Hello Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Minnesota Community,
We are writing to share some changes that will be coming to Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Minnesota (PPSM). In this letter we hope to provide some explanation for the context and timing of the changes. We also would like to describe the plans the board has for the future for PPSM and its board structure.
The past three years have brought tremendous change to our world, and the perinatal community in Minnesota has been no exception. The original mission and values of PPSM have been a guiding force for our organization for years – leading to growth and the need for increased volunteer power to maintain the momentum necessary to be sustained during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since this time, PPSM has undergone many challenges and changes that have had a direct impact on the current direction of the organization.
PPSM was founded by a group of passionate mental health clinicians in a time when little was known about perinatal mood disorders in the general public. A lot has changed and improved over the years due to the hard work and steadfast advocacy the volunteers poured into PPSM and our community. Fast forward to present and the type of volunteer engagement PPSM was built upon is no longer readily available to the organization. PPSM’s mission, programs, and growth have relied heavily on the selfless giving of a small group of dedicated volunteers. This model is no longer sustainable.
Our fiscal sponsor and parent non-profit, Postpartum Support International (PSI), has also grown tremendously in both its offerings and paid staff in the past several years. PSI now provides many of the services that PPSM once did but on a national level. They have paid, dedicated staff to run these programs and have had great success in serving our communities. In response to this, PPSM has thoughtfully discontinued some of our program offerings that were made redundant, to focus instead on local community-based supports such as our Postpartum Doula Program. To recap, in the past 2 years PPSM has discontinued: CME trainings, the Minnesota PPSM Helpline, and the maintenance of a MN- specific Provider and Resource Directory. Rather, PPSM has redirected our local community to PSI’s program offerings in these areas.
As of June 2023, the PPSM board is now comprised of just four members, which is down half from recent years. Each of the current board members have a fierce commitment to PPSM and its mission. Due to this fierce commitment to the perinatal community, the board has made a very intentional, albeit difficult decision to pivot the future of the organization in significant ways.
Professional and community trainings, the peer support program, community events, professional membership, the Baby Brain podcast, and community speakers will be paused until further notice. This will allow the organization to shift as much energy as possible into re-building a solid foundation for our future. PPSM will continue the Postpartum Doula program in its current capacity and plans to serve EIGHT more families in 2023. This is largely made possible by the fundraising success of the 2023 Daisy Dash. The board plans to continue this program and seek grant funding in 2024, with future plans to develop a peer-support offering embedded within the Postpartum Doula Program. This will allow the organization to provide a level of wrap-around care our community so desperately needs.
To support these changes and work to continue PPSM’s mission we now embark on a board recruitment process. We hope to grow the board by adding 5-7 new members over the next year. The emphasis will be to diversify the board. We invite folx with unique personal and professional experiences and perspectives. We intend to select individuals who possess skill sets that would enhance both our board and our community offerings. We desire to extend our reach beyond the Twin Cities and would welcome partnership with board members connected to Greater Minnesota. This shift in our focus will undoubtedly result in a richer understanding of the evolving needs of the perinatal community we serve. We anticipate this pivot will also provide all engaged volunteers with more capacity to move the organization forward into the future.
The current board members are all in agreement with this decision. It is mutually understood that change does not come easily, especially for those who have been involved in the organization for many years. Board applications are open to anyone interested in contributing towards the future of PPSM. Applications will be accepted until July 31st 2023. All applications will be reviewed and individuals selected to continue will be notified. Onboarding of new board members will begin September 2023.
If you are interested in joining PPSM’s Board of Directors to contribute to bringing our beloved organization into its next phase, please fill out the application below. Thank you for your previous and continued support of PPSM.
https://forms.gle/bdnqfFNp6VPY2Kyz5
With mixed feelings,
The PPSM Board of Directors
TL/DR:
- PPSM is not sustainable in its current structure, and is looking to bring on 5-7 new board members who can commit to a 3 year term
- Board recruitment is happening now, and applications will be accepted until 7/31/23.
- Anyone can apply to be part of the new board. We are especially seeking those with experience in grant writing, fundraising, business administration, finance and prior non-profit board experience with a passion for perinatal mental health.
- PPSM will continue the Postpartum Doula program but pause all other services to focus on building out the board
- PSI offers many of the things PPSM has been, so those seeking peer support or training opportunities will be directed to their resources