2015-16 ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 1 THE 826 NATIONAL NETWORK 826 BOSTON 826boston.org 826MICHIGAN 826michigan.org THE GREATER BOSTON BIGFOOT RESEARCH INSTITUTE LIBERTY STREET ROBOT SUPPLY AND REPAIR SHOP Serves Boston Public & Greater Boston Area School Districts & THE DETROIT ROBOT FACTORY Neighborhood Egleston Square, Roxbury Serves Detroit Public Schools Community District, Ann Satellites Boston Public Library, John D. O’Bryant School of Arbor Public Schools, & Ypsilanti Community School District Mathematics & Science, & Jeremiah E. Burke High School Neighborhoods Ann Arbor, Detroit, & Ypsilanti Satellites Beezy’s Cafe, Ypsilanti District Library, & Detroit 826CHI 826chi.org Public Library WICKER PARK SECRET AGENT SUPPLY CO. Serves Chicago Public School District 826NYC 826nyc.org Neighborhood Wicker Park BROOKLYN SUPERHERO SUPPLY CO. Serves New York City Public Schools 826DC 826dc.org Neighborhoods Park Slope, Williamsburg & East Harlem TIVOLI’S ASTOUNDING MAGIC SUPPLY CO. Satellites Brooklyn Public Library, Williamsburg Branch & Serves D.C. Public Schools & D.C. Public Charter Schools MS 7/Global Tech Prep Neighborhood Columbia Heights 826 VALENCIA 826valencia.org 826LA 826la.org THE PIRATE SUPPLY STORE & KING CARL’S EMPORIUM THE ECHO PARK TIME TRAVEL MART Serves San Francisco Unified School District & THE MAR VISTA TIME TRAVEL MART Neighborhood Mission District & Tenderloin Serves Los Angeles Unified School District Satellites Everett Middle School, Mission High School, & Neighborhoods Mar Vista & Echo Park Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Satellite Manual Arts Senior High School 2 826 NATIONAL TABLE OF CONTENTS THE 826 NATIONAL NETWORK . 2 2015-16 HIGHLIGHTS . .18 OUR TEAM . 4 PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE . 22 A LETTER FROM OUR CEO . 5 STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS . 26 OUR MISSION . 6 826 VOLUNTEERS & TEACHERS . .30 2015-16 AT A GLANCE . 7. FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES . 32 THE 826 NATIONAL OFFICE . 10 THANK YOU, DONORS . 36 WHY WRITING? . 14. OUR TEAM 826 NATIONAL STAFF GERALD RICHARDS KAIT STEELE YUSUKE WADA Chief Executive Officer Director of Field Operations Salesforce Administrator MAGGIE ANDREWS LINDSEY BOURNE ANNA GRIFFIN Director of Development Finance & Communications Manager Program Development & Support Coordinator LAUREN BRODER DANIEL CESCA Director of Research & Evaluation Operations Assistant JONATHAN HSIEH Development & Impact Coordinator BOARD OF DIRECTORS The 826 National Board is made up of independent directors and a chapter representative from each of the seven chapters in the 826 National network. Each chapter representative is a voting member of their chapter board and the 826 National Board. TERRY WIT JODIE EVANS TESSIE TOPOL Board President 826LA Representative Independent Consultant Partner, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Author, Documentary Film Producer, & THOM UNTERBURGER Sullivan, LLP Co-Founder of CODEPINK 826NYC Representative TONI MORELL HILARY HODGE Chief Officer, The Good Thinking Board Vice President 826CHI Representative Corporation Managing Partner, Zingerman’s Mail Associate Vice Chancellor of Adult DAVID WAKELYN Order Education at City Colleges of Chicago 826DC Representative JOE MALCOUN JORDAN KURLAND Founding Partner, Board Secretary Founder & Owner, Union Square Learning 826michigan Representative Zeitgeist Artist Management LEAH WILLIAMS CEO, Nutshell KATE O’SULLIVAN General Counsel, WestEd STEPHEN ENSLEY General Manager, Industry Affairs, ANNE WINTROUB Board Treasurer Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Director, Social Innovation, AT&T Director, Hellman & Friedman MEG RAY GERALD RICHARDS Owner, Miette Patisserie & Confiserie CEO, 826 National EMERITUS BOARD MEMBER MARY SCHAEFER Consultant NÍNIVE CALEGARI DONNA COWAN 826 National Co-Founder 826 Boston Representative PAUL SCHUTT President & Founder, The Teacher Active Community Volunteer Co-Founder, Issue Media Group Salary Project DAVE EGGERS ANDREW STRICKMAN 826 National Co-Founder 826 Valencia Representative Founder of McSweeney’s Publishing & Vice President of Brand, Editorial & Award-Winning Author Creative Services, Move Inc. 4 826 NATIONAL A LETTER FROM OUR CEO Dear Friends, People often forget that literacy is the ability to read and write well, and writing often takes a second seat in the discussion about literacy. The 826 network aims to change that. We are passionate about writing and its ability to change our students’ lives. Writing is a powerful act for our students—they use it to communicate their thoughts and desires, tell stories of love and loss, grief and triumph. Writing helps you make sense of what you read; writing helps you make sense of the world. When I was a child, I was painfully shy—the kid at birthday parties sitting in the corner, not socializing. Meanwhile, my internal, imaginary world was full of spaceships, dinosaurs, and friendship. You’d only know what I was thinking when you read what I wrote, and I loved to write. It was through pen and paper that I learned to express myself—and it was when my teachers began recognizing and complimenting my writing that I finally gained self-esteem and confidence. The ability to write and to write well has never failed me. The National Commission on Writing revealed that businesses are spending billions of dollars each year to provide remedial writing to their current and new employees. My suggestion? Invest those billions in our nation’s youth by supporting the 826 network and other like-minded organizations that value the art of writing. 826 chapters work with more than 32,000 students each year, providing them with the tools and skills necessary to communicate effectively and to be successful in life. Working with our dedicated corps of volunteers, we’re able to amplify our students’ voices on a massive scale—on stage at book release parties, through the Internet and social media, and in beautifully-published books. We encourage students to write their own paths forward, using the written word to advocate for themselves, and for a better world. We hope you’ll join us. With gratitude, Gerald Richards ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 5 OUR MISSION 826 NATIONAL is a nonprofit organization that provides strategic leadership, administration, and other resources to ensure the success of its network of seven writing and tutoring centers. 826 National’s chapters are dedicated to providing under-resourced students, ages 6-18, with opportunities to explore their creativity and improve their writing skills. We also aim to help teachers inspire their students to write. Our mission is based on the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with individualized attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. 6 826 NATIONAL 2015-16 AT A GLANCE 32,112 STUDENTS SERVED 568 WRITING WORKSHOPS 957 TEACHERS SERVED 4,821 240 ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS IN-SCHOOL 1,549 PROJECTS AFTER-SCHOOL TUTORING SESSIONS 676 FIELD TRIPS 898 STUDENT PUBLICATIONS ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 7 WHY DO WE WRITE? WRITING IS HOW WE CONNECT THE DOTS IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD AROUND US. —Joel Arquillos Executive Director at 826LA THE 826 NATIONAL OFFICE 826 National is a central office that functions to support each of its seven chapters and to expand the 826 network. In doing so, we can improve our programs and reach more students in under-served communities throughout the country. While each 826 chapter is unique, our common practices and vision unify us. 2/33 1/1/33 OF 826 NATIONAL’S OPERATIONS OF 826 NATIONAL’S OPERATIONS DIRECTLY SUPPORT OUR SEVEN WRITING SERVE TO ADVANCE THE AND TUTORING CENTERS. NETWORK AS A WHOLE. DID YOU KNOW? Multiple studies show that expressive writing contributes to better grades, lower dropout rates, and even improved physical and mental health. (Writing Your Way to Happiness, 2015) 10 826 NATIONAL OUR WORK NETWORK COLLABORATION & RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS NETWORK EXPANSION BEST-PRACTICE SHARING 826 National strives to provide In addition to supporting growth among We hold monthly calls to address educators with quality writing lessons our existing chapters, 826 National common challenges, share best and curriculum to get students supports local groups and organizations practices, and discuss everything excited about and engaged in writing. interested in joining the network from programmatic development, We’ve published several resource through our Chapter Development to volunteer management, to diversity books, including: Don’t Forget to Write Process. We also offer a two-day 101 and inclusion efforts. 826 National (for secondary & elementary grades) Seminar that provides resources and also organizes an annual network- and STEM to Story: Enthralling and tools to those interested in starting wide, three-day staff development Effective Lesson Plans for Grades 5-8. their own community nonprofit. conference focused on professional development and collaboration. RESEARCH & EVALUATION SYSTEMS SUPPORT & TRAINING DIRECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT As we continually strive to improve our The 826 network uses a shared In addition to raising funds to sustain programs, our research and evaluation database, managed by the National our own operations, 826 National team manages program assessments office, for tracking donor, volunteer, directs approximately 20% of all funds for students, volunteers, parents, and and student information. Integrated raised to the chapters for programming teachers; collects and interprets data to systems ensure the network’s data expenses and capacity building. document best practices; and researches is up-to-date, informing advancements new pedagogy. in programming