Power of Hope
This year, we proudly celebrate 20 years of empowering students and building a foundation for transformative change. What began as a small, grassroots effort has blossomed into a robust program that equips scores of students with the tools they need to pursue brighter futures.
At ALP, literacy is more than reading and writing. It’s a tool that builds confidence, opens doors, and creates opportunities for students to succeed. But hope has always been our true currency. Every word learned and every milestone achieved is fueled by the belief that all students deserve the chance to achieve their full potential.
We have proven that our program works. In this report, you’ll learn how we help students develop critical literacy skills, strengthen schools through these academic achievements, and empower communities by preparing young people for the future.
You’ll also learn that this is a pivotal moment for ALP. After building a strong foundation for our programming, we are now working to exponentially increase our reach and dramatically increase access to literacy, opportunity, and hope for those who need it most.
It is an audacious mission, and we cannot do it alone.
Thank you for being an essential part of this journey. We’re excited to move forward with your continued support. Our students – and our community – are counting on us.
With gratitude and hope,
Steve Hall Executive Director
Scan to see ALP's impact.
Sophia’s journey with ALP began in the spring of 2024. Initially, as a first grader, she struggled with basic reading skills, falling behind her peers. That’s when she met her ALP tutor, Shamecia, whose patience and encouragement helped Sophia catch up and build literacy skills that set her up for long-term success.
By the end of first grade, Sophia was reading at grade level — a huge milestone! But Shamecia didn’t stop there. Knowing how easily students lose progress over the summer, she continued working with Sophia in second grade to reinforce her skills. Sophia quickly mastered strategies like decoding unfamiliar words, understanding context, and reading with fluency, ensuring she felt prepared for every new challenge.
“Sophia loves butterflies and the color purple,” Shamecia shared, smiling. “And she’s all the things that I would hope someone would say about my kid.”
Today, Sophia is thriving, applying her literacy skills and reading out loud to her class as she prepares to graduate from ALP this December. She is a confident and capable student with a bright future ahead.
Power of Sophia
By the end of her first grade year, Sophia was reading at grade level—a huge milestone!
Power of ALP
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) #1 Strategic Goal: 91% of K–2 students score at or above the DIBELS*reading benchmark by 2029.
Hear from ALP’s partner Dr. Oglesby, Newell principal. ALP first graders improved from 8.7% to 52.7% performing at or above benchmark in DIBELS — a remarkable increase.
Student Growth
Aa
12,264 lessons provided
Affordable Growth
427 students served
81% of ALP tutors returned from the previous school year
32% decrease in cost per student over the past two years
Jordan celebrates during a lesson with his tutor. Community Growth
Direct alignment with CMS goal #1
Power of Commitment
A Journey to Serve More Students
Founded in 2005 by Candace Armstrong and Adele Haygood, ALP began as an outreach program of St. Peter's Episcopal Church with the goal of transforming students' lives through literacy and meaningful relationships. In the fall of 2005, Candace became the first executive director and trained a small but determined group of tutors. These volunteers began working with ALP's first six students. Many more students and tutors would follow. 100 80 48 31 17 26 21 9 6 6 2005
ALP becomes an independent 501(c)(3). Milestones that have shaped our journey.
Candace Armstrong holds ALP’s first training and the first cohort begins tutoring six students in the fall.
2013 Alison (Houser) Keane becomes ALP’s second executive director. 2014
ALP adopts a partner school model to deepen impact. 2016
ALP and CMS district level partnership established. 2019
2020
ALP pivots its tutoring from in-person to virtual to accommodate Covid learning.
2021
ALP reaches the $1 million milestone in fundraising.
In 2025, ALP celebrates its 20th anniversary in the Charlotte community. ALP is determined to meet its goal of tutoring 600 students this school year. We started work in September and are already serving 412 students!
2022
Steve Hall becomes ALP’s third executive director.
2023
ALP adopts a new virtual platform, Pencil Spaces, to expand access and opportunity.
ALP is grateful for everyone who has been a part of our journey. ALP's growth is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our community.
2024
ALP establishes its first corporate partnership with Bank of America, successfully piloting ALP’s new virtual platform.
Thank you
You have made our 20 years possible.
Augustine Society Transformers
($250,000+)
The Leon Levine Foundation
Augustine Society Changemakers
($100,000 – $249,999)
The Belk Foundation
C. D. Spangler Foundation, Inc.
Charlotte Wine + Food
Coca-Cola Consolidated
The Merancas Foundation, Inc.
Novant Health
Augustine Society Illuminators
($50,000 – $99,999)
Mebane Charitable Foundation, Inc.
North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation
Anne and Russell Ranson III
The Stubblefield Foundation
Brenda and Donald Thompson
TowneBank
Wells Fargo Championship
Augustine Society Clarions
($25,000 – $49,999)
Katie and Richard Bates
Charlotte Merchants Foundation
The Dowd Foundation
Mindy and Bob Jones
Jill and Don Olmstead
Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina
Legacy
Linda and Tim Sittema
StepStone Private Wealth
Ann and Tom Temple
Augustine Society Accelerators
($10,000 – $24,999)
Anonymous
Dana and Justin Adams
Alpha & Omega Foundation
Kathryn and Darren Ash
The George W. and Ruth R. Baxter Foundation
Betsy and Michael Blair
Odette Bonvouloir and David McCullen
William Coltrane Cannon and
Norma Craft Cannon
Charitable Trust
Patty Collins
Nancy and Bruce Downing
Rebecca and Mike Drendel
Annette and Shaun Dreyer
Diane and Michael Dumais
Susan and Roy Goode
Brandy and Brian Hydrick
James Family Foundation
Patricia and Charles Klapheke
Fred W. Klein, Jr.
Knight Foundation
Martha & Spencer Love Foundation
Wandra and George Mackie
Cyndee Patterson and John Munce
Christina and Dee O'Dell
OrthoCarolina Foundation
Speedway Children’s Charities
Laura and John Spencer
United Way of Central Carolinas
Augustine Society Investors
($5,000 – $9,999)
Carol Gray Adler and James Adler
Julie and Omid Ahdieh
Missie and Greg Alcorn
Assistance League of Charlotte
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation
The Katherine & Thomas Belk Foundation
Katherine and Tom Bunn
CAPTRUST Community Fund
Martha and Eric Eubank
Kathy and Tom Ewing
Anne and Tom Fehring
Beth and Erin Guinan
Eleanor and Rick Hahn
Steve and Wendy Hall
Nancy and Rob Harris
Katie and Stuart Hicks
Kathy and Ben Hill
Kathy and Steve Horvath
Kelly King
Julie Lerner Levine
Lee Ann and Barry McGinnis
Jon Morris
Mary Ruth and Philip Payne
Elaine and Joe Peterson
Denise and Jim Ratchford
Beth Rogerson
Jan and Tommy Shealy
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Teresa Starr and Bernie Reen
Robert Walker Tutoring Fund
Gray and Geordie Walker
Robin and Steve Weaver
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Julie and Perry White
Augustine Society Visionaries
($2,500 – $4,999)
Allied Caster & Equipment Co.
Vivian and Jim Boylan
The Dale Jr. Foundation
Amy Levine Dawson and Alfred Dawson
Katie Garvey
Cindy and Curt Grantham
Tony and Rusty Gray
Faith Hamilton
Gena and Robert Haywood
Janet and Steve Heffner
Lyttleton and Thomas Hollowell
Lauren and Colin Hood
Rick Hudson and Jeremy Needham
Ghazale and Andy Johnston
Alison Keane
Anjali and John Markey
Michele Melchior
Jenny and Stephen Neill
Katrina and Matthew Nichols
Kathleen and Thomas O’Bannon
Anne and Scott Perper
Robinson Bradshaw
Krista Scavone and Jacob Braude
Claire and John Tate
Ashley and Joel Turner
Deborah Majewski and Daniel Ward
Louise Whitley
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($1,000 – $2,499)
Anonymous
Candace Armstrong
Eleanor and James Barnhardt
Kary and Fred Beaman
Joe Becker
Sarah and Tim Belk
David Deal and Steve Bentley
Betsy and Bill Blue
Beth and Bill Bowen
Mary and Charles Bowman
Anne and Brent Bowman
Jean Brinkmann
Larry Brown
Libby and Davis Cable
Elizabeth and Saxby Chaplin
Carol Milton Childress
Mack Clark
Kathy Cornell
Sally and Ward Davis
Sue and Jim Dulin
Janice and Larry Elder
Paul Finnen
First Presbyterian Church
Sally and Curt Fochtmann
Laura and J.Q. Freeman
Whitney and Jim Gray
Patricia and Frederic Gresset
Kristin Heidkamp
Julie Heidrick
The Horne Company Partners, LLC
Page and Martin Hull
David Jacobson
Kathryn and Luke Kissam
Kristin LaPrise and Barbara Lom
Mary Lynn and Steve Larson
Barrie and Lawrence Lewis
Maria and Nash Long
Joan and Gene Lunman
Carter and George MacBain
Gene and Michael Mallonee
Margaret and Harrison Marshall
Dee Dee and Bill Maxwell
Dorothy McGavran
Ralph McMillan
Vicky and Bill Mitchener
Ann and George Miles
Eve and Albert Nichols
North Mecklenburg Woman's Club
Richard Osborne
Sally Higgins and Ray Owens
Swati Pathak
Margaret and Robert Perry
Susan and Patrick Pierce
Julia and David Priester
Paul Reichs
Kim Rickenbaker
Anne Robinson
Marsden Sale
Lisa and Tim Saunders
Patty and Don Smyth
Kristin and Andy Stinson
The Stone Family
The Robert B. Taylor III Foundation
Allison and John Tibe
The Trexler Foundation
Kelly Zellars and Henry Trexler
Frances and Kerry Van Voorhis
Jill Walker
Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign
Allison Williams
Mark Wilson
Holly and Jim Wood
Builders
($500 – $999)
Ally Financial, Inc.
Doug Anderson
Marc Atwood
Pam and John Austin
Addison and Rand Ayer
Kathryn and Ed Balogh
Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund
Alison and Patrick Boyle
Jan and Jim Brittain
Marti and Tom Cato
Charities Aid Foundation America
Margaret Commins
Davidson United Methodist Women
Decoding Dyslexia NC
Lucy and Perin DesPortes
Carolyn and Christopher Drake
The Duke Endowment
Bonnie Fleming
Jenny Hutchison and Neil Giardino
Karen and Steve Gosselin
Robert Griffin
Kiri and Davis Hahn
Rebecca Hall
Ruth and James Hallmark
Lois and Mark Hawkins
Ellen Holliday
Genie and Reuben Hufham
Mia Jenkins
JPMorganChase
Rachel Karo
Joan and Dennis Keane
Liz and Fred Lassiter
Julie and David Lavoie
Tammie and Lou Lesesne
Caron and Jamie Lye
Ruth Mayer and William Bacon
Lee McCall
Debbie and David McCarthy
Cortney and Fritz Nauck
Mary Pratt
Barbara and John Purdie
PwC
Margaret and Rusty Rainey
Sherri and Hank Ralston
Beth and Ernie Reigel
Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church
Mattye and Marc Silverman
Melanie Sizemore
Jessica Stanfield
Michael Stephens
The Trans, Inc.
Trent Family Foundation
MG and David Tucker
Amy and Mark Vitner
Emily Woodrow
Jerri Workman
Mary and Jarrett Wyant
Paula and Paul Yale
Yield Giving
Advocates
($250 – $499)
Kristen Bernier
Brakeman's Coffee & Supply LLC
Jeff Brand
Christina Cambruzzi
Ellen and Kevin Carlisle
Kaky and Garland Cassada
A.T. Castillo
Janice and Scott Chappell
Laura Cooper
Catherine Covington-East
Debbie Curtiss
Greta and Cutter Davis
Sarah Deal
Teara Edwards
The Frontier Capital Foundation
Stephanie Ganey
Kathy and Don Gately
Leslie and Matthew Gillespie
Kathy and Frank Graham
Patty and John Gruce
Josiah Hall
Gina Haynes Kim and Brian Heath
Kate Hill
Patricia Massey Hoke and John Hoke
Lea and Stuart Johnson
Jennifer and Greg Jones
Eliza Karp
Jane and Tom Kearns
MaryLou and Ron Larson
Michele and Dennis Mendoza
Francoise Merrien
Martha and Roddey Player
Eric Plott
Karen and Shannon Reid
Sally and Russell M. Robinson II
Blair and Ivon Rohrer
Ariana Shahinfar
Karen Shea
Jo Shirley
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Alice and Brent Torstrick
Union County Antique Tractor & Power Club, Inc.
Julie and Rick Warner
Allyson Weiss and Ian Davis
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Anonymous
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Scott Addison
Rebecca Fant and John Alday
Ron Almond
Mimi and Marks Arnold
Erin Ashendorf
Judi Bainbridge
Richard Bardnhardt Jr.
Claire Barnhardt
W. Doak Barnhardt
Susan Bartlett
Ralph Beck
Tina Berry
Sherri Biel
Johanna Bocko
Roberta and Ed Bograd
Joan Bolick
Kristen Brackett
Cynthia and Randy Broome
Jennifer Brost
Barbara and Richard Buckingham
Alana Carlton
Charlotte Woman’s Club
Rebecca and David Cherry
Angela Cilluffo
Sue Coonen
Ann Copeland
Ann and Robert Cramer
Morrison Creech
Carol and Benner Crigler
Cathy Croy
Dee Dee and Ed Dalrymple
Anne Davant
Karen DeMay
Tracy Denning
Beth and Samuel deTuro
Jen and Jim Drizos
William East
Gigi Egge
Barbara Falck
Ellen Fligel
Kathy Foushee
R. Christopher Gammon
Steven Garrett
Beth Geiger
Debbie and Thomas George
Mary Gibson
Myron Gray
Gail and Tim Gray
Pam Gray
Megan Green
Jennifer Guice
Bobbie and Richard Hahn
Rosalie and Herb Hall
Evelyn and Hugh Hall
Elizabeth Ham
Meg Hancock
Beth and Richard Handford
Jeanie Hanes
Susan Harden
Patty and Jim Henderlite
Betty Henderson
Joan Hileman
Ann and Bill Hinson
Beth and Bill Hobbs
Matthew Hoffmeyer and Rachael Mayer
Jackie Hohenstein
Pam Huggins
Kara Hunt
Linda and Paul Ibsen
Tammy Jackson
Patricia and Teddy Johnson
Deborah and Charles Jones
Katie and Jim Kaspar
Leslie Kepler
Beryl King
Bev King
Jessica Klasinski
Elizabeth Barnes and George Knapp
Colleen and Sam Kopchick
Diana Larson
Kristin Lawson
Jane Lesko
Natalie Lewis
Mark Logan
Karen MacKenzie
Chris Martin
Patricia Martin
Joanne McAndrews
Mary Ellen McElroy
Freda McKenzie
Ann and Bert Miano
Carolyn Miller
Amy Mintzer
Emily Mullinix
Amelia Norman
Patrice and Harry Northrup
Jay Offerdahl
Gwen Orland
Kristina Osores-Evans
Marcelle and Allan Oxman
Cathy and Phillip
Frances and Charles Payet
Len and Jean Pinkley
Bertha Price
Courtney and John Ramey
Becky and Lester Ranson
Anne and Russell Ranson, Jr.
Carolyn Raper
John Roddey
Valerie Rodono
Debbie Round
Andi and David Sandelovsky
Susan and Frank Shepard
Kathryn Shoemaker
Christine Shub
Pat and William Siegfried
Specker Family
Helen and Stan Spence
Susan Spencer-Smith and Bryan Smith
Robin Greene Sperling
Peter Stephens
Stonehenge Technology Labs
Denise and Alan Sussman
Sara Taddeo
John Temple
Kathy Thomas
Kathy and Bob Thompson
Karey Tom
Megan Vespa
Mary Vilter
Carla and Larry Vitez
Patricia Voorhees
Cassandra and David Wagner
Joana Wardell
Lynn Watson
Lauren Wheatley
Steve White
Liz Wicker
Jennie and David Wiercisiewski
Suzanne Williams
Beth Ann Williams
Tracy and Kevin Wittman
Amy and Julian Wright
Linda and Ben Wyant
Michelle Yin
Pledges and gifts received by November 30, 2024.
2023–24 Financials
Join the match
ALP Board of Directors
Michael E. Blair, Board Chair
CAPTRUST Financial Advisors, Principal
Rebecca Drendel, Incoming Board Chair & Development Chair
ALP Tutor, Community Volunteer
Lauren Hood, Governance Chair
ALP Tutor, Bank of America, Communications Executive
Rick Hudson, Secretary
ALP Tutor, Retired JLL, SVP, Global Product Data Support
Steve Larson, Treasurer
The ALP Board will match any new or increased donation made by December 31, 2024 up to $100,000. Leave a lasting legacy with planned giving. Help secure ALP’s future by naming us in your will or retirement account. For more information, contact Jessica Klasinski at 704-941-4449 or jklasinski@alpcharlotte.org .
ALP Tutor, Retired Actuary
Don E. Olmstead, Immediate Past Chair, Novare Capital Management, Managing Director
Annette Dreyer
ALP Tutor, Community Volunteer
Faith Hamilton
ALP Tutor, Retired Bank of America Executive
Kristen Howard Novant Health, Vice President Corporate Affairs
Dorothy McGavran
ALP Tutor, Retired Queens University of Charlotte Professor
Krista Scavone
ALP Tutor, Community Volunteer
John Spencer Source Technologies, Co-founder & Executive Vice President, Retired
Julie Warner Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Retired Special Education Administrator
Ted Wolfe
TowneBank, Charlotte President