Mission: Achievement

Mission: Achievement

nonprofit by Mark Gordon | Managing Editor

Gulf Coast nonprofits are suffering when it comes to donations, another byproduct of the economic slowdown. At least one group though, is looking to raise its entrepreneurial profile.

Mike Ohlman, who spends his days advising other people how to spend and invest their money as an executive with Raymond James, realized early on in life that most education systems get an 'F' when it comes to teaching kids and teenagers anything related to money.

And when he took a personal finance course as a freshman at the University of South Florida in 1982, he realized the depth of the problem. Says Ohlman, a senior vice president in the financial services firm's Lakewood Ranch office: "That showed me just how bad we do at teaching kids the fundamentals of money and economics."

Ohlman decided to be proactive in combating the problem. Soon after college, he began volunteering for Junior Achievement, a Colorado Springs, Colo.-based international nonprofit that teaches children and teenagers about finances, economics and business through a variety of in-school and after-school programs. Ohlman has stayed with the program and is now chair of the Manatee County division's board.

"What we are doing," says Barbara Page, the recently hired executive director of the Sarasota-Manatee division, "is helping kids make the most of their talents."

That requires two things: Money and volunteers. And just as it has been for most other Gulf Coast nonprofits during the economic slowdown, those challenges have become more pressing.

"We're not recession proof," says Richard George, president of Junior Achievement's West-Central Florida chapter, which covers 12 counties, in cities from Gainesville to Venice. "We are down, like most charities."

While fundraising continues to be a challenge, the organization has been growing in other ways. The Clearwater-based West Central Florida branch, for example, has grown its programs and volunteer base 19 years in a row and is one of the 10 fastest-growing franchises in the country, says George. It's now the 18th largest franchise in the country and its volunteer-logged hours ranked 13th nationwide last year, higher then even New York City.

The West-Central Florida Junior Achievement chapter goes as far south as Sarasota County. The chapter covering Lee and Collier counties is JA of Southwest Florida, Inc.

Upcoming Junior Achievement Events

Junior Achievement chapters on the Gulf Coast have several events coming up over the next month, including a fundraising breakfast and an annual leadership dinner.

The breakfast, for the Sarasota-Bradenton chapter, will be held at the Hyatt Sarasota, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, on March 25, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. For more information call (941) 388-0990.

The annual Business Leadership Hall of Fame Dinner, supporting the chapter that covers Lee and Collier counties, will be held at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa on April 9. A cocktail reception begins at 5 p.m. and the dinner, for which tickets cost $250, begins at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call (239) 225-2590.

AT A GLANCE

Junior Achievement

The Gulf Coast chapters of Junior Achievement are seeking more volunteers to help with the job-shadow and classroom-based programs, both from an individual and a corporate perspective. The organization is also looking to reconnect with alumni who have gone through the organization's programs.

To contact Junior Achievement in the Tampa/St. Petersburg market, call (727) 530-0884; in the Sarasota/Manatee market call (941) 388-0990; and in the Fort Myers/Naples area, call (239) 225-2590.