- PNC is proud to support "Business Forward," where local leaders discuss the challenges and opportunities and how we do business in Central Illinois.

(orchestral music) (uplifting music) - Welcome to "Business Forward."

I'm your host, Matt George.

Joining me tonight, Andy Thornton, good friend of mine, president and CEO of the Greater Peoria YMCA; and Jami Trulove, she's a nonprofit leader also, but she's representing today Impact Central Illinois.

Welcome, Andy.

- Thanks for having me, Matt.

- Welcome, Jami.

- Thank you.

- This is gonna be a fun show.

You know, I'm doing a three-part series, this is the first part, of this business model that's out there, impact giving.

It's what is going on in communities across the United States.

But here in central Illinois, there's a lot of good things that are happening, and we're gonna talk about Y on the Fly here in a second.

But I want to start first with you, Jami.

You're here representing Impact, but you have another job.

- I do.

- [Matt] So why don't you explain what you do?

- Yeah, I'm the president and CEO for Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters.

- That's great.

So I know you do great work.

The model that you have is also great.

Why don't you, in a couple minutes' time, kind of explain what you do at Big Brothers Big Sisters?

- Sure.

So Big Brothers Big Sisters is a one-on-one mentoring program.

So we're serving youth here in the community through community-based and site-based mentoring.

So the typical Big Brothers Big Sisters model of going out in the community with your little brother or little sister and spending time together, two to four times a month, doing things that you both enjoy doing together.

And then we recently started a site-based program where we're in the schools doing kind of the same thing.

- Oh, nice.

- But specifically, partnering with Peoria public schools and other local schools to impact the youth there.

- Well, I think not only do the schools need it, but our whole area needs it.

- Yes.

- These kids need these mentors.

And it's something that I've always talked about on the show.

We had the group SCORE come on and they talk about their mentoring program that they have for entrepreneurs and business.

But really when these kids start getting older, and I'm talking not real old, 14, 15, 16 years old, they get an opportunity to start dreaming.

And I think a lot of times, at about that age, and I saw this at Children's Home many times, is they could go one way or another.

And so these mentors can keep them on the right path and have that vision or that dream to keep it alive.

- Absolutely.

That's our big goal, is to be defenders of potential.

So helping them set goals, graduating from high school, figuring out what they want to do post high school, whether that's trade school, career or college, whatever path is best for them.

- Defenders of potential.

- Mmhmm.

- I'm gonna steal that.

I love it.

I love it.

- How about it?

(chuckles) - All right, let's talk about Impact Central Illinois.

And I know Laurie Weaver is going to be on next week's show, and she's not only a true friend, but she had a vision.

And this vision... And I met with her before any of this even happened.

And she went down to Texas and she saw this model and she said, "You know what?

I'm gonna bring this back to Peoria."

Why don't you explain exactly what your group does.

- Yeah, Impact Central Illinois is a women's collective giving organization.

So it's relatively new, within being our fifth year, but we have made a huge impact on the community.

It's women that are interested in making a donation and then giving, pooling all that money together to make a big impact in the community.

So this past year, we're able to award four different nonprofits with different grants.

- What was the total amount that you raised this year?

Was it close to four?

- Yes, $325,000 this year.

- Wow.

That is phenomenal.

- Yeah, incredible.

For such a new organization that's completely volunteer-based, it's amazing the impact that it's had so far.

- And really the... Because I was part of the first grant, and Children's Home won that, but I was actually hands-on from the get-go, the process.

And what I found interesting and that I actually loved and appreciated was the vetting process because it's very similar to the Heart of Illinois United Way, in a way to where your group does a great job of not only wanting to know the financials and wanting to know the leadership and wanting to know the scope of the program, but you even take it a step further that the women in this group, which, how many do you have now?

- We're going through membership right now, so we'll find out the end of November what our total is for the year.

- So let's say you have a few hundred.

300, let's say.

What I found interesting was you wanted to come to Children's Home and actually be boots on the ground and see the program.

And I thought that was pretty cool.

- Yeah, the women of the group are amazing.

They're wanting to get more involved in the community, and we have so many different ways to volunteer within Impact, whether it's the financial review or the grant review process.

But, yeah, going in and doing site visits and then learning about these nonprofits and helping them beyond what we're doing with the donation.

- Yeah, it's unbelievable.

And so now I'm gonna come over to you, Andy, and talk about you happen to be the recipient.

Or not you, but the YMCA was the recipient for this program.

And I think you can probably attest to what I just said and verify that vetting process.

It's not the easiest to go through because you have to put some thought into the scope because there's a lot of great organizations out there that are vying for these dollars.

- It's very competitive.

And I've said this a number of times, I've shared this with Laurie and with the leadership of Impact, and it is one of the most competitive grant processes that we've been involved in.

So we are a recipient this year for our, it's a collaborative program, actually, with the Park District.

- Yeah.

- And you hear that a lot from me in conversation.

- [Matt] Well, I'm gonna talk about that.

- But this was our third attempt to get this initiative funded.

First two times we were doing it on our own, and then we built this collaboration with the Park District.

But that process of going through it three times, we're in such a much better place for impact to really happen through this program because of the process that they've set up.

It really keeps you accountable, right?

- Yeah.

I think, Jami, I wasn't gonna go there, but Andy brought up something interesting.

If you do not receive, if you're turned down, so to speak, go for it again.

- Yes, absolutely.

- I mean, it makes no sense not to go for it because you can hone in and tighten up that scope.

And what you're doing in that vetting process, and I truly believe it's a good thing, that you're going in and saying, wait a minute, you have 300 very smart women that are sitting here, free advisors telling you, "I would think about maybe doing this," or "What are you doing here?"

And it makes you rethink the scope of the program.

- Mmhmm, yeah.

And through the entire process where that's my role with Impact is giving our nonprofits feedback and making sure that, you know, they can better their grant process throughout and making it a good experience for them as well.

But taking that feedback, and absolutely apply again in the future.

- Yeah.

And I think what's cool about it, too, is there's just so many great leaders around here.

- [Jami] Yeah.

- And think about it.

I mean, everybody's got good ideas, but not all of them can stick, or probably should stick.

So, all right, Andy, before we get into what Y on the Fly is, let's talk about just the YMCA in general.

You were on the show a couple years ago.

You came on, we were coming out of COVID, or maybe we were still in COVID, worried about levels of funding, of people coming in, and whether you can swim or work out.

And where are we at now with the Y?

- We're in a really good spot, having come out of COVID.

And from a membership perspective, because that is the biggest part of our operation, we're a membership organization, and our membership is as big as it's been since I've been here.

- Wow.

- Which has been six years now.

And we have to go back 10 years to find membership revenues and membership participation levels at the level that we're finding them now.

A lot of that is attributed just to coming out of COVID and people looking for ways to engage and connect and all of those things.

But our collaboration with the Park District and the RiverPlex, you know, that kind of buy-one-get-both-facilities has been a great thing for us.

And the timing of all of that was perfect.

So we're great.

From a membership perspective, our program numbers have rebounded really well.

Fundraising is strong.

We had our best fundraising year last year as well.

And I think a lot of that has to do with just some of the impact that we're doing, right?

And starting to create some awareness.

- Yeah, I think you're being humble.

I mean, the way I look at it is, I mean, there's a strategy and a process there.

- [Andy] Sure.

- And so what happens as a CEO of an agency like this is you have to sit there, and I've always looked at it as, you know, they're not necessarily strategic initiatives as much as it is solutions, and you have to find solutions.

- Sure.

- It's problem solving.

So you sit here and you think, "Okay."

Because, you know, when I was at the Y, I'd sit there and, you know, you'd have a group of guys that would sit there and read the paper.

It's not just working out.

- No, they're still there.

- It's not just swimming.

- Yeah.

- It's actually mental health.

- Yeah, it's everything.

- It's everything.

- Yeah.

- It's everything.

- Fitness is a big part of it, there's no doubt about it, and we shouldn't shy away from that, but it is social, it is emotional, it is spiritual.

All of those things.

And you talk about the gaps that we see with our children now; and the work that Jami's doing in Big Brothers Big Sisters, that's needed everywhere.

I mean, this summer we had 150 kids on our campus every day involved in our summer camp programs, right?

And that's an interesting challenge in itself because so many of those kids come with so many different challenges.

And trying to find a way to fill those gaps, pour into those kids so that they can continue to develop and grow and prosper is a really important space for us, and we enjoy doing that.

- And the land that you're on is just beautiful.

- Yeah, we're blessed.

- So those kids, I remember I was talking to one of the groups of kids and all these deer were coming by, and, I mean, just fun stuff.

So, all right, collaboration, you talked about it.

I have given speeches on it for years.

You know my take on it.

I think it's a- - I believe in it.

- Yeah, I mean, you have to do it.

I just think a lot of agencies don't know what the word means.

You do.

- Yeah.

- And so when you sit here and look at what you've done the last two or three years, that collaboration piece is part of that solutions-based model.

So you receive some dollars from Impact.

And what is this program you're doing with the Y?

- So it's an outreach program.

I wanna make sure that we give credit where credit's due.

This is a YMCA and Peoria Park District initiative.

The Y kind of gets the credit for it because we're the funding agency, but we are partnering with the Peoria Park District to make this thing come to life.

And the way that the collaboration works is the Park District is providing access through their parks and some of the equipment and those types of things, and then we're gonna provide the manpower to deliver the program.

But the program is an outreach program.

It's a mobile programming unit, right?

So think of it, well, for the older generation probably remember the YMCA and Park District just showing up in parks and setting up fun activities for kids to engage in.

Kind of going back to that model now.

And we're gonna go into the communities where we don't necessarily serve those communities very well right now.

And we're specifically targeting 03, 05 zip codes.

So, you know, the East Bluff, the Southend, the North Valley, those areas.

And we've got six parks identified that we're gonna be servicing over a 22-week period, so, basically, spring through fall, and we're gonna be at those parks every other week, same time, same day, repeatedly throughout the summer, providing physical activity, providing STEAM activities, providing social interaction, providing healthy snacks and foods, just as a way to come in and help serve where we know there's gaps, where we know there's kids that are just kind of out there wandering around or not having the supervision that they need, and trying to build some of those relationships.

And then as we go through that process, we'll learn more about what needs are and work on expanding our program.

So grateful to Impact Central Illinois for giving us the seed money to get started.

And this money will carry us for two years of operation.

And during that time, we'll be building a sustainability plan on how we move forward and expand the program.

- You took my next question.

- I'm sorry.

- It's all about sustainability, right?

- It is.

Well, and that's a big part of Impact central Illinois, too.

They don't want to fund something that's just gonna be a flash in the pan.

They want something that's gonna continue.

So that's a part of the process is to show how you plan to do that.

- Yeah, and for our viewers, can you explain what STEAM programs are?

- Yeah, that's science, technology, engineering, art, math.

All of those types of programs, just engage kids.

You know, one of the things that we see all the time in the Y, and people are familiar with this, kids are glued to screens, right?

And there's some benefit to being attached that way, but kids need to be able to develop and explore free-play style.

And a lot of STEAM activities are that, right?

You get a chance to just explore and expand your mindset, and we'll be doing this in an outdoor setting.

So it's really, I think, critical now for us to be engaging kids in this way.

Let's get out of the house, let's get outside, let's put the tablet down, let's put the phone down, and let's just go play.

- Thank you.

- And learn how to interact with each other.

- Yeah, so, Jami, when you look at, or your team looks at, the grant, how do you review what you're reading?

Like do you have a scorecard, a checklist, something like that, I'm guessing?

- Yes, we have different key criteria that we're looking at, and we educate all of our members that are a part of the grant review process to understand what they're looking for throughout the process and know what we're asking for our nonprofits to do.

So they're educated on that end.

And then everyone reviews them on their own and then comes together as a group to discuss all of the different applications and have some discussion back and forth about it, and then it goes into a vote from there.

- And I think leadership is huge.

- [Jami] Yeah, absolutely.

- Because that does kind of go into that sustainability piece.

You know, Andy, what I was just thinking about was, what I like this program is, and I was talking to somebody last week about, you see these school districts cutting art and arts, and you see these, you know, music, whatever, and then PE's being cut.

I mean, you gotta be kidding me, right?

And so when I see this stuff, I think to myself, here you are, child obesity issues in our whole community, the whole United States- - All over the place.

- And you see, you're giving an opportunity for all kids, underserved especially, but all kids the opportunity to be able to not only stay active, like you said, get off these stupid phones and everything else, but they can actually see nature, they can be outside, and enjoy what a park district's supposed to do.

And I think that's a lost thing.

I mean, when you and I were little, we'd go to the park.

- [Andy] And we'd make up our own game.

- [Matt] You'd make up your own games.

And you'd start at eight o'clock in the morning and go until dinner time.

- Yeah.

- It's just not the way of the world anymore.

And that part of that is sad.

- It's not.

And so we have to create it because we know the value of it because we lived it and we experienced it.

And there's plenty of data out there that shows that it helps with development, especially with young children, just to be able to explore.

And to be able to create that environment and invite them in and give them a space just to play, I mean, that's really what it is.

But it's so important to do that, and to learn the social connectivity, build trust within their community, because there's a lot of people out there that don't necessarily have that, too.

And it's a way for us to engage with more community partners.

So the YMCA is not the art expert in our community, right?

There are art experts in our community.

So we'll be working on building those relationships, too, and inviting those partners to come in and to be able to share some of their expertise and engage these kids in other ways.

And it's really an introduction to the Y.

It's an introduction to the Park District.

It's an introduction to these other community providers that will hopefully, you know, launch these kids into deeper relationships with whatever agency it is that they want to engage with so that they can further their growth.

- Yeah, I had Pastor Chuck Brown on here a couple weeks ago, and he was talking about that relationship piece for kids and talking about safety and that safety piece.

You know, that psychological safety piece.

You know, I talk about it a lot on this show about that psychological safety piece within a company or your organization.

But there is that piece out there with the kids, too, in our community.

And we see it all the time with, you know, a lot of the nonprofits that we work with.

And, you know, another thought was all these nonprofits, they're all businesses.

- [Andy] Sure.

- And people don't realize that.

They forget about it.

They just think you've got your hand out, or this and that.

And it's not true.

The impact.

- No, we have to operate successfully as a business in order to do the charity, right?

We have to be able to cover our expenses and make revenues and all those things.

But the goal is to do that and reinvest back in the community.

So we've got to have a good business model.

- You have to.

So, Jami, I'm going back and I'm thinking of the word collaboration again.

And when Andy was just talking, it's almost like, in a good way, forced collaboration.

- Mmhmm, absolutely.

- Because if you think about this, you know Chief Echevarria is gonna come and be a part of this because the police are gonna be a strong part of this.

In a good way.

And you're gonna have the fire department, you're gonna have the Park District, you're gonna have the Boys and Girls Club, you're gonna have Friendship House, you're gonna have Neighborhood House, you're gonna have Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Because what happens, and people forget this in communities, people forget that the kids are the kids in your community.

They utilize different services throughout each community, right?

So it's the same kids.

- Oh, yeah.

- So Children's Home kids or Big Brother Big Sister kids.

- Yep.

- Right.

- And people forget that.

And I think it's pretty important.

It goes to that safety piece.

So that forced collaboration is key.

It's key.

- It is.

- When does the program start?

- We're targeting September to kind of get our feet wet this fall.

It'll run March through September on an annual basis.

That's kind of our 22-week schedule.

We want to get launched this fall just to kind of test the waters, kind of figure out the kinks of the operation.

We've got a great plan on paper, but we know it's just not gonna work out the way that we initially planned.

We'll have to make some adjustments going into next spring.

So right now we're actively looking for a director for this program.

- [Matt] That was another question I was gonna ask.

- This is bringing some new jobs to the community, too.

- Which is awesome.

- Yeah.

- You know, if I put my CEO hat on for a minute, you're right, let's start in September, do a two month pilot, and then see where we're at and go all the way in.

- And then make the adjustments in the off season and be ready to go next spring.

- Interesting.

So, Jami, I ask this question a lot, and it's, what does community mean to you?

What is community?

- I think coming together and making a big impact for those that need it and supporting each other.

So that just kind of goes back to the collaboration piece.

And, you know, I actually met with Andy earlier this week and we talked about ways to collaborate further between just our different organizations.

But touching on what you said, you know, the kids in our community are utilizing all these different organizations.

It's come together as a community and really support those nonprofits and support our community as a whole.

- Another theme that kind of goes through the show a lot is mentorship.

- Yes.

- And that's really what you do.

- [Jami] Yes.

- So my question to you is, you as a CEO, you don't just get there by accident.

So did you have mentors yourself?

- Oh, yeah.

- [Matt] Growing up and then even continuing now?

- Yeah, I think mentorship is important for your entire life, no matter what point you're at.

I still have mentors.

I've had mentors my whole childhood to through college, and now I believe in it.

It's starting with youth and helping them have someone in their corner, but just having somebody now that I can talk to that serves as a mentor to me.

And hopefully I can give back in that way to my staff or to other people in the community as well.

But mentorship is important, no matter where you're at in your career or in your life.

- Yeah, I agree.

What does community mean to you, Andy?

- Well, it means a lot of things, but I think, you know, when I think about community, it's about coming together, like Jami had talked about, for a common cause, understanding that not everybody around the table has the same viewpoints, and being respectful of that.

We can still work together, right?

We each have individual talents, individual resources that we can bring to the table, but knowing that if we work collaboratively, if we work collectively, we're gonna make this community stronger.

And it doesn't have to be... No one organization can do it alone, right?

Can't lift this community up to the level that it needs to be at or should be at.

- [Matt] That's exactly right.

- And we've got to be able to embrace that.

And I think there's that spirit of that in Peoria, especially through the nonprofit sector.

You worked in it.

I've been in it now for six years.

Jami's a part of it.

- Yeah.

- Impact Central Illinois is a big convener of nonprofits through their process, and it's opening doors for us to really explore what collaboration looks like and building that stronger community.

- So mentors for you.

- Yeah.

- I know we've had this discussion before.

- Yeah, Jami said it really well.

You never stop needing mentors in your life.

And if you think you've gotten to a point where you don't, you'd probably stop growing.

- Yeah.

- You need mentors to hold you accountable, right?

'Cause that's what they do, right?

Help provide a different viewpoint, a different way of looking at things, some coaching, all of those things.

Yeah, absolutely critical.

- Yeah, and I think staying humble at the same time, you know.

One of the things is you came to me once with a thought and an idea, and you might've looked at it as a, "Man, he's kind of helping me out," but I actually looked at it as the other way, too, as you're helping me out.

And I think that's the true feeling of what mentorship is, is it doesn't matter what the age gap is, there's a feel-good on both sides.

And that's a true way of mentoring.

- [Andy] Yeah, I appreciate that.

- What does the Y look like this next upcoming year?

What are some of the other fun things you got going?

- Oh, boy, well, hopefully... And really in our vision, we're really digging in right now to try to figure out what that 60 acre campus is gonna look like over the next 20 years.

- [Matt] Yeah, I think that's probably a whole 'nother show.

- It is.

(Matt and Jami laughing) It's a big project, right?

- Yes.

It's beautiful.

- I mean, not everybody understands that we've got a 60 acre campus in Peoria that we own.

- Crazy.

- And a lot of it is timbers.

- Wow.

- 40 acres of timber.

We gotta figure out how to use it to benefit this community.

We're gonna start digging into that this fall and studying that, and using community partners come in and help inform it.

- You've done a great job.

Continue to do it.

Jami, thank you for coming on and I think it added a lot, and you do a great job here in the community, too.

- Thank you.

Thanks.

- So thank you, both.

- Thank you.

- I'm Matt George, and this is another episode of "Business Forward."

(orchestral music) (uplifting music) (uplifting music continues) (uplifting music continues) (logo whooshes) - Thanks for tuning into "Business Forward," brought to you by PNC.

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