Growing
Your
Impact 2015 Annual Report
Mission
We create volunteer opportunities to address community needs and to inspire youth for a lifetime commitment to service.
Thank You For Believing in Youth Thanks to your support, 2015 was one of the best years in our 28-year history. This year we launched Youth Volunteer Corps programs in 15 new communities—all because you believe in the power of youth. You have given youth in 15 new communities access to meaningful service projects. You have given countless youth the opportunity to change the world and find themselves changed in the process. Let’s explore just a few stories of your impact in the last year, both in launching youth service programs in new communities and in strengthening our existing programs. Thousands of youth are falling in love with service who may not have had the opportunity to volunteer before. They won’t be the same because of it. Thank you for believing in them.
Jim Hise Board Chair
David Battey President and Founder
15 New Programs Arlington, TX • Aurora, CO • Bay City, MI Brooklyn, NY • Charleston, SC • Des Moines, IA Farmington Hills, MI • Little Rock, AR • Nanaimo, BC Ogden, UT • Omaha, NE • Philadelphia, PA Portland, OR • Sioux City, IA • Southgate, MI
Brooklyn, NY
Bay City, MI
Philadelphia, PA
“Volunteering may have been the only thing that really helped me.” Joy -Joyfrom fromPhiladelphia, Philadelphia,PA PA
Through the Hard Times When Joy’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, Joy chose to immerse herself into volunteering. “I thought, ‘I don’t have control over this, but out here with my YVC family I do have control over something,’” she says. “I can affect someone else in a positive way.” Even after her mother passed away this summer, Joy continued to pour herself into her service. “It helped by giving me a reason to get out, be with friends and do something,” she says. If YVC of Philadelphia hadn’t launched this year, Joy may not have had such a meaningful outlet to occupy herself during one of the hardest seasons of her life. “I think volunteering has its own way of shaping people to be great leaders, trendsetters and decision-makers,” she says. With over 100 hours served in the first six months of her new program, Joy is undoubtedly on the way to be all that and more.
YVC of Philadelphia launched in spring of this year, just in time to help Joy work through one of the hardest seasons of her life.
Launching a Program at 17
When 17-year-old Weston learned about Youth Volunteer Corps, he was eager to serve on our International Youth Advisory Board, a program for youth currently serving with YVC in their communities. But he wasn’t eligible since he wasn’t a current YVC volunteer. In fact, the nearest program was hours away from his hometown of Ogden, UT. We had to tell him that the board was intended for youth currently serving at a local YVC. “Challenge accepted,” he said. Within a few weeks, Weston had researched the YVC model extensively and decided it would fit best as a program at his local United Way. He contacted the staff there and explained how YVC would fit in the Ogden community and United Way programming, and the team was convinced that the program could be successful with Weston’s passion behind it. And YVC of Ogden was born. “When I began regularly volunteering at 15, it helped me with critical personal growth and development,” Weston says. “Nothing makes me happier than to help make these opportunities available to more youth.” Thank you for believing that youth like Weston can change the world.
Weston saw a need in his community, so he built a youth service program from the ground up.
“Challenge accepted.” -Weston from Ogden, UT
“Just being around them makes me feel younger.� -Carol, Rose Estates resident
Bringing a Smile When Youth Volunteer Corps of Kansas City left Rose Estates Assisted Living Community at the end of the week, they left a different community than the one they had entered on Monday. In just four days, this group of youth got to know dozens of the elderly residents. They celebrated birthdays, played games, hosted parties and told stories. The youth learned that they have way more in common with this older generation than they could have imagined, and the residents were deeply grateful. “We’ve never been the same since the youth started coming,” says Pam Luna, Rose Estate’s Life Enrichment Director. “The youth bring smiles to the entire community at Rose Estates, including both the residents and the staff. They do so much for us and you can tell that their heart is really in it.” “I like to see the kids around here helping out,” says Carol, a resident of the home. It makes me feel warm inside.” In just one week this summer, ten Youth Volunteers touched the lives of dozens of residents. Just imagine the lives touched by all the thousands of youth who served with YVC in the past year.
Youth Volunteers are increasing impact at hundreds of nonprofit organizations each year.
An Eager Volunteer
Victor needed a few service hours to be eligible for graduation next year, so he was hoping to knock them out as easily as possible. He asked at the Muskogee Teen Center, which the local Parks and Recreation manages, to see if he could help with some cleaning or filing. Since the Parks and Recreation also hosts the local YVC program, the staff there had something better in mind. They encouraged him to serve with YVC. He was reluctant at first, but eventually a friend invited him to his first project. The rest is history. Victor has served some 328 hours in the last six months, and he has even recruited his younger brother to serve another 262 hours. They have worked in local parks, taught younger children about proper nutrition, played soccer with kids and more. Victor was chosen as one of seven Youth Volunteers to represent his local YVC at the annual YVC Summit this fall in Ann Arbor, MI. He spent the weekend meeting fellow YVC youth from throughout the U.S. and Canada and getting energized about how to make his YVC program even better. We can’t wait to see how he keeps growing his own service experience and making his YVC program the best it can be in 2016.
Two decades in, YVC of Muskogee is still growing its impact in youth’s lives.
Victor from Muskogee, OK
The Year at a Glance
Volunteer Hours 16% Increase
Service Projects 19% Increase
Youth Volunteers 18% Increase
7,271 150,157 3,691
In surveys of Youth Volunteers who have served at least 30 hours with YVC...
95.6%
say they want say they know they can make a difference in their communities to volunteer again
4
98.7%
98.6%
Youth Volunteers earned the World-Changer Award for serving 1,000+ hours with YVC
say they feel good about themselves for volunteering
20.7
Average hours each Youth Volunteer served
YVC Affiliates Alpena, MI • Anderson, SC • Ann Arbor, MI • Annapolis, MD • Arlington, TX • Aurora, CO • Baton Rouge, LA Bay City, MI • Billings, MT • Brooklyn, NY • Calgary, AB • Cedar City, UT • Charleston, SC • Cleveland, OH Corvallis, OR • Dallas, TX • Danbury, CT • Des Moines, IA • Farmington Hills, MI • Greensboro, NC Kansas City, MO • Lawrence, MA • Little Rock, AR • Lordsburg, NM • Macon, GA • Madison, WI Manhattan, KS • Muskegon, MI • Muskogee, OK • Nanaimo, BC • Nashville, TN • Newport News, VA Ogden, UT • Omaha, NE • Pennsauken, NJ • Philadelphia, PA • Plymouth, MI • Portland, OR • Racine, WI Sioux City, IA • Southgate, MI • St. George, UT • St. Joseph, MO • Staunton, VA
In 44 communities throughout the U.S. and Canada, youth are changing the world through YVC. Thanks for believing in these inspiring Youth Volunteers.
Board of Directors Jim Hise Chair
Vicki Clark Board Member
Laurie Sepanski Board Member
Peggy Dunn Vice Chair
Cathi Duchon Board Member
Eric Stiner Board Member
Mark Tatum Secretary
Stephanie O’Connell Board Member
David Battey Founder and President
Melanie Tucker Treasurer
Margi Pence Board Member
Audrey Langworthy Immediate Past Chair
Lisa Rinehart Hoffman Board Member
Pictured at left:
Vicki Clark, Cathi Duchon, Margi Pence, Eric Stiner, Laurie Sepanski, Jim Hise, Stephanie O’Connell, David Battey, Melanie Tucker, Mark Tatum, Peggy Dunn, Lisa Rinehart Hoffman. Not pictured: Audrey Langworthy.
Financials
Contributions
Corporations 15.3%
Foundations 19.2%
Individuals 27.4%
Program Expenses Programming 85.2%
Federal Grants 25.2% Affiliate Sites 12.6% Other .3%
Income & Expenses Income: $853,299 Expenses: $720,140
General & Administrative 7.2% Fundraising 7.6%
Liabilities & Net Assets Assets: $802,677 Liabilities: $48,975 Net Assets: $753,702
Join the Movement
With youth in 44 communities now changing the world through YVC, we have so much to celebrate and thank you for. But how many more communities are there still untouched? Thousands of big cities, small towns and rural areas throughout the U.S. and Canada still lack meaningful youth service opportunities. Let’s change that. Here’s how you can help:
Connect
Do you know a community that could benefit from youth service projects? Email us at info@yvc.org to tell us about a community that needs a YVC program. It’s especially helpful if you have contacts at a potential YVC host like United Way, YMCA, Parks and Recreation, etc.
Volunteer
Youth between the ages of 11-18 are encouraged to volunteer with YVC. Even if you’re beyond that range, we need adult volunteers throughout the year to help with event planning, administrative duties and more. Contact info@yvc.org to get involved.
Donate
Partner with these inspiring youth through a donation. Visit yvc.org/donate to give today.
1025 Jefferson Street Kansas City, MO 64105 816-472-9822 yvc.org