What is Possible. Annual Report 2018-2019 Fiscal Year
Our Team This was the first full fiscal year of leadership by our new Executive Team: Dena Strong as President & CEO, Melissa Ruth as Vice President of Operations, and Susan Veneruso as Vice President of Internal Operations.
Dena Strong
President & CEO
Melissa Ruth
VP of Operations
Susan Veneruso
VP of Internal Operations
We also welcomed a very special addition to our office: Raven, the German Shepard-Great Dane mix. She is a therapy dog in training. Therapy dogs have been proven to have physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and mental health benefits for the people around them. This trial program is allowing Raven to build the skills she needs to provide therapy services out in the community when she passes all of her certifications. In the meantime, our staff are reaping the therapeutic benefits too!
Our Supporters Donations September 20, 2018 was GiveMore24, an annual day of giving sponsored by the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington. This year, we received a match of $12,500 from the Corwin Family Fund, resulting in a total donation amount of $25,731.85. This was our most successful GiveMore24 yet, and we owe many thanks to the Corwin Family Fund for their matching donation!
Innovative was a recipient in the Fox 12 Les Schwab Toy Drive, which provided new toys during the holiday season to the more than 500 children we serve.
The manufacturing classes from Heritage and Mountain View High Schools donated 26 handmade wooden trucks to our Early Learning program.
Umpqua Bank continues to provide translation services so we can offer program information and forms in our clients’ preferred languages. Additionally, MacDonald-Miller donated $2,500 for much-needed HVAC repairs in our building.
Grants We are so thankful for the numerous grants we received from our community partners.
$700 towards technology for our Employment Services program.
$2017 towards workshop for Employment Services staff, participant families, and employers.
$1500 towards the Calming Room for the Early Learning program.
$1000 for specialty therapy equipment.
$2250 for Listening Therapy equipment.
$15,000 funding the renovation of the Pediatric Therapy clinic including a classroom for the ABA program, and software licensing and computer equipment for staff.
Volunteers
Our friends at Vesta Hospitality volunteered their time to clean up the outdoor area of the Early Learning program.
The Assistance League of Southwest Washington put on a Fall Festival for the children in our Early Learning program that included snacks, face painting, crafts, and every child got a new book to take home.
Volunteers from Kaiser Permanente spent Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with us. We are so appreciative of their help with the art project in Early Learning and the hard work spiffing up our therapy rooms and landscaping.
Business partners Thank you to the following business partners who help to create an inclusive community through our Janitorial and Employment Services programs.
Board of Directors We are so thankful for our Board of Directors which is comprised of committed community members who volunteer an average of four to six hours of their time each month to provide program oversight and policy making for the organization. The full Board of Directors meets quarterly, and is actively engaged in the organization by participating in corporate and program development, event planning and fundraising activities. All board members volunteer monthly through serving on at least one of five Functional Boards: Nominating and Board Education, Marketing, Development, Program Development, and Building and Finance.
Lindsey Salvestrin
Dick James
Megan Shank
Rob Woodard
Past Chair
Past Chair
Lisa Abrahamsson
Debra Arbuckle
John Caton
Bobbi Heitschmidt
Christine Lipinski
Amy Shannon
Vice Chair
Ryan Hart
Darcey Reed
Mary Dunford
Karalee Ehline
Gregory Hall
Taylor Vilhauer
Becky Weis
Treasurer
Secretary
Chair
Our Work
Our programs provide person-centered care across the entire lifespan from early learning for children, to therapy through adolescence, to employment for adults, and community engagement during retirement. Overall, we served 1,500 individuals and families in our community last fiscal year.
Corporate
The small, but mighty, corporate team makes sure the infrastructure of the organization runs smoothly so the programs can focus on meeting client needs. Through a highly-coordinated effort, we implemented a new accounting system for financial and HR records management of the entire organization as well as a new electronic medical records system for our Pediatric Therapy program.
Employment Services Our Employment Services program is proud to be one of the leading employment agencies in Clark County for adults with disabilities or other employment barriers. For more than 40 years, our Employment Services team has been placing adults with developmental disabilities in a variety of jobs, suited to their skill levels, in businesses and organizations throughout Clark County. A combination of proper job placement and on-going job coaching have contributed to a high number of these adults remaining in their job for 10 years or more.
Lori and Lisa have been employed through the support of Employment Services for 18 and 16 years, respectively. Read their stories on the blog.
Janitorial Services Our Janitorial Services program provides a high-quality commercial janitorial service and provides opportunities to individuals with employment barriers. We provide services to other nonprofits, private businesses, and city, state, and county facilities.
The Janitorial program has some of the longest tenures in the organization:
Early Learning Our Early Learning program provides quality preschool and childcare for children ages one to five years old of all ability and income levels. Innovative offers the Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP) in four of our seven classrooms. ECEAP supports eligible families through free preschool and other support services. We are the only ECEAP provider in Clark County that is open year-round, making it possible for families to maintain their regular work schedules when schools are closed. Our Family Advocates help families get connected with other much-needed resources in the community such as housing, food assistance, and financial services.
Pediatric Therapy Our therapy clinic offers a wide array of pediatric therapy services including physical, speech, occupational, and specialty therapies. Innovative also offers Early Intervention Services provided in the natural environment, and Applied Behavior Analysis for children on the autism spectrum or with other challenging behaviors. Our clinic is one of 20 Neurodevelopmental Centers in Washington State. We uniquely offer two programs under one roof and are able to continue care with our Early Intervention clients as they age-out of that program and transition in to care through our outpatient clinic.
Climbing her way to greatness Read Charlotte’s story on the blog.
“It takes two flints to make a fire.” – Louisa May Alcott Read Eli and Sebastian’s story on the blog.
An indomitable strength of will Read Marley’s story on the blog.
Our financials The investments made in technology and people this fiscal year resulted in a financial position that sets us up well for the future.
Assets
Expenses
Revenue