01 Who we are

A Bronx organization, built by the Bronx, for its own young people.

The American Latin Association of New York, Inc. — which operates the BOOM program — is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit, community-based organization established to address the needs of Latin youth as well as other ethnicities of youth within the Bronx who face severe disadvantages.

American Latin Association of New York, Inc. · Bronx County, New York

The record

Founded: 2004by Israel Rodriguez
Status: 501(c)(3)EIN 13-4299976
Young people mentored: 2,000+one-on-one and in groups
Served each year: 400+across two programmes
Collaborating agencies: 20across Bronx County

Israel Rodriguez, founder and president of ALANY, photographed at a community event.

Israel Rodriguez Founder · President & CEO Executive Director, American Latin Association of New York, Inc.

02 The founder

It started with one person noticing.

ALANY’s Executive Director, Israel Rodriguez, recognised a critical need in the Bronx community for positive interventions in the lives of youth. He founded the organization in 2004 and has worked diligently since then to implement and manage mentoring programs targeting at-risk children in the Bronx.

As President he is responsible for oversight of the youth mentoring programs serving diverse populations of at-risk children in the Bronx community, for the successful management of program personnel, and for overseeing fund-raising. He brings experience organising mentoring programs across diverse racial and socio-economic constituencies, comprehensive training in mentoring best practices, and a proven record of generating program funding through grants, donations and fundraising events.

Service record

2007 — present

President, American Latin Association of New York Oversight of youth mentoring programs serving diverse populations of at-risk children in the Bronx community; management of program personnel; oversight of fund-raising.

2005 — 2012

President & Founder — 20 W 190th St / P.O. Box 886, Bronx, NY 10468 Established and sustained formalised relationships with external organizations, built the program evaluation framework, and carried reporting to funders, external auditors and the board of directors.

2005 — 2011

Liaison, National Dominican Parade — New York Liaison to the Office of the Mayor of the City of New York and to New York State officials on behalf of the parade.

Certified 2007

Mentoring Youth, 8–16 Years of Age Issued by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, with Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City and the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service.

1987 — 1989

Borough of Manhattan Community College City University of New York.

03 / The work of the office

What running this organization actually involves

ALANY administers federal grants, so the programme is not only delivered — it is documented, evaluated, audited and reported. These are the standing responsibilities of the president’s office.

Programme design & delivery

Plan the delivery of the overall program and its activities in accordance with the mission and the goals of the organization, and hold oversight of the youth mentoring programs serving diverse populations of at-risk children in the Bronx community.

Evaluation & reporting

Develop a program evaluation framework to assess the strengths of the program and to identify areas for improvement. Ensure that all programs offered by ALANY meet the reporting requirements specific to funders, external auditors and ALANY’s board of directors.

Records & confidentiality

Develop the forms and records used to document program activities, and oversee the collection and maintenance of records on the clients of the program for statistical purposes — according to the confidentiality and privacy policy of the organization.

Funders & fund-raising

Communicate with funders as outlined in funding agreements, and oversee fund-raising through community awareness campaigns, grant applications, donations and events.

Staff & volunteers

Supervise program staff by providing direction, input and feedback, and engage volunteers for appropriate program activities using established volunteer management practices — with successful management of all program personnel.

Partnerships & community

Establish and sustain formalised relationships with external organizations, and communicate with clients and other stakeholders to gain community support for the programs.

04 / Our story

Every child has a gift. The work is finding it.

What began as a local response to a local problem became a nationally respected program. ALANY has provided one-on-one and group mentoring services to over 2,000 kids in Bronx County, and is respected nationally for its programmatic successes. It has received and successfully administered grants from the Health and Human Services Agency, the U.S. Department of Education, The Mayor’s Fund of New York and many local corporations and foundations.

BOOM is a mostly constructive program centred on disadvantaged children for whom the odds of reaching higher education are stacked against. It focuses on children developing real-world functional skills and exposes them to over 50 different career manifestations. Staff members are experienced in addressing the specific needs of at-risk children in our community and have gained expertise in helping at-risk youth navigate successfully through the unique cultural and socio-economic landscape they face in the Bronx.

ALANY ensures that all involved staff members receive ongoing training from the Mentoring Partnership of New York that specifically addresses the techniques necessary for working with at-risk and high-risk children. The combination of experience with culturally diverse at-risk children and core investment in mentoring-specific training enables ALANY personnel to offer both quality and compassion to program youth.

The organization is supported by a board of directors — experienced community leaders who meet monthly to guide all aspects of its work.

ALANY was founded in 2004, is a 501(c)(3) organization in Bronx County, has mentored over 2,000 young people, works with 20 collaborating agencies and serves more than 400 young people a year.

05 / Why the Bronx

The landscape our young people are navigating

These figures come from ALANY’s own research for its federal grant applications. They are the reason the program exists, and the benchmark every match is measured against.

0^%

Of Bronx children live at or below the poverty line

National average: 18%

0^%

Bronx high-school graduation rate

69% statewide · as low as 31% in some neighbourhoods

Crimes per 1,000 residents in the Bronx

More than double the national rate of 4.6

0⁺

Bronx youths with one or more incarcerated parents

20% of Bronx children receive public aid

Sources: U.S. Census data and U.S. Department of Justice figures, as compiled by ALANY for its U.S. Department of Education and Health & Human Services grant applications.

06 / Capabilities

What ALANY is equipped to do

Three competencies the organization has had to build and hold for two decades — because a mentoring programme that cannot report on itself does not get funded twice.

Run mentoring programs that last

One-on-one and group mentoring for over 2,000 kids in Bronx County, and multi-year federal mentoring grants designed, staffed, reported and closed out in full.

Train and certify our people

Intensive training through the U.S. Departments of Education, Health & Human Services and Justice, plus mentoring-supervision certification through Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service.

Keep the program funded

A sustainability model drawn from the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory’s National Mentoring Center guidelines — corporate, small-business and private donor networks, foundations, and new federal, state and local grants.

07 / Who we serve

How a student is chosen for the programme

BOOM serves over 100 youth annually from grades 4 through 8 who represent the highest risk of educational failure, dropping out of school, involvement in criminal or delinquent activity, or who lack strong positive role models. Nobody is enrolled on a hunch.

A referral, then close scrutiny

The determination of at-risk is made after close scrutiny of each referred student’s school records, and interviews with school teachers and counsellors.

A student profile is completed

Basic demographic information, academic profile, number of expulsions or suspensions, and any other social, educational or behavioural problems.

An individual program plan is set

Expected outcomes for each child, the assets to be developed, and the short- and long-term goals needed to achieve those outcomes.

A mentor is matched — and stays

Schools work with ALANY to identify and recruit at-risk youth; ALANY matches them with caring, culturally competent adult mentors who work closely with their mentee toward those goals.

08 / History

Twenty years, on the record

2004

ALANY is founded

Israel Rodriguez founds the American Latin Association of New York to create positive interventions in the lives of Bronx youth, and begins building mentoring programs for at-risk children.

2007

The U.S. Department of Education funds BOOM

ALANY receives a three-year Mentoring Program grant (PR/Award Q184B070036, CFDA 84.184B) for BOOM — Bronx One on One Mentoring — working collaboratively with area schools to serve at-risk students.

2009

Partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters

ALANY partners with BBBS in the initial implementation of BOOM, adopting its 100-year-old strengths-based mentoring model and the “Two-by-Two” matching best practice. The first BOOM talent show is staged on 16 May 2009.

2009

HHS awards Mentoring Children of Prisoners

The Administration on Children, Youth and Families approves Grant Award No. 90CV0471 under Public Law 109-288, launching BOOM C5 Thrive for children of incarcerated parents across Bronx County.

2010

The Department of Education grant closes out in full

ALANY files its Final Performance Report for the reporting period 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010: 138 matches made, 103 sustained twelve months or longer, and $573,950 in federal funds administered across the entire project period.

Today

A permanent part of the community

ALANY continues to run BOOM from its operating office on Jerome Avenue in the Bronx, serving more than 400 young people each year and working with twenty collaborating agencies across the borough.

09 / Training & certification

Where every ALANY staff member was trained

Specialist mentoring training and certification is not optional here. Every staff member holds it, and it is renewed through ongoing workshops rather than treated as a one-off.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City Center for Training and Professional Development, with the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service

Mentoring Partnership of New York Ongoing training in the techniques necessary for working with at-risk and high-risk children

United States Department of Education Mentoring Program grantee training and reporting standards

United States Department of Justice Screening, background-check and youth-safety standards

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Administration on Children, Youth and Families — Mentoring Children of Prisoners

NYC Service / NYC Department of Education Middle School Mentoring Training

Founder’s certification Mentoring Youth, 8–16 Years of Age — issued January 2007

10 / Team & governance

The people accountable for the program

Outreach

Clinton Flanagan — Outreach Coordinator

Works in a volunteer capacity, committing a minimum of 20 hours a week to the program. He has a background in psychology and community health, a teaching certification and teaching experience in the metropolitan area, and extensive connections with non-profit organizations in the Bronx. He manages the mentoring activities calendar and ensures program representation at key community events.

A full hall of families seated at round tables for an ALANY community meeting.

Governance

The board of directors

ALANY is supported by a board of experienced community leaders who meet monthly to guide all aspects of the organization — programme direction, financial oversight, and the reporting that funders and external auditors require. Every programme ALANY offers is accountable to them.

Screening. All ALANY staff and volunteers — paid and unpaid — are screened and undergo background checks according to federal, state and local standards before being approved for work with young people. All hiring practices follow EEOC standards in accordance with federal and state law.

11 Join us

Twenty years in, the need has not gone away.

ALANY is committed to the community and to the youth served by the BOOM programs — and to making the program a permanent part of the Bronx. That takes mentors, partners and funding, every single year.

Get involved See the programmes

At a glance

501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit · EIN 13-4299976
Founded 2004 · Bronx County, New York
Over 2,000 kids mentored to date
20 collaborating agencies across the borough

Call (347) 590-0285 or email Israel@americanlatin.org