2017 COMMUNITY REPORT We improve the community environment by investing in people
Dear Friend of Tree Trust, Thank you for taking the time to review our Community Report, and more importantly, for your support of Tree Trust! Whether you are a partner, volunteer, donor, or someone who has benefited from the services we provide, you are important to our mission to improve the community environment by investing in people. We see the positive outcomes of the work we do to transform lives and landscapes on a daily basis and are happy to share those results with you through this report. As always, if you have questions, want to get more involved, have an idea to share, or simply want to learn more, please reach out to any of our staff or board members at any time. THANK YOU for your support! The Tree Trust Family
OUR COMMUNITY IMPACT 854 participants served in JobPrep
Engaged 115 community partners
5,654 people impacted by our services Provided 2,733 students with environmental education
620 volunteers gave back through our programs
1,161 households received a subsidized tree
OUR PROGRAMS
JobPrep
Community Forestry
Landscape Services
Tree Trust serves the people and communities of Minnesota. Our JobPrep programs serve young people in Hennepin, Dakota, and Washington counties, and St. Paul. Our Community Forestry programs operate in the metro and throughout greater Minnesota, with a focus on low-canopy neighborhoods and distressed communities. Our Landscape Services division operates in the regional area.Â
JOBPREP PROGRAMS
Our integrated JobPrep programs help young people achieve their goals in employment, education, and life. We provide opportunities for participants to obtain employment readiness training; gain paid work experience; get resources for support services; and receive personalized guidance in college and career navigation.Â
66%
46%
Testing Below Grade Level
Living with a physical, mental, or emotional disability
84%
Low Income Household
WHO WE SUPPORT Tree Trust JobPrep participants are between 14-24 and are underemployed or unemployed, largely due to systemic and compounding barriers to jobs and education. In 2017, we served 854 youth and young adults.Â
Race
Gender ND 5%
Male 51%
Multiple 2% Native Hawaiian or API 1%
Female 44%
Other/ND 15%
Caucasian/White 27%
Black or African American 50%
ND 5% 22+ yo 24%
Age 18-21 yo 34%
14-15 yo 21% 16-17 yo 16%
Asian 4%
American Indian/Alaska Native 1%
OUR IMPACT: PARTICIPANTS
720
participants received training on career research and application, interviewing skills, personal budgeting and finance, and job-specific skills to build their readiness for the workforce
LENA AND NASTEHA
were employed by Tree Trust, and nearly 50% of 418 participants these participants had never had a job before
$484,265 earned by participants 190 bonuses and raises earned 152 certifications and credentials earned obtained additional employment during or after 98 participants programming
279 school credits were awarded out-of-school participants enrolled in a GED or secondary 61 education program
"I enjoyed being around new people and learning new languages. Working with my crew, that was the best part." Nasteha, 18Â Â To learn more about our JobPrep program, visit TreeTrust.org/JobPrep
OUR IMPACT: COMMUNITY
TODD
125 worksites, partners, and businesses benefited 115 from trained and supported Tree Trust participants properties managed and maintained
48,293
hours worked by participants in community businesses or on projects in public spaces
43 outdoor construction projects completed 10 homes built or rehabbed
To learn more about our JobPrep program, visit TreeTrust.org/JobPrep
"My case manager helped me look at schools, made sure I had what I needed to go to college, made sure the applications were filled out. Even through personal things, any situation at home, she was always there." Todd, 20 Â
In fall of 2016, Tree Trust began our third renovation of the floating boardwalk at Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis Park. This project has special significance for Tree Trust because the boardwalk was the very first project our youth completed in 1977. The previous boardwalk had sustained significant damage, so over the winter months, participants and their crew leaders worked to dismantle the old pieces. In spring 2017, one of the first tasks was to clear through the mud and reeds of the lake without disrupting the local wildlife or destroying their habitat. Once space was cleared, the crews floated each pre-assembled section across the lake one at a time via a small duckboat before securing it into place. Each of the 28 sections is 20 feet long, 8 feet wide, and weighs thousands of pounds.
COMMUNITY PROJECT: FLOATING BOARDWALK
Participant Paullie was particularly impacted by working out on the lake, which was an environment he didn't really have any experience with. "I was scared when I got into the boat. I was scared I was gonna drown or something! Now, I can get in the boat no problem. I grew a lot." Paullie's Crew Leader, Sam, noticed the positive impact the environment at Westwood Hills had on his crew. "Once we got to Westwood, we were working in a cool natural place in the middle of the city. My crew members saw otters for the first time, turtles, osprey diving into the water and coming up with fish." While it wasn't always easy, working on this project really brought out his participants' teamwork and determination. "There were challenges on site. It was really hot and we put on rubber waders and stood in the mud - everybody had gotten stuck in the mud at least once. It holds you down. But our participants did it, they were game. We came back at the end of the day soaked and disgusting, and in a way that felt really good. We were doing work, we were getting stuff done, we were all in it together." It took months, but by the end of the summer, the floating boardwalk was all in place. Near the end of the project, Paullie liked to think about the people who would use the boardwalk in the coming years. "People were always trying to walk through before it was finished. It's going to mean a lot to people, because they've waited so long for it. They're going to enjoy it a lot." The floating boardwalk now has toe kicks and guardrails, and is ADA compliant. It is open for use by the public.
"I learned how to be a better worker, in general. Teamwork, communication... learned a lot of things. When I leave Tree Trust, I'll be a better person than I was before I came." Paullie, 24
COMMUNITY FORESTRY
Our Community Forestry program educates and empowers people of all ages to act as good stewards of their local environment. Whether at public parks, bikepaths, school grounds, or boulevards, community volunteers learn about and connect with the environment while adding to our urban forest.Â
OUR IMPACT: TREES ADDED Tree Trust's Community Forestry department has three programs that add trees and shrubs to the urban forest. In 2017, we coordinated 23 tree plantings in 15 communities, 4 tree distributions reaching 1,161 households, and 4 Learning with Trees events at public schools.
3,209 trees and shrubs planted and distributed Community Plantings 1,599 trees and shrubs Distributions 1,490 trees Learning with Trees 120 trees
OUR IMPACT: ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION Tree Trust provided the Learning with Trees environmental education curriculum to 2,733 students in elementary and middle schools in Farmington, Lakeville, New Prague, and Brooklyn Park.Â
OUR IMPACT: VOLUNTEERISM Thank you to ourÂ
620 volunteers in 2017!
Corporate Volunteer Partners Special thank you to our corporate partners, including major 2017 partners Cargill, CenterPoint, and the Rotary Clubs of Minnesota. If you would like to learn about our corporate service opportunities or partnerships, please contact us at info@treetrust.org
See photos from our events at Facebook.com/TreeTrust
LANDSCAPE SERVICES
Tree Trust’s Landscape Services is a professional landscape and ecological contracting department that serves public, residential, and commercial clients throughout the greater Twin Cities metro area. Net revenue generated by Landscape Services directly supports Tree Trust’s JobPrep and Community Forestry programs.
Tree Trust Landscape Services provides the following services: Tree Pruning and Removal Plant Health Care Landscape Construction Accessibility Ramp Building and Lawn and Snow Care To learn more about Landscape Services, visit www.TreeTrustLS.com
286 Customers served in 2017
Tree Trust would like to extend our gratitude to all of the people involved in our work. It is because of the support and engagement of our board, staff, partners, customers, participants, volunteers, funders, and donors that we are able to do our work to transform lives and landscapes.
SUPPORTERS
Thank you to these major donors, and to 318 other donors who make our programs possible.Â
America's Promise Alliance Andersen Corporation Cargill Salt/Foundation CenterPoint Energy Connexus Energy Dakota Electric Association Ecolab Foundation MN Super Bowl Host Committee, Inc NFL Environmental Program
Olseth Family Foundation Otto Bremer Foundation Pohlad Family Foundation Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Sundance Family Foundation Toro Giving Program Verizon Wells Fargo Foundation Xcel Energy Foundation
You can help us continue transforming lives and landscapes by donating at TreeTrust.org/donate
FINANCIAL INFORMATION BALANCE SHEET ASSETS Cash and Cash Equivalents Investments Accounts and Pledges Receivable Property and Equipment Other Assets TOTAL ASSETS LIABILITIES & NET ASSETS Total Current and Long-term Liabilities Unrestricted Net Assets Temporarily Restricted Net Assets TOTAL LIABILITIES & NET ASSETS
84,011 290,340 677,158 568,276 93,158 1,712,943
545,036 1,112,101 55,806 1,712,943
FINANCIAL STATEMENT REVENUE Government Grants Contributions Earned Income Investment and Other Income TOTAL REVENUE
2,930,216 497,205 1,642,409 45,060 5,114,890
EXPENSES Management and General Fundraising JobPrep Programs Community Forestry Landscape Services TOTAL EXPENSES
519,065 203,616 2,409,160 413,899 1,529,708 5,075,448
SURPLUS/(DEFICIT)
39,442
2017 STAFF LEADERSHIP TEAM
Norm Champ | Executive Director Tom Gibson | Director of Employment Training Programs Anders Hawes | Director of Finance and Human Resources Kim Lawler | Director of Development and Communications Dave Nozal | Director of Project Development and IT Jared Smith | Director of Operations and Landscape Services Karen Zumach | Director of Community Forestry
2017 - 2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kurts Strelnieks | Chair, Star Bank Michael Huntington | Vice Chair, Huntington Technical Services, Inc. Rhea Rochon | Secretary, Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Dana Beasley | Treasurer, Minneapolis Assessors Office (Retired) Larry Crosby, Xcel Energy Gennae Falconer, Mental Health Resources Bob Hand, MN Department of Employment & Economic Development (Retired) Kim Jenkins, SunOpta, Inc. (Retired) Douglas Peterson, CenterPoint Energy Thomas Redmann, Anoka-Hennepin ISD #11 (Retired) Scott A. Seys, U.S. Department of Agriculture G. Rolf Svendsen, Stifel Nicolaus (Retired) Donald Willeke, Willeke & Daniels
CONTACT US 2231 Edgewood Avenue South St. Louis Park, MN 55426 Phone: 952-767-3880 Fax: 952-767-3650 info@treetrust.org Website: www.TreeTrust.org Facebook: @TreeTrust Twitter: @TreeTrust Instagram: @TreeTrustMN