Jumpstart is one of those non-profit organizations that, through its good deeds and innovative practices, has pretty well secured its position in the constellation of Boston AmeriCorps-sponsored charities. But in a casual sit-down with Karen Domerski at the Jumpstart offices above the Children’s Museum here in Boston, I learned that laying before every successful non-profit is a new host of challenges.

Jumpstart, currently in its fifteenth year, is one of the fastest-growing non-profits in the country, and works to channel AmeriCorps energy into educating young people in troubled areas (Karen tells me its flagship programs are in Seattle and Boston). Theirs is a model for a well-run program, the clean Boston office where I met exemplifying the speed and strength of this well-oiled machine.

But Ms. Domerski also expressed that the current system has its own set of flaws and that can make things difficult. She voiced concern that, in the year between the election of a new president and when the next round of AmeriCorps appropriations are set to come out, many non-profits face contraction due to a shrinking budget organized in a confusing fashion. Many rules remain unclear for organizations like Jumpstart, which is currently trying to juggle national- and state-level donors according to those rules at it seeks to expand its membership – towards teaching a whopping 20,000 kids per year, Domerski says.

The juggernaut that is the American non-profit sector will continue leading the world in volunteerism, commitment and innovation. What I learned from Karen Domerski is that the rules and the politicians just need to catch up.

Jumpstart, national service, AmeriCorps, budget (all tags)

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