Mission Statement
OneStar Foundation: Texas Center for Social Impact focuses on increased results for the people served by the nonprofit sector through promotion of innovation, entrepreneurship, sound business practices, well-managed volunteer programs, research and rigorous evaluation. OneStar also serves as the state's National Service Commission administering the AmeriCorps grant program and serves as the Faith-Based and Community Initiative office. OneStar carries out its mission for state government as a supporting nonprofit of the Office of the Governor.
For news about OneStar Foundation, please visit http://www.onestarfoundation.org/news
Read OneStar's blog at http://blog.onestarfoundation.org
Description
Our organization and its programs are built around four basic principles of organizational excellence.
Solution-oriented strategies must be based on real research, not intuition. OneStar's Research, Evaluation and Learning focus area provides data on needs and trends that help nonprofits solve social challenges, develop best practices and better understand the underlying causes behind the issues they address.
The greatest social challenges deserve lasting solutions, not temporary bandages. Our Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship focus area convenes leaders, scholars and practitioners to explore new solutions. It also distributes innovative approaches across the nonprofit sector and leverages cross-sector leadership, strategies and resources to support and promote these fresh ideas.
Even the best ideas will fail unless organizations can learn what success looks like. The nonprofit sector is often forced to do without the training and executive leadership we expect within the private sector. Our Organizational Excellence focus area develops and facilitates strategies that nonprofits can use to strengthen their operation, professionalize their processes and develop their employee base. Additionally, OneStar hosts the annual Governor's Nonprofit Leadership Conference and Governor's Volunteer Awards ceremony to promote these strategies and highlight success stories from around the state.
Finally, the ultimate success of our nonprofit organizations often rests on the volunteers that serve on the front lines and help these groups fulfill their missions. Volunteers' enthusiasm, expertise and desire to serve are the most basic component of a successful nonprofit sector. OneStar's Service and Volunteerism focus area is cultivating a strong volunteer ethic across the state with AmeriCorps*Texas and our three-year, $45 million investment in our state's volunteer industry.
Together, these basic principles guide the success of Texas' nonprofit industry, and the daily operations of OneStar Foundation.
