Today we’d like to introduce you to Marvin Daniels
Hi Marvin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In the early 90’s a small group of young adults had a heart to help in the inner-city. They started volunteering at the local Elementary and High School and playing basketball or jumping rope with the students to build relationships. During this time, they were able to gather together a small group of children to conduct a Bible Study in a neighbors basement area. This bible study group into a large gathering of students of all ages and they began looking for a bigger place to meet. This led to establishment of a faith-based nonprofit in 1998 (with a Board of Directors), in which the students called themselves The Hope Center. The Board of Directors gained some insight from a Christian Community Development organization in Chicago to learn how their model worked. This led to the establishment of Hope Family Care Center in 1999 to address the health concerns and needs of the community. In 2005 a the property of the former Annunciation Church became available. Through many difficult negotiations, a Board Member who had a relationship with the investor, allowed The Hope Center to purchase the property, and the campus of The Hope Center was birthed. This property came with a Church building built in 1903, a school building built in 1953, a Rectory built in 1920, along with a Nunnery built in 1915. The Hope Center used the school building as its primary facility to host several youth programs. When the KCPS schools were closing due to loss of accreditation, the idea for an Elementary school was brought to The Hope Center and a decision was made to begin the process of establishing a public Charter School. The remodel of the current community center became a school building again to function as a multi-use facility in 2011. During the 2010-2013 The Hope Center staff faced some personal difficulties and this led to the loss of key staff including the Founder and Executive Director. During those years, a skeleton crew of staff continued to operate The Hope Center. In 2014, Marvin Daniels became the new Executive Director and revitalized the organization. The current staff was nurtured and slowly departed giving Marvin the opportunity to bring in new staff. Within, three years, a predominantly white staff became a predominantly black staff. This proved to be an important transformation to the community. The staff transitioned from the school building to the Rectory as an office. The school added grades which now function as K-5th grades. The medical Clinic is healthy and operating its’ own budget. The Hope Center became The Hope Center KC (differentiating from other Hope Center names), established a community garden in 2015 with the Santa Fe Home Owners Association, remodeled the former Annunciation Church into a Program and Event Venue (a $7M construction cost). Currently, The Hope Center is working on Affordable Housing initiative and seeking to build a Multiplex that contains recreation facilities, Arts and Technology labs, Sound Studio, Coffee Shop, incubator Businesses, pop up Kitchen, E-Gaming rooms, Virtual Reality areas, Counseling room, Pharmacy and Specialty Medicine as well as extended parking. This will occur on the 35 lots that has been acquired over the years. Marvin believes in our vision of Developing Healthy Communities where the vulnerable can have Hope and Flourish. Utilizing our assets responsibly and creatively will lend to the accomplishment of this vision.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There were and are several challenges: (1) Fiscal Challenges: In 2014, our budget was $400,000. In 2025, our budget is $2.1M. This has always been a fiscal challenge as a donor-based organization whose programming services are free to our community. Diversifying our income streams is a continuous challenge but with our new Event Venue, we are seeking to obtain a new income stream. (2) Staffing: We are blessed to have staff that has served with us for 10 years. However, there are still areas where staff is needed in order for us to scale properly and meet the growing needs and services. (3) Facilities: The Hope Center KC (THCKC) owns 6 buildings; 3 houses (2 for our staff) and 3 operational buildings. The management and maintenance of these facilities are both expensive and ongoing. (4) Partnerships: Utilizing a multi-use building (functions as a school 7:00-4:00 and a community center 3:30-9:00p.m.) has incredible challenges. Failure to communicate, clean properly, repair damages, and assume responsibility is a continuous challenge. When it works well all it is because we are all on one accord. (5) THCKC is known as a safe space and fun place. That reputation is earned but the gun violence threatens safety daily. (6) Kansas City nonprofits work in silos and collaborations take work to be authentic. (7) The City has wonderful goals but continues to put in place policies that hinder those goals. As a result, the East-side that we serve in continues to be disinvested. This make THCKC’s vision even more difficult to obtain.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have served in the nonprofit world for 39 years in a variety of roles in a variety of cities (New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Branson, Vienna, Austria and Kansas City). My greatest talents are expressed in Training, Teaching, and Speaking. These talents and gifting have afforded me to travel globally and enter into private public spaces. My professional journey has been revealed as a repairer and rebuilder. Every position I have had was in that vain. I am proud of the transformative lives I have been a part of; the many programs established that increased worldviews and provided unique opportunities no afforded to many; to solidify cross-cultural relationships; mediate gang conflicts that saved lives, and a The Hope Center KC, to reestablish us as a Community and Youth Development organization that values the resources of our community, honors the dignity of humanity, and assist in the prospering of people have been a tumultuous joy. What sets us apart according to the community is our authenticity of service as a hands up not hand out organization; our love for people, and our belief that God has created each person with the ability to learn and grow. My greatest blessing is being married for 35 years to my wife who serves with me, and having 5 adult children who graduated from college, some with terminal degrees, and they all come to serve at The Hope Center KC. This example has enriched our community.
What are your plans for the future?
Our goal is to infuse $70M into our Community. The Gathering KC, our newly renovated Venue is already a beacon in our community. The next phases of Community Development is building 12-15 single family homes for homeownership and 6 Duplexes for rental followed by erecting The Hope Center’s Multiplex that will be a transformational project for the Community. Both projects pencil out to be $60M collectively. These are huge projects that will require public and private partnerships in addition to our current budget. . For a donor-based nonprofit it is a herculean task., but it also part of our vision. This will require an expansion of our Team and Board Members. My goal is to accomplish this within the next 5 years.
Pricing:
- Staffing $640,000
- Operations $900,000
- Programs are Free
- Capital Campaign $2M
- Monthly donors $25 and up
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hopecenterkc.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopecenterkc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopecenterkc/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-hope-center-kansas-city/?viewAsMember=true
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hopecenterkc
- Other: https://linktr.ee/TheHopecenterkc
