Center for Urban Families plans for Baltimore’s future

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Organization: Center for Urban Families, formerly known as Center for Fathers, Families and Workforce Development. The center’s programs help low-income Baltimore families improve their lives through job training, career development and connecting with strong role models for healthy relationships.

Job: To promote the center’s $7.5 million fundraising efforts. Donations will help purchase and renovate a new headquarters in West Baltimore and expand programs serving families throughout the city. The center aims to serve 20,000 people by 2012, doubling services provided to Baltimore residents on an annual basis.

Theme: Second Decade Campaign

The Concept: The concept reflects the organization’s next phase of life, expanding services to Baltimore and moving into its new headquarters in early 2009, said Jamie McDonald, interim director of development and marketing.

The Plan: Beyond raising funds, the Second Decade Campaign aims to expose people to how the center reaches Baltimore City residents through door-to-door street outreach, center founder Joseph Jones said. “Seeing how we connect with people who don’t know how to get through on their own gets people emotionally attached to the organization,” he added.

Since the campaign began, the center has received nearly $4 million from Baltimore partners, including $1 million from the city of Baltimore, a $1 million challenge grant from Betsy and George Sherman, former president and CEO of the Danaher Corp., and $750,000 from the Abell Foundation.

Creative team: The center teamed with several pro bono advisers, including Deborah Rubino, director of strategic communications at Open Society Institute-Baltimore; her husband, Joe, a highly regarded photographer; Frank Nunoo-Quarcoo, chair of the Visual Arts Department at University of Maryland Baltimore County; and a group of UMBC graphic artists.

Background: Since 1999, the Center for Urban Families has served Baltimore’s most challenged communities. The organization has provided services to 14,000 people — the majority of whom are now employed, productive citizens passing newfound skills on to the next generation.

jnovak@baltimoreexaminer.com

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