Serving kids in Cabrini Green and beyond since 1965 ANNUAL REPORT Fiscal Year

Transcription

1 Serving kids in Cabrini Green and beyond since 1965 ANNUAL REPORT Fiscal Year

2 DEAR FRIENDS OF TUTORING CHICAGO, The fiscal year marked an important year in our evolution. It was our first full year as Tutoring Chicago, a new name reflecting our expanding reach in Chicago. Our students come from economically disadvantaged families from the Near North and Near West neighborhoods as well as the Logan Square area. I am so proud to be part of this organization, which has been supporting kids in Cabrini Green and beyond for almost five decades. With a solid history and strong future ahead, we offer kids the stability of a trustworthy organization. Beyond classroom help, students also benefit from structure, a positive environment, and a safe place to learn, grow and discover. In a city where less than 2/3 of the students will graduate on time if at all our free tutoring and mentoring services are needed more than ever. We want to help as many of these students as we can, while still maintaining our high quality programming. With a calculated, strategic approach for continued expansion, the organization has set a challenging but realistic fundraising goal of $390,000 for the fiscal year. This is a 22% increase from the previous year s fundraising goal and a 10% increase from the total gross income generated in the fiscal year. Reaching this goal will require new financial support in addition to the continued generosity of the foundations, corporations and individuals that have supported us in the past. In 2015, Tutoring Chicago will celebrate its 50th anniversary. As we get closer to the milestone 50th year of tutoring, we remain true to our mission, fostering pathways for success by positively influencing the relationship that elementary school children have with learning. Today we tutor over 300 children, with the help of more than 300 volunteer tutors and many generous donors. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of these children, their families, and our Chicago community. We thank each and every one of you for your support! Warmly, Erin McPartlin, Executive Director Tutoring Chicago has come to Goethe school and changed the lives of the children fortunate enough to be recipients of this program. We have children who have tutors that are their mentors. Their tutors make learning fun, give precious one-on-one time that is invaluable to children who often do not have experiences working with adults in this capacity. The program nourishes children s self confidence and builds skills. I see changes in our students. They love Tutoring Chicago and so do I. I feel so very fortunate to have this partnership and see all the ways this program is making its impact on our students. It is more than tutoring, it is an attitude that is grounded in honoring the children, giving them positive experiences, and enabling them to establish and develop relationships with people who are giving their time because they want to make a difference in the lives of the children they tutor. An AWESOME program indeed! Barbara Kargas, Principal, Goethe Elementary School in Logan Square

3 THE EVOLUTION OF TUTORING CHICAGO 1965 Montgomery Ward s employees founded the Cabrini Green Tutoring Program (CGTP) at Chicago and Larrabee (southwest perimeter of Cabrini Green) The entrance doors to CGTP for more than 33 years are now the front doors to the restaurant Japonais 1990 CGTP incorporated as a 501C-3 organization 1996 CGTP included in former President Clinton s America Reads Challenge 1999 Wards closed and sold its facilities, and CGTP moved to the New City YMCA at Halsted and Clybourn 2006 Received the prestigious Thomas A. Demetrio Lend-A-Hand Award of Excellence as an outstanding and exemplary tutoring program 2007 Moved to St. Vincent DePaul Center as the New City YMCA was closing 2008 Received the Sun-Times Literacy Award from the Sun-Times Judge Marovitz Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to Youth Program 2009 Honored as the featured charity at the holiday luncheon of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association 2010 Launched the LIT Project to address the need of reading remediation for younger students 2011 Cabrini Green has been almost entirely demolished; new CGTP site added at Goethe Elementary in Logan Square 2012 Changed name to Tutoring Chicago to reflect the expansion to other areas of Chicago to serve more children 2013 General tutoring becomes the SMART Tutoring Program where children focus on Social Skills, Math, Attitude/Attendance, Reading and Technology th Anniversary Celebration for Tutoring Chicago is planned! Tutoring Chicago is a wonderful and dynamic organization. Its sophisticated use of data to enhance the tutoring experience is cutting edge. However, the staff and volunteers at Tutoring Chicago also know that the human element is what is most important, creating an environment where children are supported holistically. Tutoring Chicago s future is extremely bright and I am inspired daily by this amazing organization s work. David Shriberg, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago Editor-Elect, Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation

4 HIGHLIGHTS PROGRAM Increased capacity at the Logan Square site by offering tutoring at Goethe School two nights a week Expanded our partnership with Loyola University to include a Reading Comprehension Project along with a communication-building project between tutors and teachers at our Logan Square site Entered into a formal research project with Loyola University s School of Education to best assess and monitor student progress in reading and math OUTCOMES By spring 2013, our LIT students reduced the emergent reader category (reading at one year or more behind grade level) in the fall from 60% to only 25%. By spring, 75% were proficient (within grade level range) or above grade level (one year or more above grade level) based on an aggregate of all six subcategories in reading. In fall, only 8% were above grade level. By spring, nearly 40% were above grade level! In our general tutoring program, our greatest overall literacy gains came in the challenging areas of Spelling and Reading Comprehension. 69% of the 1st-6th graders were below grade level in Spelling in fall By spring, only 49% were below and 51% were on or above grade level. 55% were below grade level in Reading Comprehension in fall By spring 2013, only 43% were still below and 57% were at or above (33% above) grade level. 17 student-tutor groups were paired with the Loyola Reading Comprehension Project. At the beginning of the program, 41% of the students were reading below grade level. At the end of the year, only 17% of the program participants were reading below grade level. CURRENT PROGRAMS SMART TUTORING Tutoring Chicago recently developed SMART achievements for student success in Social Skills, Math, Attitude/Attendance, Reading and Technology. With help from Loyola University, our students are assessed in these five areas throughout the year to best monitor their progress. Our tutors and students work one to one on the SMART areas most beneficial for each child. Imbedded in our programming are curriculum and opportunities designed to motivate an interest in learning, including life skills, financial education, career research, reading comprehension groups, and technology resources. LITERACY INTENSIVE TUTORING (LIT) PROGRAM Tutoring Chicago developed this program in 2010 to address the need for early intervention in reading and writing. This program assigns volunteer tutors to first, second and third graders who are specifically struggling in reading and writing. The pair works one to one twice a week (a total of 2.75 hours) using a specific literacy curriculum at the child s assessed reading level, progressing forward each week. Now in its fourth year, LIT continues to provide struggling readers with critical literacy support, and has consistently succeeded in getting 75-85% of these students to perform at or above their grade level by spring each year. STUDENTS 58% of the students were African American, 39% Hispanic 93% of the students received free or reduced-cost lunch at school 40% of the students at Lincoln Park relied on our free bus transportation VOLUNTEERS 96% held at least an undergraduate degree 81% of tutors reported having a strong to very strong relationship with their student 95% of tutors reported they would like to tutor again in the future

5 FINANCIAL SUMMARY AS OF JULY 31, 2013 ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $423,185 Contributions receivable $ 4,000 Prepaid expenses $ 2,191 Property and equipment $ 6,242 TOTAL ASSETS $435,618 LIABILITIES & NET ASSETS Accounts Payable and accrued expenses $9,436 Net Assets Unrestricted $423,802 Temporarily restricted $ 2,380 Total Net Assets $426,182 TOTAL LIABILITIES & NET ASSETS $435,618 A copy of the audited financial statements will be provided upon request by Tutoring Chicago. SUMMARY OF REVENUE ALLOCATION FISCAL YEAR 18% 64% 8% 9% 1% $231,336 Foundations $ 63,500 Corporations $ 29,453 Individuals, including 100% support from the Board $ 32,657 Fundraising / Special Events $ 4,083 Interest Income $ 390 Other Income Total = $361,419 MAJOR FUNDING SUPPORT IN THE FISCAL YEAR $15,000+ Chicago Clearing Corporation Chicago Tribune Charities Hurvis Charitable Foundation Polk Bros. Foundation $10,000+ Andrew & Alice Fischer Charitable Trust Anonymous Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation Chicago Interactive Marketing Association CME Group Community Foundation Colonel Stanley McNeil Foundation Cubs Care ICAP Services Maurice and Meta Gross Foundation Pelino Charitable Foundation Seabury Foundation $5,000+ A. Montgomery Ward Foundation Anonymous Chicago Children s Charities Cless Family Foundation Feinberg Foundation Fifth Third Bank Horizons Unlimited Foundation IDP Foundation Kinder Morgan Foundation Dag Kittlaus McGraw Foundation Opus Foundation Rice Foundation The Northern Trust Centennial Trust The Wedding of Michael and Carrie King Turner Construction Company Willow Springs Foundation $2,500+ Chaddick Foundation Donald and Byrd Kelly Foundation Laura J. Niles Foundation New Frontiers Foundation Owens Foundation In Kind Pepsico 7-11 Pepsico Women s Inclusion Network Holiday Donors

6 STAFF AND BOARD Staff Erin McPartlin, Executive Director Jill Heller, Director of Fundraising Lynne Rivera, Program Director Sarah Cavoto, LIT Program Manager Bradley Troast, Volunteer Manager Michelle Mkrdichian, Logan Square Site Manager Alex Wu, IT Manager Board of Directors Andy Konchan, Tutoring Chicago President CTO, SunGard Wealth & Retirement Administration Peggy (Neuzil) Scanlan, Tutoring Chicago Vice President Director of Marketing, Health Forum/American Hospital Association Michael King, Tutoring Chicago Treasurer Managing Director, Insurance and Financial Securities, The Private Bank Marc McCallister, Tutoring Chicago Secretary Attorney at Law, Dudley & Lake, LLC Akua Apea Marketing Manager, Core Products, AHIMA Shegan Campbell Co-founder, Kids Science Labs William Forsyth, CFA Partner & Founder, Frontier Partners, Inc. Dag Kittlaus Innovator; Co-founder of Siri Megan Milich Senior Manager of Operations, Transportation Solutions Group Howard Meyer Senior Vice President, Zeller Realty Chris Santiago Vice President, Global Operations and Client Services, NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions Scott Wentworth Financial Writer, William Blair and Company Hawke Yoon, Tutor Advisory Board (TAB) President Pediatric Ophthalmologist, Lurie Children s Hospital TUTOR ADVISORY BOARD (TAB) The TAB serves as a junior board comprised of dedicated veteran volunteers, whose intent is to support the mission of Tutoring Chicago. Hawke Yoon, President Marco Cesario, Vice President Ninette Paradiso, Secretary Alyssa Nugent, Treasurer Chris Singraber John Tsokolas Ethan Jung Matthew Spisich Sky Mroczkowska Kati Cavoto Claire Henderson Nick Apostal Amber Kofman Maggie Paspalas Kathryn Paspalas Erin Neal INTERESTED IN HELPING OUT? Volunteer You can make a difference in a child s life by volunteering to support our programs. Each year we have more than 300 adults work one to one, tutoring our students. Volunteers also assist with administrative tasks and special events. We offer unpaid internships for college students, as well. To learn more, visit Donate Help Tutoring Chicago prepare financially during this calculated expansion phase. Your financial support, whether large or small, allows us to provide services crucial to serving disadvantaged youth. Some examples: $1,000 will pay for books and materials for Literacy Intensive Tutoring $500 will pay for two weeks of safe bus transportation $250 will buy new library books and reference materials $100 will buy school supplies and teaching resources $50 will buy necessary consumables like paper and pencils $25 will buy healthy snacks for a night To donate, visit TUTORING CHICAGO 2145 N. Halsted St. Chicago, IL Phone: (312)