Rawhide Youth Services is a faith-based 501(c)(3) mental and behavioral health agency that provides Wisconsin’s at-risk youth and families with residential and community-based services to help them overcome life’s challenges.
Since 1965, Rawhide’s mission has been one of faith—faith in the potential of the youth they serve and the staff who guide them. The youth they serve have experienced unimaginable difficulties and many struggle with anger, anxiety, depression, abuse, trauma, suicidal thoughts, and more. Even if there are setbacks, Rawhide stands beside them as these youth continue moving forward to a brighter future.
With 10 counseling clinics and licensed therapists in over 50 schools across Wisconsin, Rawhide continues to be a leading mental and behavioral health organization for traumatized youth. Today, Rawhide offers residential services in New London and Peshtigo, community-based youth counseling such as traditional talk therapy, occupational therapy, and equine-assisted therapy, and a behavioral job training program designed for residential youth and local youth.
By raising over $6 million through their Building Hope Capital Campaign, Rawhide continues to make exceptional progress as they expand and enhance their life-changing services for youth and families. So far, the campaign has helped Rawhide build and remodel on-campus facilities such as the Starr Youth Home, the Welcome Center, and The Bart and Cherry Starr Museum.
Starr Youth Home: The newest house at their New London campus, the 10,000-square-foot residential home honors Rawhide’s co-founders and greatest supporters, Bart and Cherry Starr. It increases capacity, safety, and convenience in a family-centered, therapeutic environment. This 12-bedroom home can accommodate up to 16 youth.
Welcome Center: Rawhide’s remodeled Welcome Center provides a state-of-the-art resource and training space that impacts not only its staff and youth but also the community. This renovation offers space for meetings, trainings, seminars, or social gatherings for youth and families in the community.
The Bart and Cherry Starr Museum: Working closely with Cherry and the Starr family, the Green Bay Packers, and the National Football League, The Bart and Cherry Starr Museum showcases Bart and Cherry’s character, values, and the essence of their life journey. Cherry wished the museum to be on Rawhide’s grounds to share their character, values, and life story with staff, donors, and youth.
Additional capital campaign-funded projects include:
- Resource & Training Center: An enhanced space for meetings, trainings, seminars, or social gatherings that impact staff, youth, and the community.
- Corporate Retreat Program: A program where companies and businesses, community resources, and school districts can utilize their facilities.
- Alumni Services: Youth who complete Rawhide’s residential or community programs are eligible for alumni services, which include continued support in education, environment, and other basic needs.
Learn more about Rawhide Youth Services online: https://www.rawhide.org/
Executive Director Q&A: Alan Loux
Alan Loux came to Rawhide in 2017 and serves as President and CEO. He oversees the strategic direction, vision, and management of Rawhide’s programs and services.
He holds an undergraduate degree in business/economics from Wheaton College and an MBA in marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Alan brings extensive and diverse experience, having held leadership roles in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors. He began his career working in faith-based nonprofit organizations such as Prison Fellowship, a global ministry to those in prison, and Inter-Varsity, a global college campus ministry headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin where he served as Director of Marketing and Assistant to the President. Previously, Loux served as Vice President, Global Marketing with JLG Industries, Inc., Corporate Vice President – Marketing with Direct Supply, Inc., and a 19-year career with Kimberly-Clark Corporation, most recently as Vice President – Marketing and General Manager.
1. What has been your biggest source of pride as CEO?
Rawhide Youth Services keeps one metric at the forefront of everything we do: the number of lives served. When I started at Rawhide, we were helping less than 500 youth every year across all our services in both residential settings and outpatient clinics. Last year, Rawhide served over 1,500 youth. We have tripled the number of lives impacted by our work and I couldn’t be prouder of the team for this accomplishment. And remember, that’s not just a single life. That child’s mental health affects parents, grandparents, friends and family, teachers, and the community at large, so we’ve literally impacted thousands of people through this work.
2. What are your three biggest accomplishments in your career as a nonprofit leader?
- We are establishing sustainable business models for Rawhide’s core operations to ensure long-term viability. This includes identifying new revenue streams, optimizing resources, and forming strategic partnerships that align with our mission.
- We went from serving 1,088 youth in 2022 to 1,550 in 2023, an increase of more than 400 compared to the prior year. This expansion allows us to reach more young people who need mental health and behavioral support, extending our services to more schools and communities.
- We undertook a $6.5 million capital campaign to transform our campus. This project includes building a new Starr home, creating The Bart and Cherry Starr Museum, constructing new corporate offices, and enhancing our café with a teaching kitchen as part of our new behavioral job training program.
3. What are the dominant challenges that you see nonprofit organizations facing and what do you think would be viable solutions?
Securing consistent and sustainable funding is crucial for our organization. With increased competition for grants and donations, nonprofits often struggle to maintain the financial stability they need. Additionally, keeping up with rapidly changing technology can pose a significant barrier to efficient operations and outreach.
As a people-centered organization, we also face staffing challenges. Competitive wages are necessary to attract and retain talent, especially in recent years, with wage inflation putting pressure on our budget. Like many organizations, Rawhide has had to allocate a significant portion of its revenue to increasing wages and benefits, primarily health care costs. Finding individuals who not only possess the necessary skills but also have the heart and grit to work with some of the most challenging youth is no easy task.
Viable solutions include diversifying our funding sources to reduce dependency on any single funding stream, whether through grants, individual donations, or corporate partnerships. Additionally, investing in technology that enhances donor engagement, improves operational efficiency, and expands our reach is essential.
4. What aspects of nonprofit accounting do you find most challenging?
One of the most challenging aspects of our work is maintaining transparency and accountability while managing a lean budget. Nonprofits operate with limited financial resources, so every dollar must be accounted for and justified. Balancing this need for financial oversight with the need to invest in organizational growth can be particularly difficult.
Additionally, half of our funding comes from donors, while the audience and youth we serve are mostly on Medicaid. Unfortunately, the reimbursement rates do not come close to covering the cost of our services. As a result, we must rely on the generosity of our neighbors and friends to ensure these essential services remain available. This reliance can be especially challenging during tough economic times.
5. How do you see the organization changing in the next two years, and how do you see yourself creating that change?
I envision Rawhide increasing our services in the markets we serve and expanding to more markets throughout Wisconsin to reach more youth who need mental health support. We will also remain focusing on strategic partnerships, particularly with school districts providing mental health services directly in their schools when and where youth need help.
We aim to extend our services across the state and continue growing our job training programs, particularly for 18 to 24-year-olds who struggle to find employment due to behavioral or mental health challenges.
