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Fedcap Employment’s Customer Contact Team Wins ‘Team of the Year – Hidden Heroes’ at the Employability Related Services Association’s Awards in the United Kingdom

Fedcap Employment’s Customer Contact Team Wins ‘Team of the Year – Hidden Heroes’ at the Employability Related Services Association’s Awards in the United Kingdom

December 9, 2022

(New York, NY)—Fedcap Employment, The Fedcap Group’s United Kingdom-based organization dedicated to helping individuals find sustainable work, received national recognition for the part it plays in improving and even saving the lives of its customers. Fedcap Employment’s 28-person customer contact center located Middlesbrough, England won the Team of the Year – Hidden Heroes category at the Employability Related Services Association’s Awards.

The Fedcap Employment team is an essential component of the organization, ensuring the UK government’s Department for Work and Pensions’ Restart scheme in the South Central region of England maintains a high performance of getting people back into the jobs market. Team members also become lifesavers with every member of the team having dealt with at least one call from a suicidal customer.

“On behalf of the entire Fedcap family, we commend our colleagues at Fedcap Employment for their lifesaving work in the United Kingdom, helping those in significant distress to remain safe, first and foremost—and then putting individuals on a path to sustainable employment,” said Christine McMahon, President and CEO of The Fedcap Group.

Brian Bell, CEO of Fedcap Employment, said, “I’m incredibly proud of the work our Customer Success Center do and it’s fantastic that they’ve been acknowledged with this prestigious award. They are so important to ensuring we provide the best service possible to our participants, so they feel fully supported and know that we’re here for them.”

Now in their 10th year the ERSA Employability Awards are an opportunity to highlight best practices in the sector and this year Fedcap appeared on the shortlist of five of the 10 categories.

In addition to the win, Fedcap’s Scotland-based business was highly commended in the Significant Achiever of the Year category after customer Heather Miller completely transformed her life after being unemployed for many years. The 54-year-old had suffered years of depression, anxiety and financial hardship after her son was stillborn, unable to leave the house and afraid she’d never work again. Her “incredible” journey to sustainable employment started after Fedcap Scotland supported her and encouraged her to apply for a temporary job and now she’s achieved permanent employment status.

Heather Miller said, “I never saw a future before, no sort of life outside my house and with my depression and anxiety controlling me. I now have a future for me and my family. Fedcap Scotland helped me get my life back.”

Susan Paterson, Fedcap Employment, Operations Director said, “The Customer Contact Team is the backbone of our operations, they make everything run smoothly and are a fundamental part of the business. The team consistently goes above and beyond what is expected of them and we are delighted they have been recognized in this way.”  

About Fedcap Employment and The Fedcap Group

Since 1935, The Fedcap Group has developed scalable, innovative and potentially disruptive solutions to some of society’s most pressing needs. The Fedcap Group serve over 250,000+ people each year across an international footprint. The work of The Fedcap Group is structured within four major areas of practice—workforce development, educational services, health services, and economic development— and delivered through a growing number of top-tier companies—each focused on helping people with barriers achieve long term economic well-being.

Fedcap Employment delivers the UK government’s Restart Scheme in the South Central region of England, as well as other funded programs across the country. Fedcap Employment also delivers the Intensive Personalised Employment Support programme on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Sussex, Wiltshire, Hampshire, South West, Avon, Somerset and Gloucestershire. For more information on how Fedcap helps communities across Britain, visit www.fedcapemployment.org

Photo caption: April Hodgson, Customer Success Adviser; Paul Norris, CSC Delivery Manager and Susan Paterson, Fedcap Operations Director, celebrate their win at the ERSA Employability Awards

Contact:
The Fedcap Group:
Susan Walsh, 212-727-4200, (SWalsh@fedcap.org)

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The Fedcap Group Successfully Reports Fiscal Year 2022 Financial and Operating Results

The Fedcap Group Successfully Reports Fiscal Year 2022 Financial and Operating Results

The Fedcap Group Reports Fiscal Year 2022 Financial and Operating Results

  • Revenue Growth of Nearly 9% to $360 Million Reflects Organic Growth of Domestic and International Services Platforms
  • Fiscal 2021 Acquisitions Leveraged to Further Expand Education and Workforce Development Training Capabilities
  • Nation’s Largest Digital Skills Center Created at Civic Hall @ Union Square, NYC
  • New Green Education Program Launched

New York, December 8—The Fedcap Group, the parent company for a growing family of top tier nonprofit agencies, today reported its operating and financial results for the fiscal year 2022 ended September 30th. The Fedcap Group is committed to providing services that positively impact the lives of people with barriers to economic well-being, through its network of 23 nonprofit subsidiaries, across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

“We delivered strong operating and financial results in FY 2022, achieving virtually all contract deliverables and posting an 8.8% year-on-year revenue increase, primarily driven by organic growth,” said Christine McMahon, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our performance reflects excellent execution on existing contracts and demonstrates how well our expertise and qualifications are aligned with the priorities of funding agencies and the needs of the clients we serve. This past fiscal year has been an exciting period for The Fedcap Group, as we were able to achieve industry-leading outcomes for a greater number of individuals, while building out our service platforms in the U.S. and internationally, amplifying the positive impact of our programs.

“In fiscal 2022, we successfully expanded our education and workforce development training capabilities, described below, which provide critical bridges to the economic well-being of the communities we serve.”

Over 300 international participants attended the webcast, for which an audio playback is available.

2022 Operating Results

The Fedcap Group provides a diversified array of services to break down barriers and create pathways to economic well-being. These include education and workforce training programs designed to reach at-risk and underserved populations and help place them in sustainable well-paying jobs. To achieve this mission, The Fedcap Group operates across four key practice areas: education, workforce development, health, and economic development.

Education

The education practice has programming that spans from cradle to career. Over the past year, this practice has achieved significant growth in its early childhood services all the way through college-level vocational and credit-bearing education.

Post-Secondary/Higher Education

In fiscal 2022, The Fedcap Group has expanded post-secondary programming, through several key initiatives:

      • Creating Civic Hall @ Union Square, which will be operational in 2023 and which will be the largest digital skills training center in the nation. Spanning 85,000 square feet on six floors, Civic Hall will include a collaborative community space, state-of-the-art conference and events center, and a 42,000 square foot Digital Learning Center (DLC) that includes 22 classrooms to be shared among the nation’s leading technology training and job training organizations.

      • Completing the acquisition of Power52 Clean Energy Access Institute’s Solar Technician/Installation program and in so doing expanding The Fedcap Group’s capacity to deliver high-demand, well-paying green energy job training to underserved communities.

      • Strengthening our partnership with Paul Smith’s College by integrating our education programs into their curricula. Specifically, after a rigorous academic review, Paul Smith’s College will award six college credits graduates to Fedcap’s Power52 Solar Technician/Installation program as well as the new Home Automation and Industrial Automation programs at Fedcap’s post-secondary vocational school, Apex Technical School.

At Apex Technical School, we continue to train individuals and successfully place them in well-paying jobs. This past year, Apex enrolled 2,600 individuals in high demand fields such as electrical, HVAC, welding, and auto repair. A total of 1,950 completed their training program (graduation rate of 75%), and of those graduating 1,482 were placed into jobs (job placement rate of 76%). The average wage for a recent Apex graduate with no experience is approximately $41,000 per year. With some experience in the field the average wage is approximately $82,000.

Early-High School Education

Our early education programming provided through Easterseals and other programs continues to demonstrate success in assisting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities entering the workforce. In FY 2022 we provided services to 2,272 children ages 0-8 delivering an array of evidence-based interventions that promote long term economic and social well-being. One hundred percent of children from inclusive childcare programs entered regular kindergarten. Our special education school located in New Jersey achieved a 100% graduation rate and 100% of the graduates entered college or technical schools for the past three years.

Workforce Development

The workforce practice continues to represent the area in which The Fedcap Group serves the largest number of individuals through a broad range of services domestically and in the United Kingdom and Canada.

We have substantially increased the number of individuals we placed in well-paying, sustainable jobs. In FY 2022 we placed 24,000 people in jobs—nearly an 80% increase from FY 2021 and a 300% increase from FY 2020—a strong trend, with 29% of new job placements earning $17.00 or more per hour.

In FY 2022, we ramped up the large, multi-year contract awarded to us in the UK to provide support for those unemployed as a direct impact of the pandemic, and we continued to effectively manage our large Canadian workforce development contract. Our work for international clients accounted for approximately 30% of total FY 2022 revenues.

In order to expand workforce and education training programs, we launched a joint venture between Fedcap Inc. and UP360—a Canadian Based Virtual Reality Technology firm. Our new VR technology will enhance and expand access to programming across The Fedcap Group family of nonprofits including in workforce, education, and health.

Among our services is the Single Stop benefits screening, case management, direct services platform, which has helped connect over 87,000 individuals needing support to an average of $12,600 per household in benefits this past fiscal year. In the aggregate Single Stop facilitated access to benefits valued at $374 million during this past fiscal year.

Health

The health services practice continues to expand. In FY 2022 we provided wellness services to over 43,000 people (behavioral and physical health care, treatment for substance use disorders), with a view to helping them stabilize, and secure the skills and education required to achieve sustainable economic well-being.

Additionally, ReServe—a subsidiary of The Fedcap Group—was awarded over $10 million to support underserved neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including creating community health vaccine education teams to promote the COVID-19 vaccination. We sponsored 352 community education events, distributed over 1,250,000 Covid materials including PPE, testing kits and health information and made 1,800 referrals for employment.

We continue to expand our services to veterans and military-aligned families. In FY 2022, 14,950 veterans and their families were positively impacted by at least one of the arrays of community services supported by Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services.

Economic Development

Our economic development practice comprises business services operations that directly employ the populations we serve.

A total of 1,010 people are employed in our commercial businesses—the majority of whom have disabilities or other employment barriers. 156 new jobs were added in FY 2022 in Total Facilities Management—our largest commercial enterprise. The average salary is $42,550 annually.

The Fedcap Group also made significant strides in helping underserved communities that frequently lack access to capital in order to build equity for economic well-being. This year we received a $125,000 Technical Assistance grant from the federal government to assist in our launching of a Community Development Finance Institution. This is a major step forward in unlocking loans and equity to benefit communities left behind.

2022 Financial Metrics

Revenue for FY 2022 ended September 30th, 2022, was $360 million, an 8.8% increase from the same period last year. Operating expenses were $354.3 million, 88% of which represented direct program expenses. The Fedcap Group reported an operating profit of $5.3 million for the period ended September 30, 2022, consistent with the $5.4 million earned in the same period last year.

At September 30th, 2022, cash and marketable securities were $60.1 million compared with $53.9 million for the prior year.

Summary and Outlook

“The Fedcap Group remains committed to innovation, identifying new strategies to affect change in people’s lives, and improving the systems within which services are delivered,” said Christine McMahon, President and Chief Executive Officer. “The entire Fedcap organization works diligently every day to bring critical services to individuals and communities in need across our expanding geographic footprint. As we make a positive impact on society, we also are managing to the highest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, by reducing our energy usage, maintaining a collaborative working environment, and prioritizing transparency, specifically as we provide semi-annual updates on our operating and financial results.”

About The Fedcap Group

For 87 years, The Fedcap Group has developed scalable, innovative, and potentially disruptive solutions to some of society’s most pressing needs. Serving 340,000 people this past fiscal year, The Fedcap Group provides educational services to every age group, vocational training and job attainment in high-growth industries, as well as support services such as behavioral health services—all targeted to helping people achieve long-term self-sufficiency. The Fedcap Group also invests its time and resources in broader system change—working in partnership with federal, state, and local government to improve the way services are designed, funded, and delivered.

Contact

Susan Walsh, 212-727-4200, (SWalsh@fedcap.org)

Financials

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position As of September 30

Consolidated Statement of Activities
for the periods ended September 30, 2022, and 2021

View the Slide Presentation
Listen to the Audio Recording

Read the Transcript

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The Fedcap Group’s Power52 Clean Energy Access Institute and Apex Technical School to Train Underserved Communities in Solar Energy Technology at Civic Hall @ Union Square

The Fedcap Group’s Power52 Clean Energy Access Institute and Apex Technical School to Train Underserved Communities in Solar Energy Technology at Civic Hall @ Union Square

New Solar Installation Workforce Certification Combines Digital Education with Hands-on Training to Help Meet Growing Demand for New York’s Clean Energy Workforce

Individuals Who Complete Program will be Awarded Six College Credits at Paul Smith’s College

First of Many Programs to be Offered at Civic Hall @ Union Square; Programs Scheduled to Start in First Half of 2023

December 2, 2022

New York, NY—Power52 Clean Energy Access Institute and Apex Technical School will offer a 450-hour solar photovoltaic installation training program at The Fedcap Group’s Civic Hall @ Union Square digital skills training center. The program will start when doors open at Civic Hall @ Union Square during the first half of 2023.

The solar training program will provide courses in basic digital skills, financial literacy, micro grids/smart grids (utilizing digital technologies to better manage electricity use), solar energy systems design, as well as provide hands-on solar photovoltaic installation training.

“This is the first of many programs and partnerships to help New Yorkers struggling with barriers to employment break into technology focused jobs,” said Christine McMahon, President and CEO of The Fedcap Group. “This program will help train underserved communities in well-paying sustainable tech-related green energy industries in a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of the tech capital of the world. There, students in this program will work alongside other programs and companies providing unparalleled networking and other job opportunities. It’s fantastic to see this project begin to become a reality.”

“Our solar photovoltaic workforce certification program combines digital skills education with hands-on solar installation training which will give graduates a significant advantage in the clean energy workforce,” said Robert Wallace, Executive Director of Power52 Clean Energy Access Institute. “Most importantly, we are committed to economic and social justice and will focus our recruitment efforts to those underserved communities who have been left behind.”

There is significant demand for solar photovoltaic installers over next decade. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 52% growth in demand with a median salary of $46,470 annually.

“This program combines that best of hands-on hard skills training with digital education to best prepare students for growing green tech energy jobs to today and tomorrow,” said Steven Markowitz, President of Apex Technical School. “We’ve been educating individuals in New York City for more than sixty years and this is among the most exciting partnerships we’ve been a part of. Students are going to love the world-class classrooms and program offerings offered at Civic Hall @ Union Square.”

Graduates of the solar certificate program will be offered continuing education and upskilling opportunities at Paul Smith’s College, particularly in clean energy and other climate change related programs. Specifically, graduates of the program will be awarded six college credits to continue their education in related fields.

“The vision for Civic Hall has always been to make the most diverse types of high-tech job training available to the most diverse population of New Yorkers,” said Andrew Rasiej, Co-Founder and President of Civic Hall. “This new program for clean energy job training not only demonstrates this commitment to diversity but also supports New York City’s need for a clean energy future.”

About The Fedcap Group
Since 1935, The Fedcap Group has developed scalable, innovative and potentially disruptive solutions to some of society’s most pressing needs. The Fedcap Group generates nearly $400M of revenue annually to serve over 250,000+ people each year across an international footprint. The work of The Fedcap Group is structured within four major areas of practice—workforce development, educational services, health services, and economic development— and delivered through a growing number of top-tier companies—each focused on helping people with barriers achieve long term economic well-being.

About Power52’s Clean Energy Access Institute
CEA-Institute, a Fedcap Group partner, prepares individuals for careers in the renewable energy industry. CEA craft instructors are committed to all students no matter their back story. With Power Principle resources, the Institute creates opportunities that give students access to workforce options in this growing industry. CEA-Institute’s Renewable Energy Program training will help students navigate a career with CEA power principles and life-skills; National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) standardized curriculum; PV Solar curriculum to support obtaining North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) credentials; and curriculum to aide with navigating the green environment with project management skills. The Renewable Energy Professional Training class format for individuals is a hybrid setting, both online and in-person, including hands-on laboratory experiences. For anchor institutions with stakeholders who require workforce training, CEA-Institute will design, develop, and deliver custom curriculum solutions.

About APEX Technical School
Since 1961, Apex Technical School has enjoyed a rich tradition of service to New Yorkers who know us well for our adult vocational technical school which offers training in skilled trades. Our hands-on training courses give individuals the basic trade and labor skills needed to secure an entry-level position in the field. Located in Long Island City in Queens, Apex offers 900-hour certificate courses in high demand areas such as: air conditioning and refrigeration, automotive service, welding technology, electrical and advanced electrical, plumbing and construction. All of Apex’s trade programs offer hands-on training in as little as 7 months. Apex is licensed by the New York State Education Department and accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

Apex Technical School is a nonprofit organization and a member of The Fedcap Group, an international nonprofit, dedicated to creating opportunities for people with barriers to economic well-being.

About Paul Smith’s College
As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith’s College provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. The college draws on industries and resources available in the region while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. The community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for alumni. The college conducts research and advocacy on issues that improve the planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at paulsmiths.edu.

About Civic Hall
Founded in 2015, Civic Hall is one of the nation’s leading organizations focused on learning and collaboration to advance technology and problem-solving for the public good. It has grown into a thriving community with more than 1,000 members and organizations that includes tech companies, government and nonprofit agencies and philanthropic and academic institutions and has become the center for NYC’s efforts to develop a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive technology industry. The Fedcap Group acquired Civic Hall in 2021.

Contact:
The Fedcap Group:
Susan Walsh, 212-727-4200, (SWalsh@fedcap.org)

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The Concept of Being Thankful is Simply a Good Idea

The Concept of Being Thankful is Simply a Good Idea

November 23, 2022

Tomorrow in the U.S. we celebrate Thanksgiving. While I enjoy the holiday and certainly the remarkable food, I am often puzzled by the idea that we set aside one day to be thankful.

There are so many self-help books and a growing body of research that suggests that the act of practicing gratitude has tremendous long-term benefits.

I found an informative article on Intelligent Change that describes with some degree of detail the concrete benefits of gratitude.

Gratitude Makes You Optimistic and Giving
In one of the first controlled experiments on gratitude, psychologist Martin Seligman asked 411 people to write and personally deliver a letter of gratitude to a person from their life who deserves it. This activity immensely increased their happiness, self-satisfaction, and future predictions scores, compared to a control group. These effects lasted for a whole month. Simply put, gratitude made them more optimistic for longer.

Gratitude Reduces Materialism
Although material means are the bare minimum necessary for survival, overestimating their value can be personally harmful. Materialism is consistently correlated to lower life satisfaction. Whereas the 2014 research cited above demonstrated that people who regularly practice gratitude are less materialistic and tend to be more satisfied with their lives and the material possessions they already have.

Emotional Benefits of Gratitude
Leading researchers on gratitude, Emmons and McCollough, discovered that keeping a gratitude journal and spending only five minutes on it per day can make you at least 10% happier in the long run. This means that all it takes to shift our mindset towards positivity is a willingness to improve our life for the better, practice, commitment, and only a couple of minutes per day.

Social Benefits of Practicing Gratitude
We all have experience ed that people who are satisfied and happy are simply more fun to be around. A 2011 research report revealed that our friendships tend to grow stronger when we express gratitude to our friends. The act of expressing gratitude makes problems more easily resolvable and mutual perception between friends becomes more positive.

And this same article discussed the benefits of gratitude in one’s career.
HR research tells us that workers prefer a workplace culture that is cooperative, where colleagues recognize each other’s efforts and aren’t shy to tell each other “thank you.”

We’re not the only ones claiming that gratitude makes you a better you! Scientific research shows that gratefulness enhances your organizational and motivating abilities. Grateful mentors turn out to be far better mentors than those who play by strict rules.

Moreover, this positive practice tends to improve our patience and decision-making processes by shifting our focus from short-term gratifications to long-term goals. This is particularly important when it comes to work and office culture, as following short-term goals leads to confusion and chaos. On the other hand, focusing on long-term goals gives us more meaning, both in terms of workplace relationships and professional aspirations.

Gratitude Improves Work Satisfaction
Luckily, positive psychology has made an impact on career development and counseling. That’s why today we have a rich body of empirical research about traits and habits that are related to overall work satisfaction.

Recent research from 2015 revealed that gratitude is one of the most important factors that impact people’s sense of meaning at work. Grateful people seem to be the ones who end up “living their life’s purpose,” plus, they’re happier at their workplace.

But that’s not all. Implementing gratitude practice at work significantly improves employees’ mental health and reduces their perceived stress and depressive symptoms at work. Gratitude turns out to be a protective factor, which improves people’s resilience in all kinds of stressful situations.

Health Benefits of Gratitude
And lastly, but perhaps most importantly, let’s go over the health benefits of gratitude.

It can seem unbelievable, but gratitude truly does improve our health—both mental and physical. The mechanism is quite simple: as expressing gratitude reduces stress and promotes positive emotions, it changes our brain and body chemistry. This protects our vital organ systems, especially those that are stress-sensitive, such as the cardiovascular system.

In the next couple of paragraphs, we’ll describe the most important benefits of gratitude to our mental and physical health.

Gratitude Improves Mental Health
The cornerstone of mental health is high-quality sleep. People who don’t sleep well can hardly expect their other mental functions to perform at their finest. Do you have a hard time falling asleep? Or perhaps you’re the endless alarm-snoozer type?

If the answer is yes to either one (or both) of these questions, consider that according to Emmons and McCollough’s research, gratitude journaling helps people sleep better. If you’d like to improve your sleeping cycles, try filling out a gratitude journal every night before going to bed. The Five Minute Journal is designed for you to take a few short minutes a day, in the morning and night, to answer five simple prompts which help you be more positive and grateful.

You’re already familiar with the fact that gratitude lowers anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms, which are also important mental health factors. In fact, everything we spoke about so far—emotional benefits, relationships, career satisfaction—these are all major mental health components, and they can all be influenced positively by practicing gratitude.

A 2012 study conducted by researchers from the University of Kentucky discovered that gratitude is an antidote to aggression. Participants who practiced gratitude on a regular basis were more likely to express prosocial behaviors and were more sensitive and empathetic. Gratitude also turned out to be crucial in lowering the post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among Vietnam War veterans.

Research shows that gratitude practice enables individuals to develop an arsenal of personal strengths that can help them stay sober and productive in the long run. That’s why Narcotics Anonymous has adopted gratitude practice as one of the key components to recovery. When it comes to depression, a case study of a woman who adopted Buddhist teachings and practices to fight depression showed that gratitude practice was the most beneficial on her way to recovery.

Gratitude Improves Physical Health
When it comes to the benefits of gratitude on physical health, there are several layers of effects. A study from 2013 determined that grateful people have better physical health overall, measured by a number of symptoms they experience. As we mentioned above, a possible explanation for this is that gratitude lowers perceived stress levels, consequently making us stronger and healthier.

To broaden the topic further: Emmons and McCollough discovered that grateful people are also more fit.

Does this mean you should add gratitude to your diet plan?
Well, maybe. Of course, practicing gratitude won’t make you skinnier on its own, but according to their research, people who do it are more likely to exercise regularly. So, yes, when planning your diet and training plan, make sure to add five minutes for practicing gratitude, as it can be a significant boost.

The same researchers also discovered that gratitude lowers the symptoms of physical pain, while other research showed that it can help coronary patients recover faster. How is that possible? Researchers say that people who practice gratitude are more willing to take care of themselves and cut out bad habits such as smoking or eating unhealthy food. They also experience less stress which is crucial for combating coronary diseases.

Gratitude takes people outside of themselves and to a place that is part of a larger, more intricate network of sustaining relationships.

There is a quote by Kristin Armstrong I find especially noteworthy. “I write about the power of trying because I want to be okay with failing. I write about generosity because I battle selfishness. I write about joy because I’ve known sorrow. I write about faith because I almost lost mine, and I know what it is to be broken and in need of redemption. I write about gratitude because I am thankful—for all of it.”

And this impacts the overall attitude of our workforce. Researchers from the London School of Economics, in analysis of 51 companies, found that while financial incentives may or may not work when it comes to motivating employees, there is overwhelming evidence that gratitude and appreciation are highly effective motivators for staff. They found that 80% of employees are willing to work harder for an appreciative boss.

“We tend to think of organizations as transactional places where you’re supposed to be ‘professional,’” says Ryan Fehr, an assistant professor of management at the University of Washington, Seattle, who recently published a paper summarizing the landscape of gratitude in business. “We may think that it’s unprofessional to bring things like gratitude or compassion into the workplace, yet evidence suggests that gratitude and appreciation contribute to the kind of workplace environments people want to be part of.”

Happy day of gratitude and giving of thanks!

La Idea de Ser Agradecido/a es Simplemente una Buena Idea

23 noviembre 2022

Mañana en los Estados Unidos celebramos el Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving). Si bien disfruto el día de fiesta y ciertamente de la extraordinaria comida; a menudo me desconcierta la idea de que dejemos a un lado un día para estar agradecidos.

Hay tantos libros de autoayuda y una creciente fuente de investigación que sugiere que el acto de practicar la gratitud tiene enormes beneficios a largo plazo.

Encontré un artículo informativo en “Intelligent Change”, que describe con cierto grado de detalle los beneficios concretos de la gratitud.

La Gratitud Te Convierte en Optimista y Generoso/a
En uno de los primeros experimentos medidos sobre la gratitud, el psicólogo Martin Seligman pidió a 411 personas que le escribieran y entregaran personalmente una carta de gratitud a una persona en su vida que se lo mereciera. Esta actividad aumentó enormemente tanto sus puntajes de felicidad, como la autosatisfacción y sus predicciones futuras, en comparación con un grupo de control. Estos efectos duraron un mes entero. En pocas palabras, la gratitud los convirtió en más optimistas por más tiempo.

La gratitud Disminuye el Materialismo

Aunque las cosas materiales son el mínimo necesario para sobrevivir, sobreestimar su valor puede ser personalmente perjudicial. El materialismo tiene relación consistentemente con una menor satisfacción con la vida. Mientras que la investigación de 2014 citada anteriormente demostró que las personas que practicaron regularmente la gratitud eran menos materialistas y tendían a estar más satisfechas con sus vidas y las posesiones materiales que ya tenían.

Beneficios Emocionales de la Gratitud
Los principales investigadores sobre gratitud, Emmons y McCollough, descubrieron que mantener un diario personal de gratitud y pasar solo cinco minutos en él por día puede hacerte al menos un 10% más feliz a largo plazo. Esto significa que todo lo que se necesita para cambiar nuestro modo de pensar hacia la positividad, es la voluntad de mejorar nuestra vida para bien, así como la práctica, el compromiso y solo un par de minutos por día.

Beneficios Sociales de Practicar la Gratitud
Todos hemos experimentado que las personas que están satisfechas y felices son simplemente más divertidas. Un informe de investigación de 2011 reveló que nuestras amistades tienden a fortalecerse cuando expresamos gratitud a nuestros amigos. El acto de expresar gratitud hace que los problemas sean más fáciles de resolver y la percepción mutua entre amigos se vuelve más positiva.

Y en este mismo artículo se habló sobre los beneficios de la gratitud en la carrera profesional de uno mismo/a.

La investigación de Recursos Humanos nos dice que los trabajadores prefieren una cultura de trabajo que sea colaborativa, donde los colegas reconozcan los esfuerzos de los demás y no sean tímidos para decirse “gracias”.

¡No somos los únicos que afirmamos que la gratitud te hace mejor! La investigación científica muestra que el agradecimiento mejora tus habilidades organizativas e inspiradoras. Los consejeros agradecidos resultan ser mucho mejores orientadores que aquellos que siguen las reglas estrictas.

Además, esta práctica positiva tiende a mejorar nuestra paciencia y los procesos de toma de decisiones al cambiar nuestro enfoque de las gratificaciones a corto plazo hasta los objetivos a largo plazo. Esto es particularmente importante cuando se trata de la cultura del trabajo y la oficina, ya que seguir los objetivos a corto plazo conduce a la confusión y al caos. Por otro lado, centrarse en objetivos a largo plazo nos da más sentido, tanto en términos de relaciones laborales como de aspiraciones profesionales.

La Gratitud Mejora la Satisfacción Laboral
Afortunadamente, la psicología positiva ha tenido un impacto tanto en el desarrollo profesional como en el asesoramiento. Es por eso que hoy tenemos una rica fuente de investigación comprobada sobre rasgos y hábitos que están relacionados con la satisfacción laboral general.

Investigaciones recientes de 2015 revelaron que la gratitud es uno de los factores más importantes que afectan la razón del significado de las personas en el trabajo. Las personas agradecidas parecen ser las que terminan “viviendo el propósito de su vida”, además, son más felices en su lugar de trabajo.

Pero eso no es todo. La implementación de la práctica de gratitud en el trabajo mejora significativamente la salud mental de los empleados y reduce la apariencia de su estrés y los síntomas depresivos en el trabajo. La gratitud resulta ser un factor de seguridad, que mejora la resistencia de las personas en todo tipo de situaciones estresantes.

Beneficios de Salud de la Gratitud
Y por último, pero quizás lo más importante, repasemos los beneficios de salud de la gratitud.

Puede parecer increíble, pero la gratitud realmente mejora nuestra salud, tanto mental como física. El mecanismo es bastante simple: expresando la gratitud reduce el estrés y promueve emociones positivas, cambia tanto la química de nuestro cerebro como la de nuestro cuerpo. Esto protege nuestro sistema de órganos vitales, especialmente aquellos que son sensibles al estrés, como el sistema cardiovascular.

En el siguiente par de párrafos, describiremos los beneficios más importantes de la gratitud para nuestra salud mental y física.

La Gratitud Mejora la Salud Mental
La piedra angular de la salud mental es el sueño de alta calidad. Las personas que no duermen bien difícilmente pueden esperar que sus otras funciones mentales funcionen al máximo. ¿Tienes dificultades para conciliar el sueño? ¿O tal vez eres del tipo de persona que duerme, aunque tu alarma suene sin fin?

Si la respuesta es sí a una (o ambas) de estas preguntas, considera que de acuerdo con la investigación de Emmons y McCollough, el diario personal de gratitud ayuda a las personas a dormir mejor. Si deseas mejorar tus ciclos de sueño, intenta completar un diario personal de gratitud todas las noches antes de acostarte. El Diario de Cinco Minutos (The Five Minute Journal), está diseñado para que tú te tomes unos pocos minutos al día, por la mañana y por la noche, para responder cinco simples questiones que te ayuden a ser más positivo/a y agradecido/a.

Ya estás familiarizado con el hecho de que la gratitud reduce la ansiedad, la depresión y los síntomas de estrés, que también son factores importantes de salud mental. De hecho, todo de lo que hablamos hasta ahora (beneficios emocionales, relaciones personales, satisfacción profesional) todos estos son los principales componentes de la salud mental, y todos pueden ser influenciados positivamente por la práctica de la gratitud.

Un estudio de 2012 realizado por investigadores de la Universidad de Kentucky descubrió que la gratitud es un antídoto contra la agresión. Los participantes que practicaban la gratitud de forma regular eran más propensos a expresar comportamientos prosociales y eran más sensibles y comprensivos. La gratitud también resultó ser crucial para reducir los síntomas del trastorno de estrés postraumático entre los veteranos de la Guerra de Vietnam.

La investigación muestra que la práctica de la gratitud permite a las personas a desarrollar un arsenal de fortalezas personales que pueden ayudarlos a mantenerse sobrios y productivos a largo plazo. Es por eso que Narcóticos Anónimos (Narcotics Anonymous), ha adoptado la práctica de la gratitud como uno de los componentes clave para la recuperación. Cuando se trata de la depresión, un estudio de un caso donde una mujer que adoptó enseñanzas y prácticas budistas para combatir la depresión mostró que la práctica de la gratitud era la más beneficiosa en su camino hacia la recuperación.

La Gratitud Mejora la Salud Física
Cuando se trata de los beneficios de la gratitud en la salud física, hay varios niveles de efecto. Un estudio realizadoen 2013 determinó que las personas agradecidas tienen una mejor salud física en general; medida por una serie de síntomas que experimentan. Como mencionamos anteriormente, una posible explicación para esto es que la gratitud reduce los niveles que se perciben del estrés, lo que nos hace más fuertes y saludables.

Para ampliar aún más el tema: Emmons y McCollough descubrieron que las personas agradecidas también están más en forma.

¿Significa esto que deberías añadir gratitud a tu plan de alimentación?
Bueno, tal vez. Por supuesto, practicar la gratitud no te hará más delgada por sí solo, pero según su investigación, las personas que lo hacen tienen más probabilidades de hacer ejercicio regularmente. Entonces, sí, cuando planifiques tu alimentación y plan de entrenamiento, asegúrate de agregar cinco minutos para practicar la gratitud, ya que puede ser un impulso significativo.

Los mismos investigadores también descubrieron que la gratitud reduce los síntomas del dolor físico, mientras que otras investigaciones mostraron que puede ayudar a los pacientes con ataques al corazón a recuperarse más rápido. ¿Cómo es posible? Los investigadores dicen que las personas que practican la gratitud están más dispuestas a cuidarse y eliminar los malos hábitos como fumar o comer alimentos poco saludables. También experimentan menos estrés, que es crucial para combatir las enfermedades coronarias.

La gratitud sacas a las personas fuera de sí mismas y las lleva a un lugar que es parte de una red más grande e intrincada de relaciones sostenibles.

Hay una frase de Kristin Armstrong que me parece especialmente digna de mención. “Escribo sobre el poder de intentarlo, porque quiero estar bien con el fracaso. Escribo sobre la generosidad, porque lucho contra el egoísmo. Escribo sobre la alegría, porque he conocido el dolor. Escribo sobre la fe, porque casi pierdo la mía, y sé lo que es ser abatida y necesitar salvación. Escribo sobre la gratitud porque estoy agradecida, por todo ello”.

Y esto impacta la actitud general de nuestra fuerza laboral. Investigadores de “The London School of Economics”, en el análisis de 51 empresas, encontraron que, si bien los incentivos financieros podían o no funcionar cuando se trataba de motivar a los empleados, existía evidencia abrumadora de que la gratitud y el aprecio eran impulsores altamente efectivos para el personal. Descubrieron que el 80% de los empleados estaban dispuestos a trabajar más duro para un jefe agradecido.

“Solemos pensar en las organizaciones como sitios transaccionales donde se supone que deberíamos ser “profesionales”, dice Ryan Fehr, profesor asistente de administración en la Universidad de Washington, de Seattle, quien recientemente publicó un artículo que resume el panorama de la gratitud en los negocios. “Podríamos pensar que no es profesional llevar cosas como la gratitud o la compasión al lugar de trabajo, sin embargo, la evidencia sugiere que la gratitud y el aprecio contribuyen al tipo de entorno laboral del cual las personas quieren formar parte. “

¡Feliz día de la Gratitud y del Agradecimiento!

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Braiding Funding, Designing Services and Monitoring Achievement of Sustainable Economic Well-Being

Braiding Funding, Designing Services and Monitoring Achievement of Sustainable Economic Well-Being

November 14, 2022

In two weeks, The Fedcap Group celebrates our annual Power of Possible Gala. This year’s theme, Bridging the Distance to Economic Well-Being, is at the heart of every single thing we do.

We have long believed that it is not sufficient just to help an individual complete an education or even find a job. We measure economic well-being by a sustainable life where there is enough income to pay bills, to cover emergencies (that always come up), to afford safe housing and be able to build a secure future. Economic well-being also involves a more nuanced ability of an individual to participate in the commerce of society—purchasing goods and services, and creating a future for children that is better than the generation before.

Designing effective solutions to bridging the distance to economic well-being is complex work. One size—one solution—does not fit all.

Helping people of diverse backgrounds and barriers bridge the distance to economic well-being requires precise interventions tailored to individual needs and strengths, delivered at the right time with the right intensity, integrating solutions that blend health, education, and employment within a message of hope and possibility. Were we to approach solutions in a less integrated, less intentional and precise manner, the likelihood is great that we would miss the opportunity (and some might say the obligation) to create relevant and sustainable impact. 

It is our belief that our collective societal energy should be geared toward creating and delivering interventions laser-focused on bridging the distance to sustainable economic well-being. This takes innovation and persistence.

Because there is no single source of funding focused on economic well-being, every poverty fighting organization needs to become savvy at learning how to braid diverse governmental funding streams to meet diverse individual needs. It takes weaving job training and education funding with health care and child care in order to advance an individual’s path to sustainable economic well-being.

And when funding streams don’t cover what we perceive to be critical services such as evidence-based parenting classes for young parents receiving TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), financial literacy education and helping people establish saving accounts, we reach out to our generous donors to help fund these interventions. And delivering these precise and tailored interventions is not enough. We must invest in technological platforms to be able to track long-term economic status of those we serve AND a high degree of consumer engagement so that they partner with us in data collection.

This is important, life changing work! I hope that you are able to join us at our Celebration of the Power of Possible Gala to hear how we are building systems and interventions to help every individual we serve bridge the distance to economic well-being.

Entrelazado de fondos, Diseño de servicios y Seguimiento del Logro del Bienestar Económico Sostenible

14 noviembre 2022

En dos semanas, The Fedcap Group celebra nuestra Gala Anual “Power of Possible”. El tema de este año, “Bridging the Distance to Economic Well-Being” (Acortando la Distancia hacia el Bienestar económico), está en el corazón de cada una de las cosas que hacemos.

Durante mucho tiempo hemos creído que no es suficiente ayudar a una persona a completar una educación o incluso encontrar un trabajo. Medimos el bienestar económico a través de una vida sostenible donde hay suficientes ingresos para pagar las facturas, para cubrir emergencias (las que siempre surgen), para pagar un hogar a salvo y poder construir un futuro seguro. El bienestar económico también implica una capacidad más sutil de un individuo para participar en el comercio de la sociedad como comprando bienes y servicios, y creando un futuro para las nuevas generaciones que sea mejor que la generación anterior.

Diseñar soluciones efectivas para acortar la distancia hacia el bienestar económico es un trabajo complejo. Una medida única, o solo una solución, no sirve para todo.

Ayudar a las personas de diversos orígenes y discapacidades a acortar la distancia hacia el bienestar económico requiere individualizadas intervenciones adecuadas a las necesidades y fortalezas de ánimo, entregadas en el momento exacto con la intensidad justa, integrando soluciones que combinen salud, educación y empleo; con un mensaje de esperanza y posibilidad. Si abordáramos las soluciones de una manera menos integrada, menos intencional y precisa, es muy probable que perdiéramos la oportunidad (y algunos podrían decir el compromiso) de crear un impacto relevante y sostenible.

Creemos que nuestro empeño social colectivo debe orientarse hacia la creación y entrega de intervenciones enfocadas para acortar la distancia hacia el bienestar económico sostenible. Esto requiere innovación y persistencia.

Debido a que no existe una fuente única de financiamiento enfocada en el bienestar económico; cada organización que lucha contra la pobreza necesita ser sabia para aprender a enlazar diversas fuentes de financiamiento gubernamental para satisfacer diversas necesidades individuales. Se necesita tejer la capacitación laboral y el financiamiento de la educación acerca de la atención médica y el cuidado infantil para avanzar en el camino de una persona hacia el bienestar económico sostenible.

Y cuando los flujos de financiación no cubren lo que percibimos como servicios críticos: como clases de crianza basadas en pruebas para padres jóvenes que reciben “TANF” (Asistencia Temporal para Familias Necesitadas), así como educación financiera y ayudar a las personas a abrir cuentas de ahorro, nos contactamos con nuestros generosos donantes para ayudar a financiar estas intervenciones. Y ofreciendo estas intervenciones justas y personalisadas no es suficiente. Debemos invertir en plataformas tecnológicas para poder rastrear el estado económico a largo plazo de aquellos a quienes servimos Y un alto grado de participación del consumidor para que se asocien con nosotros en la recopilación de datos.

¡Esto es importante, es un trabajo que cambia vidas! Espero que puedan compartir con nosotros nuestra “Celebration of the Power of Possible Gala”, para comprender cómo estamos construyendo sistemas e intervenciones para ayudar a cada persona a la que servimos a acortar la distancia hacia el bienestar económico.

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The Fedcap Group’s CEO, Christine McMahon, Named a Whole Health Hero by Empire BlueCross BlueShield and Crain’s New York Business

The Fedcap Group’s CEO, Christine McMahon, Named a Whole Health Hero by Empire BlueCross BlueShield and Crain’s New York Business

November 14, 2022

New York, NY – Last week, Christine McMahon, President and CEO of the nonprofit The Fedcap Group was named one of the Whole Health Heroes by Empire BlueCross BlueShield and Crain’s New York Business. The award celebrates leaders and innovators making a difference educating and promoting financial, physical and emotional well-being in the New York City region. The Fedcap Group delivers a wide-array of transformative, evidence-based solutions that eliminate barriers to economic well-being, particularly for underserved and underrepresented communities.

As President and CEO, Ms. McMahon has led the growth of the organization from a $60-million, New York-centric agency to a nearly $400-million international enterprise with 22 subsidiary organizations and 3,400 employees across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom that serves over 250,000 people each year.

Ms. McMahon was recognized for several achievements, including implementing Metrics that Matter which tracks key determinants of health as well as program efficacy. Ms. McMahon has led several critical acquisitions that enable The Fedcap Group to not only expand services in communities it serves, but also to increase its reach in assisting more people in need. The acquisitions include Single Stop, a program that connects eligible individuals to hundreds of millions of dollars in federal, state, and local benefits through an innovative technology and case management platform; ReServe, which matches retired workers, age 50 and up, with the needs of government and social service agencies to fill critical job gaps; and Apex Technical School and Civic Hall, both New York City-based educational institutions providing training in skilled trades and digital technology.

“We’re thrilled that our very own Christine McMahon was honored as a Whole Health Hero by Empire BlueCross BlueShield and Crain’s New York Business,” said Mark O’Donoghue, Chairman of The Fedcap Group’s Board of Directors. “This recognition reinforces what the Fedcap Group Board has witnessed from Chris for more than a decade—a forward-thinking leader committed to helping people in need achieve economic well-being.”

For more information about all the awardees see https://www.crainsnewyork.com/Empire2022.

About The Fedcap Group
Since 1935, The Fedcap Group has developed scalable, innovative and potentially disruptive solutions to some of society’s most pressing needs. The Fedcap Group generates nearly $400M of revenue annually to serve over 250,000+ people each year across an international footprint. The work of The Fedcap Group is structured within four major areas of practice—workforce development, educational services, health services, and economic development—and delivered through a growing number of top-tier companies—each focused on helping people with barriers achieve long term economic well-being.

Contact:
The Fedcap Group:
Susan Walsh, 212-727-4200, (SWalsh@fedcap.org)

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Reflections on Veterans Day

Reflections on Veterans Day

November 8, 2022

As we spend this week celebrating our veterans—I have asked Retired Army Colonel Sam Whitehurst to serve as a guest blogger today. We are grateful for his service to this country—and his leadership on and off the battlefield.

By Retired Army Colonel Sam Whitehurst, Vice President, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services – a member organization of The Fedcap Group.

“I would go to war with these guys!”

This weekend, I heard a well-known college football coach proclaim this as he discussed his team following their victory over one of their most competitive rivals. It’s easy to dismiss this as just part of the natural exuberance and hyperbole that many coaches engage in following a thrilling victory.

But for veterans, this is not exaggeration or an overstatement—it’s not hypothetical, but part of the reality of what it means to serve, an example of the commitment and trust that veterans have in each other, and the level of resolve that is inherent in our veterans.

This is who I think about on Veterans Day, the men and women that I have served with, men and women that I did go to war with; men and women from different parts of the country and different backgrounds, diverse experiences but who all share one thing—an unwavering commitment to the person to their left and right, an uncompromising belief in the fidelity of brotherhood and sisterhood.

Veterans Day is a time to reflect and consider how all of us can contribute to that brotherhood and sisterhood, how we can best support veterans and their families. It’s more than just thanking them for their service but exploring how we can more effectively integrate veterans and their families into existing programs to address their evolving needs. Working together to ensure that veterans find Work with Purpose, Heal with Honor, and Live with Hope. The goal, quite simply, is to prevent the isolation and disconnection that burdens some of our veterans and leverage those qualities that we see in veterans from all generations—resiliency, duty, perseverance, and a strong sense of community.

Supporting veterans and their families starts with connecting with Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, a member of the Fedcap Group. Our noble purpose is to make the lives of veterans and their families better and ensure they reach their full potential. But a “one size fits all” approach doesn’t work—it takes a community of partners who share in that noble purpose. Dixon Center is uniquely positioned to understand the challenges that veterans face in different communities and forge those partnerships.

As we reflect on the service of our veterans on this Veterans Day, join Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services in developing solutions that enable veterans and their families to succeed where they live.

Reflexiones Sobre el Día de los Veteranos

noviembre 8, 2022

Mientras pasamos esta semana celebrando a nuestros veteranos, le he pedido al coronel retirado del ejército Sam Whitehurst que sirva hoy como “blogger” invitado. Estamos agradecidos por su servicio a este país y su liderazgo dentro y fuera del campo de batalla.

Por el coronel retirado del ejército Sam Whitehurst, vicepresidente del Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, una organización afiliada del Fedcap Group.

“¡Iría a la guerra con estos camaradas!”

Este fin de semana, escuché a un conocido entrenador de fútbol americano universitario proclamar esto; mientras hablaba de su equipo después de su victoria sobre uno de sus rivales más competitivos. Es fácil descartar esto como parte de la euforia natural y la exageración en la que muchos entrenadores llaman la atención después de una victoria apasionante.

Pero para los veteranos, esto no es una exageración o una sobreestimación, no es imaginario, sino parte de la realidad de lo que significa servir, así como un ejemplo del compromiso y la confianza que los veteranos tienen entre sí, y el nivel de decisión que es intrínseco en nuestros veteranos.

Esto es en lo que pienso en el Día de los Veteranos; los hombres y mujeres con los que he servido, hombres y mujeres con los que fui a la guerra; Hombres y mujeres de diferentes partes del país y diferentes orígenes, experiencias diversas pero que comparten una cosa; un compromiso inquebrantable tanto con la persona a su izquierda y derecha, una creencia inflexible en la fidelidad de la fraternidad de hombres y la hermandad de mujeres.

El Día de los Veteranos es un momento para reflexionar y considerar, cómo, todos podemos contribuir a esa hermandad, cómo podemos apoyar mejor a los veteranos y sus familias. No es solo agradecerles por su servicio, sino explorar cómo podemos integrar de manera más efectiva a los veteranos y sus familias en los programas existentes para atender sus necesidades cambiantes. Trabajando juntos para asegurar que los veteranos encuentren “Labor con Propósito, Sanar con Honor y Vivir con Esperanza”. El objetivo, simplemente, es evitar el aislamiento y el desacoplamiento que aqueja a algunos de nuestros veteranos y aprovechar esas cualidades que vemos en los veteranos de todas las generaciones; resistencia, deber, perseverancia y un fuerte sentido de comunidad.

El apoyo a los veteranos y sus familias comienza con el enlace al Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, un afiliado del Fedcap Group. Nuestro noble propósito es mejorar la vida de los veteranos y sus familias y garantizar que alcancen su máxima capacidad. Pero una estrategia de “una talla para todo el mundo” no funciona; se necesita una comunidad de socios que compartan ese noble propósito. Dixon Center está en una posición única para comprender los desafíos que enfrentan los veteranos en diferentes comunidades y forjar esas colaboraciones.

Al reflexionar sobre el servicio prestado de nuestros veteranos en este Día de los Veteranos, únase al Dixon Center for Military and Veteran Services en el desarrollo de soluciones que permitan a los veteranos y sus familias tener éxito donde vivan.

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