A Y E A R I N R E V I E W
A Letter from Gateway HorseWorks’ Executive Director
As I reflect on 2024, I am filled with gratitude for the impact we have made together at Gateway HorseWorks This year has been one of expansion, education, and a deepened commitment to our mission of incorporating horses for the mental health treatment of people.
Through our innovative programs, we have witnessed remarkable stories of healing and transformation whether it was a student from the School District of Philadelphia in the Leading the Way program finding confidence and connection, a behavioral health treatment team gaining new insights through a wellness retreat at the farm, or an individual reclaiming their strength in our mental health sessions These stories continue to inspire and guide our work, and with your support, we are reaching more people than ever before.
A highlight of this year was receiving the IMPACT Award from GSK, a recognition of our commitment to improving community health through innovative, accessible programming. This honor reaffirms the importance of our work and fuels our passion to expand our reach even further.
Looking ahead to 2025, we remain committed to growing our programs, strengthening community partnerships, and ensuring that this groundbreaking approach to mental health is available to those who need it most. Thank you for being an integral part of this journey and for helping us bring our vision to life
Warmly, Kristen de Marco Executive Director
By the Numbers
Since 2015, our gates have been open, welcoming children and adults in search of innovative mental health treatment. Each day, our staff and herd of horses meet our clients exactly where they are, and facilitate sessions which provide the space for each person to uncover their own best solutions.
While numbers only tell a fraction of the story about the clients that we serve, they create a window into ways in which Gateway HorseWorks continues to prioritize access for people who are too often under-resourced in their mental health treatment.
2024 Program Highlights
5 1 % INCREASEIN OVERALLCLIENT PARTICIPATION
66% GROWTHINNEW CLIENTS REGISTERED
32% OFCLIENTS SERVEDWERE CHILDRENAND YOUTH
8 5 % OFCLIENTSSERVED HAVEAFAMILYINCOME BELOW$50KOR OTHERWISEDONOT KNOWTHEIRINCOME
LEADINGTHEWAY SCHOOLDIST.OF
Community Program Growth
“AS A SCHOOL LEADER, THE IMPACT THAT THIS ACTUALLY HAS IN THE BUILDING IS TREMENDOUS. WE HAVE KIDS THAT ARE TALKING ABOUT PHYSICAL SAFETY, AND EMOTIONAL SAFETY, AND BOUNDARIES AND RESPECT.”
-MEREDITH LOWE, PRINCIPAL
Outcomes for Student Participants
For the last two years, we have been piloting this social-emotional learning program with the School District of Philadelphia here at the farm in Malvern, and the results have been impressive
Because of this, our program attracted the attention of the leadership in the District at the highest level. For the ‘24-’25 school year, we expanded the program to work onsite at Fox Chase Farm - an urban agricultural school operated by the District near Elkins Parkaimed at increasing access to more students inside Philadelphia.
Thanks to the generosity of the Neubauer Family Foundation, the Anderson Family Foundation, the Germeshausen Foundation, and the Foxwynd Foundation, we will serve 12 schools total by this May! The program was highlighted in the Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as the local TV news channels. As we look to the ‘25-’26 school year, we aim to expand our staff to include more mental health treatment teams to support more students in the District.
P R O G R A M H I G H L I G H T
Community Program Growth
In January 2024, we partnered with Chester County Department of Drug & Alcohol and Gaudenzia West Chester to provide weekly group programming for men and women who are in-patient residents recovering from addiction
Additionally, in an effort to support the front line workers in the opioid crisis, we facilitated eight wellness days with eight different teams working across Chester County. The experience was focused on providing respite, as well as working through challenges commonly faced such as burnout, hopelessness, and self-care.
“This was a wonderful experience, and I appreciated it very much. I hope our team communicates more effectively in the future You all are very welcoming, and approach every situation professionally You met the level of the group, but also pushed us to think broader We are leaving with a new perspective ”
Our commitment to people impacted by the justice system continues with weekly mental health programming onsite at the Chester County Prison People preparing for release receive six 90-minute sessions with our horses and highly trained mental health treatment teams In 2024, Gateway HorseWorks expanded programming to run year round, and treated 26% more people at the Chester County Prison compared to 2023 Additionally, Gateway HorseWorks facilitated a staff wellness retreat for people working inside the prison
Our Beyond the Barn program for youth impacted by the justice system and/or involved with Children, Youth, & Family Services also continues to expand Now, this celebrated program has been replicated across the region in partnership with the Counties of Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Our outcomes keep exceeding expectations:
● 73% of all youth for CYF & JPO attended at least six of eight sessions
● 92% of all youth for CYF & JPO were not rearrested within six months of completion of program
● 96% of all youth for CYF & JPO were not placed out of the home within six months of program completion
2024 GSK IMPACT AWARD
Gateway HorseWorks was thrilled to be one of ten Philadelphia Area nonprofits to receive the GSK IMPACT Award in 2024. IMPACT is an acronym that represents the guiding principles and criteria for this award: Innovation, Measurement, Partnered, Accountable, CommunityCentered, and Transformative.
In advance of the award ceremony, GSK visited Gateway HorseWorks to make a film about our impact in the community, and spoke to a former client. Visit our website to view the film now!
Gateway HorseWorks received national recognition for our work and an award of $50,000! These unrestricted funds enable us to continue focusing on supporting people who are underresourced in their mental health access.
Board President, Basil Joy, Esq , and Executive Director, Kristen de Marco, receive the award at GSK headquarters in Philadelphia on November 21, 2024.
Our Horses
Our incredible herd of horses made a huge impact on the lives of people in our community again in 2024! It was a surreal moment for us when the team from Martin Clunes’ new book, Meetings with Remarkable Animals, reached out and wanted to include stories about one of our rescue horses in his new book. Now, you can access the powerful true story of Willow and former client, Enzo, on Audible. This remarkable retelling details their connection and collective transformation Willow went on to receive a Certificate of Appreciation from Representative Howard, honoring her for her service to the community!
Our whole herd’s wellbeing continues to be central to our organization’s mission Thanks to you, once again, we exceeded our fundraising goal on #Giving Tuesday and filled our hayloft with hay and straw for winter!
In 2024, Gateway HorseWorks hosted a series of impactful events that brought our community together in support of our mission. Each event played a vital role in expanding awareness and generating resources for our innovative mental health and learning services. With the generosity of our supporters, we strengthened our programs, deepened partnerships, and reached more people in need. These events not only celebrated our work but also reinforced the power of community in breaking down barriers to mental health treatment. We are grateful for everyone who contributed to making 2024 a year of growth and success!
300+ Registrants
$90k+ Gross Funds Raised
Event Sponsorships
Community of Volunteers 2024
Volunteers are the heart of Gateway HorseWorks, playing a vital role in our mission of incorporating horses for the mental health treatment of people. In 2024, our dedicated volunteers contributed many hours supporting our programs, caring for our horses, and ensuring a welcoming environment for clients. Whether they were our Platinum ChangeMakers making a regular volunteer commitment, folks who joined us for a monthly volunteer day at the farm, or our corporate volunteers, their dedication not only strengthens our daily operations, but also fosters a compassionate community. Our volunteers make a lasting impact one that ripples through the lives of the people and horses they serve. We are deeply grateful for their generosity, passion, and unwavering support.
VOLUNTEER BARN CLEANING SHIFTS 292
707
77 14 VOLUNTEER HOURS TOTAL VOLUNTEERS WEEKLY VOLUNTEERS
F I N A N C I A L G R O W T H
Funding Report
Gateway HorseWorks receives support from a diverse network of donors, foundations, organizations, institutional partners and agencies In order to sustainably steward our mission, it is our goal to maintain a high program expense ratio while continuing our fiscal growth, development, well-being, and capacity of our team and herd.
1,200,000
79% Program Expense Ratio
1,000,000
600,000 800,000
60% Public Support Percentage
Growing Our Team
As Gateway HorseWorks continues to grow, our focus in the coming year is on expanding and replicating our programs to reach more people in need of innovative mental health and learning services. With the success of our existing community programs, we recognize the increasing demand for services that incorporate horses for the mental health treatment of people To meet this need, we are actively working to scale our programming, ensuring that more schools, community organizations, and individuals can benefit from the healing power of horses By building strategic partnerships, we aim to replicate our proven approaches in new locations while maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of our work
A key component of this expansion is strengthening our team. In the coming year, we will onboard additional mental health professionals and equine specialists, bringing diverse expertise to our programs and allowing us to serve more clients with the highest quality of care. By growing our treatment teams, we will enhance our ability to provide traumainformed and experiential learning opportunities that address a range of mental health and personal development needs. To support this growth, we are also investing in administrative support staff, ensuring that our operations run efficiently and that our team has the resources needed to sustain our expanding programs. Strengthening our administrative capacity will allow us to streamline program coordination, enhance outreach efforts, and provide a seamless experience for clients and partners alike.
B O O T S & B B Q S E P T E M B E R 1 4 , 2 0 2 5 SAVE THE DATE! J O I N U S A S W E C O M E T O G E T H E R T O S U P P O R T I N N O V A T I V E M E N T A L H E A L T H S E R V I C E S F O R C H I L D R E N & Y O U T H I N O U R C O M M U N I T Y !
