Easterseals Southeast Wisconsin
Taking on Disability Together
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
For nearly 100 years, Easterseals has been the indispensable resource for people and families challenged by disability. Now, as America faces a broad range of new issues, we make a major, positive, life-changing difference in the lives of people and families challenged by today's disabilities. The work we do every day is redefining disability for the 21st century.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Children, Youth, & Family Services
Safe Babies Healthy Families provides prenatal/parenting education and coordination of care beginning from the prenatal phase up to five years post-partum through individualized home visitation services.
Adult Services
Our Adult Day Services supports adults with severe cognitive and physical disabilities through weekday programming and specialized activities. Easterseals offers a variety of home and community-based services affording adults and seniors opportunities to live, learn, work and play as a vital part of their own community or neighborhood. In addition, these valuable programs offer respite, support, and education for family members and other caregivers.
Easter Seals Recreation and Camp Programs provide an opportunity for children and adults to participate in extracurricular, educational, and personal development activities. The recreation programs take many forms, from sports and fitness activities, to after school play, to Saturday-night social gatherings and community outings. Our residential and day camps are available for children and adults of all types and levels of ability. Camping programs serve to let participants discover and explore their interests, values and talents.
Our Long Term Support Services provides management of long term care needs for individuals with developmental disabilities. These services help manage activities of daily living that may be limited as a result of acute or chronic conditions, and will keep people integrated in their communities. Our services are ever expanding to meet the needs and help promote wellness, independence and connectivity among the growing number of older Americans.
Our Guardianship Services Program provides critical support to people who are aging or have a disability that impairs their ability to make informed decisions about their life and welfare. We also provide support to those who are without other individuals to assist them.
Work Readiness Services
Easter Seals workforce development services provide an individualized approach to assisting persons with disabilities and mental illness to make informed choices and attain their employment aspirations through evidence-based programs, Project SEARCH and Individual Placement Support. Easterseals’ approach includes an array of services and supports that ultimately lead to employment. This approach is designed to identify goals, objectives, and planning needs, and providing the supports a person needs to achieve and maintain employment.
Community Services
Advocacy is offered to individuals with disabilities, parents, caregivers and service professionals, teaching them personal and political (nonpartisan) advocacy skills.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of participants who would recommend program to others
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
All program participants are surveyed annually. In 2015, 93% responded affirmatively. In 2016, 94% responded affirmatively. In 2017, 96% responded affirmatively. In 2018, 97% responded affirmatively.
Number of participants who gain employment
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Work Readiness Services
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Staff track the number of participants (veterans, people with disabilities or mental illness) receiving training and community employment services obtain community-based employment each year.
Number of infants delivered with low birth weight
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Children, Youth, & Family Services
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Staff working with prenatal clients for case management document infant birth weight after the mother delivers based on hospital records.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our purpose is to change the way the world views and defines disabilities by making profound, positive differences in people's lives every day.
We will accomplish this by:
• Educating families and the community on early identification of developmental delays and signs of autism.
• Providing services early in life to improve each child's school readiness.
• Providing employment programs to ensure that students and adults secure and maintain meaningful employment.
• Providing community-based services and supports that give individuals living with disabilities and their families the opportunity to stay in their community of choice and reach their life goals.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Easterseals Southeast Wisconsin will employ the following strategies to accomplish our goals:
• Develop and adopt evidenced-based best practices that improve outcomes.
• Adapt business practices that increase effectiveness and provide better outcomes of our services.
• Connect partners from the public, private and non-profit sectors to build understanding and create effective collaborations that strengthen our community.
• Advocate for our vision and create community awareness of disability-related issues at all government levels with support from our national Easter Seals network.
• Assemble an innovative, professional, and culturally diverse team of staff and volunteers who support and create opportunities to make our vision a reality.
• Employ technology and systems that support our community-based approach and allow greater flexibility in service delivery.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Easterseals provides direct care, education and intervention services for approximately 10,000 individuals and their families each year in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, Racine, Kenosha, and Waukesha Counties.
We have earned a positive reputation and have built a respected brand from nearly 80 years of service to our community. We are seen as a “trusted expert" in disability and community issues. Here's why:
• Nearly 50 years of job training experience and relationships with local employers.
• Proven ability to adapt in a rapidly changing environment through two successful mergers and multiple program expansions.
• Network of community-based facilities allows us to meet local and regional needs.
• Partnerships with leading organizations (Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, ManpowerGroup) that allow local employers and companies to engage in our mission through volunteerism, financial support and service development.
• Investment in infrastructure and human capital to achieve our vision by:
a. Bringing together the best, brightest and most passionate staff with professional experiences across the lifespan.
b. Tapping into the generosity of our region with over 500 volunteers engaged in volunteer activities.
c. Technology structure that supports community-based service delivery.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Easterseals knows that we are making progress based on the impact that our services have in the lives of the individuals we serve, as well as our overall community. The following impact statements illustrate our program outcomes:
• When identified early in a child's life, Easterseals early intervention services increases school readiness, thereby decreasing the need for special education services by 50%. This results in a savings of thousands of dollars in remediation costs for every child served.
• Easterseals autism services increases a child's ability to learn and grow alongside typically-developing peers, enabling them to develop into adults who live and work independently in our community. This results in a savings of more than $1 million per person in education and adult living costs.
• Easterseals Community Support services (Care Management Unit and Guardianship services) reduce costly institutional placements, saving an average of $452 per month for each individual in Wisconsin's long term care system. By coordinating care and tapping into community-based services, we improve the quality of life and health for individuals, enabling them to live in the community of their choice.
• It is estimated that due to caregiving responsibilities, the total retirement funds of a typical caregiver is reduced by $303,880. Easterseals Adult Day Services improves the overall quality of life and financial stability of families and caregivers of adults with chronic illnesses or disabilities, allowing caregivers to earn a living while their loved one develops new skills, has increased relationships and while their overall health needs are met.
• Easterseals Recreation and Camp programs lower children and adolescents' risk for health problems such as obesity and heart disease by engaging in physical activities that are adapted to meet their individual needs.
• Hiring individuals with disabilities saves our communities dollars and generates economic growth. In 2011, the cost for employment services in Wisconsin was $26,803,459 with annual earnings of $56,393,506 from those individuals. This is a 2:1 cost ratio.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild 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.
Easterseals Southeast Wisconsin
Board of directorsas of 8/7/2019
Brett Engelking
Citizens Bank
Jim McMullen
PNC Bank
John Bosbous
Retired, Caterpillar
Tom Gagliano
Morgan Stanley
Tari Emerson
Charter Steel
Jeff Squire
ProHealth Care
Bill Hughes
Johnson Controls
Daniel O'Callaghan
Harley-Davidson Motor Co.
Kim Preston
First Business Bank
Sandra Siira
Carthage College
Tom Kelly
Kelmann Restoration
Jon Neikerk
Froedtert Health
Reginald Newson
Ascension Wisconsin
Arthur Harrington
Godfrey & Kahn, s.c.
Roger Schaus
Retired, Generac
Nafessa Burdine
Manpower Group
Michael Hargarten
Retired, Northwestern Mutual
Peter Jelacic
SVA Financial
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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 ? Yes -
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