Gandhi Brigade Annual Report FY12

A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history -Mahatma Gandhi

ANNUAL REPORT2012

In January of 2013 Gandhi Brigade will turn five years old. Looking back I feel an enormous sense of pride in what our young people have accomplished. I am also filled with gratitude for the hundreds of adult allies who contributed their time and talent in support of this emerging generation of leaders. The year 2012 marks a threshold of sorts for Gandhi Brigade. Our new Program Director, Mona Yeh,

restructured our programs to better align them with our mission and funding. Our board of Directors, led by Vicki Warren, moved forward in establishing its role as the strategic eyes of the organization. Our Common Ground allies at Quebec Terrace, and our emerging partnerships

with AFI and the Smithsonian have us poised for deeper and broader engagement with young people and our community.

As I look forward to 2013 and beyond, I am satisfied that we have built the programmatic and organizational foundation that can move us forward. But building an organization has never been our vision for the future, only a means for getting there. Our mission is to prepare a

generation of moral leaders who recognize that real power is built on justice and inclusion. The recent film, “The Rights of Butterflies”— the story of one young woman’s struggle to negotiate the barriers of citizenship so that she can complete her education— is our most successful

effort to create media that impacts our community. This is the beginning of a whole new chapter for Gandhi Brigade.

It is as if we spent the last five years building and testing a new kind of vessel, one that is light enough to carry us to a distant shore, but strong enough to withstand the storms along the way. The time for building and testing is done and we now embark on our real journey— a

journey in concert with all people who have committed themselves to reforming the world in the direction of peace and justice.

Richard JaeggiExecutive Director

MissionWe help young people realize their inner and collective power to become

champions of the common good

HighlightsGandhi Brigade youth met with Montgomery County Council members to lobby their support for a grant and testified at the council budget hearing. Their efforts proved successful-the county granted Gandhi Brigade the full amount of $25,000 to launch the Youth Voices on the Plaza community event series.

The Social Justice Summer film, Rights of Butterflies, which told the personal story of Katya, young undocumented woman from Montgomery County working to find ways to fund her college education, was screened numerous times across the DC Metropolitan area. Katya’s story resonated on a personal level with many audiences, and also gave a deeper connection and context to the Maryland DREAM Act.

Common Ground, a new initiative through a Trawick Team Up Grant with partners Arts on the Block, Imagination Stage, and YMCA Youth & Family Services, had a very successful first year. This program pro-vided after school programming in media, visual arts, and performance, leading to a 6 week summer camp, culminating in a pop-up performance in the Carol Avenue Quebec Terrace community. The second year of Common Ground poses some exciting potential to grow the program.

Gandhi Brigade staff and Peer Instructors facilitated a middle school summer camp on financial literacy through a partnership with Montgomery Housing Partnership, Passion for Learning, and Class Act Arts. Youth learned how to do magazine layout and created their own financial literacy magazine, which was distributed to families and local businesses in their community.

The Gandhi Brigade Promoter program kicked off the fall with Social Justice Bootcamp, a weekend long retreat at the YMCA Camp Letts, where new and returning Promoters did team building and group problem-solving, and participated in workshops on personal values, power & oppression, root cause analysis, and social justice.

I’m so proud of the work that the Gandhi Brigade

does to empower youth in Montgomery County. Their discussions of power and

privilege, training in media literacy, and

opportunities for mentorship allow young people to not only join

the community conversation, but lead it.

For seven years they have continued to show us that students are not only our

hope for the future, but also leaders of our present.

-Montgomery County Councilmember

Valerie Ervin

Gandhi Brigade by the Numbers

in FY1224

109

299

317

693

2,489

Community events hosted or co-hosted by Gandhi Brigade youth

Middle school youth mentored by Gandhi Brigade Peer Instructors

Projects submitted to Youth Media Festival

Total youth served by Gandhi Brigade in FY12

Rights of Butterflies screening attendees

Attendees of Gandhi Brigade screenings and workshops

Jess SamudaGandhi Brigade alum, ‘08

Current Intern

One thing I learned about myself is that I can push myself to do anything.

-Brieanna

I learned not to be afraid and just to get involved, it makes everything more fun.

-Michael

Emannuel MinjaGandhi Brigade

Community Producer

Gandhi Brigade has helped shaped my character as a young person. When I was in middle school I was demure.

That’s when I joined Gandhi Brigade’s Boys 2 Men program. They helped me cope with my shyness by getting me

to participate. For the past year I have helped advocate to the County for

Gandhi Brigade to receive funding for programs. Now that I am a high school

junior, I am outgoing and not shy anymore. My video team also won the 4 Hour Film Competition at Youth Media

Festival, which was my greatesthighlight at Gandhi Brigade.

This program helped me to continue focusing on my education and to

become the person I am today-Noemi

I think Gandhi Brigade is a great organization that provides important skills that youth can take with them throughout life. In the beginning, I only attended because my mother

wanted to to come, but six years later, I come here because I want to. I really

believe in the mission, trying to get young people involved in the

community through multi-media, and I really enjoy working here.

Be the change you wish to see

SHARE our work by telling people you know

about us, or sending them our website

HELP US GROW by making a donation

JOIN us by volunteering, attending our events, or

participating in our programs.

Location:8661 Colesville Road, 4th Floor

Silver Spring, MD 20910301.588.1399

Blog: www.gandhibrigade.org/program/brigadeblog/Twitter: @Gandhibrigade

Facebook: www.facebook.com/gandhibrigadeYoutube: www.youtube.com/user/gandhibrigade

Online Presence:www.gandhibrigade.org

Mailing address:P.O. Box 7381

Silver Spring, MD 20907

Financials*Gandhi Brigade’s biggest operational challenge consists in securing the necessary

funding to fuel our growth amidst a fiscal environment grown increasingly difficult for nonprofit organizations. More than anything we need to grow an adequate cash reserve that will enable us to run programs that are funded on a reimbursable basis. To this end we have taken three actions: 1) hired a part time grant writer; 2) expanded our search

for individual donations through “crowd-funding” and other online methods, and 3) placed a renewed emphasis on corporate partnerships. This last has proven particularly successful as we have seen our corporate donations increase from $3,300 in FY 12 to

$23,000 half-way through FY13.

INCOME

Other...................................... $268 $325Sales........................................ $375 $1,425Contract revenues............... $1,100 $46,186Contributions........................ $22,970 $17,935In-kind goods & services..... $52,184 $15,500Government support........... $17,670 $21,500Foundations............................ $190,695 $153,501

EXPENSES

Fundraising.............................. $18,639 $28,288Administration....................... $48,108 $36,691Program................................... $220,323 $186,515All figures are from Gandhi Brigade’s annual financial

statements. For a complete copy of these financial statements, please contact Gandhi Brigade.

FY2012

FY2012

FY2011

FY2011

Total $285,262 $257,662

Total $287,070 $251,494

Net assets at beginning of year $9,227 $3,058Net assets at end of year $7,420 $9,227

*Gandhi Brigade ran a small operating deficit of $1,807 in fiscal year 2012. This reflects an accounting decision to credit certain income received in FY12 as an FY11 receivable.

Thank you! FY 12 Donors & Sponsors

Private FoundationsChino Cienega FoundationCommunity Foundation for Montgomery CountyJim & Carol Trawick FoundationHoward & Geraldine Polinger Family FoundationMeyer FoundationMorris & Gwendolyn Cafritz FoundationTakoma Foundation

Government & Local SupportDowntown Silver SpringMontgomery County GovernmentArts & Humanities Council of Montgomery CountySilver Spring Regional Services Center

Business SupportDynamic Animation SystemsSilver Spring Retail, LLCSirens Media

Executive Producer ($1,000-$4,999)Mark Brantly & Judy LewChrist Congregational ChurchDynamic Animation SystemsKrista Lee Hanson & Burke StansburyJames HinshelwoodDwight JaeggiMichael LainoffDoloras McDonagh & Jamie KarnPaola MoyaMargaret SiegelVicki Warren & Costas Avrakotos

Director ($500-$999)Christopher BaileyGeneral Board of Church & SocietyHolly BrooksJohn & Carolyn GipsonSam HamptonRichard & Yoshiko JaeggiElaine & Marvin Wunderlich

Silver Screener ($100-$499)Dave & Toko AckermanJuanita BaileyBarry Barth & Lynn BockRenetta BoydJanet BradleyJose BurgosNabby CheungConway ChuKaren James CodyAnn & Peter CorranAnn DalyGeraldina DominguezTip FallonJanet & Gordon ForbesEllen Daniels & Adam FrankMahmoud DoskiBusy GrahamNoelle Terefe HaileAndy HallowellJim & Jackie Henkelman-BahnFrances & Tim HesterSunanda HolmesAllen JaeggiSusan Klassen & Johannes ZimmermanHeather Bradley KuboJudy LappingIsaiah & Catherine LeggetElissa LeifMary McCurtyLigia Medina-WilliamsCarolyn MitchellSharon Lynch & Peter Perenyi

Kevin & Mary MurphyMalaika & Andre PettigrewAmy RiceReemberto RodriguezCynthia RubensteinYvette SchockMatthew SerreJerri ShawSirens MediaDon & Tina SlaterRachel SteinhardtMary & Clarence StoneJune Taylor & Robert WolcottJim & Lois TodhunterRichard TurnerHilmi UlasAnne Weissenborn

Red Carpet Guest ($1-$99)

Akiko KakazuGlen KregerJanisa LaSalleWendy LeskoSusan & Norman LevineJulian LytlePaula MatallanaMeridian Hill PicturesThe Minja FamilyDavid MoonChris Moore-BackmanMarley MoynahanPhillip MyersPatricia NemoreLowell & Marjorie OwensDalila PalchikCarlos PintoNeville PlattKatherine RekkasHans RiemerGloria & Joseph RogersErnie & Betty RossiJacqueline SamudaMike SchapiroRonald & Barbara ShansbyJennifer Shea & Peter BrunsKaren ShihAshley SimmonsJohn Slettebak & Graciela JaschekWilliam StewartTerry StrandEmily & William SudbrinkDale TibbittsJennifer & Robin WattKaren WesterbergLauren WetherellSarah WhitelockeChris WilhelmNick WilliamsAzeb YonisBonnie & Galen YoungLei Zhang

Baihina AbadeyBruce Adams & Margaret EngelVicki & David AdamsonNeferta En AunghkMaaz & Saba BajwaHerman & Margaret BaileyJune Shirley BlankLorraine BlankSue BrattenAnn & Robert BullockCarmen CamachoDeborah CartyJean CavanaughJoan ChristopherCathy ChuLuisa DantasSue DollinsBonnie FogelMarga & Jesse FrippMarian FryerGeorge NeighborsErica GinsbergJane HudsonHarry Iceland