Why do you support Steppingstone? . Contents Letter from the Founder . 2 Letter from the Chairman . 5 About our Programs . 6 Placement Schools . 7 College Matriculation . 8 Campaign for Growth . 10 Foundation Grants . 11 2008 Gift Report . 11 Corporate Gifts . 17 Berylson Fund for Leadership Development . 17 Summer Opportunities Fund . 17 Financial Statements . 18 About Steppingstone . 20 ...because I am able to help my students get the valuable individual attention they need in order to help them reach their full potential. (Facing page) Will Lyons has been a Mentor with Steppingstone’s SMASH program (Saturday Mentoring and Study Hall) since 2006 and recently joined the Task Force, which provides opportunities for young professionals to get more involved with Steppingstone. Melissa Lyons is a humanities teacher at the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School in Dorchester. Every year, she nominates students for The Steppingstone Academy. 1 ...because I deeply believe in Steppingstone’s core objective of providing access to education for motivated students. ...because I am able to help my students get the valuable individual attention they need in order to help them reach their full potential. Letter from the Founder Every Thursday this summer, I had lunch with a section of Steppingstone Scholars. Spending time with the founder of The Steppingstone Foundation was The McLane Fund presented as a treat to them, but I’m the one who really got the better of the deal. I was inspired by these children who are so smart, so funny, so focused, Steppingstone is so kind to one another, and so determined to fulfill their boundless potential. deeply grateful to the I would tell them a bit about the history of Steppingstone, and the Scholars partners of TA Associates gave me the skinny on the program. I left each lunch inspired and more who donated $1 million in honor of managing committed than ever to the mission of this organization. partner Andy McLane: Spending time with the Scholars not only keeps me connected to a great group of children, but it reminds me why we—my colleagues at Steppingstone, Jeffrey S. Barber the Scholars and their families, and of course, you who sustain us—are so Michael S. Berk committed to this organization. We are making a transformative difference in Jeffrey T. Chambers the lives of so many people, and in turn are raising expectations about college Michael C. Child access for entire communities. Brian J. Conway Todd R. Crockett While the Scholars were hard at work on their way to college, Steppingstone Jonathan M. Goldstein had a very productive year in 2008. We successfully completed our five-year Kurt R. Jaggers strategic growth plan, which included nearly doubling the number of Scholars A. Bruce Johnston served in Boston to 900, setting the Philadelphia operation on a course to Roger B. Kafker independence and sustainability, replicating the Academy in Hartford, and C. Kevin Landry building the National Partnership for Educational Access, whose member David S. Lang 2 organizations serve over 20,000 students. Through these efforts, Steppingstone Jonathan W. Meeks has become a multi-site organization and a leader in the college access field. Jacqueline C. Morby Ajit Nedungadi I hope you join me in both feeling proud of what we’ve accomplished, as well Kenneth T. Schiciano as excited about what lies ahead. 2008 heralded not only the end of one period Richard D. Tadler of organizational growth, but also the time to plan for the next phase so that we Michael A. Wilson may serve more children and have more impact. Of course, none of this growth would have been possible without the amazing generosity of so many donors who contributed to the Campaign for Growth. We had hoped to raise $15 million in pledges and annual giving over the five years of the campaign, which was quite ambitious. As I hope you know, Steppingstone owes whatever success it may have to those who support us so generously; thanks to the names listed in this report, we ended up raising over $19 million! In particular, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the partners of TA Associates, who stunned us with an incredible donation of $1,000,000 in honor of managing partner Andy McLane’s retirement. Whether I am having lunch with a dozen Steppingstone Scholars, or working with colleagues and Board members to chart the course for our organization, I am so grateful for the opportunity to work at Steppingstone, and even more grateful to those who make it all possible. Michael P. Danziger Michael Danziger is the founder of The Steppingstone Foundation 3 4 Brian Conway is the chairman of The Steppingstone Foundation Board of Directors Letter from the Chairman For the past five years, Steppingstone has followed an ambitious agenda The Steppingstone of local and national expansion. We have increased the number of Foundation children served in Boston to nearly 1,000, launched a third program Board of Directors site in Hartford, and initiated the National Partnership for Educational Access, a national alliance of college access programs for underserved Amy Smith Berylson Chuck Brizius students. While we are different in many ways than we were in 2004, Robert Clagett what has remained unchanged is our commitment to providing high Brian Conway quality program services that set underserved students firmly on the Michael P. Danziger path to college. In fact, over 90% of Steppingstone Scholars attend Bart Epker four-year colleges, compared to 36% of students who graduate from Richard L. Friedman Boston’s district high schools. Andrew Hahn After growth and new programs, the time was right to assess the William Helman effectiveness of The Steppingstone Academy even beyond the bench- Allison Johnson marks to which we have held ourselves accountable for nearly 20 years. Isabelle Loring In 2008, the staff and Board embarked upon an internal evaluation, Dr. Richard I. Melvoin asking the same two questions of every aspect of The Steppingstone A. Peter Monaco, Jr. Academy, from our admissions process to college counseling: Is the Dr. Karl W. Reid way we operated five years ago still the most effective way to achieve Brent Edward Shay meaningful results? Can we do more with less, given limited resources John G. Simon John S. Weinberg and a weak economy? Christina Wing-O’Donnell This internal assessment has led to the consolidation of our 5 admissions process (and our largest class admitted to date), a restructuring of Academy Nine to take advantage of increased placement opportunities, and the development of a multi-year college readiness curriculum for Scholars who have completed the academic preparation component. Other ideas, such as reallocating Academy class time during the school year, are designed to increase access to the program and will be implemented next year. We believe that these changes will lead to further growth and improved program service delivery beginning the moment a Scholar applies to the Academy to the time he or she enrolls at a four-year college. The recession has not only made us look at how to be more productive and efficient, it has impacted the families we serve. Financial aid budgets have been stretched, and Scholars need our services more than ever. Thank you for your continued support through these difficult times. Steppingstone never takes its success—or its donors—for granted. I continue to be amazed and gratified by your generous support. Thanks to you, hundreds of students will realize their dreams of going to college. Thank you, Brian J. Conway About our Programs The Steppingstone Foundation develops and implements programs which prepare urban schoolchildren for educational opportunities that lead to college. Based on the premise that, regardless of circumstance, children can achieve at high levels academically with the proper preparation and support, Steppingstone programs emphasize rigorous standards and achieve meaningful results. Steppingstone programs in Boston, Philadelphia, and Hartford set underserved students on the path to college by preparing them to get into and succeed at top college preparatory schools in middle and high school. Once admitted, Scholars participate in a 14-month academic component that begins with a six-week summer session, continues through the school year with classes after school and on Saturdays, and concludes with a second six-week summer session. The rigorous curriculum and extra homework prepare Scholars for the challenges of their placement schools, and Steppingstone work closely with Scholars and their families on all aspects of the placement school admission process. After completing the 14-month academic component, Scholars receive comprehensive services to ensure that they thrive in their new school environments. A mentoring program, extracurricular activities, and college counseling are just a few of the services provided to ensure that the Scholars make a smooth transition to their new schools, ultimately graduating from high school and enrolling at four-year colleges. The Steppingstone Academy in Boston prepares fifth-, sixth-, and eighth-grade 6 students—who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity—to get into and succeed at Boston’s top independent and public exam schools in the sixth, seventh, and ninth grades, respectively. In 2008, The Steppingstone Academy served 900 Scholars in grades five through 12, and more than 1,100 Scholars have completed the 14-month academic component since 1990. Over 90% of Scholars have enrolled at four-year colleges. The Steppingstone Scholars Program in Philadelphia prepares underserved fifth- grade students for acceptance and success in the sixth grade at top independent schools in the Philadelphia area. Launched in 1997, The Scholars Program serves close to 300 Scholars in grades five through 12; the first class of Scholars graduated from high school and matriculated at college in 2006.