Case Content and Submission Instruction to BMG's 2012 Summer Internship Program

1. Barnes Management Group
2012 Summer Internship Project
Case Information
February 23, 2012

2. Introduction
Barnes Management Group pleased to introduce our 2012 Summer Internship Program. To apply for this
internship program, you will self-organize into a team of 2 to 3 people. Your team will analyze the content
provided in this document, conduct any additional research you wish and submit a proposal to us as your
team’s application to this internship program. This unique internship program is your chance to shape
your own internship experience, to work with your own team and to make a positive difference. We look
forward to your team’s proposal.
Housing Crisis
In native communities throughout Cochrane District in Ontario’s north, housing shortages, sub-standard
housing and crowding is at a crisis level. The overcrowding means that when children come to be placed
in foster care, many of them cannot stay in their communities — willing foster families cannot
accommodate them in overcrowded homes. Instead, children are being sent nearly 1,000 miles from
home, to foster homes in southern Ontario. Payukotayno Housing Authority, in partnership with local
agencies, businesses and individuals, has been created to provide solutions to the housing crisis for
foster care.
Foster Children
Children in foster care in native communities far outnumber their non-native counterparts. Close to 50%
of the children in care in the Moosonee area have been displaced to southern communities, including
Timmins, Sudbury and North Bay, and as far south as Huntsville, Toronto and St. Catherines.
Children, for their own safety, are removed from their homes into foster care, to be taken hundreds of
miles away to a complete foreign place, separated from parents, relatives, friends and community.
However, this is an all-too-common practice in communities stretching from Moosonee on the southern tip
of James Bay, to Peawanuk on the shore of Hudson Bay. Because homes near their communities don’t
pass the requirements for adequate foster homes as outlined by the Ministry of Children and Youth
Services, children must be removed from the town, village or reserve where their parents live, and are
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taken up to nearly 1,000 miles away . Though, as much as possible, native children are placed in native
foster homes. However, due to this housing crisis, often children whose first language is Cree may be
placed in southern communities where no one speaks their language; they are rendered isolated in every
respect – by distance, by a language barrier, and by a cultural and spiritual divide.
Research Implications
Studies point to children and youth achieving greater success and quality of life when they can maintain
their ties to their culture, heritage, language and communities. In a particular research, interviewees felt
the removal from their birth communities had detrimental effects on them. The research also states ―The
trauma of state enforced separation has affected the ability of many Aboriginals to achieve balance in
their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. When experienced by more than one
generation, personal trauma becomes institutionalized within a family. Where multiple families within a
community experience similar life events, the community is left without the resources required to
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effectively address the resultant social consequences.‖
1
Tanya Talaga. "Print Article." News, Toronto, GTA, Sports, Business, Entertainment, Canada, World,
Breaking - Thestar.com. Toronto Star, 19 Apr. 2011. Web. 19 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.thestar.com/printarticle/976810>.
2
Menzies, Peter. Understanding Aboriginal Intergeneration Trauma From A Social Work Perspective.
The Canadian Journal of Native Studies27. 2 (2007): 367-392.
Barnes Management Group
1 Yonge Street, Suite 911
Toronto, Ontario M5E 1E5
T. 416.977.3811
F. 888.316.2546 Summer Internship Program – 2012
www.barnesmanagementgroup.ca Page |2

3. As a result, for children in foster care, many of whom have suffered trauma and anxiety, remaining
connected to their culture and common practices, in the community they know, becomes essential. With
foster children, parents and their families within the same area, parents can more readily visit with
children, care workers can coordinate care more expediently, communication will be more immediate and
effective, and families can rehabilitate together, with consistent care and support. Similar programs in
Alberta have seen much success: Closer To Home’s Foster Care Program has shown 96% of children
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decreased risk factors and 86% of children were discharged to their parents, kin or adoptive families.
Rehabilitation and Healing challenge
Separated by distances, families face an uphill battle in terms of rehabilitation and healing. Coordinating
care between the child’s home community and the foster community in the south requires a complex web
of organization and communication. Family therapy is particularly challenging under such conditions.
In order for parents and their child in foster care to visit, an application for funding must be submitted and
approved. A round trip between a community such as Fort Albany and Toronto is $2700 per person,
limiting visits to only once or twice a year per family. It often takes a combination of air, rail and car travel
to bring a parent and child together. Coupled with the long journey, families then have only a day or two
at a time to visit their children.
Partnership for Foster Care Housing
Payukotayno
Payukotayno: James and Hudson Bay Family Services is a result of an extensive effort by local
community leaders, representatives of child welfare agencies and the Ministry of Community and
Social Services staff. Payukotayno was officially incorporated on July 12, 1984, to assume total
responsibility for child welfare services previously handled by other agencies in the south. Its new
mandate was to build new services geared to meet the requirements of the Child and Family Services
Act and to take into account the traditional aspects of the Cree people.
Payukotayno Housing Authority
Payukotayno serves with respect, dignity and care, and has been a trusted agency for 26 years. With
the housing crisis severely hindering the availability of local foster care, Payukotayno established the
Payukotayno Housing Authority. Engaging enterprising individuals, families, businesses and
government agencies, Payukotayno Housing Authority’s mission is to provide safe, adequate housing
that meets the standards for foster care.
Payukotayno Housing Authority’s first priority is to raise the necessary funds to provide rental housing
in Moosonee, and then in native communities on the James and Hudson Bay coast where foster
homes are needed most. Payukotayno Housing Authority will also assist in provision of housing for
staff.
Key Assets
Key Assets is an independent fostering agency that provides quality care in a family setting to
children and young people. It is an international agency, which provides a highly effective and
acclaimed fostering model, with an office now in Moosonee, Ontario. Key Assets ensures a child-
focused approach while also supporting the success of the foster carer through training, support and
access to effective resources.
3
Closer To Home Community Services. 2010/2011 Annual Report. Rep. Alberta: Closer To Home
Community Services, 2011. Print.
Barnes Management Group
1 Yonge Street, Suite 911
Toronto, Ontario M5E 1E5
T. 416.977.3811
F. 888.316.2546 Summer Internship Program – 2012
www.barnesmanagementgroup.ca Page |3

4. Collectively, these three agencies will ensure the wellbeing of native children and families, the best of
foster care, and suitable, safe housing for foster families.
Barnes Management Group
Barnes Management Group was initially hired by Payukotayno in 2008 to conduct strategic planning and
out of the strategic assessment and planning was the recurring theme to keep foster children closer to
home. Since the initial strategic planning, Barnes Management Group has been providing its services to
Payukotayno to establish Payukotayno Housing Authority and to plan various fundraising strategies for
this housing project.
Goal
The first goal of this project is to build or secure six homes in Moosonee, Ontario, at the southern tip of
James Bay, allowing six foster homes to open, six families to start fostering and up to 18 children to
return into foster care close to home.
Although Payukotayno is funded by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, the Ministry does not
provide funds for foster care housing. Therefore, Payukotayno Housing Authority is seeking donations to
support its cause to build foster homes within local communities to which Payukotayno serves. The cost
of building a foster home in Moosonee is approximately $250,000 and the first goal of this fundraising
campaign is to raise $1.5 million.
Recent Development
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Wesley Prankard (a.k.a. Northern Starfish)
Wesley Prankard is a 13 years old boy with a huge heart. He was a finalist as Canada’s Next Top
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Young Philanthropist and was a winner of NHL- All Star World Changer . In the past, Wesley raised
$100,000 to build a playground for the children in Attawapiskat (a community to which Payukotayno
serves) after learning about their living conditions. During the holidays in 2011, Wesley heard about
Barnes Management Group’s Christmas fundraising for Attawapiskat in partnership with Toronto
Business Development Center and Payukotayno. Wesley has reached out to Barnes Management
Group about his new fundraising goal and, after an introduction to Payukotayno and its housing
initiative, Wesley is pledging to raise $500,000 with his Campout campaign in March for
Payukotayno Housing Authority to build safe and loving fosters homes.
Corporate Support
Barnes Management Group is in the process of conducting a feasibility study to scope out
opportunities in acquiring corporate donations from major businesses. In this process, Barnes
Management Group has established an advisory board consisting of leaders from Advertising,
Banking and Aboriginal Economic Development sectors to provide guidance and to champion this
project through their networks. The feasibility study is currently in its final stage where Barnes
Management Group is developing business cases to present to potential corporate supporters and to
acquire sponsorship.
4
Northern Starfish. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. <http://northernstarfish.org/>.
5
Are You the *TYP. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. <http://youthgive.ca/entry/4393131-Northern-
Starfish?offset=15>.
6
Nicks, Erin. "All-Star World Changer." 'All-Star World Changer' Rewarded for Hard Work - 2012 Tim
Horton's NHL All Star Game. NHL.com, 29 Jan. 2012. Web. 19 Feb. 2012.
<www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=614236>.
Barnes Management Group
1 Yonge Street, Suite 911
Toronto, Ontario M5E 1E5
T. 416.977.3811
F. 888.316.2546 Summer Internship Program – 2012
www.barnesmanagementgroup.ca Page |4

5. Your Objective
The market for organizations seeking for philanthropic support can be best described as competitive. In
addition, Aboriginal related issues are often tarnished by generational and systemic racism and results in
low level of empathy and awareness. Mindful of the timeline, Wesley’s pledge of $500,000 and Barnes
Management Group’s existing effort to acquire corporate support, your objective is to develop and
implement a fundraising strategy that will help Payukotayno to achieve its goal.
Application Instruction
Barnes Management Group is looking for a team of 2 to 3 ambitious, passionate and high-performing
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interns in summer 2012, starting May 15 . Based on the above contextual information and any additional
research, Barnes Management Group is inviting you to form your own team and submit a proposal
including your analysis, recommendation of a fundraising strategy, implementation plan and performance
measurement plan to us as your team’s application to this internship program. We will short-list the
submissions and invite short-listed teams to present their ideas in person. The winning team will be
awarded with 3 month summer internship to execute their recommendation.
Timeline
1. Slide deck submission: April 15th
2. Short-list announcement: April 20th
3. Presentation: April 30th – May 3rd
4. Internship award announcement: May 4th
5. Start of Internship: May 15th
Submission Details
 Method: Email your team’s proposal to Tony Yu - t.yu@barnesmanagementgroup.ca with
subject “BMG Summer Internship Submission – Payukotayno Housing” by April 15th.
 Proposal content: A PowerPoint slide including but not limited to the following elements:
o Understanding of the challenge
o Analysis
o Fundraising Strategy/Recommendation
o Implementation plan
o Goals and performance measurement plan
o Profiles of team members
 One submission per team
Compensation
 $3,000/month per intern.
Barnes Management Group
1 Yonge Street, Suite 911
Toronto, Ontario M5E 1E5
T. 416.977.3811
F. 888.316.2546 Summer Internship Program – 2012
www.barnesmanagementgroup.ca Page |5