Dataseam, an education and workforce development organization, was selected by the federal Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to participate in the READY Nonprofits initiative, one of four learning tracks under ARC’s capacity-building initiative, READY Appalachia.
READY Nonprofits offered several intensive 10-week instruction series covering board development, financial management, fundraising, employee recruitment and retention, marketing communications, and programs and operations. The cohort-based learning model allowed participants to develop skills, networks, and solutions to organizational challenges.
Dataseam, one of 75 non-profits participating, was selected by the ARC to participate in the Marketing and Communications cohort focusing on comprehensive messaging, branding and development of a rebranded communication strategy. After course completion, Dataseam was then eligible to apply for up to $25,000 in funding to build internal operating capacity to better fulfill their organizational missions across Appalachia. Dataseam was one of 25 award recipients to recently receive this funding.
In addition to the rebrand strategy, Dataseam also used the funding to make platform and personnel changes in order to both scale and improve the services model for the US Department of Labor-approved Registered Apprenticeship for Information Technology first established in 2018. The program has grown from four students in two counties to 31 counties and multiple cohorts, offering training opportunities to high school juniors and seniors, aimed at bridging the opportunity for work-based education and digital access to many rural Kentucky communities.
“Not only are we scaling to better support demand, but we are reinvesting this grant back into the Appalachians who have been working alongside us to support the Dataseam mission,” said Brian Gupton, Chief Executive Officer. “Any organization can benefit from reflection on its past in order to direct future growth and how they serve populations. As Dataseam moves into our 20th year and beyond, there is always room for improvement in how to communicate that mission. READY Nonprofits made it possible. We are thankful to the Appalachian Regional Commission for their efforts to support and build capacity across the region.”
Read the full READY Nonprofit Award Summaries HERE.
More information about READY Nonprofits HERE.
Download a PDF of this press release HERE.
