Nonprofit Profile: The KEY Collective

New Hampshire Magazine: Tell us about yourself! What is your role at The KEY Collective?

Kristyn LaFleur

Kristyn LaFleur: I am the founder and executive director of The KEY Collective. I have a background in sales and operations, mostly in the financial services industry, but after being a stay-at- home mom for almost 10 years, I decided that when I went back to work, I wanted to do something truly meaningful. Something that would make a significant impact on people’s lives. The stars aligned and the opportunity to start this incredible nonprofit organization fell in my lap, and here we are today, 7 years later. I am a New Hampshire Seacoast native and currently live in the Exeter area. I live with my husband Rick and my son Shea, a senior at Exeter High School, and our new rescue puppy, Delilah.

NHM: What is The KEY Collective’s mission?

KL: The KEY Collective envisions every child without the financial means having the same opportunities available to them as their peers without any social stigma attached. We do this by providing K-12 kids from low-income families within the Seacoast New Hampshire region access to sports and other youth activities for free or at a reduced cost with no red tape and no social stigma attached.

NHM: When was The KEY Collective founded and why?

KF: The KEY Collective started in early 2017 with a $10,000 grant fund awarded by Exeter Hospital to assist in establishing the #areuin? card program. We piloted the program with 500 kids in the Exeter school district that qualified for free or reduced lunch. Our goal was to hopefully get 50 kids to apply. 165 kids applied for the #areuin? card that first year (30%!), and 40% of those kids used the card to participate in programs and activities, and that was when we only had 6 partners on board. As outlined in the next question, the mission was to solve a very big need for kids that wanted to participate in all kinds of activities, but couldn’t because of financial reasons, a way to easily do so that didn’t require a lot of paperwork or uncomfortable conversations.

NHM: How did you get involved?

KF: I was working with the Seacoast Public Health Network on their Healthy Living Workgroup and was approached by Dr. Kristen Johnson, a local pediatrician in the Exeter area, about how it would be great to make activities accessible to all kids, regardless of their family’s financial status, but in a way that did not make them feel uncomfortable or singled out. The idea was brought to the Healthy Living workgroup to be a focus group/sounding board throughout the process of creating the program, and here we are, 7 years later, with over 1,300 kids having received an #areuin? card and with over 30 program partners providing our card members access to all different types of activities- from sports to art programs to summer camps.

NHM: What services do you provide?

KF: Our flagship offering is the #areuin? card. By signing up for the #areuin? card, kids have access to scholarships and reduced pricing for various out-of-school activities and programs through our partner organizations. It’s our goal to make sure that all children, regardless of financial status, have access to the same opportunities as their peers, without any social stigma attached. That means that there’s no need to fill out additional income or financial paperwork when signing up for activities through our program partners. The #areuin? card acts as an “EZPass” to all sorts of quality programs. We also offer a scholarship program for certain activities not already offered through our partners. These are typically programs where scholarship funds are not readily available. #areuin? card members can apply for up to $200 per year, as well as participate in an unlimited number of offerings from our partners. We quality Seacoast New Hampshire K-12 youth for these programs through proof of participating in New Hampshire’s Medicaid program, the Federal Free & Reduced Lunch Program or by being referred in by a qualified, approved validator.

The KEY Collective acts as a qualifier for the scholarships/discounts that are being provided by our partner organizations. The benefit to our partners is that it takes the burden off of them of having to have uncomfortable conversations and/or process financial paperwork. It also gives their programs access to kids they might not have had otherwise. All of our partners are passionate about the mission of making sure no kid is left behind and giving an equal opportunity to all kids, regardless of their financial situation. We love our partners!

In regards to our #areuin? families, not only does this give them an easy way to have their kids participate in activities for free or at a discounted rate just by showing their card, it also brings awareness to families that already have so much on their plate, and honestly didn’t even realize these opportunities existed until being a part of this program. Even if they did, they may not have had the bandwidth to figure out who or even how to ask for the financial assistance. Taking away the social stigma and the red tape, and having kids be as active and engaged as often as possible, is truly the mission of what we do.

NHM: How has The KEY Collective grown since its beginning?

KL: In the 2017-2018 school year, we had 165 kids from the Exeter school district participate in programs being offered by 6 partners. So far this 2023-2024 school year, we have had just over 300 kids from the Exeter, Seabrook, Hampton and Portsmouth school districts participate in programs offered by 30 partner organizations. We added the scholarship program in 2021, and so far 54 #areuin? card members have taken advantage of those funds to try a new sport or activity.

NHM: What’s next? What are you looking to do over the course of the next year?

KL: We recently hired our first part-time employee. The hope is that over the next year, we can turn that part-time position into being full-time, so that person can run the day-to-day operations throughout the Seacoast region, which would then free me up to secure funding to not only increase the number of kids we serve, as well as the number of offerings/scholarships we provide in our current area, but to expand into surrounding areas such as Dover/Somersworth/Rochester and the Epping/Newmarket areas. These are areas of great need that could benefit from programs like ours.

NHM: What is the impact that The KEY Collective is looking to make in New Hampshire and beyond?

KL: We firmly believe that there are kids all over the state who could benefit from a program like ours. The reception from program partners in the area we serve now has been so supportive, we know there are lot of like-minded organizations around the state that would love to be a part of what we do. We have a great business model that can easily be duplicated in other regions of the state, and it is our long-term goal to do so. Past that, sky is the limit. I truly believe we have a model that could be duplicated nationwide.

NHM: What has been your favorite part about working for The KEY Collective?

KL: My favorite part is when I get the opportunity to speak with a mom or dad and learn about their family’s situation and hear first-hand how much The KEY Collective has made a positive impact on both their child’s and their own lives. It’s humbling to hear that no matter how much a family might have on their plate, it’s still so important, and truly appreciated, that their kid(s) get to play a sport that they love or do an activity they are passionate about. Those conversations are what keep me motivated to push KEY Collective even further.

NHM: How can our readers get involved in your organization?

KL: We are always looking for new program partners, eligible #areuin? card families, community validators (schools, social services, etc.), volunteers, and of course, last but not least, donors. We are 100% donor-funded, so donations and grants are critical to our success. You can learn more about ways to get involved on our website. Additionally, on June 20, we are hosting a Summer Soiree, our largest annual fundraiser at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye. Attending is a great way to start to get involved and learn more about what we do. Tickets and more information can be found at www.keycollective.org/2024-summer-soiree

To learn more about The KEY Collective, or to get involved, visit their website!