Hammer & NER Annual Report 2025

Because of you, our mission continues.

2025

Annual Report

2025 Annual Report LETTER FROM THE CEO AND BOARD PRESIDENT To our community, our partners, and everyone who has placed their trust in us — thank you. Because of you, our mission continues.

Another year has passed, and with it has come the daily confirmation of why we exist: to open doors, unlock possibilities, and walk alongside people with disabilities as they build lives that are full, self-directed, and deeply their own.

Our mission has never been simply about services. It is about moments. It is about meeting people exactly where they are — with care, with creativity, and with an unwavering belief in what is possible for every single person we serve. Whether someone needs support navigating daily life, building connections in their community, or pursuing a dream they’ve long held close, our role is the same: to care for them so completely that the fullest version of their life becomes reachable.

Together, every program, every home, every shared meal, every trip, and every meaningful connection helps create a circle of support around the people we serve. From care teams and case managers and coordinators to oneon-one volunteers and volunteers woven throughout every department, this mighty village is united around one enduring purpose. For over 100 years, Hammer and NER has been one of Minnesota’s most trusted providers for people with disabilities and we carry that responsibility with humility and with pride. We do not take lightly the trust that individuals and families place in us. We honor it by staying committed, staying curious, and refusing to settle for anything less than what our mission calls for.

To our staff, our volunteers, our partners, and the individuals and families at the center of all of it—you are why we show up. We are honored to be part of this journey with you.

John Estrem Mitch Ringe CEO Board President Hammer & NER Hammer & NER

Executive Leadership Team

Board of Directors

John Estrem – Chief Executive Officer Kristin Pyka – Chief Financial Officer Isaiah Allen – Chief Development Officer Kyle Fitzwater – Chief Human Resources Officer Pam Janczewski - Senior Director, Program Services Jerry LaVasseur - Senior Director, Program Operations

Mitch Ringe, Board President Michelle Olson, Vice President Laurie Moga, Secretary Richard Stoebe, Treasurer Robert Lockwood Barb Peterson

Blaine Stephens Kevin Walli Nancy Wurm

2025 Annual Report

OUR STORY

Opening Doors. Unlocking Possibilities.

With over 100 years of service, our relentless commitment to the people we serve remains.

368 People supported in homes and apartments

1,392 People supported with customized Support Services

68 Homes & apartments

512 Hammer & NER employees

Numbers reflect 2025

2025 Annual Report

BUILDING COMMUNITY

A Table Set Every Night Inside the apartment program dinners that nourishes both body and belonging.

Every evening kitchens across our apartment programs come alive— a warm, home-cooked meal is ready for anyone who wants to enjoy a nutritious meal.

This routine started the way so many good things at Hammer and NER do — someone paid attention.

Nearly 25 years ago, our nursing staff noticed that many residents in the apartment programs weren’t getting adequate nutrition, quietly impacting their health. No one asked us to fix it. There was no regulatory requirement, and no funding to support it. We simply saw a need and chose to meet it — because that is who we are.

What began as one dinner a week in one apartment has grown into a nightly standard across all apartments — and has become a hallmark of what makes our apartment programs genuinely different. This quiet investment of care offers something richer. Each dinner is a gathering — a chance to sit across from a neighbor, share a story, and feel a sense of belonging.

Lake Place Apartment residents enjoying a Thursday night dinner together.

In ways that are hard to measure but easy to see, it helps people thrive where they are — maintaining independence, staying connected, and building the kind of steady daily rhythm that supports a fuller life.

None of it happens without a small village of staff and volunteers who show up quietly, every single day. There are no headlines for the people who chop the carrots or wash the dishes — but their commitment is the heart of this work. It is a reminder that showing up consistently is one of the most powerful things we can do for one another.

“We’ve seen how it brings people together across time — those who joined a few years ago connecting with those who have been here since the beginning — and continues to welcome new residents into that same sense of community.”

—Jason Sauer, Manager, Lake Place Apartment

2025 Annual Report A YEAR OF IMPACT

Counting what Counts.

We measure our impact in the moments— the lives, the community built, not the margins.

The fullest life is one lived in community.

Countless Smiles

1,025

Supported by Case Management Team

781 Supported by Care Coordination Team

121 recreational outings 53 Hammer Travel trips 406 volunteers | 10k+ hours

1.8M raised 908 total donors 205 new donors 98 giving monthly

Our donor community is growing — and so is our impact

156 Home Activity

Requests Filled

218

Quality of Life Requests Filled

9 in 10 stay Long-term relationships that build trust

Behind every number is a life impacted—and together, those moments add up to something truly meaningful.

—John Estrem, CEO, Hammer & NER

Staff who engage with our coaching program have a retention rate of 90% after 9 months — more than double the rate of those who don’t.

2025 Annual Report

Operating Revenue and Support STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS December 31, 2024 and 2025 Numbers provided are unaudited.

Operating revenue & support

2024

2025

40,492,648

42,299,571

2,715,648

1,072,023

Other income

88,287

945,060

Fundraising

1,912,200

1,857,332

Campaign Funds Received

1,443,943

984,805

$46,652,726

$47,158,791

Program

39,385,181

39,008629

Administrative

7,292,427

7,651,262

Fundraising

700,831

721,761

Campaign

98,424

33,399

47,476,863

47,415,051

824,137

(256,260)

Program Investment income

Operating expenses

Total expenses Income from Operations

Our complete IRS 990 is available at Hammer.org.

“People often ask what their donation actually does. The honest answer: it does what nothing else can. It funds the moments that fall outside the lines — the trips, the dinners, the home improvements, the programs built around belonging. That’s not extra.

For the people we serve, that’s everything.”

—Isaiah Allen, Chief Development Officer

2025 Annual Report BUILDING COMMUNITY

Shared Connection Across Generations What began as a teenage volunteer experience has become a family tradition of friendship, connection, and belonging.

For Jason Vogt, volunteering with Hammer isn’t something new, it’s something that has come full circle.

Jason first connected with Hammer as a fourteenyear-old, volunteering with the softball league held on Hammer’s campus at a time when its dormitories and programs were all housed on the property that is now home to the Hammer & NER Wayzata office. That early experience of showing up, spending time together, and building relationships left a lasting impression on Jason.

After that initial connection, Jason went on to college, launched his career, and started a family with his wife, Treva. Years later, as their three sons; William (16), Ray (13), and George (11), reached their teenage years, the same stage of life Jason had been in when he first volunteered, Jason and Treva felt drawn back to Hammer, this time as a family.

Today, the Vogt family volunteers at Lancaster House, spending social time and participating in activities with the young men who live there. Whether sharing a meal, playing games, or simply being present together, their time is focused on connection.

“Volunteering in a shared family experience brings our family closer and hopefully has a multiplier effect with our impact!” —Treva Vogt For Jason, inviting his sons into this space is intentional.

He wanted them to have experiences with people from different backgrounds and life experiences; experiences that help shape empathy, compassion, and understanding, and build genuine connections with people living with disabilities.

“Hanging out is really fun for us and its fun for them too. We have a good time together so it’s great for all of us!” —George Vogt That impact is felt by the young men at Lancaster House as well, who look forward to the Vogt family’s visits and value the sense of consistency, friendship, and shared experiences they bring.

“The guys enjoy their time with Jason and the family. They really enjoy going out to eat also having their support at their sporting events.

Means the world to the individuals at Lancaster that they have more friends in the world.”

—Anna Byro, Program Director

Wayzata Office 1909 Wayzata Blvd., Wayzata, MN 55391 White Bear Lake Office 2539 County Road E East, White Bear Lake, MN 55110

hammer.org 8 | Discoveries