 Purpose

Open Table is a relationship-centric program designed to provide people in poverty with “access to a network of relational and social capital to make enduring progress in health and economic mobility.” Simultaneously, volunteers benefit from developing a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by others in their community and the importance of sharing relational support and social capital.

 Pricing Summary (subject to change)

Startup costs for two facilitators (training bundle and licensing for a small organization): $500 

Cost for 10 clients: $9,600 (8 volunteers required per participant/table, so 10 clients would require 80 volunteers, at a training cost of $9,600. This cost is intended to be born by the volunteers, not the organization.)

 Perspective

The creators of Open Table reveal this perspective on their website: “People, neighborhoods and communities with complex needs - including poverty, isolation, mental health, and chronic illness, need access to a broader array of relational and social capital to develop their potential.” Open Tables sees their approach as a unifying, relational way to help solve the problems of individuals ready to see change in their lives. While the Open Table model was initially developed at a church, and used by many other churches, the formal elements of the program are not faith-based.

 Structure

According to the creators, “In the central Open Table model, through a “Table,” individuals are trained to use their vast relational capital and social networks … to impact the social determinants of health for an individual or family. A group of volunteers forms a "Table," guided by a "life plan" that outlines goals specific to individuals and families requesting assistance, and that are defined by the individuals and families. Over the course of a year, Open Table volunteers meet on a weekly basis to work with the person or family seeking support to create positive change.”

The program starts with a rigorous application process to ensure that participants, called “friends,” are ready to make a change in their lives (this isn’t to assume that all problems in their lives are caused by an unwillingness to change, but even completely external obstacles to success may be possible to overcome only with significant personal effort).

Volunteers, called “table members,” are provided with collective training (facilitated video training) for their roles for two hours a week for six weeks. While volunteers are provided with specific roles, such as housing or healthcare, they do not need any special expertise in those areas. The training is sufficient to prepare non-experts to succeed.

Once table members are assembled and paired with friends, they meet in two contexts. First, they meet for a weekly collective meeting of an hour for up to a year. That meeting is led by the “friend” in accordance with a plan that he or she has created ahead of time with the help of a table member (the inside director). Second, table members will meet with friends outside of the formal meeting on an as-needed basis. The external meetings will either be need/goal based (e.g. a meeting with the finance member to build a budget) or general interest/ friendship based (e.g. a friendly meeting to participate in some mutual hobby or interest).

Note that the table exists to empower the friend to achieve her goals – there are no formal classes for the friend as a part of this program.

 Best For

This program is designed for people in poverty who have a willingness to put forth the effort required for change. Conditions like homelessness and unemployment are not a barrier to participation in the program. The participant can be a single adult, a family, or even a young person transitioning out of foster care.

This program can be run by any nonprofit or church. While the formal elements of the program are not faith-based, as a highly relational program, conversations will naturally reflect the values and beliefs of the volunteers who participate.

 Evidence That It Works

Open Table does an excellent job reporting the results of their program. A whitepaper on their site reveals outcomes data from four studies of the program including statistics like “85% of graduates had a better job and/or were in a college or technical school after their Table experiences ended” and “95% of respondents reported that they were optimistic about their future ability to be self-supported.”  Only about 10% of participants drop out of the program and 95% of participants remain in meaningful relationships with some of the table members two full years after the formal process concludes. Open Table has operated since 2005.

 Cost and Resources

Depending on the number of tables hosted by the program, Open Table recommends 2-3 facilitators for the program (also called “organization leaders”). These facilitators screen applicants, facilitate volunteer/ table member training, and provide the space for the weekly table meetings. Facilitators are also encouraged to report results to Open Table quarterly, though the reporting process requires minimal work. Once the program is established, the facilitators should only need to devote a few hours a week to the maintenance of the program.

Alternatively, it is possible to conduct the table meetings individually in a public space or in the homes of the table members. 

Open Table has a package of resources available to these facilitators, including marketing materials, detailed instructions, video leader training, volunteer training, and support from Open Table. This plus the licensing fee costs between $500-$5,000 a year, depending on the size of the hosting organization. For most churches with fewer than 1,000 members, the cost will be on the low end of around $500.

In addition to this, you will need at least 8 volunteers per participant. Volunteers are asked to pay $120 for the cost of the curriculum in their training. If they participate in multiple tables in subsequent years, they do not need to pay for the training again, though they are encouraged to donate. If an organization chose to pay the full cost of volunteer training, it would amount to $960 for a standard table of 8 members (there are no costs associated with the friend).

This is a program that is designed to have a high impact with a relatively small number of people.

 How to order:

https://www.theopentable.org/

 What We Love

Open Table provides a structured and proven route out of poverty based on the power of mutual relationships. The team-based intentional friendship approach combines with a thorough training program to give volunteers the confidence to participate effectively and have a positive developmental experience themselves. This program has a high rate of both completion and long-term success – if you want to see real change in the lives of clients, the Open Table model is a program structured to achieve it.

 Considerations

This program is not designed for high volume and does not scale as effectively as other developmental classes. However, its intensive relational approach is the reason it is so effective for participants.