Annual Report FY2012

The Heart of the Solution
Literacy Works 2012 | Annual Report
Literacy Works 2012
Literacy Works’ mission is to strengthen adult literacy, parent
education, and workforce development programs by developing
and providing innovative training and knowledge-sharing
opportunities for professionals and volunteers.
Staff
Christine Kenny, Executive Director
Colleen McGaughey, Development Director
Betsy Rubin, Adult and Family Literacy Specialist
Megan Wells, Program Director
Beth Farias, Administrative Assistant
Cover Photo
Cover photo by Andrew Collings
www.andrewcollings.com
Literacy Works
(*outgoing FY2012/13, **incoming FY2013)
Mary Ann Dyar, President
Katherine Soderstrom, Vice President
Christine Sullivan, Treasurer
Celina Chatman-Nelson, Secretary
Lonnie Dunlap
Sharon Godley*
Ramji Kaul
Rich Levenfeld
Jeannette Mihalek**
Cathy Miller*
John Palmer
Renuka Sharma**
David Strosnider*
Note on Design
This report was designed by students at Columbia
College Chicago. Art Director/FacultyAdvisor:
Richard Zeid; Designers: Tim Dilich and Andrew
Fortnum
Contact Info
Literacy Works
c/o 6216 N. Clark St.
Chicago, Illinois 60660
(773) 334-8255
www.litworks.org
Literacy Works is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit
organization. All donations are tax deductible.
Literacy Works’ Services
Tutor Training for Community
Intensive monthly training sessions for community volunteers in the
basics of teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and Adult
Basic Education (ABE). Frequent follow-up trainings on special
topics. Semi-annual networking events.
Professional Development
Training, networking, and consultation for literacy and employment
program staff at community-based organizations.
Writers’ Circle for Adult Learners
Workshops to help literacy learners develop their skills, fluency, and
expressiveness in writing.
OK Learn Parent Education
Workshops for Adult Learners
Parent education workshops to help adults encourage their young
children’s literacy and language skills.
Dear Friends of Literacy Works,
W
e are delighted to share with you our fiscal year 2012 Annual
Report detailing our accomplishments of the last year. The
theme of this report is “The Heart of the Solution.” Literacy Works
is able to create the change we want to see in the world through
training, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration, which are at the
heart of the solution to securing each individual’s ability to read,
write and interpret the world.
These values are embodied by the people that make up Literacy
Works: our staff and the staff at our member agencies, our strategic
partners, our volunteers and donors. You make it possible for us
to build personal connections and enriching relationships with
learners. You provide the greatest measure of success, highest asset
value, and best chance for achieving our vision. You are the “heart of
the solution.”
The Literacy Works staff and board of directors are currently in
the midst of a strategic planning process. There is a lot of talk about
SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis,
cost-effectiveness, leveraging of resources, capacity-building. But
all of this talk is guided by our vision, mission, and our core values,
which we have thoughtfully reviewed and updated as part of this
process.
Thank you very much for your support. We look forward to further
strategic growth and collaboration in 2013.
Sincerely,
Our vision and mission are front and center in this report, but we
also want you to know our core values:
•
•
•
•
•
•
We believe literacy is a human right.
We honor and respect cultural and linguistic diversity.
We believe that all adults bring knowledge, wisdom, and life
experience to their education.
We believe literacy is ever-changing and multi-faceted; it
supports the pragmatic needs, civic participation, and creative
aspirations of both individuals and communities.
We believe that the most meaningful learning experiences
stem from collaboration among organizations and between
educators and learners.
We are committed to excellence in our programming, drawing
from the expertise of the local literacy community as well as
sound research in the field.
Christine Kenny,
Executive Director
Mary Ann Dyar,
Board President
Literacy Works 2012 Overview
Overview
We provided
Literacy Works’ vision is that one day, all people will be able to realize their
full potential through the ability to read, write, and interpret the world. This
ideal inspires our team and drives our work.
Volunteer training for 669 tutors of adult literacy. We trained
We know we have a long way to go in making our vision a reality in Chicago.
Here, more than half a million adults struggle with low literacy skills; one in
ten never completed the ninth grade. Nearly 500,000 people cannot speak
English well. Over 85 percent of children enrolled in our city’s public schools
come from low-income families, many headed by adults who never finished
high school.
Professional development for 353 staff members at our partner
organizations. We shared our expertise with literacy and workforce
So how does our small organization make an impact when the problem is so
daunting? We collaborate with dozens of adult literacy and parent education
programs, offering essential training to their volunteers and staff on the
most effective ways to instruct adults in reading, writing, math, and English
language skills.
and mobilized community members who are ready and willing to make a
difference.
development professionals, offering training that responds to an everchanging field.
Networking for 108 participants. We created space for volunteers and
professionals to learn from one another, gaining fresh insights that result in a
stronger impact.
Direct service for 93 adults with low literacy skills. We developed
and presented unique workshops for adult learners on writing for selfexpression and fostering their children’s learning.
By sharing our expertise with hundreds of educators each year, Literacy
Works gets at the heart of the solution to our city’s literacy challenges.
During fiscal year 2012, Literacy Works created lasting solutions by
remaining responsive to the training and support needs of more than 60 nonprofit programs addressing literacy issues.
Together, our efforts have led to a strong network of
adult literacy and employment programs. Operating with welltrained volunteers and knowledgeable staff members, these
programs help more than 20,000 adults increase their basic skills.
The Ideal Solution
“
Literacy Works is the ideal
solution for community-based
literacy programs that rely on
volunteer tutors and seek to
increase the quality and capacity
of their services. Here is what
program coordinators had to say
about our impact:
Literacy Works trainings…give volunteers the
skills, knowledge, and, most importantly,
confidence to work with students in a
productive and beneficial way.
“
[Literacy Works] has made it possible to
run a tutoring program. Without [their]
services it would not be possible to
effectively train the amount of tutors
we utilize each year.
”
”
“
ithout Literacy works, we
W
could not serve the volume of
clients we do, and we could not
provide the same level of quality
in our instruction. In addition
to providing quality training,
Literacy Works provides a vehicle
through which program staff and
volunteers can stay connected
to the literacy community.
”
“
As a coordinator, I love attending
any [Literacy Works] event I can. I
like meeting others from different
organizations, collaborating ideas,
and discussing future plans! I
truly think that Literacy Works
is an amazing organization—the
workshops are educational and fun.
”
OK Learn Workshops
Literacy Works’ OK Learn (Our Kids Learn) Workshops
are an opportunity for adults to share their own ideas
on getting their children excited about learning. Here,
a group of parents draws confidence and inspiration
from photos of themselves and their fellow workshop
participants engaged in literacy activities with their
children.
At the end of OK Learn sessions,
parents have time to try out newly
discovered activities with their
kids. Above, a mother brings her
daughter onto her lap to share
a book she has just received.
This closeness, together with
enthusiastic gestures and rich
conversation, makes reading time
special for young children.
Tutor Training
Our Special Topics Trainings give
adult educators the chance to learn
more about aspects of instruction
that are important to them and their
students. Examples of our sessions
in FY 2012 include Teaching Adults
with Special Learning Needs
and Helping ESL Learners with
Workforce Goals.
Many adult learners who are immigrants or refugees
received little or no education in their native countries.
In addition to learning English, some also need practice
with the alphabet, holding a pencil, and other basic
literacy skills. At our Teaching ESL to Adults with Low
Literacy training, offered twice in FY 2012, tutors and
professionals discovered creative methods for working
with these students.
Networking
Staff and volunteers at our member and partner
organizations have much to teach and learn from
each other. Our Member Network events, Employ Lit
meetings, Literacy Forum, and Literacy Roundtable
gather practitioners from across the city to share the
successes and challenges of their work. They leave with
a renewed passion for what they do and new allies to
support them along the way.
Professional
Development
Quality professional development opportunities for staffs of literacy and
workforce development programs can be rare, as most operate on very
modest budgets and cannot afford the expense. Literacy Works recognizes
the importance of continuous learning for these professionals. We provide
low-cost trainings conducted by experts in the field. Above, parent
education practitioners explore new ways of storytelling at one of our
Family Literacy Opportunities (FLO) workshops.
Much Ado Benefit
At our 2012 benefit, Much Ado about Tap, guests were treated to an evening
of spectacular dance, vibrant art, and unforgettable food. They also learned
about the impact that Literacy Works makes on thousands of lives each
year. Above, Betsy Rubin, our Adult and Family Literacy Specialist, bestows
an Inspiration Award on local author Wendy McClure on behalf of Literacy
Works.
Writers’ Circle
Photo by Andrew Collings
Literacy Works conducted an eight-week Writers’ Circle workshop at a
partnering nonprofit, Inspiration Corporation, in FY 2012. Participants
refined their writing skills as they crafted personal stories and enjoyed the
rare opportunity to write for self-expression. Through a valuable peerediting process, the authors prepared their pieces for publication in the
Literacy Works booklet Meditations from the Table.
Fiscal Year 2012
Member Org. List
Literacy Works makes a widespread impact, strengthening
adult literacy, parent education, and workforce development
programs in over 30 Chicago communities. In fiscal year 2012,
our membership included the following organizations:
Comprehensive Members
ABJ Community Services, Inc. Albany Park Community Center
Anixter Center
Arab American Action Network
Asian Human Services
Association House of Chicago
Brainerd Community Development Corp.
BEST Adult Literacy Building Englewood thru Skilled Teamwork
Centro Romero
Chinese Mutual Aid Association
Christopher House
Corazón a Corazón
Delta Literacy Project,
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Dorothy Stang Popular Education Adult High
School
Enlace Chicago
Erie Neighborhood House
Goldie’s Place
Growing Home, Inc.
Hanul Family Alliance
Heartland Alliance –
Refugee & Immigrant Community Services
Holy Spirit Life Learning Center
Howard Area Community Center
Indo-American Center
Instituto del Progreso Latino
Iraqi Mutual Aid Society
Jane Addams Hull House Association Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC)
Jewish Vocational Service (JVS)
Korean American Community Services
Latino Union
Mercy Housing Lakefront
Mexico Solidarity Network
Morton College – Project CARE
Naya Jeevan Jireh Center
Pan-African Association
RefugeeOne St. Jerome’s Catholic Church
St. Joseph Services
St. Leonard’s Ministries
St. Sabina Employment Resource Center
Social & Educational Services/ Prologue
South-East Asia Center
The Learning Center (TLC)
Tolton Center Adult Education Program and
Family Resource & Learning Center
Triton College
UCAN Chicago
UIC Center for Literacy
Vietnamese Association of Illinois
World Relief – Chicago
Professional
Development Members
Literacy Volunteers of Lake County
Open Books
Family Literacy
Members
CDI Head Start Serving DuPage County
Educare Illinois Action for Children Illinois Parent Information & Resource Center
(PIRC) - Columbia College Chicago
Telpochcalli Community Education Project (Tcep)
Literacy Works thanks the following contributors who invested
in our work in fiscal year 2012 (July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012).
$10,000 and above
Adams Street Partners, LLC
Albert Pick, Jr. Fund
Anonymous
Brinson Foundation
Chicago Tribune Charities Holiday Campaign, a
fund of the McCormick Foundation
Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
Polk Bros. Foundation
Verizon
$5,000 - $9,999
Dollar General Literacy Foundation
The Hideout
$2,500-$4,999
Grosvenor Capital Management
$1,000 - $2,499
Anonymous
BMO Harris Bank
The Harmann Family Fund of the Greater
Cincinnati Foundation
Louis Glunz Beer
New Office Temps, Ltd.
North Shore Community Bank
Michael Rapino
Jack Scanlon and Susan Obler
US Bank
Martha Van Haitsma and Gustavo Bamberger
$500 - $999
ABC Bank
Appleton House Advisors
Big Stik, LLC
CAS Consulting, LLC
Mary Ann Dyar and Darel Jevens
Geneva Investment Management
Ramji and Katie Kaul
Cindy O’Flaherty and Gerald Montroy
John and Julie Palmer
$250 - $499
Anonymous
Anonymous
Richard and Maryellen Donohue
E&J Gallo Winery
Jim and Megan Hinchsliff
John Kelly and Martha Kaplan
Rich and Betty Levenfeld
Michael McGaughey and Craig Kettles
Micah 6:8 Fund
Edward and Eileen Soderstrom
Christine Sullivan
Bob and Patricia Wells
$100 - $249
Anonymous
Nora Bartlett
Donna Sullivan Bass
Greg Borzo and Christine Bertrand
Mitchell Brown and Bob Drinan
Helen Campbell
Celina Chatman-Nelson
Chicago Human Rhythm Project
Tom and Bernadette Cooney
Kevin and Jennifer Donohue
Robbie and Stephanie Engelman
Henry Fields
Deborah Franczek
Carlo Garcia
Holly Garrison and Mike McKee
Linda and Chris Grady-Troia
Kelly and Mike Hallberg
Sharon and John Hofmann
Lourdene Huhra
Liz Hurtig
Bonnie Wishne and Bob Kass
Malson Kim
Ken and Isabelle Kirsner
David Kleeman
Dan and Seena Kohl
Jenna Lee
Robert Lifton
Will Linder
Rabbi Scott Looper
Dave and Joan Loper
Lee Maher
Karl and Marcie Molek
Stephanie Motz and Mike Fisher
Joseph and Mary Mulhern
Diana Myers
Michelle Navarre Cleary
Peggy O’Connell
Robert and Linda Palay
Pam Pifer
David Poole
Nancy Quinn
James and Leslie Rachlin
Shilpa Ramaswamy
Dan and Jennifer Renninger
Jeffrey and Barbara Rothstein
Betsy Rubin
Roland Samples
Bob Schachner
Janet Smith and Jim Loellbach
Katherine Soderstrom and Kevin Kirsner
Adam Stanley
Valerie Di Tommaso
RJ Varna and Ann Marie Brunner
Catherine and Tony Vertino
David Weber
Tim and Hilary Wells
Jeffrey Robert Weniger
Susan and David Werther
Darryl Woods and Philippa Norman
Richard Zeid
$50 - $99
Alice Abraham and Christina Healy
Anonymous
Maria Ayala
Jim Block and Ruth Fuerst
Michael and Yolanda Boin
Meredith Brooks
Anita Caref
Billy Carlson
Mary Cranker
Jack and Judy Donohue
Lonnie Dunlap
Beth Fama
Lauren Fialkowski
Rosemary and William Fleig
Larry and Ramona Fox
Martha Turner Ghodbane
Robert and Constance Godley
Ken and Betsy Golden
Sue and Bruce Gottschall
Lucy and Lawrence Kaplan
Sarah Kaufmann
Carolyn Kenny and Jim Crowley
Christine Kenny and Jim Montes
Adele Kiell
Maria Kim
Becky Kornick
Tom Lawler
Melissa Lee and Kimberly Lister
Bob and Julie Lehrman
John and Dorothy Lloyd-Still
Kate Maehr and Sam Pickering
Debbie Marks
Andrew and Kathy McGonigle
Aspasia Apostolakis Miller
Pat Monaghan
Jane Montes
Ingrid Nelson and Paul Hough
Colleen and Kevin O’Donnell
Nancy O’Malley
Leslie and Anthony Onesto
Kiya and Malcolm Perry
Dolores Pifer
Geof Prairie and Jeannette Mihalek
Susan Rosborogh
Cate Smith and Sarah Rose
Joel and Meryl Schonfeld
Melissa Shakman
Maureen and Thomas Sheehy
Nicole Shelton
Diana Cohen and David Spitulnik
Alice Spivack
Diana and Houston Stokes
R. Barry Strosnider
Elena Aguirre Sznajder
Alison Szopinski
Lynn and Jim Szopinski
Frank Brooks and Andrea Twiss-Brooks
Bonnie and Paul Wagner
Sheila Welsch
Mel and Sally Whitehead
Michal Yariv and Ellen King
Susan and David Werther
Literacy Works also thanks everyone who
supported us at the $49 and below level in
fiscal year 2012!
Fiscal Year Ended
Fiscal Year Ended
June 30th 2012
June 30th 2011
Total public support and
revenue
240,754
262,745
Total expenses
268,847
257,828
Excess of revenue over
expenses
(28,093)
4,917
Net Assests
Beginning of the fiscal year
172,836
167,919
End of the fiscal year
144,743
172,836
Current total assets
146,739
174,336
1,996
1,500
146,739
174,336
Current liabilities
Total liabilities and net assets
Expense by Category
85%
Program Services
12%
Fundraising
3%
General Management & Administration
Financials for Fiscal Year 2012
71%
Foundations & Corporations
11%
Special Events
7%
Individuals
5%
Fees
5%
Dues
1%
Interest