GuideStar Profile

Mission and Purpose Mission Street publications, like Whats Up Magazine, represent the most effective and sustainable model for homeless self-help and advocacy to emerge in the last two decades. By combining sidewalk sales of a magazine, public education, and grassroots organizing, street publications build for long-term social change while making a direct difference in the lives of poor and homeless people. Programs Vendor Program - Employ men, women, and youth homeless persons to sale our monthly publication about housing, homelessness, arts and entertainment Safer Streets Campaign - Educate the homeless about their civil rights and track violations of these rights. Homeless Writer's Workshop - Match volunteers with homeless writers to assist them in idea development, grammar, and syntax. Street Sources - Publish a guide for the community of resources that residents and businesses can use to better assist the homeless in accessing services. Results Accomplishments for Fiscal Year Ending 12/31/2003 Recruited 250 homeless men and women for involvement in our vendor program. Managed a rotating staff of 30-40 vendors who raised over $35,000 from street sales of the magazine. Obtained our 501(c)3 status on March 7, 2003. Objectives for Fiscal Year Beginning 01/01/2004 Recruit 250 homeless vendors through outreach to area homeless shelters, programs, and from the street. Empower men and women to transition into full-time employment through involvement with our vendor program. Raise $50,000 in honest dollars for the homeless vendors through street sales of the magazine. Self Assessment Whats Up Magazine tracks its effectiveness by: (1) a quarterly review of our vendor program (2) the number of homeless recruited and their time of employment (3) growth in circulation (4) feedback via a community network board of homeless services (5) growth in our earned income. Chief Executive Profile Jay Swoboda, Program Director, is the founder and editor-in-chief of Whats Up Magazine. Swoboda started the magazine after meeting the founder of a similar publication in Boston, MA. Swoboda brought the idea of a street publication to St. Louis in the fall of 2000 upon his return from Americorps. Through his efforts and those of countless volunteers the organization has become the source of social awareness news in St. Louis. Swoboda is 2002 graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and hails from the rural Missouri town of Jonesburg. Additional Comments Circulation has grown steadily over the past two years with total vendor circulation of 54,000 magazines since our inception. Sales continue to climb, and a new record for a single month, 7,025 copies, was set in May 2003. We attribute the increased readership to improved marketing, an increase in the number of vendors, quality journalism, and heightened public interest in alternative news sources. Check out other non-profits @ www.guidestar.org	Basic Information   This organization files an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ. EIN: 43-1935561 Contact: Mr. Jay Swoboda, Program Director Phone: (314) 241-7744  Fax: (314) 231-1548  E-mail: editor@whatsupstl.com  Year Founded: 2001  No. of Board Members: 4  No. of Full Time Employees: 0  No. of Part-Time Employees: 0  Volunteers: 21-100  Funding: This organization is seeking funds from contributions and grants. These funds will be used for unrestricted operating expenses and special projects.   Locations Served: National Missouri   Board of Directors Raju Mukhi, President Robert Boyle, Vice-President Luke Corrigan, Treasurer Robert Lipscomb, Secretary