Marty Sinnott, president and CEO of Child & Family, brings more than 35 years of human service and nonprofit administration experience to the agency. He was previously the CEO of Amigos de las Americas, an international nonprofit with projects in 10 Latin American countries. He also served for 18 years as the CEO and president of One Hope United, a national human service organization, and The Youth Campus in Park Ridge, Ill. He has created innovative programs, built organizational capacity and influenced public policy. Now a Newport resident, he graduated from the College of the University of Chicago with a degree in religion and humanities and later added a master’s degree in social science from the same institution.
PBN: What are the biggest challenges Child & Family has faced since its founding?
SINNOTT: Rhode Island has changed dramatically since the Civil War. As a state, we are healthier, safer and far better-educated than we were 150 years ago. Things have also become more complex as is evidenced by the dramatic increase in the percent of our population over 65 who are living alone, single parents raising a family, the increase in substance abuse and mental health conditions and the necessity of two wage earners per family. The biggest challenge is how to continue to be relevant to all members of this community.
PBN: What are the biggest successes the company has celebrated since its founding?
SINNOTT: Frankly, the biggest successes continue to occur daily in the lives of the families and individuals who are supported by our great staff. This is true for a homeless mom and her children, a senior returning home from the hospital, the child in our early learning center or an adolescent who needs residential treatment. Other historic milestones include early philanthropic support when the Home for the Friendless made a Christmas appeal in 1917, establishing one of New England’s first child care centers for working moms in 1924, managing a 35 percent increase in assistance after the financial crash of 1929, merging with Family Services Society in 1970, consolidating offices in our newly constructed Community Center in Middletown in 2009 and in Providence in 2013 and establishing national evidence-based programs such as Family Wraparound and Family Centered Treatment in 2014.
PBN: What has Child & Family learned in adapting to serve new generations in its 150-year history?
SINNOTT: Our board and staff have learned that we need to be responsive to the community while also adopting nationally established, evidence-based practices. Historically, too many nonprofits, including Child & Family, relied too heavily on homegrown programs rather than those with a much sharper focus on outcomes. The rate of change also requires that we manage the present but have bifocal vision on the future.
PBN: How does the company’s 150-year history help it better serve Rhode Islanders today?
SINNOTT: Past success is no guarantee for the future, but it does give us a platform to think and act strategically. On top of this great history is our most important asset: our hugely talented and committed staff. We are also fortunate that we have a strong donor base as well as connections in the Newport community and throughout the state of Rhode Island, a committed group of hardworking board members, a large array of volunteers and interns.
PBN: What are Child & Family’s goals for the next five, 10, 150 years?
SINNOTT: I would be a fortune-teller to be able to tell you what we will be doing in 150 years, but I can speak to our shorter-term goals. The reform of health care funding in Rhode Island, and throughout the country, is creating both instability and opportunity for nonprofits. Over the next five years we will help families prevent and overcome child neglect, producing better outcomes than out-of-home placements for those children; our programs will adopt evidence-based or informed practices with a keen focus on outcomes and our board of directors will be committed to advocating for better public policy in the state. Child & Family’s longer-term goals include increasing the role philanthropy plays in the agency and creating professional development and career opportunities for our staff.
