Itineris Impact Report 2023

Impact Report Empowering Adults on the Autism Spectrum to Live Meaningful Lives, Throughout Their Lifespan

2023-2024

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Letter from the Director We are excited to share our Impact Report for our last fiscal year. I really enjoy the opportunity to reflect on where we were last year at this time and share the impact we’ve made. The work on our threeyear strategic plan began with a focus on three specific areas: Service Delivery, Talent and Culture and Financial Sustainability. We also focused on how Itineris can benefit the neurodiverse community beyond our walls with some exciting new projects.

Service Delivery was the top priority of our entire Program Team. We created an ambitious list of action steps to improve every facet of Itineris services. We completed 15 of these 19 action steps, with a focus on program quality, effectiveness, team communication, leadership development, and process standardization. We added a Training and Engagement Team that increased our focus on community-based opportunities for our Meaningful Day and Community Service clients. These activities range from fitness and wellness opportunities, cooking classes, social engagement events, free activities in local establishments and museums and so many others that our clients are happily taking advantage of.

Talent and Culture had visionary plans for recruitment and retention, and we have finally brought our staffing back to baseline numbers. We created a neurodiversity hiring program, dedicated to increasing the number of neurodiverse team members. Studies have shown that peer engagement can be a significant asset enhancing the lives of our Itineris clients. Working with team members who share their lived experience can be very inspiring.

We started the year with 119 total employees and now have over 150.

Financial Sustainability is a core component of our strategic plan, as we can’t do this meaningful work without it. In addition to our day-to-day program revenue, we also commit to onboarding 30 new clients by 2026. To do this, we identified a dedicated intake and admissions coordinator

and transitioned to a rolling admissions process by program. This is a huge step, as we have not had the capacity to increase admissions since the pandemic. Itineris has also worked with two Baltimore City Schools this year to provide transition services and pre-vocational training using our original curriculum. This pilot program was successful and in the upcoming year we plan to take on 2-3 more partnerships. We were even a Changemaker Challenge finalist, which granted us $6,500 towards the project. Lastly, our Behavior Support Services (BSS) has continued to grow its outreach department and now serves and additional 40 clients throughout the State of Maryland. In the upcoming year, we will be working towards expanding our BSS Department and developing a Behavioral Health Program to meet the mental and behavioral healthcare needs of adults on the autism spectrum.

Our team is 100% client focused and mission driven. Every year brings new ideas as we continue to grow, innovate, and explore the best ways to support our amazing clients and their families. We remain laser-focused on the pinnacles laid out in our Strategic Plan and take this living document very seriously. How can we improve, what new goals can be achieved, how more community members can we help and how? This is what drives us!

Dreams and possibilities for continued evolution and growth are endless when we are lucky enough to have your support- starting with our clients, friends, families, supporters, donors, our local community, and the philanthropic community. None of these accomplishments can happen without you. Thank you for believing us. Stay tuned for what’s coming next!!!

Gratefully,

Ami Taubenfeld Executive Director

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Strategic Plan Update PROGRAM EXCELLENCE This year focused on improving the quality of our services and our client’s experience at Itineris. We revised our Person-Centered Planning process and reintroduced program monitoring to effectively track each client’s goals. We added an engagement team to develop recreational and therapeutic programming for our clients during the days, evenings, and weekends. .

NEW CLIENT ADMISSIONS This year we re-opened admissions for the first time since 2018! We revised the admissions process and moved from an annual cycle to ongoing rolling admissions. We welcomed four new clients this year and gave them the best first day ever at Itineris. Our goal is to intake 30 new clients over the next two years.

LEADERSHIP Our leadership team spent the last year engaged in professional development in the areas of performance management, organizational culture, and creating a high-functioning team. In practice, we tackled objectives related to improving communication, interdepartmental

collaboration, and high-quality supervision.

DEIA INITIATIVE

We successfully created, aligned, implemented, and embraced our formal Mission, Vision, and Anti-Racism Statement: Mission: To honor the vision of our Founding Families by providing a safe, enriching culture for individuals on the spectrum while creating a welcoming environment for all regardless of biases to include race, religion, gender, orientation.

Vision: To be the neurodiverse agency brand for individuals on the spectrum with a rich culture of champions for Diversity who support Equity, embrace Inclusion, and enable Accessibility while expanding our reach and strengthening community.

Anti-Racism Statement: We are aware that biases exist and have made a conscious decision to make sustainable changes to abolish individual, interpersonal, institutional, and structural forms of racism.

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As we wound down our 2019 Strategic with much success, the Directer’s Team collaborated with our Board to work on our next three-year plan from 2023-2026. We are thrilled to share our roadmap for you.

ITINERIS AND BEYOND While progressing toward program excellence, we also extended our influence beyond the walls of Itineris! This year we served 75 clients in our Behavior Support Services Outreach program. The MADE by Itineris Creative Arts Program participated in countless shows and festivals. And last but certainly not least we attended over 10 public speaking engagements as hired consultants and speakers at local and national conferences.

TALENT AND CULTURE We rebranded the HR Department to be a preferred human resource and relationship-building focused team. Now named our Talent & Culture Department, it maintains an organizational pulse with inclusive events, regular data collection, enhanced benefits packages, and increased external partnership. Creating an equitable organizational culture of belonging, innovation, and learning that intentionally attracts competent talent resulted in building confident ambassadors. This approach has favorably impacted our community.

RETENTION As the initial contact, our Talent & Acquisition Specialists serve as liaisons welcoming new staff, leading the tour, and will follow these team members on their journey with us. Our Talent & Acquisition Specalists proactively participate in hiring events, have hosted a successful, internal hiring fair, while consistently seeking opportunities to welcome neurodiverse staff.

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY We recognize that it is imperative to diversify our revenue to be truly financially sustainable. Leveraging our expertise, we looked at ways we can help the larger autism community outside of our walls and worked with two Baltimore City Public Schools on transition services using our signature Pre-Vocational Curriculum. We are launching our Itineris training and consulting services to address the needs of the non-profit community, providers, families, educators and employers.

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Outreach and Consulting in the Greater Autism Community Itineris frequently shares our expertise through

This program is being implemented successfully

training, consulting, and outreach, and two of

within the Baer and Claremont Schools. We collect

the locations we have been concentrating on this

data at both school campuses, and these data not

past year are the Claremont and William S. Baer

only support the individual students, but the school

Schools. Visiting these two local public schools allows

program as a whole to ensure they are providing

Itineris to engage with the community while serving

federally mandated transition services to their

the needs of students with disabilities. We utilize the

students. We hope in the future to expand our

pre-vocational and career development curriculum

outreach to support more schools in our community.

of Itineris and apply it to students in city schools with training, modeling, and support so they will exit the school system career ready. We’re so excited to be working with Baltimore City Public Schools to provide federally mandated transition services.

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We look forward to continuing to take the curriculum we’ve honed and use it to benefit autistic students and adults both here and beyond Itineris!

The Itineris team also performs outreach by

Our consulting covers a wide range of topics,

providing lectures and presentations about autism.

and if you’d like to read more about the

Itineris Meaningful Day Program Director Katelyn

types of trainings we offer, please visit the

Szymanski and Senior Operations Director Lauren

Professional Services Tab on our website or

Eaton had the chance to give a lecture at the

contact us to talk about your specific training

University of Maryland School of Dentistry. UMD

needs.

has a Special Care Clinic that provides dental care to a range of patients, including individuals on the autism spectrum! In addition to this amazing opportunity to connect, we are excited about collaborating and working together to increase access to dental care for our clients and other autistic adults.

We plan to continue our outreach and consulting in any way we can to benefit the community at large, by implementing our curriculum to schools and providing interactive trainings for agencies and businesses looking to learn more about autism, neurodiversity, and other topics. From the start, Itineris has been focused on a vision of a world

Executive Director Ami Taubenfeld and Workforce

where adults on the autism spectrum can fully

Development Program Director Katie Klatko gave

share in the life of their communities, with the

a presentation for over 600 Defense Information

dignity to choose their own path as they strive

System Agency employees around the globe on

to achieve their dreams and goals. The more

Best Strategies for Successfully Supporting your

outreach we do in the community beyond Itineris,

Neurodiverse Employee.

the closer we get to bringing our vision to life.

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Itineris Community Grows and Excels This was an impactful year for our Itineris team. Our HR team hosted its first Hiring Fair at the Pointe, which was a huge success.

Our Behavior Support Services Director Marley Swisher, M.A., BCBA, LBA attended the Master Trainer program for Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) at the end of April. This program allows us to have an in-house LSCI trainer! The whole BSS Team attended VABA conference (and pre-conference workshops). This team is also presenting a poster at the conference!

Our Community Services Program Director, Ariyanna Anderson, LSW, completed the Professional Leadership Program for Women at Towson University Dr. Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute. The program is designed

WELCOME TO THE TEAM

for women who are committed to increasing their capacity for leadership and influence, and she is the 3rd Itineris team member to complete the program.

Much deserved congratulations to Amani, Arielle, and Shawn, who were recognized for their exemplary achievements in their work at the Maryland Association of Community Services (MACS) Direct Support Professional & Supervision Conference. We are thankful to them for their skills, creativity, and above-andbeyond dedication to Itineris!

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Renovating The Pointe This year was a year of growth and change for Itineris, and that included updating our physical space! We updated our Jill Fox Memorial Fund Sensory Room with the generous donation from the Lyn Stacie Getz Foundation, Inc. We had a ribbon-cutting ceremony at The Pointe to show off some of the new features, such as cozy beanbags, soft furry rugs, interactive wall art, a trampoline, and a peaceful sound machine! Our clients love relaxing in the peaceful space.

Our bathrooms were completely redone using eco-friendly lighting, sinks, and toilets along with beautiful new flooring, countertops, furnishings and fresh paint courtesy of the Kenneth S. Battye Charitable Trust. Clients, staff, and visitors have noted how beautiful and green they are.

We also want to spotlight a donor who found a unique and meaningful way of giving: Tim Harris, from Ultimate Installation. Ultimate Installation is a quality provider of office installation, with quality installers. Tim and Ultimate Installation provided several truckloads of furniture for us to completely refurbish The Pointe, and we are loving our new look! From tables and chairs, to shelves and desks to cozy couches and ottomans, this was a massive upgrade to our building. What a way to get our space looking fresh, clean, and updated for the spring! Thanks, Tim!

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Welcome, Zoe’s Just Dezzerts!

In November of 2023, we had the chance to welcome Zoe’s Just Dezzerts to Federal Hil! Zoe’s is a bakery that focuses on coffee and desserts, started by the Goldzsmidts, Jennifer and Adrian and their daughter Zoe, who is autistic. They wanted to open the bakery to increase employment opportunities for Zoe and other autistic individuals.

Itineris Executive Director Ami was invited to attend the grand opening of the bakery and personally congratulate three Itineris clients who were working there! We can’t wait to watch them grow and succeed in their new roles. Future ambitions for the bakery include turning the lower level into a meeting spot for autism-supporting organizations in the area. They also opened a second location in Mount Vernon! Zoe’s hosts karaoke every second Friday of the month, trivia nights and promotions, and many other themed events.

We’re so excited to see more employers creating opportunities for a neurodiverse workforce!

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If you’d like to stop by to eat a sweet treat, drink a coffee, or meet the vibrant employees, Zoe’s is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 am to 8 pm. They also sell snazzy merch like mugs, hats, and multicolored T-shirts! We’re so excited to have Zoe’s as an employer partner, and we can’t wait for what the future holds.

Activity Snapshots

Enjoy some pictures of our fitness classes with the talented Spirit Fitness instructors, community outings like museums and farms, and skill-building classes like cooking and nutrition!

Meaningful employment, community engagement and dignity of choice for adults on the autism spectrum.

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Our Donors $50,000+ Benno and Elayne Hurwitz Family Foundation The Orokawa Foundation The Kenneth S. Battye Charitable Trust

$25,000 – 49,999 PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc The Samuel G. & Margaret A. Gorn Foundation, Inc. J G and A S Zimmerman Foundation Renegade Communications The Jack Wilen Foundation The Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation

$10,000 – 24,999 Baltimore Civic Fund Mary Zaks David and Barbara B. Hirschhorn Foundation Chris and Ellen Feifarek Frank E. & Miriam Loveman Foundation Schafer Center Mr. and Mrs. Stappler The Dodson Foundation, Inc. Zaks Autism Consulting

$5,000 – 9,999 Baltimore Floor Works, Inc Stuart and Hinda Dankner

Mr. Charles Hammerman Mr. George Jones Dr. and Mrs. Ginnie Kass Mr. Kirchgraber and Ms. Logan Kramer Family Foundation, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Lilley Michael and Jennifer Myers Mr. and Mrs. Yehuda and Anne Neuberger Mr. and Mrs. Niesslein Mr. and Mrs. Paul Jim and Judith Smith Ms. Amy Sussman Mr. and Mrs. Taubenfeld The David & Lucile Packard Foundation The V&S Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Wilen

$2,500 – 4,999 Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Hatter Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Peter and Dawn Andresen Charlie Franco Mrs. Rebekah Kass Ms. Charlotte King Kevin and Donna Kollman Mr. & Mrs. Janet and Richard Livingston Ms. Diane Maistros Dr. Denise Markoff Mr. and Mrs. Morrison Richard Opfer Mark and Paige Pape Pathfinders for Autism Mr. and Mrs. Art Putzel Alisa Rock

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T. Rowe Price Dr. Martin Taubenfeld The Bryn Mawr School The Edwin J. & Jeanne C. Trexler Foundation, Inc. The Israel and Mollie Myers Foundation Mr. Samuel Weingram Dr. and Mrs. Williams Patty Mochel & Gerry Willse

$500 – 2,499 A & G Management Company Harry and Faye Adler Alco Pharmacy Lans and Sandra Alexis William Appold Atlas Concrete Paving and Asphalt Corporation Baltimore POWER Group Ms. Cynthia Baskin Belair Main Limited Partnership, LLLP Mr. Thomas Berge Ted Blankenship Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Amy Bond Mr. Tracy and Ms. Bowyer Fran Brandes Mr. and Mrs. Bronstein Ms. Frona Brown Irina Brusilovsky Hilary Campodonico Ms. Penny Chang Paul and Dorothea Chiamulera CMAG Health Solutions, LLC Kathleen Cocks

Mr. and Mrs. Cohen Mr. and Mrs. Cole Barbara Cox Vincent Culotta Judith Dack Dr. and Mrs. Dankner Scott and Lynn Daube Harold and Lynn Davidov Ms. Linda DiNenno Dugan Babij Tolley and Kohler Ms. Stephanie Eckhart Sheldon Epstein Mr. Jon Falck Denise Feldman Mr. & Mrs. Finkelstein Floors Etc. Mr. Dennis Flynn Mr. & Mrs. Michael Ford Michael Friedman Mr. and Mrs. Gilligan Mr. and Mrs. Howard and Susan Goldberg Google Melissa and Matthew Green Mr. Halle & Ms. Linkoff Mr. & Mrs. Hallock Mrs. Amy Harlan Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Rebecca Hartnett Elissa Hellman Mr. & Mrs. Himeles Daniel and Gina Hirschhorn Mr. Benjamin Hoffman Mr. Andy Bloom Deborah Hood Mr. and Mrs. Jack and Patricia Kane Manav Kapoor Kelly Integral Solutions Kennedy Krieger Schools

Program Mr. Norval King Ms. Kelly Kinzle Ms. Linda Kirschner Dr. Klag & Ms. Meoni Nancy Rabin Debbie Koman Doug and Leslie Kornreich Mr. & Mrs. Lamb Mr. & Mrs. Levine Sam Livingston Steve Luray Mr. & Ms. Gerald and Marsha Lutes M & T Bank Dr. & Mrs. Magat Mr. and Mrs. Mansberger Jr. Mary Beth Marsden Ms. Lucille McCarthy McCormick and Company Dr. Deepa Menon Steven Motzno Barry Narlines Mr. Slade and Ms. Stephanie Neukum North American Electric, Inc. Novick Corporation Mr. and Mrs. Obrecht Dr. & Mrs. Papel Ms. Patz Tamra Perkins Lisa and Joseph Pizza Pledgeling Foundation Mr. Potter and Ms. Kollman Mr. and Mrs. John and Marsha Ramsay Lawrence Regan Mr. and Mrs. Robinson Ms. Marla Romash Mr. and Mrs. Sachs

Ms. Kirsten Schlenger Ms. Martha Schlenger and Ms. Tvaronas Schoenfeld Insurance Associates, Inc. Alan and Linda Schafer PJ and Helen Schafer Mr. and Mrs. Shea Mr. & Mrs. Andy and Nancy Siegel Mr. Eric Siegel Ms. Susan Simon Brian and Jane Sims Trudy and Laird Slade Mr. and Mrs. Smelkinson Henry Sostman Stanley & Lania Ullman Foundation and Fedder and Garten Professional Assoc.

Mr. and Mrs. Stradtner Mrs. Barbara Sussman Joseph Sussman The Fulton Bank The Sinsky Kresser Racusin Memorial Foundation The William and Mildred Kaplan Charitable Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Tsouvalos Mr. Waldron Harry and Joan Walen Tim and Susan Watkins Mr. and Mrs. James Watkins Debbi and Glenn Weinberg Dr. Elaine Weiner Isaac Weingram Mr. and Mrs. Whalen Dolores White Ms. Lois Wolf Henry and Jenny Wolfe Ben and Jennifer Yeagle

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Our Staff ITINERIS DIRECTORS TEAM

Financial Statement FY 2023

CURRENT ASSETS:

FY 2022

Cash and cash equivalents

$1,938,052

$3,525,863

Investments

$1,082,159

$83,045

Accounts receivable

$612,278

$1,098,243

Pledges receivable, net

$54,590

$52,908

Prepaid expense

$28,576

$25,276

Katie Klatko, CESP Workforce Development Director

Total Current Assets

$3,716,015

$4,785,335

Tori Thorne Stokes

NONCURRENT ASSETS:

Director of Talent & Culture

Pledges receivable, net

-0-

$2,263

Marley Swisher, M.A., BCBA, LBA Behavior Support Services Director

Security deposits

$3,000.00

$2,000.00

Property and equipment, net Total Noncurrent Assets

$2,834,891

$2,878,181

$2,837,891

$2,882,444

TOTAL ASSETS

$6,552,906.00

$7,667,779.00

Accounts payable

$36,529

$21,984

Accrued expenses

$190,552

$277,749

Deferred revenue 35,154 771,843

$35,154

$771,843

Current portion of long-term debt - net of - unamortized costs of $-0- in 2023 and $69 in 2022

-0-

$68,048

Total Current Liabilities

$262,235

$1,139,624

Ami Taubenfeld - Executive Director Ariyanna Anderson, BSW Community Services Program Director Lauren Eaton, M.A., BCBA, LBA Senior Director of Operations

Katelyn Szymanski, MSW, LMSW Meaningful Day Services Program Director

ITINERIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS P.J. Shafer, Esq., President Mindy Kramer, Esq. Vice President George F. Jones, Esq., Treasurer Julie Lewis, Secretary Yvonne Alleyne Ted Andrew Blankenship

CURRENT LIABILITIES:

Andrew Bramhall

LONG-TERM DEBT:

Jodie E. Buchman

Loans payable

$440,000

$440,000

Denise Feldman

Total Long-Term Debt

$440,000

$440,000

Dr. Angela Gustus

TOTAL LIABILITIES 702,235 1,579,624

$702,235

$1,579,624

Erica Hobby

NET ASSETS:

Peter Kirchgraber, Esq.

Without donor restrictions

$5,662,142

$5,984,597

Janet Livingston

With donor restrictions

$189,529

$103,558

Diane Maistros

TOTAL NET ASSETS

$5,851,671

$6,088,155

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

$6,553,906

$7,667,779

Contributions and Grants

$668,409

$819,061

Program Services

$4,259,409

$2,739,466

Investment Income

$94,163

($25,332)

TOTAL SUPPORT AND REVENUE

$5,538,103

$5,080,456

TOTAL EXPENSES

$5,774,587

$3,844,865

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS

($236,484)

NET ASSETS AT BEGINNING OF YEAR

$1,235,591

$6,088,155

NET ASSETS AT END OF YEAR

$4,852,564

$5,851,671

$6,088,155

Eugenia Matthews Dr. Deepa Menon Michael Myers Art Putzel Brandt Rider Devan Southerland Carole Taylor Connie Yarborough

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