GOLD2022

Barrier-Free Inc

Create. Express. Achieve.

aka Barrier-Free   |   Sykesville, MD   |  BarrierFreeMD.com

Mission

Our mission is to provide inclusive art, self-advocacy, and social programming for adults with disabilities in the community. Barrier-Free's inclusive design brings together people of all abilities to create, express, and achieve together.

Ruling year info

2020

Executive Director

Lauren M Burr

Creative Director

Britt N Burr

Main address

7520 Main St #103

Sykesville, MD 21784 USA

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EIN

84-2964880

NTEE code info

Performing Arts (A60)

Services to Promote the Independence of Specific Populations (P80)

Developmentally Disabled Services/Centers (P82)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Inclusive Theater Companies

Barrier-Free's inclusive theatre companies follow a multi-step approach where actors with disabilities, staff, and mentors come together to create original one-act musicals to be performed at the end of each season.

Inclusive theatre companies (ITC) are for adults (18+) with intellectual/developmental disabilities, down syndrome, and/or autism.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities
Adults

Social Club's mission is to provide fun, safe, and welcoming opportunities for individuals of diverse abilities to come together and enjoy all our community has to offer, foster new friendships, and develop a sense of confidence and independence in our society.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities
Adults

Barrier-Free provides various art & performance classes for individuals with varying abilities to create, express, and achieve.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities
Adults

Where we work

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.
  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    Barrier-Free serves neurodiverse participants and their families across our inclusive programming.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    Recently, we requested feedback regarding our program's design with emphasis on our time schedule to gather data regarding access to transportation and opportunity to engage with our programming.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to identify actionable feedback

Financials

Barrier-Free Inc
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Barrier-Free Inc

Board of directors
as of 05/28/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Lauren Burr

Barrier-Free, Inc.

Term: 2019 - 2019

Laura Stall

Arc of Montgomery County

Jennifer Shillingburg

Direct Support Professional

Sandra Roll

Defense Contract Management Agency

Brit Burr

McDaniel College

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 5/28/2022

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual orientations in the LGBTQIA+ community
Disability status
Person without a disability

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethnic (2+ races/ethnicities)
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual orientations in the LGBTQIA+ community
Disability status
Person with a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 05/28/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
Policies and processes
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.