Damon Cates of One Hope United On 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Lead A Nonprofit Organization
A big idea: You need an ongoing cause, a big enough idea that you’re not just fixing something acute, but you have a mission that is tied to a larger movement or bigger vision.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Damon Cates.
Dr. Damon Cates has been the President & CEO of One Hope United since 2024. The OHU Board of Directors asked Damon to serve as Interim President & CEO in 2023. A leader in fundraising with more than 25 years of experience, Damon previously had headed up OHU’s philanthropy and constituent engagement efforts. As President and CEO, Damon currently leads the development of OHU’s long- and short- term strategies, manages overall operations and resources, serves as OHU’s primary spokesperson and evaluates and tracks OHU’s success in reaching its goals. Damon’s accomplishments include his leadership in fundraising at both state and federal levels, cultivating stronger relationships with legislative leaders in Illinois, Florida, and nationally. He successfully guided the organization through its COA reaccreditation process, implemented initiatives to strengthen collaboration and teamwork, helped shape and share the OHU story and established the OHU Promise to set the vision and priorities for the near future.
Damon received a BA from Millikin University, an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an EdD from the University of Pennsylvania. He joined One Hope United from the University of Chicago, where, for over 16 years of service, he led alumni relations and development programs for several of the University’s academic units, also serving as director of a multi-billion dollar university-wide fundraising campaign. In addition to UChicago, Damon has also held leadership fundraising positions at the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University.
Damon is a sought-after speaker who regularly presents at conferences. He has published articles on enhancing constituent engagement and building organizational capacity. Damon was also appointed by Governor JB Pritzker to the Illinois Youth Budget Commission in 2023 and DCFS’ Child Welfare Advisory Committee in 2024.
Thank you so much for doing this with us. Before we begin our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”?
I grew up in downstate Illinois, in the St. Louis area. After college at Millikin University in central Illinois, I made my way up the state to Chicago. I began my career in higher education, working in fundraising and alumni relations at the University of Chicago, then at Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania before circling back to UChicago. When a recruiter asked me to consider One Hope United, the instant I learned more about the mission and the role that I could play, I knew it was a move I wanted to make. I joined the organization as chief advancement officer and served as its interim leader before being appointed president and CEO.
Can you tell us the story behind why you decided to start or join your non nonprofit?
One Hope United has been around for 130 years, and when I started to dig into its history, I could see the significant impact it has had and continues to play in the social services sector. And more importantly, I could see the impact on youth and families who are in crisis and in need of assistance. The opportunity for an immediate and tangible impact felt really exciting to me. As I learned more about the foster care system, I also realized that One Hope United is positioned to be an innovator and to disrupt the so-called foster care to prison pipeline.
Can you describe how you or your organization aims to make a significant social impact?
Over 391,000 children are in foster care in the US, and an estimated 23,000 age out annually without permanent support. Of those youth, 25 percent will be involved with the criminal justice system within two years of leaving foster care. If a child has had five or more foster care placements, they have a 90 percent risk of being involved with the criminal justice system. These statistics point to an unmet need in the foster care system to serve the most vulnerable and disadvantaged youth — youth who are difficult to place with foster or adoptive families and end up living in institutional settings.
We are addressing this need and changing this reality with our Hope House model, an innovative way to help youth ages 13–17 develop the skills and emotional intelligence they need to transition successfully to adulthood and thrive. Hope Houses provide a stable, nurturing environment with house parents and a maximum of four teens in each Hope House. We help these youth successfully complete high school or earn their GED, get a driver’s license, find jobs, and engage in normal family household activities like cooking, having a birthday party, going to the movies — things that people outside the system often take for granted.
When you look at our performance metrics, One Hope United is a top performer providing excellent quality care. We anticipate soon reaching $100 million in top line revenue, and that puts us at a scale where we have the resources to make a significant impact for these youth. While we can always use more resources, we’re well positioned to take the next big step as an organization and transform the future of foster care. We have successfully piloted the Hope House program in Florida, demonstrating that Hope Houses are effective, offering real solutions while reducing costs by approximately 40% compared to the traditional model of foster care. This year, we’re opening two more Hope Houses in Florida and we’re expanding the model to Illinois, where we will open at least five Hope Houses by the end of 2025. I’d like to think even bigger and see the Hope House model transform foster care for all youth across the country, so every child has a home that helps them thrive.
Without saying any names, can you share a story about an individual who was helped by your idea so far?
A great example is a young man who joined Hope House when he was 17. He’d been on probation since he was 13. One of things we learned about him early on was that he loved to work. We helped him find a job, first at a restaurant, then at a car wash, then at a nonprofit specializing in poverty. He thrived. When he left Hope House at age 18, we helped him find employment in Tallahassee at the capitol building, working security. But there was still something that haunted him, and that was his probation. While he wanted to embrace his role and grow, it was still in the back of his mind that if he made just one mistake, his dream would be taken from him. So we worked with him, advocated on his behalf, and finally, his probation was lifted. Through big tears, the first time we’d ever seen him cry, he said, “Is it done? Is my probation really over?” He found hope again. Moments like that keep us going.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Yes. One, it’s important to support strong, effective legislation like the Family First Prevention Services Act, a federal law that focuses on family engagement and evidence-based practices, and ensures that children are in the least restrictive, most family-like setting consistent with their permanent placement needs. One of the reasons there is demand for Hope Houses is because states must have a placement plan for each child — it’s unacceptable for a kid to be in an office during the day and staying in a hotel at night. They need a stable home environment even if they’re not placed with a foster family or adopted. We provide that with Hope Houses.
Two, and this sounds simplistic, but it’s so important: reduce the stigma for kids in the foster care system. Everybody needs a reminder of that. Youth in the system are rarely there through any fault of their own, and they most often don’t have the same opportunities as others. A teen in foster care seeking a job may be underqualified or under-prepared but has as much zeal and interest in being successful as anyone else — maybe even more so — and could use a little bit extra help. So consider hiring them or consider reaching out to them in an extra special way. Maybe they need a little more encouragement to join the baseball team or other organization.
A vivid example of lack of opportunity is getting a driver’s license. Only a fraction of teens get their driver’s license while in foster care. If their school doesn’t offer and pay for driver’s ed, or they’re not in school consistently, they’re left out. Even if they do take driver’s ed, most states require many hours of driving with an adult to qualify for a license. If you live in a residential facility, how is that going to happen? If you don’t have your license when you age out of the system, who is going to teach you to drive? How can you obtain a car without a license? And unless you live in a city with public transportation, how can you get a job without a car? It’s easy to see how lacking something most of us take for granted can lead to poverty, homelessness, and, often, engagement with the criminal justice system.
The third thing people can do is make a donation. While the government pays for the care of youth in Hope Houses, it’s the generosity of our donors that help turn Hope Houses into homes and let teens live a full life by funding a Saturday outing to the movies, buying a sketchpad and markers, or paying the dues for a school club. Even small donations can make a big difference in their lives.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
In social services, leadership often equates to meeting the moment, to doing what is required right now to advance something, stop something, or get something back on track — leaders who are action-oriented and solution-focused. While that works for the daily needs of crisis intervention, it doesn’t work for long-term needs. To advance foster care and meet the needs of children and families, we must have consistency, stability, and forethought. The best leadership for an organization like One Hope United, and what I aim to provide, is strong, steadfast visionary leadership with clear goals and a path for achieving them so that those on the frontlines of care can have the flexibility, nimbleness, and resources to meet the crisis of the day and to lead through it.
Based on your experience, what are the “5 Things A Person Should Know Before They Decide To Start A Non Profit”. Please share a story or example for each.
1. Clarity of mission: What are you trying to do? What need are you trying to meet, what problem are you trying to solve?
2. Activated community partners: Philanthropists, yes, but think more broadly, in terms of “it takes a village.” You need a lot of people who are net neutral at the very least — you don’t want people working against you.
3. A consistent source of funding: It’s ideal to have a revenue stream besides philanthropy, such as a connection to government funding in exchange for providing needed, high-quality community services that the government cannot provide on its own.
4. Performance metrics: You need to be able to clearly demonstrate your organization’s impact.
5. A big idea: You need an ongoing cause, a big enough idea that you’re not just fixing something acute, but you have a mission that is tied to a larger movement or bigger vision.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world who you would like to talk to, to share the idea behind your nonprofit? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
There are many champions of foster care around the country and around the world, and many are trying to do what they can to improve the foster care system. One such person is Christian Bale. I’m impressed with what he’s doing in the Los Angeles area with his organization Together California, which is building a village to keep siblings in foster care together. He’s been working on it passionately for over 17 years, and now it’s coming to fruition. He had a vision and made it happen — it’s not just talk.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson” Quote? How is that relevant to you in your life?
I often think of the proverb “To whom much is given, much is expected.” I feel a call to do more. I hear a message of, “You’ve been given quite a bit — do more with it. And if you don’t have enough, go get more to do what you need to do.” That’s a mantra of mine.
How can our readers follow you online?
You can find me on LinkedIn, linkedin.com/in/damon-cates-53945a2b.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Damon Cates of One Hope United On 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Lead A Nonprofit… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.