State Coordinator Frequently Asked Questions
Listed
below are some answers to questions we frequently receive regarding the SADD
State Coordinator role. Please read through them to see if your question is
answered. If not, you may contact us at SADD National; contact information
is provided below.
I see you don’t have a state coordinator in my state. How do I apply
for the position?
Thank you for your interest in becoming a state coordinator. We realize this
may not be obvious, but state coordinators are not employees of SADD, and
we do not compensate anyone to take on that responsibility. Instead, in a
given state we will partner with state government or an existing nonprofit
agency with a similar mission and designate them to take on the role.
I’m in state government (the highway safety
department, department of public health, substance abuse office, department
of education, etc). Can our agency become the state coordinator?
You can. We’d like you to designate a staff member to act as the state
coordinator and spend at least part of his or her time on SADD duties (the
duties of state coordinator can be part of a larger job, such as youth coordinator).
Please contact us as noted below, and we’ll be happy to talk with you
further about this role. If you’re committed to the idea of having a
state coordinator but prefer to fund an outside agency to take on that role,
we can also work with you to find an appropriate program partner within the
state.
We’re a local nonprofit agency/community coalition.
Can we take on the role of state coordinator?
It is possible, but it’s important to recognize that there’s a significant
difference between working on the local level, or even across a few counties,
and managing SADD on a statewide level. SADD tends to partner with organizations
that already have a statewide or nearly statewide presence, because these
groups frequently have established records that help attract state and other
funding. If you’d like to discuss this possibility further, feel free
to contact us.
I work for a nonprofit organization that operates statewide. Will SADD provide
startup funding to become the state coordinator?
Unfortunately, no. Although we can provide guidance and some in-kind support,
SADD can provide only limited direct funding to its state coordinators. Instead,
the designation of SADD State Coordinator helps groups obtain funding from
state government or other sources to oversee SADD chapters in the state. We’re
happy to help connect you to those state resources.
I’m just an individual, and I’m interested
in becoming the state coordinator. Is there any opportunity for me to take
this on myself?
We don’t rule it out, but becoming the state coordinator as an individual
instead of as part of a larger organization is extremely challenging. As stated
above, SADD does not hire state coordinators, and coordinators have to seek
funding on their own to make this happen. It’s hard for an individual,
even if he or she forms a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to have an adequate
infrastructure to attract funding. We do have state coordinators who have
done so, but generally they were retired individuals with other means of income
who were able to fund the SADD organization themselves for a period of time
while building a statewide organization that appeals to funders. If you think
this is a realistic option for you, please contact us.
Let’s suppose we’re interested in being the SADD State Coordinator.
What kind of support would we receive?
In addition to helping you line up state funding, participating as the SADD State Coordinator will connect you with a larger network of state coordinators, expand the reach of your organization to include all the SADD chapters in your state, and make you eligible for a number of benefits that are available to SADD State Coordinators, including a cash minigrant, twice-annual state coordinator meetings, free materials, and participation in the national SADD network. If you contact us, we can talk more about the benefits.
If after reading through these questions you wish to pursue further the idea
of taking on the SADD State Coordinator role in your state, please contact
us at SADD National.
Chris Egan
Director of Field Services
SADD, Inc.
Phone: 877-SADD-INC x223
Fax: 508-481-5759
E-mail: cegan@sadd.org
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