Little Friends, Inc.

Much of what we would like to accomplish for our FY24 will be in response to the realities that our agency faces after the impact of COVID-19. Our two schools are fully operational with in-person learning and with enrollments that now reach 130 students. Our Spectrum Vocational Services program completed a full-scale migration into a new facility located next to the agency's two schools. Spectrum was at the Downers Grove location since 1975, representing a 20 minute drive between the agency's two major campuses. Now the buildings are adjacent to each other, creating 14-acre campus that represents more than 136,000sf of programming space for children, young adults, and our entire adult population. The agency's respite program has returned with a flourish after COVID-19. The program used to take place on Thursday evenings. Starting this summer, the agency added a Wednesday night program to accommodate the increased enrollments for children with special needs between ages 5 and 17.

The Little Friends Center for Autism provides a combination of in-person therapies and Telehealth that enable critical work with children on the autism spectrum to receive diagnostic evaluations, therapy, and parent education from licensed clinical professionals. The agency's Community Living Services staff will continue to provide intermittent to 24/7 care to more than 100 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who reside in one of our 40 homes that we maintain.

Little Friends is in Year 3 of the Building Futures campaign that has successfully raised more than $8MM. The goal is to secure $10MM in five years to support the launch of new, innovative programs, fund significant upgrades to residential facilities, and grow the agency's endowment from $1MM to $2MM.

The agency's advancement team re-introduced Step Up for Little Friends as an awareness walk/fundraiser in Fall 2023 and plans are underway to host a series of fundraising activities in 2023. The staff has also elevated the number of grant proposals issued to local, regional and national foundations in a targeted effort to create a more diverse funding portfolio that will support the agency's annual fundraising needs.

The key strategy for Little Friends is to build a comprehensive vision for the agency now that the transition of the Spectrum Vocational Services site location from Downers Grove to Warrenville is completed. This represents an exciting new chapter for the agency as all resources will be housed in two large, adjacent buildings for the first time in the organization's 58-year history.

Our Adult Day Services program has laid the groundwork for the formation of the agency's sixth program, called Connecting Adults with Communities. This new program will feature job training and job placement for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities between ages 18-35 who are functioning at a higher level of cognitive engagement. There are literally hundreds of adults who have achieved success in the job market, but have not reached their full potential because they do not have effective social skills development. This new program initiative will complement the existing adult programs and we anticipate adding more than 40-50 more adults under roof who seek this type of important community resource.

Our Krejci Academy and Mansion High Schools will continue to expand applied learning applications that align with the teaching curriculum. The Academy has been named a School of Excellence by the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) for three out of the past four years.

Little Friends is capable in effectively addressing the goals and strategies for the agency because of the longevity of the senior leadership. Four of the nine members of the CEO's cabinet have been with the agency for more than 30 years apiece. Two cabinet members have been with the organization for 20 or more years, and only two of the senior leadership team have been with the agency for less than three years. Prior to his involvement with Little Friends, the CEO was a the CEO of two different (and successful) manufacturing businesses for more than 30 years.

Our ability to address our organizational goals for the year relies heavily on effective communication. The CEO meets with his direct reports every other week and the larger senior leadership team meets twice a month to review progress made on goals we have established for the year. The feedback captured from these meetings is shared at the departmental level so plans can effectively be launched and executed at every level of the agency.

The Board of Directors maintains an active role in governing the agency by providing critical leadership and setting policy with the CEO. The board plays a key role in stewarding funds from the community and by leveraging their contacts to strengthen the agency's profile throughout the region. This group of volunteer leaders are critical in helping the agency navigate into the new space and they will be instrumental in helping the organization achieve success with their capital campaign.

Little Friends completed fiscal year FY23 at the end of June. Highlights for the FY23 year included the re-accreditation by the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL). CQL is the commonly identified as a leader for human services organizations and systems in improving the quality of life for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through offering resources that include year-round training, consultation, certification and research.

Little Friends's Krejci Academy was named a School of Excellence in 2023 by the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET). There are only seven private schools in the state of Illinois that carry this distinction and fewer than 85 schools listed nationwide. To capture this award three out of the past four years is a major accomplishment for the agency.

The Advancement department set new records in funds raised annually. The 2023 Benefit Auction, which is the agency's signature fundraiser of the year, raised $1MM in gross revenues. This is the first time in the agency's history to achieve such a goal, thanks primarily in part to funds captured toward the construction of the Dan Casey Activity Center, which was named after a long-time donor and local community leader who had volunteered with the agency for more than 30 years.

Much of the agency's focus will be on the continued transition of the adult day program to its new location next to the agency's headquarters. Schools started in mid-August with the return to in-person learning that introduces a new curriculum called TeachTown that holds promise for creating a significant impact on a students' academic learning.

Our adult day program that provides vocational opportunities, supported employment, and networking experiences for more than 120 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities will continue to slowly transition from a place where I/DD adults can secure employment opportunities at the agency's warehouse to more community-integrated employment within the local region.

Year 2023 marks the return of the Step Up for Little Friends Walk, which was a program launched as a virtual activity in 2020. We anticipate more than 200 walkers will participate this year. The agency will host its first-ever, all women's golf outing that will take place in early October. The Little Friends Center for Autism will continue to apply therapies on an expanded basis, thanks to an aggressive hiring strategy, and the agency's respite program opened in late-August to include an expanded program of two days per week.