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Intermediary Profile and Statistics » Public funding: 60% » Private funding: 40% |
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The After School Corporation (TASC) was founded in 1998 with a challenge grant from the Open Society Institute (OSI), which pledged $125 million on the condition that TASC raise three dollars for every dollar OSI contributed. To fulfill this commitment, TASC developed a four-part strategy, which included requiring program sites to raise matching funds, using a strict cost model, creating and enforcing requirements around student attendance, and securing a diverse blend of public and private funding sources. Using this approach to fundraising, TASC has raised and leveraged more than $490 million to date.
In its early years, TASC established a fundraising requirement for its program sites, asking providers to contribute a 10 percent match to their TASC funding. The match requirement increased incrementally each year, up to 40 percent. This strategy helped to build a commitment to the TASC model from funders, because programs learned to raise their own money in order to be sustainable in the long-term. In 2001, TASC renewed its commitment to sustainability by funding new programs only if they or TASC could cover at least 75% of program costs with sustainable funds. TASC was also strategic with its OSI money, using those funds as the last dollar in and the first dollar out, and replacing OSI dollars with public funds whenever possible.
TASC developed a program cost model of $1,000 per child per year and implemented strict program attendance requirements as a condition of funding, which helped to keep costs low. Elementary sites are required to maintain an average daily attendance of 70 percent, middle school sites need to average 60 percent, and high school sites must average 50 percent. Programs that did not meet these benchmarks had their funding reduced the following semester. In addition to lowering operating costs, this system helped TASC to gain greater investor confidence, as funders knew that TASC invested its grants prudently on students who were regularly attending program.
Since its founding in 1998, TASC has significantly shifted its funding structure to utilize more public sources. In 2008, TASC anticipates that 75 percent of its budget will be publicly funded, 22 percent will come from private sources, and three percent will come from contracted work.
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TASC has had a profound impact on the quality and availability of after-school programs in New York. During its nine years of operation, public funding for comprehensive after-school programs in New York City has increased from $60 million to $150 million per year, and the number of youth served annually in New York City increased from 10,000 to 140,000. TASC's model of blending public and private funding is a key component toward ensuring programs' long-term sustainability.
