ARPA-funded CNC Athens program helps Destin Inc. expand literacy work in North Athens

In a recorded Athens-Clarke County ARPA Highlight episode, Dr. Tawanna Smith Maddox, cofounder of Destin Inc., described how the county’s CNC Athens capacity-building program — funded through local ARPA allocations — helped the grassroots literacy nonprofit strengthen governance, reporting and program evaluation.

The capacity-building workshops prompted Destin Inc. to rewrite strategic documents, develop a volunteer plan, adopt automated payroll and sharpen monthly outcome reporting required by ACCGov, Maddox said. “Our mission is to, ensure that children are able to read,” she said, adding that the program encouraged the group to think holistically about family needs and measurement of results.

Nut graf: The work illustrates how local ARPA investments in nonprofit capacity can affect day-to-day program delivery and oversight: Destin told county funders more detailed outcomes and instituted clearer financial practices, which the nonprofit says helped it expand summer programming and better track reading outcomes for participating children.

Destin’s stated program goals and outcomes: Maddox said the nonprofit’s primary target is that at least 90% of students “maintain or...span upon their reading skills” across the school year and summer. She reported that Destin reached “about 98%” on that measure and that, of 52 students in one recent year, “nobody slid.” She also said 18 students “moved the needle” on reading growth that year. Enrollment figures Maddox provided show a long-term pattern of serving about 45–50 children annually since 1999, with 52 students in one recent year, 60 in the prior year and 68 the most recent summer.

Capacity-building changes: Maddox described three practical areas of change after participating in CNC Athens workshops: strategic planning (board work and mission/vision/values review), developing a volunteer recruitment plan, and improving financial management including moving to automated payroll. She credited participation by the nonprofit’s chief financial officer, Daniel Elder, and said the board target for completing a strategic plan was September (not specified which year).

Partnerships and program design: Destin uses an asset-based, family-partnership model, mixing focused morning literacy instruction with afternoon camp activities. Maddox listed recurring partners: Dr. Lakisha Gant (social-emotional curriculum), Barbara Burnett (cultural-awareness and “rites of passage” activities), Laura Iyer of the Southern Sustainability Institute (an “It’s Electric” energy curriculum), Quentin Green (financial literacy and healthy-snack activities) and local institutions including First AME Church (an early grant partner), Athens Technical College, the Career Academy, and Athens-Clarke County Work-Based Learning programs. Maddox said several alumni serve as youth mentors; she described a plan to train mentors in mentoring-specific skills and life-skills instruction.

Challenges and equity concerns: Maddox cited transportation and uneven funding as the most persistent barriers to reaching rural North Athens families. She said a county transit program that once provided flexible pickup for rural areas was discontinued and described limits families face when they lack private transportation. Regarding ARPA allocations, she criticized a recent county funding round for lacking a request-for-proposals process and funneling money to two large organizations, saying smaller local providers serving rural children were left out. “They can't serve all the children,” she said, urging more front-end analysis of who is not being served before awards are made.

Future plans: Maddox said Destin aims to “take it a little higher,” including work toward an early-learning or school model that could include pre-K and Saturday programming, with a continued focus on North Athens and rural access. She also described interest in replicating Destin’s literacy model at churches and community sites.

Evaluation and reporting: Maddox described monthly reporting to ACCGov that emphasizes program valuation and measurable outcomes. Destin uses parent surveys, enrollment and reading measures, and behavioral observations to capture both academic and social-emotional outcomes. She reiterated the nonprofit’s primary metric — preventing “slide” in reading skills — and said that transparent reporting was a key benefit of the CNC Athens capacity-building work.

How to help and next steps: Maddox invited community partners to contact her directly (phone number provided in the episode) and said a new collaboration with the sheriff’s office will include visits from the office’s community development director, Lucia Clement, to discuss decision-making and positive interactions with public safety personnel.

Ending: The episode concluded with the host thanking Maddox and noting that future ARPA Highlight episodes will profile other locally funded projects. The segment underscores how capacity-building investments are tied to both program quality and equity debates about the distribution of ARPA funds in Athens-Clarke County.