUF Member, Devin Lee; UMBC Student, Anye Lee; UMBC President, Dr. Valerie Sheares Ashby; CFUF Founder, President and CEO, Joseph T. Jones, Jr.

Anye graduated from Western High School and has a full scholarship to UMBC. She will work to earn a double major in psychology and social work at the university that serves as a national example for access, equity and achievement. In terms of doctorates, UMBC graduates more Black students who pursue PhDs in engineering and natural sciences than any other college in the United States.

President Ashby is in her first year on the job. The University System of Maryland Board of Regents appointed her to the position following a national search. A chemist by training, she served most recently as dean of Duke University’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. She succeeds Freeman A. Hrabowski III, who retired after 30 years as president.

In meeting Anye, President Ashby explained the power of the diversity that is UMBC’s hallmark—diversity in race, gender, geography and economic status.

“What you will bring is your own version of diversity and uniqueness,” President Ashby told Anye. “Nobody else on this campus has had your experience. Nobody. That matters when you sit in a classroom, because you think differently than every other human on this campus."

“And that makes the conversation better, and it makes every other person’s education richer.”

What she gains, President Ashby said, in part, "is a network of people activated on her behalf."

“That is what coming to a university does for you: I immediately start thinking, ‘Who do you need to know, or what internship can you have?’” President Ashby said. “That is the social network that people of color don’t always have. I wouldn’t be sitting here if someone didn’t do it for me, and you will do it for someone else one day. You will be sitting some place, and you will see some child, and you will say, 'Oh, I can open that door for you.'"

Joseph T. Jones, Jr., CFUF president and an UMBC alumnus, said the Lees’ experience represents the promise of intergenerational education. Through Commercial Driver's License (CDL) training that Mr. Lee completed, and education, like Anye’s pursuit of a fouryear degree and eventually a doctorate, their family unlocks great potential for creating wealth and stability.

“With the right kind of support, changing how you think about your social network and leveraging relationships, you can do anything,” Mr. Jones said.

CFUF will be poised to support intergenerational education opportunities to a greater degree through the Bauder Fund for Center for Urban Families, an endowment recently established by noted educator, Dr. Lillian Bauder, to provide scholarships to members and their children.

The Bauder Fund is designed strategically to complement CFUF’s robust programming. The endowment works to dismantle poverty in conjunction with a host of other offerings in CFUF’s sophisticated 2Gen ecosystem, including the Homebuying Assistance Program. Taken together, the programs are a powerful combination infused with hope and guided by a focus on strengthening family bonds. This is the bedrock of intergenerational wealth.

Mr. Jones kicked off the conversation with President Ashby. They discussed creating a pipeline between CFUF and UMBC, generating opportunities for collaboration and partnering on research and policy outreach.

“Students who are brilliant may not find their way to UMBC unless we have a connection, and that is what we can do together,” President Ashby told Mr. Jones.

CFUF and UMBC are closely aligned through a shared commitment to generate social justice, economic prosperity and civic engagement.

The meeting between Mr. Jones and President Ashby was spurred by Anye’s arrival on campus.

Mr. Lee was filled with emotion as he watched the exchange between his daughter and the university president—both Black women—unfold.

“I am elated, and I am proud of my daughter for the way she is having this conversation,” Mr. Lee said. “We’re sitting in front of the president of the university, and she is not intimidated. She is still confident in what

she is speaking out of her mind. And I love it. That is how I raised her.”

Anye concealed the nerves she was feeling during the meeting with grace and poise. Hands folded on her lap, she wore a sweater she bought specially for the occasion to match a silk wrap over her twists, black dress pants and beige stilettos.

“I was too excited and too curious to let the nervousness turn into anxiety,” Anye told President Ashby. “Your energy is so comfortable. I can see your power, but I am not intimidated.”

She compared her reaction to reading the news of President Ashby’s appointment on the UMBC Instagram account to the way little girls erupted with excitement when Halle Bailey was cast to play Ariel in “The Little Mermaid.”

“I saw videos of little girls freaking out, screaming, ‘Oh my God, she is like me!' Anye said. “When they announced you were going to be president, I was like, ‘Holy crap, she is like me!’”

CFUF MEMBER

RONNETTA HARPER

CHILDREN:

BREYANA WADE & DUANE BOYD

LAW MAJOR AT BALTIMORE CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE; ACCOUNTING MAJOR AT MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

A frontline worker during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ronnetta Harper was surrounded by death as a private duty nurse and felt the bone-deep exhaustion and mental anguish that came with working in healthcare in the midst of the crisis.

She needed a break—and a chance to restore her mind, body and spirit—so she turned to CFUF as a bridge to her next chapter. She enrolled in Baltimore BOOST, and earned certificates from BCCC in Medical Terminology and CNA Theory. These two classes combined with her clinical enabled her to earn

her CNA certification, which led to her earning her Patient Care Tech certification at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Additionally, she also received her CPR certification.

“I am not a person who likes to sit still,” she said.

In fact, Ms. Harper, 43, has been climbing her whole life. Growing up on Baltimore’s east side, she lived with her four brothers and their mother. Her father had a worsening addiction throughout her childhood, and her mother struggled to provide the stability she needed.

“AFTER I GRADUATED FROM CFUF’S BOOST PROGRAM, I WAS SURPRISED THAT CFUF STILL CHECKED IN ON ME. NOW THEY ARE HELPING MY CHILDREN.”

Ms. Harper’s children have seen her strive for more continuously, and, following her example, they’re now both in college.

Her daughter Breyana Wade, 21, attends Baltimore City Community College. A graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, she is pursuing a career in law, a choice her mother says is not a surprise given the trophies she earned on the debate team in high school.

Ms. Harper’s son Duane Boyd, 23, is a senior at Morgan State University. He graduated from Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School, and he is deciding whether to work as a certified public accountant or a financial analyst when he graduates with his bachelor’s degree in the spring.

“Seeing my Mom go back to school inspired me to achieve more,” Mr. Boyd said. “She is one of my role models when it comes to education and how hard she’s worked for years."

Ms. Harper said after she graduated from CFUF’s BOOST program in February, she was surprised to find the team still checks on her.

“They go beyond caring,” she said. “They don’t just call for updates. They really want to know about your future plans."

“Now, they are crossing over to help my children. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t expect them to want to help.”

She is talking to the team about buying her own home and finding tuition assistance for her children. And she has even begun to trust them enough to dream of going into business for herself as the operator of a senior care facility.

“One day, I want to venture out on my own,” she said. “I have been through a lot, and I am still looking for better.”

“SEEING MY MOM GO BACK TO SCHOOL INSPIRED ME TO ACHIEVE MORE.”

DEMETRIOUS JONES

FAITHLYN QUINONES & NAOMI JONES

BUSINESS MAJOR AT BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE; HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT

Demetrious Jones drives a forklift overnight for his warehouse job, and come daytime hours, he chips away at his degree at Prince George’s Community College.

Earning an associate degree in logistics is the next step for Mr. Jones in his academic pursuits. He came to CFUF in 2018 for Baltimore Responsible Fatherhood Services after being laid off from his retail job and receiving training in manufacturing and machine operations at a partner organization. Mr. Jones lived in Baltimore from 2014 to 2020, when left the city for a job in Upper Marlboro.

“A degree is worth another $20,000 to $30,000 starting off,” Mr. Jones,

47, told his daughter Faithlyn Quinones, 22, on a recent day.

“Your degree is a head start.”

Faithlyn just started her third year of college. She lives in Emporia, VA, and attends Bryant & Stratton College where she is majoring in business and applying what she learns to move up at the Chick-fil-A where she works.

“I know what a degree can bring to your name,” Faithlyn said.

Although education is important, Mr. Jones is careful not to pressure either of his daughters, Faithlyn and her sister Naomi Jones, 16, a junior at a high school in Washington, DC. He wants to support the goals they set for themselves and the decisions they make along the way.

In a regular weekly call to Faithlyn, Mr. Jones reminds her she has risen to every challenge that has come her way. He offers doses of fatherly advice, like: “A degree may get you in the door, but your attitude and work ethic will make all the difference in your career.”

“I am extremely proud of her—from where she was at 18 coming out of high school to where she is now,” he said. “She has surprised herself, but she hasn’t surprised me."

“When life starts trying to kick her butt, I tell her, ‘You have a roof over your head. You have a car that drives and gas in the car. You have food and clothes and a huge support system that will come to your aid when and if you need it.’”

Through CFUF, Mr. Jones said his bond with his girls grew stronger. He learned conflict resolution, effective co-parenting skills, how to use breathing techniques and strategies for coping with stress.

“I’ve got two girls who are not only beautiful but intelligent with a whole lot of common sense,” Mr. Jones said. “And in whatever situation they find themselves, when they think about me, I want them to know, ‘My Dad loves me with everything he’s got.’”

CFUF BELIEVES IN THE POWER OF INTERGENERATIONAL WEALTH AND EDUCATION, AND THE COMPOUNDING ROLE IT PLAYS IN TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. CREATING SOCIAL AND MATERIAL WEALTH FOR MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS REQUIRES ACCESS TO RESOURCES, IDEAS, EXPERIENCES, AND SUPPORT THAT PROMOTE AN INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE ECONOMY FOR ALL.

IF WE CAN COLLECTIVELY DO THIS, WE BELIEVE THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL BE THE MANIFESTATION OF THIS REALITY—THAT ANYONE, REGARDLESS OF RACE, ETHNICITY, OR GENDER, CAN RECOGNIZE THEIR POTENTIAL AND REALIZE THEIR DREAMS.

CHAMPIONS OF CHANGE

Over twenty years of impact has been fueled by a group of people that have been ALL In since the beginning. A collection of dynamic individuals with infinite optimism, quiet steadfastness, and an unwavering belief in the potential of all people. They have been, and continue to be, the embodiment of everything CFUF stands for and believes.

Each year, up to 10 CFUF members and their children—known as “Bauder Scholars”—will receive a financial boost in support of their educational pursuits.

Endowed by Dr. Lillian Bauder, the scholarship fund is a strategic investment the celebrated educator is making in Baltimore, in families of color, and in the transformative nature of education.

Dr. Bauder knows the power and potential education holds for the CFUF community.

“I’ve had that experience myself,” Dr. Bauder said. She wanted to go to college and become a teacher, but her mother and father believed strongly that women should not go to college. Fortunately, she had an advocate who worked with her to gain college admission and finance it with a merit scholarship and waitressing job.

“If one persists and finishes college, this experience alters fundamentally how you view and participate in the world and what you’re able to offer it,” she said.

Dr. Bauder earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Douglass College in New Jersey. She graduated with her doctorate from the University of Michigan and went

CFUF PARTNER DR. LILLIAN BAUDER

RETIRED EXECUTIVE

on to become a college professor and dean, to serve as president of a nationally-recognized educational community outside of Detroit and to lead global strategy for a corporation where she was responsible for its civic and charitable activities, also.

Throughout her career, Dr. Bauder and her beloved late husband, Don, were involved in many philanthropic, civic and cultural endeavors.

The couple shared an unwavering commitment to social justice, and they realized that completing high school is the critical variable determining whether young African American males move on to jobs and college or end up in prison.

The Bauders, who moved to Maryland in late 2012, were married for 59 years when Don Bauder passed away in 2018.

Dr. Bauder learned about CFUF as a trustee for the Baltimore Community Foundation. She focused her giving on two organizations: Project Pneuma and CFUF.

She chose Project Pneuma because it strengthens African American youth so that they finish high school and are ready to go on to college. Subsequently, she searched for a trusted organization that would help with the next step in education.

She found that in CFUF. Her decision to create the endowment for intergenerational education was based on CFUF’s excellent programs and staying power.

The new endowment will annually provide $5,000 in scholarships for CFUF members and their children. Every scholar selected will receive at least $500.

Dr. Bauder sees CFUF’s work as helping to create a larger, professional middle class. Working in an underserved community, CFUF is better preparing families for opportunity.

The “Bauder Scholars” bring great promise for Baltimore and beyond.

“I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t have hope,” Dr. Bauder said. Quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., she added: “‘The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

“Each generation must continue to work toward that end, and over time, we shall move that moral arc and realize justice.”

“IF ONE PERSISTS AND FINISHES COLLEGE, THIS EXPERIENCE ALTERS FUNDAMENTALLY HOW YOU VIEW AND PARTICIPATE IN THE WORLD AND WHAT YOU’RE ABLE TO OFFER IT.”

CFUF BOARD CHAIR TRANSITION

With an enduring love for Baltimore and confidence CFUF has the power to transform the city for the better, Henry D. Kahn and Kenneth M. Jones II are committed to giving the most precious commodity they have as accomplished executives: their time.

For Mr. Kahn, CFUF’s outgoing board chair, Baltimore has been his family’s home since the time of the Great Depression; and over the course of his lifetime he has seen the devastation caused by decades of disinvestment, a legacy of structural racism and failed social policies.

Mr. Jones, incoming board chair, feels urgency as a Black man to drive opportunity to underserved communities. Success for CFUF will propel prosperity in Baltimore, and as other cities witness Baltimore’s progress, their leaders will find a model to replicate.

“CFUF is trying to change the narrative of Baltimore,” said Mr. Jones, who will take over as board chair in January.

He is senior vice president and chief operating officer for Chicagobased John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a national change agent and one of America’s largest private foundations. Mr. Jones joined the CFUF board in 2018 after learning about the organization’s impact while he was chief financial officer for Baltimorebased Annie E. Casey Foundation. A longtime Maryland resident, Mr. Jones splits his time between Baltimore and Chicago.

“If I can be a catalyst for strategy at CFUF, the benefits transcend CFUF,” Mr. Jones said. “We can use what we learn here as a template for the country.”

Mr. Kahn and Mr. Jones (who is not related to Joseph T. Jones, Jr., CFUF Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer) have worked to ensure a smooth transition.

Chair for seven years, Mr. Kahn has served on the CFUF board since

2005. He is a practicing corporate lawyer with Hogan Lovells, an international law firm with offices in Baltimore.

“I am committed to the city, and I have a deep interest in social justice,” said Mr. Kahn, who will remain on the board. “The root of my interest in CFUF is my observation of the despair that has fallen over Park Heights and West Baltimore over the course of my life — neighborhoods that were places of opportunity for my grandparents’ and parents’ generations.”

Mr. Kahn’s grandparents moved to North Avenue in West Baltimore in 1934. He remembers the vibrancy of communities that were disrupted by white flight, the highway to nowhere, and the disinvestment and profound poverty that followed structural inequities.

He learned of CFUF more than 20 years ago while on

CFUF BOARD CHAIR

HENRY D. KAHN

KENNETH M. JONES II

SVP AND COO, JOHN D. AND CATHERINE T. MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

the board of Sinai Hospital. He connected to Joe Jones as part of his efforts to find ways to foster economic opportunity and remove institutional barriers to employment, particularly for people with criminal backgrounds.

“I’ve seen the evolution of the work CFUF does, and the development over time of this recognition that the path out of poverty toward economic stability is not a straightline process,” Mr. Kahn said.

During his tenure as chair, CFUF embarked on a strategic planning process that has positioned the nonprofit for further evolution. The centerpiece of the five-year strategic plan remains a sustained, intensive commitment to individuals. The focus will be on Dads and Moms who are ready and willing to make a multi-year commitment to permanently move from poverty to the middle class; they will receive mobility coaching and support services toward employment, education, homeownership and other investments to strengthen family bonds and create intergenerational wealth.

“Over the course of the strategic plan, we will develop systems and programs and protocols to produce the great results we always have in a more predictable and sustainable manner,” Mr. Kahn said.

“Our impact gives me great hope that we’re really onto something here, and we have a seat at the table in national conversations with national funders and national practitioners.”

Mr. Kahn has been a steady hand and a listening partner to Joe Jones, encouraging the founder’s “tremendous empathy,” continual growth and propensity to cultivate leaders. He noted that several CFUF executives have gone on to broader leadership positions in other institutions.

Under his chairmanship, Mr. Kahn pushed for the board’s increased diversity, equity and inclusion—an investment that will help ensure CFUF’s permanence. Mr. Kahn will focus his energy after the transition on helping the team build the capacity of CFUF’s major gift program and expand its donor base. As a maturing organization,

the board is less involved in operations than in the past and more focused now on policy and fundraising.

Mr. Kahn said CFUF is fortunate to have Mr. Jones as the new board chair.

“Ken always says, ‘We have to define Baltimore. We cannot let others define it for us.’” Mr. Kahn said of his successor. “He is plugged in nationally, and he is committed to CFUF.”

Mr. Jones is regarded as a strategic thinker and inspired leader with vast experience in financial oversight. Beyond his background in philanthropy, he brings knowledge and expertise from corporate America and an international public health and education organization. One of his starting goals, as CFUF board chair, is to leverage new revenue streams.

“This is an opportunity moment,” Mr. Jones said. “CFUF fights above its weight class. Look at the impact of its work right now. It is worth the investment. What could CFUF do with more?”

“IF I CAN BE A CATALYST FOR STRATEGY AT CFUF, THE BENEFITS TRANSCEND CFUF.”

An email recently hit Sabree K. Akinyele’s inbox from a member: Her 16-year-old son needed a mentor. Could Ms. Akinyele connect the young man to a CFUF graduate to help him navigate some challenges?

Ms. Akinyele immediately tapped the Alumni Association. Within hours, a half dozen men stepped forward with offers to coach the teen through the turmoil.

“It made my day,” said Ms. Akinyele, CFUF’s director of programs.

The Alumni Association is a newly refined network for CFUF. It is a development in response to the five-year strategic plan. The association works the same as the ones that have long benefited college graduates as a sort of stepping stone to opportunity and intergenerational wealth. Together, the alumni can mobilize to boost their impact, speak with a collective voice and give back to others, like the current member’s 16-year-old son.

CFUF STAFF

SABREE K. AKINYELE

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS

Fostering the alumni network— including cultivating its leaders—is an endeavor Ms. Akinyele says she is heavily invested in. The mission is deeply personal to her.

Growing up in Baltimore’s Harlem Park neighborhood, Ms. Akinyele remembers when the Coliseum roller skating rink stood on the site that is now home to CFUF. She also remembers a column her cousin published in The Baltimore Sun in 1970 that described the two Baltimores many have since come to fully recognize. She carried that old newspaper clipping with her for years.

“That impacted me: Why are there two Baltimores and how can we change that?” she said. “The Center for Urban Families wants to change that, and I want to be a part of that change.”

Ms. Akinyele started at CFUF last fall. She brings more than 30 years

of executive-level experience in the nonprofit sector. She was drawn to the field after studying the consequences she witnessed in her own life of systems that worked against the best interest of Black and Brown families.

A Black-led organization serving a majority Black city, CFUF backs up its mission by using data to drive program excellence. Ms. Akinyele explained that the right data can lead to transformational outcomes, especially when you know to ask the right questions, like how poverty and oppression affect a person’s decisions.

“Our members are my cousins; they are my brothers; they are my father, because of my history, because of where I grew up and how I grew up,” she said. “That’s why it is personal to me.”

“THE RIGHT DATA CAN LEAD TO TRANSFORMATIONAL OUTCOMES, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU KNOW TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS."

Zachary Alberts studies the numbers in search of patterns and insights that will help CFUF to support members like David Anderson on the path to intergenerational education—and the success and financial security that can follow.

To the CFUF team, the arc of Mr. Anderson’s life shows what is possible for their members. He came to CFUF, after years of addiction and incarceration, with a commitment to sobriety and desire to create stability for his family.

Within a decade of Mr. Anderson’s graduation from STRIVE® , he launched a career, earned professional certifications and licenses, founded a successful pest control business and purchased a home. And when he died of cancer in 2021, CFUF activated its network to provide Mr. Anderson with estate planning so all he worked for in life would be passed onto his family.

“We’re always saying, ‘How do we support more David Andersons?’” said Mr. Alberts, CFUF’s senior manager of strategic initiatives.

Mr. Alberts knows, of course, that the human experience doesn’t

translate into precise data points that prescribe results. But he works to spot patterns in case management notes, the frequency and timing of financial assistance, and the types of trainings and job placements that help CFUF members not just survive, but thrive. He combines the research with what he learns in conversations with members at graduation ceremonies or alumni meetings.

He asks about their challenges and victories and thinks about how it correlates to the organization’s strengths and weaknesses.

“We collect dozens of data points that can be put together to paint a picture, but nothing is as powerful as a person’s story,” Mr. Alberts said.

“You start to build this overall sense of how to solve a problem based on all of the different angles.”

Mr. Alberts’ role at CFUF is forward-thinking. By investing in a sophisticated analysis of the quantitative and qualitative measurements, the organization tracks outcomes, measures effectiveness and drives innovation. The data holds CFUF accountable to members, partner organizations and funders.

Having joined CFUF in early 2020, Mr. Alberts worked most recently in operations and corporate marketing for a major internet search engine optimization firm. Venturing into the nonprofit sector for an innovative human service organization seems like an unusual trajectory, but Mr. Alberts, the son of an educator, said his background prepared him to think critically and solve problems.

His overarching charge, under the guidance and direction of Chief Operating Officer Brian S. Lyght, is to support the implementation of the five-year strategic plan. He is helping to turn the long-term vision into actionable items and put a process in place to collect information and analyze the findings.

“No one should be more critical of our programs than we are,” Mr. Alberts said. “We are continually asking, ‘What are we doing well and what can we do better?’ We are asking our members to trust us, and we have to be diligent stewards of their trust."

“The stakes are really high.”

CFUF STAFF

ZACHARY ALBERTS

SENIOR MANAGER OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

“YOU START TO BUILD THIS OVERALL SENSE OF HOW TO SOLVE A PROBLEM BASED ON ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ANGLES.”

BRITTNY HERRING

The Brittny Herring seen on LinkedIn—distinguished job title, advanced degrees, continuous upward trajectory—does little to convey the journey or depth of experience she shares with many CFUF members.

She’s been underemployed and undervalued. The daughter of a single Dad just trying to figure this life out on her own. A mother of two by age 18, struggling month to month to make rent.

The throughline in her story that brought her from there to here is education.

“I see myself in the members: Everyone who comes through the Center is a person with a goal,” Dr. Herring said. “It could be gaining employment, strengthening their bond as a parent or buying their own home."

“I’ve been a person with a goal who is willing to show up and do the work.”

Dr. Herring joined CFUF as director of family strengthening and community engagement last fall. In her role, she oversees CFUF’s 2Gen Ecosystem and the Baltimore Communities Assisting and Advancing Neighbors initiative, or BCAAN for short. Both programs involve working with other community-based organizations in partnership with residents to make changes they have identified as necessary for the betterment of their lives and neighborhoods.

She comes to CFUF with extensive experience in the human services sector that began when she enrolled in a program in her native New York that tied job placement to higher education. In order to retain a job at a local Head Start,

she was required to pursue a degree. She earned an associate degree to satisfy the demands of the program. She thought she was done with school when, at the graduation ceremony, she saw something that inspired her: an older woman with adult children who burst into applause as their mother walked across the stage.

Dr. Herring thought of her own young children, and she promised herself, "One day, my kids are going to cheer for me."

She earned her PhD in 2019—the same year her son graduated from high school.

“If you can get through your journey, you have an opportunity to see what greatness you can amass,” Dr. Herring said.

“IF YOU CAN GET THROUGH YOUR JOURNEY, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT GREATNESS YOU CAN AMASS.”

DIRECTOR OF FAMILY STRENGTHENING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Shiloh Jordan might see you out in the Greater Penn North community and strike up a conversation about CFUF. “If you know CFUF, you might already know about our job training and career development program, STRIVE® , and our fatherhood program that’s been around for 20-plus years,” he might say. “But did you know about our leadership and advocacy classes? Come find out what we can do to better our communities.”

The new outreach coordinator for an innovative demonstration project at CFUF, Mr. Jordan is helping to launch the Baltimore Communities Assisting and Advancing Neighbors initiative, or BCAAN. The initiative is focused for now on the Greater Penn North community with plans for eventual expansion. Thanks to generous funding partners, BCAAN is building a network of local residents and direct service

organizations to design solutions for the gaps that interfere with CFUF members’ mobility and provide a multi-generational approach to dismantling poverty. This developing initiative will have agreements with more than 20 partner agencies.

Mr. Jordan is an evangelizer of sorts. He graduated from STRIVE® in 2014, and he credits the experience with getting his life on track. He lost direction after his 2010 graduation from New Town High School in Owings Mills. He was fired from a job detailing cars and came to CFUF looking for a foothold.

“I really didn’t truly understand what I was signing myself up for,” Mr. Jordan said. “You think you are signing up for a job, but you’re signing up for a family—a family that wants to see you do good.”

After STRIVE® Mr. Jordan enrolled in Coppin State University, which was the first step toward achieving

his bachelor’s degree and breaking collegiate athletic records. He then moved from Maryland to California to play football for East Los Angeles College. In 2018, he transferred closer to home to attend Bowie State University in Prince George’s County. As a running back and slot receiver, he helped the schools set new championship records.

“CFUF gave me the confidence to go back to school,” Mr. Jordan said. “I learned so much about myself and sharpened my leadership skills. They got me focused and helped me find the direction I wanted to go in my life. I want people to have the same experience with CFUF as I did."

“I am a strong believer that knowledge is power.”

CFUF STAFF

SHILOH JORDAN

BCAAN OUTREACH COORDINATOR

“I AM A STRONG BELIEVER THAT KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.”

FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

ASSETS

2021 2020

Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 2,761,717 $ 2,588,637

Grants and Contributions Receivable, Net 1,389,858 443,018 Pledges Receivable, Net 1,452,061 907,195

Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets 58,493 13,249 Property and Equipment, Net 3,722,545 3,927,195

Total Assets 9,384,674 7,879,294

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

Liabilities

The Center for Urban Families is proud to report another year of strong support from our amazing donors. As we look ahead toward growth and deeper involvement in our communities, we remain committed to fiscal prudence to ensure sustainability and high-quality programming for every individual and family we serve. * **

Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses 314,810 407,950 Note Payable 541,300 647,575

Total Liabilities 856,110 1,055,525

Net Assets

Without Donor Restrictions 5,850,371 4,933,201 With Donor Restrictions 2,678,193 1,890,568

Total Net Assets 8,528,564 6,823,769

Total Liabilities and Net Assets $ 9,384,674 $ 7,879,294

STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES AND CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

2021 2020

CHANGES IN UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS

Revenue and Support Government Grants $ 282,878 $ 442,041 Grants 5,050,154 2,025,106 Contributions and Special Events/Other 1,697,061 1,143,740 Other Income 95 1,089

Total Revenue 7,030,188 3,611,976 Net Assets Released from Restrictions (1,579,378) 548,057

Total Revenue and Support 5,450,810 4,160,033

Expenses

Program Services

Workforce Development 1,278,484 1,121,597 Training and Technical Assistance 292,917 407,171 Responsible Fatherhood 29,819 753,034 Families 419,777 252,551 Family Stability and Economic Success Services (Client and Alumni Services) 716,283 731,168

Total Program Services 2,737,280 3,265,521

Support Services

Management and General 875,632 227,754 Research and Evaluation 100,932 128,975 Development and Special Events 819,796 728,505 Total Support Services 1,796,360 1,085,234 Total Expenses 4,533,640 4,350,755

Change in Net Assets Without Donor Restrictions 917,170 (190,722)

CHANGES IN NET ASSETS WITH DONOR RESTRICTIONS

Change in Net Assets With Donor Restrictions 787,625 721,036

Changes in Net Assets 1,704,795 530,314 Net Assets, Beginning of Year 6,823,769 6,293,455 Net Assets, End of Year $ 8,528,564 $ 6,823,769

*Includes $470,647 of PPP debt that was forgiven in 2022.

**Includes $530,500 of PPP debt that was forgiven in 2021.

THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP

Thank you to our partners for always being ALL In. With your support, our work is possible.

KEY EMPLOYER PARTNERS

KEY COMMUNITY, AGENCY, AND GOVERNMENT PARTNERS KEY CORPORATE PARTNERS

Oprah W infrey

CFUF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS

Henry D. Kahn

Chair

Partner, Hogan Lovells

Kenneth Jones II Vice Chair

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Joseph T. Jones, Jr. Founder, President and CEO

Swata Gandhi Chair, Governance Committee Counsel, Miles & Stockbridge P.C.

John G. McLean, Jr. Chair, Finance and Audit Committee

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Christopher (Chris) Rockey

Chair, Development Committee Senior Vice President, Northeast Territory Executive, Community Development Banking, PNC Bank

Ben Seigel

Chair, Program Quality Committee Principle, Economic Mobility Consultants

DIRECTORS

Daman C. Blakeney

Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager, Brown Capital Management

Peter Bowe

Founder, The Peter Bowe and Barbara Stewart Foundation

Ronae Brock Co-Founder, Earth's Enrichments

Vernā Myers Vice President, Inclusion Strategy, Netflix

Bill Norris Director, Technical Accounting Consulting, RSM US LLP

Patrick Sissman Principal, Redwood Holdings

Scott Soffen, CFA, CAIA Senior Investment Officer, American Trading & Production Company

David L. Warnock Partner, Camden Partners

William (Chip) F. Wendler, II Retired, Vice President, Strategic Distribution Initiatives, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

Alicia Wilson

Vice President for Economic Development, Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System

EMERITUS

Dr. James R. Calvin, Ph.D. Professor of Practice, The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School

Guy E. Flynn Partner, DLA Piper

Jamie McDonald

Chief Executive Officer, UpSurge Baltimore

Terry Owens Senior Communications Director, Pulsar

Brandon Scott Mayor, Baltimore City

Scott Sherman

Retired, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

Robin Williams Wood Community Leader

CFUF TEAM

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Joseph T. Jones, Jr.

Founder, President and CEO

Brian S. Lyght

Chief Operating Officer

Nicole Jordan

Manager of Special Projects and Executive Support

SENIOR LEADERSHIP

Sabree Akinyele Director of Programs

Marilyn Aklin, D.P.A. Director of Development

Brittny Herring, Ph.D. Director of Family Strengthening and Community Engagement

Bryant Jeffers Director of Finance and Administration

ALL IN PROGRAMS:

FAMILY STABILITY & ECONOMIC SUCCESS

Terrence Allen

Senior Manager of Workforce and Education

Alnita Anderson

STRIVE® Trainer

Shakira Barnes

ALL In Case Manager

Marcus Brown Outreach Coordinator

Kellie Carrington Education Specialist

Wayne Cooper Intake and Retention Specialist

Lenora Davis

ALL In Case Manager (BCAAN)

Ora Graham Senior Case Manager

Nicole Ham ALL In Case Manager

Shiloh Jordan Outreach Coordinator (BCAAN)

Fatima Lewis ALL In Case Manager

Katrina Ross Senior Manager of Member Support and Engagement

Shevell Rudolph Support Manager

Mark Smith Lead STRIVE® Trainer

Timothy Tillman

ALL In Case Manager

Curtis Warren ALL In Case Manager

Eddie White ALL In Case Manager

Michael Williams Employment Specialist

Tyler Yutzy Intake and Retention Specialist

FINANCE

Bobbi Lewis-Collick Associate Accountant

OPERATIONS

Arielle Forrest

Senior Operations Manager

Wanda Liggins Operations Specialist

Gregory Smith Security Coordinator

Helena Wise First Impressions Specialist

Lloyd Wright Facilities Manager RESEARCH

AND EVALUATION

Zachary Alberts

Senior Manager of Strategic Initiatives

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Zachary Alberts

DEVELOPMENT

Juliette Ehlers

Major Gifts Officer

Rachel Kassman

Grants Manager

Ezinma Okusogu

Development Specialist

Kalie Pearson Grants Compliance Manager

TOGETHER, WE CAN DO SO MUCH MORE

Our goal is to provide each and every single person who comes through our doors with equal opportunity to transform their lives. You too can ignite change, dismantle poverty, and empower our members to live the lives they desire.

VISIT US.

Stop by our state-of-the-art facility to see our programs, members, and teammates in action.

VOLUNTEER.

We’re always looking for inspiring mentors to work directly with our members and make a lasting impact on their lives.

CONTRIBUTE.

Your support and invested resources help increase the impact of our work for our shared community.

BECOME A CORPORATE PARTNER.

We’ll work with you to figure out the best opportunity for your group.

FOLLOW US. @centerforurbanfamilies

For more ways to get involved, email maklin@cfuf.org or call 410.246.1415

2201 NORTH MONROE STREET BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21217

TEL: 410.367.5691 WEBSITE: WWW.CFUF.ORG

SOCIAL: @CENTERFORURBANFAMILIES