Older, Wiser, AND MOREGrateful 2015-2016 ANNUAL REPORT Putting wings on Letter from their potential, Our CEO

AS I REFLECT ON THE LAST SCHOOL AND FISCAL YEAR, I am overwhelmed giving wings with feelings of gratitude. Gratitude for the hard working team I am surrounded by every day; gratitude for you, the thousands of supporters and WINGS advocates; to possibilities. and most of all, for the thousands of kids who have come into our lives. In 1998, I signed on to WINGS as the very first employee. I vividly recall sitting with my first group of WINGS kids and sharing my excitement about being recently engaged. A 4th grader in the group said, “Oh Miss Bridget, why do you have to go and get married? Now you’re going to get black eyes and bruised up.” I realized all he had ever seen were abusive relationships; he couldn’t understand a relationship could be full of love, support, and trust. I knew right there and then that I was fully committed to getting WINGS to as many kids as possible, to bring the relationship skills we were teaching to thousands more kids. Flash forward to 2016 as we celebrate WINGS’ 20th birthday! As a parent, each birthday is an emotional reminder of the year that my own children entered my life. For WINGS, that proud parent is Ginny Deerin. Ginny was the spark that got this fire started 20 years ago. As we celebrate our 20th birthday, we also celebrate and honor you, Ginny.

This annual report summarizes our accomplishments from the last fiscal year (July 2015–June 2016.) As I write this, we are already a quarter of the way into fiscal year 2017. While it’s gratifying to reflect and celebrate, we have our eyes on a new horizon —an aggressive five year strategic growth plan. We must grow. We must spread our wings. More kids need us and we see this as nothing less than our responsibility and obligation to reach as many of those kids as we can. In the coming years we will apply what we have learned over the last 20 years and develop new partnerships with schools and after school providers to scale the use of our curriculum across the country. Our next five years will bring new and greater challenges. We have a solid foundation to build on, a committed board of directors, and a phenomenal team of dedicated employees.

Soaring, Bridget GROWING UP IN TODAY’S WORLD IS TOUGH—GROWING UP WITHOUT WHO THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT YOU NEED IS EVEN TOUGHER. WE Kids deserve the opportunity to learn, grow, dream and believe that they can succeed. When kids better understand themselves and others, practice self- ARE management and conflict resolution, and know how to make smart decisions, they are better equipped to succeed. When kids have caring mentors to look up to, feel engaged and supported, and are taught the skills to handle life’s challenges, they can reach the sky.

Kids that participate in WINGS develop confidence in themselves and trust in others, they learn self-control, kindness, and empathy. The result is an enormous confidence boost, hope for their future, and the belief that they can make it all happen. Armed with these skills, imagine the possibilities!

VISION & MISSION

We believe that strong social and emotional skills transforms the lives of kids by helping them become well-rounded individuals—instilling the desire and inspiration to be the best version of themselves.

Our mission is to help as many low-income kids as possible experience high-quality and effective social and emotional learning.

We work toward this aim because research shows that strong social and emotional skills are key to helping kids succeed in school, be prepared for the workforce, and become positive and healthy contributors to society.

2 | OLDER, WISER, AND MORE GRATEFUL 2015–2016 ANNUAL REPORT | 3 severe behavioral problems, parents were not highly ASHLEY— involved, and enrollment was declining.

THEN The WINGS curriculum was extremely helpful for

& NOW Chicora’s students, and helped us to redirect negative behavior and empower students to resolve their I’m currently a special education problems. I saw those changes happening every day. teacher in , supporting But when I think about my time with WINGS, what BEFORE GRIT, 21ST CENTURY SKILLS, OR CHARACTER students with various barriers to stands out most to me is our Community Unity time YEARS EDUCATION THERE WAS WINGS FOR KIDS—defining, academic achievement. While each day—when students shouted the Creed at the top 20OF practicing, and teaching social-emotional skills. What began my job is challenging, I’m able to of their lungs from their nests and contributed to an as a girls summer camp with an explicit focus on emotional enter the classroom each day with indescribable wave of positive energy. CHANGING intelligence developed into an effective, high-impact, research- confidence and skills built in large And I also think of how WINGS allowed Nkyra, a third driven after school program for low-income elementary part from my experiences with LIVES grader in our program, to soar. When I first met her, she WINGS for kids. school-aged students. Along the way, we became an AmeriCorps gossiped, bullied, and did not trust her group leader. program, an Edna McConnell Clark Foundation grantee, the I first connected with WINGS through the WINGS for The approach? We leveraged a support system that recipient of multi-year NoVo grants, a Wallace Foundation Girls summer camp, which I attended for several years in used consistent language, set high expectations and 6,338 576 grantee, and the subject of a 4-year randomized control trial the 1990s. In addition to the traditional camp experience, provided Nkyra with the tools to meet them. At the Kids served WINGSLeaders conducted by the University of Virginia and funded by the U.S. we engaged in social and emotional skill-building time of her graduation, she gained a reputation for empowered Dept. of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. activities. Alongside other girls, I started to learn about positivity, an inclination to help whenever possible, and feeling secure in my own skin, unafraid to share my a passion for acting. thoughts and perspectives with the world. Like Nkyra, every student that graduated from WINGS When I graduated from college in May 2012, my sister improved and grew—even in the span of just one year. HISTORICAL IMPACT happened to be working for the Coastal Community As my two-year anniversary at WINGS approached in Foundation. She forwarded me a job description that June 2015, I saw the impact educators had on their she thought might be of interest—and it just so children—and realized the opportunities I could have happened to be an opportunity to work with WINGS in the classroom. NYC Teaching Fellows came forward for kids. I took one look and knew I had to apply. with such an opportunity last summer and I had to Higher self-esteem and Measurable academic Improved classroom behavior I was lucky enough to be selected for the job, and pursue it. On that last day, I hugged parents and 1 1 2 lessened anxiety improvements observed by teachers delighted to find as a program assistant that the students with tears in my eyes, hoping to remain in energy and positivity I remembered from my camp touch—and saw that the program made a distinct days still ran through the core of WINGS. After a year impact on their lives. of training, I stepped into a program director role for To this day, I still receive texts and calls from both Chicora Elementary. parents and students. WINGS has helped me to Significant display of executive Increased attachment become the teacher and person I am today. function2,3 to school1 The challenges were real in this new role. The students came largely from impoverished homes led by single To read all 20 stories, please visit: parents and the community we served had been hard 1 Yale University Research: Ivcevic, Rivers & Brackett, 2004 www.wingsforkids.org/20thAnniversary 2 Preliminary RCT findings: Grissmer, 2016 hit by drug abuse. At Chicora, many students had 3 Executive Function: the mental processes that enable one to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and manage multiple tasks.

4 | OLDER, WISER, AND MORE GRATEFUL 2015–2016 ANNUAL REPORT | 5 2015–2016 OUR PROGRAMS IMPACT

WINGS CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE KIDS CAN BE KIDS. We WITH AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO OUTCOMES, WE ARE equip adults to be supportive, engaging, and thoughtful so kids can celebrate, DELIBERATE AND METHODICAL. Data from the 2015-16 school year talk about their emotions, and work through struggles all while feeling cared show the significant impact that WINGS has on students—proof that for, understood, and listened to. We provide an education program that the development of social and emotional skills have a tangible impact on intentionally teaches kids how to behave well, make good decisions, and build student behavior and success in school. healthy relationships. We do this by weaving a comprehensive social and of WINGS students passed objective knowledge emotional learning curriculum into a fresh and fun after school program. tests assessing their comprehension of self-awareness, Kids get the life lessons they need to succeed and be happy and they get a 84% self-management, responsible decision making, social awareness, and safe place to call home after school. relationship skills

THIS YEAR’S NUMBERS LESS CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM FEWER DISCIPLINARY REFERRALS 1,597 99 107 4% # of kids with referrals Students participated in nine College-aged mentors Nests in each program 338 programs across three states served as WINGSLeaders —sporting names like the WINGS kids who 93 ATLANTA: 697 herons, bluebirds, and hawks are chronically absent WINGS kids Non-WINGS kids CHARLOTTE: 193 : 707 12% Average # of referrals per kid Non-WINGS kids who 2.3 4.4 675 13,500 936 are chronically absent WINGS kids Non-WINGS kids Circle games played to Minutes dedicated to Hours of enrichment activities reinforce weekly objective discussion and understanding like skateboarding, cooking, Chronic Absenteeism: Kids missing 18+ % of kids with fewer than 2 referrals days in a school year (10% of school) of weekly objectives dance, and sculpture 82% 32% 132 432 864 WINGS kids Non-WINGS kids Hours spent by WINGSLeaders Praise awards given to kids Raffle prizes presented as observing their kids and and staff who went above positive incentives for kids STUDENTS & PARENTS SURVEYED teachers in the classroom and beyond 82% Better able to control themselves 84% 76% Do better in my school work 91% STUDENTS PARENTS STUDENTS PARENTS 74% Deal better w/people & situations 87% 79% Do better when they have 90% 17,000 100% $0 STUDENTS that used to be a problem for them PARENTS STUDENTS free time PARENTS Hot dinners served before Of programs provide a The cost to our kids Deal more effectively with 76% 89% 82% Feel better about themselves 89% WINGS kids headed home safe place for kids and their families STUDENTS daily problems PARENTS STUDENTS PARENTS

6 | OLDER, WISER, AND MORE GRATEFUL 2015–2016 ANNUAL REPORT | 7 OUR LEARNING YEAR Hours spent formulating our 1,651 5 Year Strategic Business Plan “WINGS gives me a chance to do what I’m passionate about—and that’s trying to help shape the lives of children for the better. It is the most rewarding experience.” — WINGSLEADER, 2016

Additional kids 420 reached through Personal exchanges between a piloted partnership with Charleston 13 new penpals in the Kindred County School District’s after school Kids project—our first time pairing up program Kaleidoscope kids from diverse backgrounds

BEHIND WINGS’ SUCCESS IS NO ACCIDENT. Our 20-year track record of program quality and impact requires THE SCENES intensive training and constant monitoring. 446 18 58 WINGSLeader applications Colleges and universities Hours of training delivered received and processed represented through our to WINGSLeaders WINGSLeaders 16,200 2,115 62 Minutes of staff CIA’s (Caught in the Act) Site visits performed by meetings to coach and given out to WINGSLeaders Regional Operations mentor WINGSLeaders when their supervisor Directors observed exemplary behavior 27 14 29,339 Program assessments States visited for conferences, Miles driven between conducted by Chief Program collaborations, and cultivation states and programs Officer and Program Fidelity & Instruction Associate

8 | OLDER, WISER, AND MORE GRATEFUL 2015–2016 ANNUAL REPORT | 9 FINANCIALS WINGS FAMILY

BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHARLOTTE City of Charleston Mayor’s Portland State University David L. Morley, Chair ADVISORY BOARD Office of Children Tricounty Family Ministries Chad Walldorf, Treasurer Ben Brandon and Families Trident United Way REVENUE: EXPENSES: Pat Ilderton, Secretary Jessica Hall City of North Charleston United Way of Earned Income: 1% Fundraising: 2% Marc Brackett, Ph.D. Melissa Logan Metropolitan Atlanta Ginny Deerin Blake Shell Communities in Schools University of Missouri In-Kind: 11% Management: 15% Becky Marson Clay Shupak The Dee Norton Lowcountry University of North Foundations: 44% Steve Parker, Jr. Cecil F. Stodghill, Jr. Children’s Center Carolina Charlotte Program: 83% David Rawle Sydney Weaver-Bey Florence County School University of Virginia Individuals: 2% Judith Ranger Smith Denytra Logan Whitner District 3 US Citizenship and John Roberts, Jr. Fulton County Board of Immigration Services Jenny Sanford PARTNERS Commissioners Vicky Sullivan Accrue Partners Fulton County Schools PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS Neil D. Thomson Atlanta Public Schools Girls Rock Charleston Mike Bailin, Former Mike Tollin Be a Mentor HALOS President, The Edna LaTisha Vaughn-Brandon Big Brothers Big Sisters State University McConnell Clark Federal Funding: 39% Tricia Wilson Boeing “REACH” Program Johnson C. Smith University Foundation Bridges Lake City Library David E.K. Hunter, Ph.D., ATLANTA Central Piedmont Lowcountry Food Bank Hunter Consulting ADVISORY BOARD Community College Mason Preparatory School Foley Hoag LLP Cindia DeVaughn Charleston County North Charleston Police LeadWell Partners Tenee Hawkins School District Department Kristin Moore, Ph.D., State & Local: 3% Anne Marino Charlotte-Mecklenburg PACE Child Trends Ashley Parks School District-Project Palmetto Community Karen Walker, Ph.D., Maggie Paynich L.I.F.T Action Partnership Child Trends Mary Thompson Chucktown Squash Pomona Unified School District

REVENUE: $6,799,089 EXPENSES: $6,788,673

NET INCOME: $10,416 DONORS $65,000+ $10,000+ Micah Utt | Green Gopher $500,000+ Social Venture Partners Blackbaud Fund* Golf Classic The Edna McConnell Clark Charleston Creative Artists Agency Pathfinder Foundation Foundation Speedwell Foundation Dorothy D. Smith Rusty and Anne Bennett Georgia Department of Charitable Foundation TJX Foundation Education – 21st Century $40,000+ Fulton County – FRESH Grant Wenda Harris Millard Community Learning Bright from the Start Herzman-Fishman Centers Grants Charlotte-Mecklenburg Foundation $1,000–$4,999 Schools – Project L.I.F.T. InterTech Group Atlas Family Foundation $300,000+ Fulton County Schools Foundation, Inc. Barter Family Fund* Georgia Commission for George Lucas Family Les Moonves Ben and Sara DeWolf Service and Volunteerism Foundation Open Grants* The Bill, Jennie & Harry The Goizueta Foundation Jean and James Rion Pat and Cheryl Ilderton** Ackerman Foundation Trust AmeriCorps, a program Endowment* Pearlstine Family Fund* Bill and Leslie Mischler of the Corporation for PACE Foundation** Skelly Family Fund* Blackbaud, Inc. National and Community Sara Giles Moore Foundation Chad and Jena Walldorf** Service United Way of Metropolitan $5,000+ Check Point Software South Carolina Department Atlanta Bakker Family Fund* Technologies of Education – 21st Century University of Virginia – Daniel and Vicky Sullivan** Church of Christ Our King Community Learning Institute of Education David and Carol Rawle** Colbert Family Fund* Centers Grants Sciences Grant Elizabeth Cleveland Daltorio Family Fund of the Employee Community Fund Pittsburgh Foundation $100,000+ $20,000+ of Boeing South Carolina Elizabeth Kaye Belk Foundation Dave and Cheryl Morley** Finn Brooks Family Ginger Lay Georgia Department of Foundation for the Carolinas Foundation Heirloom Foundation Human Services John and Kate Huey First Tennessee Bank Horn Foundation Lake City Partnership Council Luther and Susie Harrison Greystone Power Jeff and Ainsley Goldstein North Carolina Department Foundation Foundation Inc. Judy Neilson of Public Instruction – 21st Singing for Change Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Julian and Julie Raney Century Community Foundation** Foundation Kellett Family Foundation Learning Centers Grant Sisters of Charity of South IBM Foundation Kennedy Kennard NoVo Foundation Carolina Joseph J. Schott Foundation Family Fund Trident United Way Suzan and Stephen Zoukis Mark Elliott Motley Laurie Ekstrand The Wallace Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation Foundation Lavonne Phillips The Zeist Foundation

10 | OLDER, WISER, AND MORE GRATEFUL 2015–2016 ANNUAL REPORT | 11 Linda and Harriet Ripinsky Eleanor Smythe Liz Mester*** Tony Bertauski Majestic Realty Foundation Elizabeth and Maybank Louisa Hawkins Trident United Way Donors Michael and Anne Marino** Hagood Lucy Fisher United Way of Rhode Island Morgan Jones Elizabeth Pena Lydia Blanton Matthews United Way Suncoast Rae Sanchini Emanuel and Anna Lydia Hirt University of Georgia Read Simmons Weinstein Foundation Marcie Shelton University of Kansas | Rowe/Miller Productions Eric Thomas Margaret Sklaroff Alternative Breaks Saul Alexander Foundation* Family Skate Night Maria Blake Vonda Henry South Carolina Ports Gabrielle and Ivan Mark DeFilippo Wellesley College Authority Bonaparte*** Marquise Britt McNeal William Dufford Susan Dietz George Hill Mary Mester Zaxby’s Susan R. and John W. Ginny Deerin** Mary Thompson** Sullivan Foundation In Goldman Sachs Matching Michael and Sally Bailin IN KIND Honor of Jenny Sanford** Gift Program Michael Gorfaine Bagel Nation Timothy W. Bouch Good Done Great Michael Johnson Blue Ion Ziff Properties GoodCoin Foundation Michael Worley BowTie Photos, LLC Gwyn Conway Michael Wright Charleston County $5–999 Hayes Mizell and Kate Modibor Fullah School District Aaron Thompson Swanson** Mollie Fair Charlotte-Mecklenburg Adam and Jessie Henry and Laura Wilson National Welders Supply Schools Pomerantz*** Henry E. Miller Company Endowment Fund City of North Charleston Adriane Keepler James Crocker Nicole Cooper Florence District 3 Alan Epstein James F Gregory Nicole Lovecchio*** Fulton County Schools Alan Hergott Jared Levine Pamela Simons Ford Wallace Thomson Albert and Donna Andreano Jay W Witkowski Pat Hettche LLC** Alexandra McCray Jennifer Park*** Pat Hilton Georgia State University Allstate Jennifer Prins Patrice Kelly Gigapark Amazon Smile Jeremy and Rachael Hunt Patricia Baskin Hyman’s Seafood Amy Horwitz Jill HaLevi Patty Fischer Jack Alterman Studios Angela Yim Jill Lovecchio Paula Feldman Jason’s Jump Castle Anna Bailey Joan and John Algar Paula Schwed and Jim N’ Nicks Anna Hartman Joan Hornig Matthew Quinn Kathy Kaknes Annie Burton*** Jocelyn Smith Cox Pay Pal Giving Fund Kickin Chicken Ashley Parks** Joe and Anita Durkan Peggy Schachte and Moe’s Southwest Grille Bagel Cafe John and Carole Deerin Hal Currey Poe’s Tavern Barbara Hawkins John Read Principle Art Gallery Stanton Design Barbra Buoy*** Jolie Logan*** Regina Blake Ted’s Butcherblock Barnes & Noble Judy and Larry Tarleton Richard Glover Wenda Millard Benevity Community Judy Phillips Lallis Robert and Constance Gentile Impact Fund Julia Rugg*** Robert and Virginia Marcus Betty-Sue Garrish JustGive Robert DiFalco Bob and Ann Ellis Kaley Stunkard*** Ronald and Michele Utt *Fund at Coastal Bob and Cathy Hill Karen Fonkert Sally J Ehrenfried Community Foundation Bridget Laird*** Karen Rhett Samuel Lawrence **WINGS Board Member/ Butler & College, LLC Kars4Kids Samuel Schwartz Advisory Board Member Cara Mitchell*** Kathryn Christen Sarah Huefner*** ***WINGS Staff Carol Hubbard Katie and Jack Kotz Sean McCants*** Celeste and Charles Patrick Kaye and Randy Koonce Shark Bait 5K Cheryl Hollis*** Kim Hallin Sheila Wertimer Chris Silbermann Knights of Columbus Council Sherwood and Ron Coish Christine Pekatos 704 Charity Sports Trophies / Palmetto Cindy Seabrook Kristen Taylor Awards Clyde and Carlin Timmons Kroger Community Rewards Stephen Perry Coastal Carolina Combined Kyhann Thomas*** Stillwaters Community Federal Campaign Kyoko Tsuzuki Worship Conley and Meredith Rollins L&M Structured Wiring Sue Miller Cynthia Karr L&W Entertainment LLC Susan Davidson Daniel Island Community LaTisha Vaughn-Brandon** Susan Huefner Foundation Laura Beck Susan Waters Dave and Megan Crotts Laura Schaible Suzanne Coffman David Arnold Lauren Barron Tamatha Psenka David Mandel Lee Hilton*** Ted Keller David Plaistowe Leigh Trivette Tenee Hawkins** David Savard Leona Taylor Terry Ann Rickson, Esq. Denise Blake*** Levin Charitable Fund Terry Peterson Donate Well Lewis and Mary Dumont Thomas Hess Dorian DeBarr Libby and Brew Hagood Toby Wheeler Jackson

12 | OLDER, WISER, AND MORE GRATEFUL WINGSFORKIDS.ORG