NEWS - Non-Profit Organizations

SBJ Special Report

Dec 19, 2011 - Strive 2 Excel, Inc., a Hilton Head based non-profit organization focused on providing academic enrichment and developing self-esteem and social skills for a diverse student population at Hilton Head Island’s public high school, middle school and elementary schools, announced here today that it will cease operations effective December 31, 2011.

The organization, which re-constituted its board of directors in September with a number of top business leaders - after three years of being without an operational board of directors - has been undergoing a thorough review of operations, governance, finances and fundraising since that time. It has concluded the uncertain conditions of the local economy combined with other considerations have made the continued economic viability of the organization untenable.

“As a board we have approved the steps to responsibly bring Strive 2 Excel’s operations to a close, and with the cooperation of the Beaufort County School District, assist in the transition of participating students into other similar programs,” said Ike Evans, Chairman of the Board.

Evans noted that the new board includes top executives with a depth of experience both in corporate and non-profit areas from across the country, and “has deliberated long and hard about the pros of cons” of keeping Strive 2 Excel going. Evans retired as vice chairman and a director of Union Pacific in 2005.

“There is no doubt that Strive 2 Excel has been quite successful since it was founded in 1999 by its current Executive Director, Tim Singleton,” said Evans. “Our discussions with the young people, their teachers and their parents along with the student achievement statistics and the recent independent study conducted by the school district all confirmed this.

“Nonetheless, we identified three criteria that would be vital to the program’s continued viability:

1. Does the Executive Director have the passion and energy needed to sustain the significant success of the past, which had been achieved almost single-handedly?

2. Does the program have fully committed support of the island community at large?

3. Can we put together a realistic plan for both short and long-term viability that will secure a sufficient number of both large and small donations necessary to fund the on-going operations?

Singleton agreed that while he is “very proud of the results achieved by the students who have participated in Strive over the past 13 years;” and “deeply appreciative for all who have helped make the program such a success, things are now different.” 

Singleton said now that he is no longer the football coach at Hilton Head Island High, “his passion to continue at past levels has declined, and without it, the time has come to step aside.”

Strive 2 Excel’s Success has been Noteworthy

Evans points out that over the past seven years Strive 2 Excel has experienced a 100% graduation rate of students who have completed the program with 96% of the graduates continuing on to college, technical schools and or honorable military service. In 2006 Strive 2 Excel was named “Organization of the Year” by the Hilton Head/Bluffton Greater Chamber of Commerce.

“Strive 2 Excel has been a genuine success story in this community,” said Evans. “When the average graduation rate in our State is less than 70%, and Strive has achieved 100% graduation with 96% going on to the next level, that’s a big deal, and Tim Singleton has been the driving force who made it all happen with his determination and energy level.”

Evans stated that the board gave thought to bringing in another executive director, but after considering the uncertain current economic conditions both locally, and nationally -- where gifts and grants to non-profits groups of all stripes have been dwindling -- the risks were still too great. 

Although the new board was able to raise more than $90,000 in the past three months, he said those funds were used to pay outstanding bills and maintain current operations, and he didn’t see enough funding on the horizon to sustain operations over a long term. He also pointed out there are several new mentoring organizations which have begun helping students locally who are soliciting both financial and volunteer support as well.

Singleton said that while he is stepping away from Strive 2 Excel at this time, it does not mean he won’t re-establish the program or something like it again somewhere else. “I love motivating and helping young people exceed their expectations and reach goals they never thought they could achieve, either through my coaching or mentoring,” said Singleton.

“I don’t know what the future has in store, but I do know I have been blessed with the ability to serve and motivate others, and I embrace the opportunities which lie ahead.”

Other board members since September include:  Coleman H. Peterson, former executive vice president of Wal-Mart and the NAACP's executive committee and currently president and CEO of a national human-resources consulting company and board member of Cracker Barrel Restaurants, J.B. Hunt Transportation and Build-A-Bear Workshop; Kim Tubbs-Herron, Regional General Manager for Microsoft Systems; Robert Trask, President and CEO, Atlantic Community Bank; Herbert Ford,retired career CIA officer; Lynne Anderson, Founder and CEO of eTextPrep and former editor and publisher of Island Events Magazine; and Thomas Gardo, President of Denarius Group, Inc. a Hilton Head Island based marketing communications company.