No Lock Doors

No Lock Doors is a Twin Cities nonprofit corporation. We are shifting the culture, empowering disadvantaged youth to become self-sufficient through business and the arts, while promoting wealth creation. 

No Lock Doors was developed by Damien Markham in the winter of 2015, as a way to give underprivileged youth a better chance at becoming contributing members of society as they develop into adults. Doubling as an independent recording artist manager and a small business consultant for over 5 years, Damien would often get service request from young aspiring talents. Unfortunately, the majority of these youth had no clue of the need for things necessary to legitimize their efforts as a recording artist. Things like budgets, quality control and marketing were totally a blur and would force Damien to deny them service. After feeling rejected most of these youth felt forced to find alternatives to develop their artistry and reach their seemingly lofty goals. The alternatives were, in most cases, illegal and leading them down a path of destruction. Noticing the outcomes, Damien decided to develop a curriculum to provide underprivileged talents the opportunity to gain the knowledge and tools necessary to capitalize from their artistry and prevent them from heading down negative paths.

No Lock Doors understands that there is a drastic disparity in the amount of income households within communities of our targeted participants. We also understand that the amount of qualified workers in the national workforce is steadily decreasing. Violence, an ineffective educational system and access are the deep-rooted issues contributing to the battle with drugs, poverty and over policing heading the invisible fight.

Over a 10 year period, from 2003 to 2013, over 1800 Minneapolis youth have been arrested for violent crimes. 95% of those arrests were minority youth, 79% black with white youth arrest being less than 5% over the same period of time[1]. Youth within these areas are forced to attend outdated public education institutions employing methods completely averse to how the brain learns, but are exposed daily to advancing technologies providing access to the world[2].

Youth are tired of tradition and if we want to keep hope in America we must recognize this and adjust the approach. With the creation of the internet and the “direct to consumer” business model, it ushered in, more and more youth have been empowered to take control of their destiny. From Mark Zuckerberg to Mikaila Ulmer and even Chief Keef, are examples of nontraditional approaches to wealth that have sparked the minds of all youth. Unfortunately, the disadvantaged youth receives little or no cultivation of their new ideas or talents. Maybe a YouTube rap video is uploaded or a t-shirt is printed up but nothing sustainable comes for the targeted youth. 
Damien met with music producers, recording artist, artist managers and youth leaders to gather key components to develop an engaging curriculum that will enable them to generate revenue streams from their artistry, become financially literate and uses it to build their own communities. 

At No Lock Doors youth own their work! Youth learn how to distribute music internationally, by distributing their music internationally! Youth develop merchandise that they get to keep the profit from while reinvesting the cost of good sold. We strongly believe that community development, youth development and economic development are keys to social & emotional development which lead to complete human beings!
[1] State of Youth – City of Minneapolis http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/groups/public/@citycoordinator/documents/webcontent/wcms1p-116965.pdf
[2] Medina, John 2008 Brain Rules Seattle, WA: Pear Press
 
 
Our Programs

We have been actively engaged with Minneapolis teens for the past three years through our non-traditional approach to education. Since 2016, No Lock Doors has developed unique programs that aim to equip disadvantaged youth with a host of transferable skills and intangibles that will prepare them for higher education and/or entrepreneurship. The core curriculum mentioned earlier is the foundation for our youth initiatives. Currently, we have two programs running, Grammy Family University and KeyPlayer Youth Enrichment Program. Both use music business and audio recording to develop youth, Grammy Family University  targets North Minneapolis youth ages 12-17 while KeyPlayer Youth Enrichment targets South Minneapolis youth in the same age range. 

Presently, Grammy Family University is a collaborative effort with the Boys & Girls Club of America and KeyPlayer Youth Enrichment is a partnership with Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization. 

Grammy Family University is our most successful program to date, with awareness throughout Minneapolis. GFU reaches nearly 50 youth annually and class size ranges from 8-16 youth per session.  
 
Grammy Family Showcase (Youth-led Event)
 
KeyPlayer Youth Enrichment reaches nearly half of what Grammy Family University does and we have class sizes around 6-10 youth per session. 
 

KeyPlayer Youth Enrichment @ Powderhorn Park
 
We also plan to launch Future Mogul Academy summer 2019. FMA is  No Lock Doors’ flagship program, Future Mogul Academy is an unorthodox, intensive, project based, eight week; paid summer internship for youth ages 14-18. 16 participants will experience an industry level, high pace work environment. Gaining executive level experience in music business, marketing & sales, leadership, small business management and event planning.

...You're probably wondering, "if this is working, then why a gofundme?"... 

Well here's why! The current model is proven to be desired as well as effective, however, we're currently approaching capacity. Youth are showing so much interest that the current method of working through other youth serving organizations has proven flawed. While we are growing, we aren't a priority! Our programming efforts are funded with "leftover" resources which does not enable us to develop or maintain the pace necessary to become self-sustainable. Our goal is to secure an 1100 sq ft. space to serve 76 youth annually through our Grammy Family University & Future Mogul Academy initiatives 
 
 Grammy Family Pop Up Shop
 
Grammy Family Pop Up Shop
 
Organizational Highlights

· Partnered with Boys & Girls Club of America Jerry Gamble to launch an audio-recording/music business afterschool program, #GrammyFamilyU
· Work with Southside Urban Coalition & Mad Dads of Minneapolis to produce creative anti- Tobacco, Alcohol & Marijuana campaigns and workshops to educate youth on health and life risk
· Secured $11,000 in program funding for an audio recording/music business afterschool program for central Minneapolis youth called, KEYPlayer Youth Enrichment Program
· Lead G.R.I.P. mentoring program for at risk youth exiting Minneapolis’ Juvenile Detention Center.
· Joined Board of Directors at Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization 
· Scored above the national average on Center for Youth Program Quality’s Program Quality Assessment 
· Partnered with 3 time NBA Champion Devean George & his Minneapolis nonprofit Building Blocks
· Grammy Family Showcase 2018 
· Grammy Family Pop Up Shop 2018
· Assisted with lobbying for the Minneapolis Menthol Restriction 2018
· Assisted with lobbying for Minneapolis’ Tobacco 21 Ordinace
· Joined Minneapolis ReCAST Advisory Team
· Developed curriculum for Southside Urban Coalition’s Ambassador Youth Program
 
 Providing a platform for possibilities
 
Youth in a meditation session
 Logo Development #Branding
 
Outcomes

No Lock Doors envisions low income communities beginning to erase the economic divide for themselves using the talent, technology and resources readily available to them. Youth will be at the helm of the resurgence, revitalizing each neighborhood with small businesses, modern education avenues and platforms for self-expression. Youth will relinquish the “street code” and adopt morals and values that hold them accountable as an individual and for the success of their communities.

Why 255,000?

Here's a budget breakdown 
No Lock Doors Budget
Expenses                                 Cost
Staff Salary &   Benefits   $134,800 
Occupancy/Rent                 $17,600
Insurance                              $1,300 
Legal, Accounting               $4,240 
Equipment                            $22,106 
Supplies                                $1,000 
Telephone/ WiFi                  $1,200 
Marketing/Advertising      $11,800 
Programming                       $13,300 
Youth Incentives/Stipend $27,200 
Contract Services              $10,000 
Staff Training & Development   $6,400  
Meetings & Travel                $3,900 
Total                                              $254,846 

Budget Breakdown

Staff Salary & Benefits 
· Exec Dir 
· Dir of Operations 
· Music Engineer 
· Business Instructor

Occupancy/Rent 
· 1100 Sq. Ft. Location

Insurance 

Legal, Accounting 

Equipment
· 2 Apple Complete Recording Studios w/ mini mac, 
· 4 KRK Rockit Powered 5 Gen3 Monitors, 
· 2 Microphone Stands, 
· 2 Reflection filters, 
· 2 Mesh Pop Filters, 
· 2 Microphone Windscreen, 
· Newmark Party Mix Dj Controller,
· Harbinger m60 4 Channel Portable PA System, 
· 2 Sangrass Heatpress 5-1 DYE Sublimation KIT, 
· 25 Laptops, 
· 100 flash drives, 
· 2 2-TB external hard drives, 
· 2 Office Desk, 
· Conference Table, 
· 3 Collaborative Workstations, 
· 2 Office Printers,
· 3 Magnetic Dry Erase Boards, 
· Smartboard, 
· Projector, 
· File Cabinet

Supplies
· Pens, 
· 500 Notebooks, 
· Dry Erase Markers, 
· Coolers, 
· 2 Staplers, 
· Scissors 

Telephone/Wifi

Marketing/Advertising
· Social Media Advertising, 
· PR 
· Email Marketing 
· Print/Grassroots

Programming 
· Music Distribution
· Monthly Youth-led Events
· Graphic Designing
· Future Mogul Academy Project 1 & 2

Youth Incentives/Stipends
· 60 Youth during fall/spring
· 16 during the summer internship
76 total youth

Contract Services
· Videographer(Music Videos & Visual documentation) 
· Youth Program Quality Assessment

Staff Training & Development 
· Provides training for up to 4 staff members

Again, we are shifting the culture in an attempt to defeat the economic divide. Our youth need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to become self-sufficient, contributing members of society.