The Learning Lamp First in PA to Earn Updated Standards for Excellence Designation

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Johnstown, PA (May 31, 2016) – The Learning Lamp is not only leading the way to a brighter future for children in Pennsylvania, it is now the first nonprofit organization in the state to earn recertification from the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) under its newly expanded Standards for Excellence Code.

The voluntary Standards for Excellence certification program aims to empower nonprofit organizations with tools and resources to meet the highest standards of nonprofit governance, management and operations. The program includes an ethics and accountability code consisting of six Guiding Principles covering 27 topic areas that outline best practices and legal components of nonprofit operations. In early May, it became the first in Pennsylvania to successfully complete the more rigorous Standards 2.0 application.

“The Learning Lamp is a model for how the Standards for Excellence is woven into all areas of operations,” explained Tish Mogan, Standards for Excellence director at PANO. “This gives them a strong foundation for sustainability and great impact in the community.”

Introduced in 2015 by PANO in an effort to promote greater accountability and measurable impact among nonprofits in Pennsylvania, Standards for Excellence, Version 2.0, heightened existing measures and added new standards in leadership, succession planning, strategic partnerships, financial reporting, legal compliance and ethics, crisis and disaster planning and cultural competency.

“The Standards for Excellence program provides a clear framework for nonprofits seeking to improve operations. It has helped us build a stronger, more resilient organization. I would recommend the Standards process to any leader who is committed to becoming better,” said Leah Spangler, CEO of The Learning Lamp.

The Learning Lamp worked for nearly a year to review every aspect of its operations, then drafted and adopted policies and procedures that met or exceeded the elevated Standards for Excellence Code. The organization not only earned re-certification; it also received commendations in four areas including program evaluation, its strategic partnership policy and succession and emergency plans. The Learning Lamp is one of 58 organizations statewide and the only nonprofit in Cambria and Somerset Counties to earn Standards for Excellence certification.

Additionally, in January 2016, The Learning Lamp Center for Children at the Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center earned national accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The Learning Lamp is also a GuideStar Exchange gold-level participant. GuideStar is the nation’s largest and most trusted charity database. The gold seal is the highest level a nonprofit organization can earn and demonstrates a commitment to financial transparency, program impact and effectiveness.

For more information about The Learning Lamp, visit thelearninglamp.org. 

The Learning Lamp is a nonprofit organization with a mission to engage all children in the support they need to succeed. We deliver high quality programs that are affordable and accessible to families of all income levels. The Learning Lamp served 30,711 children from 57 school districts and 53 non-public and private schools and other organizations in 17 Pennsylvania counties and one county in Maryland in 2015.

Our programs include: one-to-one tutoring; before/after school programs; portable classrooms aimed at building math and science skills; alternative education programs for at-risk students; evidence-based prevention programs; online learning and credit recovery; SAT preparation; educationally-focused child care; literacy-based preschool programs; and grant writing and project consulting for schools.