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7 Questions – Jane Cohen (Neediest Kids)

Good morning, one and all. Today on “7 Questions,” we are pleased to introduce … Jane Cohen, President of Neediest Kids in McLean, VA. Working with nine school systems around Greater Washington, this awesome non-profit makes sure that over 40,00 young students have what they need to stay healthy and stay in school. Everything from school supplies to medical care to the right eyeglasses!

1. What was your most interesting recent project, initiative, partnership, or event?

One of the most interesting projects this year has been our transition to a web based portal system used to deliver services. Through this technology, we can now get basic essentials to our students much more efficiently and we can capture user and financial data as the transactions happen. Approved school professionals can access an individual account and order eye glasses, school supplies, clothes, food or other needed products without the hassle or red tape or order forms. Neediest Kids staff then reviews and approves each transaction against the program budget. We were recognized by NPower for this innovative technology solution.

2. What else are you up to?

Our focus is twofold. First we are continuing to build lasting relationships with the school systems we serve. We partner directly with the superintendents of each of the systems we serve so that we don’t fall through the cracks. Our services are critical to the students we serve. We are also focused on developing our relationships with vendors who provide basic necessities at reduced or no cost so that our donor dollars are stretched.

3. Is there a moment, person, or event that inspired you to do this particular work?

Neediest Kids was started by Tom Cookerly when he was the General Manager of WJLA Channel 7. I worked for him as Vice President of Programs and he asked me to help ensure that needy students had warm coats. Tom believed the best way to help kids was to build collaborations and get the whole community involved. I’ve never forgotten that lesson and working on his model we now serve thousands of kids in the entire metro Washington area.

4. Who is your hero in the nonprofit/philanthropy world?

My hero is someone you have never heard of. We know her as Mama C and she volunteers at a DC public school. She was concerned that many of her students were arriving to school in wet clothes so she and her husband purchased a washer and dryer and we provided a closet full of new clothes. By providing that, an entire school of students is always in class properly attired. She saw a need and found a solution and that is the kind of person that keeps me doing what I’m doing. She is an inspiration to all of us at Neediest Kids.

5. What is the single greatest (and non-financial) challenge to the work that you do every day?

I think the single greatest challenge is spreading the message in a way that will be heard and embraced by the community. There are so many worthy organizations doing good work, but we haven’t figured out a way to effectively collaborate and share resources and expenses. I wish that instead of going it alone, nonprofits would focus on building sustainable partnerships that would streamline operations and grow programs and services.

6. What advice do you have for other people who want to work in your field?

Well, first, I think that people working in the nonprofit world are fortunate to be in an industry that really does focus on doing good. My colleagues must operate according to best business practices, but we also think with our hearts. We can dream of the possible, we can work with inspired leaders who see a better world and we can go home every night exhausted but knowing that we are making a difference — that children, the elderly, the sick, the disabled, the disenfranchised have a chance because of our work. So I would advise people who want to enter this field to do it with passion and abandon and to bring the energy and strategic thinking that is necessary to build our communities.

6. What’s next?

I think in our changing economy the nonprofit world is going to have to take lessons learned from the business world. We are going to have to prune, partner and merge. We will have to stop the mindset of asking for donations and sponsorships and instead build strategic resource opportunities that make financial sense to corporate, foundation, and individual funders. They are looking to the bottom line and we need to do that too.

EXTRA: If you could have a power breakfast with any three people (living, dead, or fictional) who would they be?

Sherlock Holmes, Golda Meir, and Bill Gates.

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