annual report July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012

1

been both responsive and proactive -- address the needs of women seeking self-sufficiency, including those interested in pursuing a career in fields nontraditional to women, those leaving public assistance and seeking work for the first time, and those reentering the community after serving time in prison. And because we know that children develop opinions about themselves at an early age, we also offer programs for middle and high school girls to help them develop the capacities and confidence to meet life’s challenges and opportunities with persistence and pluck.

Vermont Works for Women offers opportunities for women and girls to discern their potential and explore their interests; to build confidence through mentoring, coaching, and tackling new

challenges; and to perfect skills through hands-on training. Each year, our programs enroll approximately 1,000 women and girls, ages 11-60, from a wide diversity of backgrounds and living in Vermont communities and its prisons. They serve the following purposes, and take the following forms:

PROVIDING ACCESS TO NONTRADITIONAL CAREERS

VWW offers intensive training programs for women interested in pursuing nontraditional career paths in the building trades, renewable energy and efficiency, and law enforcement. These programs – including Step Up to Carpentry, Step Up to Green

Electrical and Plumbing, and Step Up to Law Enforcement

– are offered in partnership with leading employers and are designed to help women enter and flourish in those fields.

MOVING WOMEN INTO EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORTING THEIR SUCCESS

Our Transitional Jobs program is designed for women in Washington and Chittenden Counties with little or no work experience (among them, women coming off of public assistance) and/or women who are returning to the

community after incarceration. Through this program, participants are placed in part-time transitional jobs and are supported by workplace mentors and weekly classes with VWW staff.

FRESH Energy, VWW’s first social enterprise, was suspended in July of 2012. Projected federal

cutbacks in incentives, combined with a less than robust market for weatherization, discouraged the continuation of a training program focused solely on efficiency. We are proud that FRESH Energy, in its two and a half year run, trained and employed nine people, weatherized over 400 units of housing, participated in installing over 350 solar trackers, and reduced the heating bills of most ratepayers by an average of 30%.

annual report

2

providing nutritious meals to nearby childcare centers while helping women develop the confidence and marketable skills needed to transition into permanent employment. From scratch, we prepare and sell

wholesome, nutritious meals and food products with a commitment to incorporating local ingredients and promoting socially responsible practices that respect the environment and the trainees’ holistic wellbeing.

Beginning in 2011 with just four Burlington Head Start childcare centers, FRESH Food now serves 15 childcare centers and youth groups. The number of meals served per day has increased to 150 and has been recognized by the Centers for Disease Control as an exemplary farm to pre-school model.

Our prison-based programs prepare inmates for re-entry through job training and one-on-one pre-release planning. And through a partnership with Mercy Connections, our mentoring program assists incarcerated women as they transition into their community by helping them set goals and connect with community resources. The recidivism rate for women who participate in the program is one-tenth the state average.

INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION: BUILDING CONFIDENCE AND AWARENESS

Rosie’s Girls and Dirt Divas, summer programs that serve over

100 middle school girls each year, develop self-efficacy and a broader sense of their options through the skilled trades or

mountain biking. Rosie’s Girls has been replicated in Vermont and nationally and has served 1,200 girls since its inception in 2000. Our annual Women Can Do conference exposes high school girls to nontraditional career opportunities and encourages them to take technical courses, enroll at technical high schools, and

consider careers in these fields. Nearly 500 girls and their teachers attend the conference each year.

Throughout the year, VWW held nine listening sessions with girls and young women from around Vermont. The participants, who came with a variety of educational levels and experiences, shared their perspectives on their needs for their futures including practical skills related to personal finance and living independently; supportive allies; exposure to a broad range of professional role models. A report will be issued in the year ahead about the findings.

3

Key personnel (Fiscal year 2012):

Tiffany Bluemle has been with Vermont Works for Women for 15 years. During Tiff’s tenure, VWW has expanded the scope and reach of its initiatives to include summer and school-year programs for middle and high school girls, training programs for women in law enforcement and other nontraditional careers, and an array of training and employment services for women incarcerated in state correctional facilities.

Lucy Comstock-Gay joined the VWW staff in 2010 as Director of Development and now serves as the Director of Planning and Strategic Development. Lucy works with board, staff and program leadership to enable VWW to prosper with financial stability and operating efficiency. She has worked in development and community building roles for more than 15 years.

Nadine Budbill is the Director of Girls Programs where she develops and oversees adventure and trades-based experiential education programs for girls and young women. She is the Founder of Girls Move Mountains (which joined VWW in 2011) and has worked for organizations such as Girls Inc. and The Girls Project. She has over 13 years experience developing, implementing, and managing innovative programs for girls.

Rachel Jolly is Director of Women’s Programs where she oversees a variety of quality programming that helps women recognize their potential and work toward economic independence. For three years, she worked as a VWW Program Coordinator, training women interested in careers in painting, carpentry and law enforcement. She was also part of the formation, design and implementation of VWW’s Transitional Jobs program, helping women transitioning from incarceration or off of state assistance into the workforce. Melissa Corbin is the Director for Social Enterprises, which includes FRESH Food and FRESH Energy. She is responsible for planning and overseeing all aspects of the successful growth of self-supporting enterprises designed to provide high quality products and services and efficient job training opportunities for women.

Annie Crawford serves as Development Director at Vermont Works for Women. Along with the

Community Relations department, she is responsible for raising funds from public and private sources for programs and operations. Annie’s professional focus is to build relationships and to share the mission of VWW.

Ann Reading is the Financial Manager at Vermont Works for Women. She is responsible for accounting, cost allocation, fund accounting, federal and financial compliance, human resource management including employment law and government compliance regulations. She is also responsible for providing fiscal management and support to administration and board of directors.

FY 2012 Board Members

Katherine “Kat” Clear, S. Burlington, Artist

Steven M. Gold, Montpelier, VT State Government, Retired Lloyd Grunvald, Williston, Preci Manufacturing

Retta Huttlinger, Essex Junction, Vermont Public Radio Amy Judd, Essex Junction, Lewis Creek Builders

Jolinda Laclair, Middlesex, VT Agency of Agriculture Chuck Lief, Burlington, The Hartland Group

Linda Markin, Treasurer, Hardwick, Vermont Community Loan Fund

Polly Nichol, Vice Chair, Montpelier, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board Beth Sachs, Chair, Burlington, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation Kate Robinson Schubart, Hinesburg, Writer/editor

Christa Shute, Montpelier, Vermont Telecommunications Authority Mandy Wooster, University of Vermont Police Department

4

STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2012 SUPPORT AND REVENUES

Grants 958,496

Contributions 348,096

Contributions temporarily restricted 1,000

Sales 296,035

Tuition 76,589

Consulting Fees 49,950

Conference Fees 25,815

Excess assets over liabilities assumed in acquisition of GMM

14,000

Special Events 500

Investment income 421

In-kind donations 38,977

Total Support and Revenues $1,808,879

COST OF GOODS SOLD 260,164

Gross Profit $1,548,715 EXPENSES Program Services Women’s Programs 904,436 Girls’ Programs 356,624 Consulting 1,186

Total Program Services $1,262,246

Supporting Services

General and Administrative 169,369

Fundraising 99,937

Total Supporting Services $269,306

Total Expenses $1,531,552

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS $17,163

NET ASSETTS – JULY 1, 2011 $706,885

NET ASSETS – JUNE 30, 2012 $724,048

Fiscal report

5

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2012

ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash 552,970 Accounts Receivable 36,656 Grants Receivable 82,511 Prepaid Expenses 35,300 Deposits 1,425

Deferred Compensation Account 4,221

Total Current Assets $713,083

FIXED ASSETS

Vehicles 24,000

Furniture and Equipment 77,488

Accumulated Depreciation (60,781)

Total Fixed Assets $40,707

OTHER ASSETS

Leasehold Improvements 553,537

Accumulated Amortization (26,735)

Total Other Assets $526,802

TOTAL ASSETS $1,280,592

LIABILITIES CURRENT LIABILITIES

Accounts Payable 44,355

Note Payable 95,000

Accrued Wages & Taxes 36,017

Accrued Vacation 26,133

Deferred Compensation 4,211

Deferred Revenue 350,818

Total Current Liabilities $556,544

NET ASSETS

Undesignated-Fund Balance 196,246

Temporarily restricted 1,000

Designated-Leasehold Improvements for Future Rent

526,802

Total Net Assets $724,048