ANNUAL REPORT2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9

A MESSAGE FROM CORINNE LEBARON, CEO

We’ve thought a lot about this question over the past 45 years. We’ve always known it means more than blood; more than the same last name. It means someone who has your back, someone who wants the best for you. It means someone to lean on when everything falls apart, and

someone to celebrate with when there’s good news to share.

This was the year that Foster and Adoptive Family Services transformed into embrella – Embracing & Empowering Families. The transformation was not taken lightly.

We asked our staff, volunteers, and stakeholders what words came to mind when they thought about our agency. The words “embracing” and “empowering” came up time and time again. With your support, we embrace families of all colors, configurations, and persuasions, and we

empower them to move forward in their lives with strength and self-sufficiency, whether they’re parents fostering their fourth (or fourteenth) child, grandparents raising their children’s children as their own, or youth entering college or the workforce for the very first time.

This was the year our adorable otters took the stage and stole our heart, inviting everyone to “join the raft”. Otters, known for adopting abandoned and orphaned pups and raising them as their own, were the perfect choice to represent our community, which we’re so grateful

you’re a part of.

Here’s to the next 45 years of embracing and empowering families! Thanks for making it all possible.

WHAT DOES FAMILY

MEAN TO YOU?

WHAT DOES FAMILY

MEAN TO YOU?

NEEDS MET, LIVES TOUCHED.

70Fostering Wishes

48Dreamers and Believers awards

189Pathways to Academic and Career Exploration to

103Colleges that we work with

1,627Educational support requests made for NJFC

28In-person outreach workshops

1,030Youth attendance at outreach workshops

33Students received grants through our Gap Housing

Private Scholarship

$35,800 awarded from 8 scholarship and grant opportunities to 28 winners

Presentations

22to stakeholders, community

partners, and education institutions / 6 presentations

were on the NJFC Scholars program

2,275adults in attendance

at presentations

Support Services

76 outreach opportunities attended by Support Services staff to share information on embrella services and programs

5,000+ attendees connected with peers for support at 47 recreational events

400+children living in foster homes received backpacks and school supplies

Community Education

2,720unduplicated licensed kinship and resource parents accessed embrella training in various modalities such as webinar and live workshops and home correspondence courses

411New Jersey Foster Care (NJFC) Scholars

Success (PACES) adolescents served

OUR FINANCIALS2018 2019

BOARD OF DIRECTORSMANAGEMENT TEAMCorinne LeBaron, Chief Executive OfficerTara Rizzolo, Director of Support Services

Corissa Kazar, Director of Community EducationLynn Patmalnee, Director of Communication and Development

Marjorie Blicharz, Director of Scholarship ProgramsMarci Falk, Director of Finance

Megan Carugno, Community Education ManagerLenore Bonilla, Support Services Manager

Ebony Lenard, Scholarship Programs ManagerLloyd Nelson, Digital Media Manager

Mary Grace Dondiego, ChairJenene Thomas, Vice Chair

Ed Ciak, TreasurerSue Dondiego, Secretary

George Blue, MemberDena Billups, Member

Shantell Cherry, MemberMarysue Dondiego, Member

Mary Hallahan, MemberMaria Longo, Member

Lisa Macaluso, MemberTheodora McCormick, Member

Kim McNear, MemberSanjay Mittal, Member

Colleen Otremsky, MemberMillie Smith, Member

David Umbria, Member

Total$3,922,423

54,000130,297144,002

14,9215,668

4,271,311

-4,271,311

3,969,44296,50636,785

4,102,733

168,578

763,636

$932,214

Temporarily Restricted

-54,000

93,217---

147,217

(90,284)56,933

----

56,933

243,717

$300,650

Revenue Government grants Other grants Contributions and other income In-kind donations Fundraising income Interest and dividend income

Net assets released from restriction Total revenue and support

Expenses Program services Management and general Fundraising expenses Total expenses

Changes in net assets

Net assets, beginning of year

Net assets, end of year

Unrestricted$3,922,423

-37,080

144,00214,9215,668

4,124,094

90,2844,214,378

3,969,44296,50636,785

4,102,733

111,645

519,919

$631,564

Total$3,882,297

56,000327,207

420,3396,136

6,0094,697,988

-4,697,988

4,433,171103,397

65,6104,602,178

95,810

932,214

$1,028,024

Temporarily Restricted

-56,00095,922

---

151,922

(136,872)15,050

----

15,050

300,650

$315,700

Revenue Government grants Other grants Contributions and other income In-kind donations Fundraising income Interest and dividend income

Net assets released from restriction Total revenue and support

Expenses Program services Management and general Fundraising expenses Total expenses

Changes in net assets

Net assets, beginning of year

Net assets, end of year

Unrestricted$3,882,297

-231,285

420,3396,136

6,0094,546,066

136,8724,682,938

4,433,171103,397

65,6104,602,178

80,760

631,564

$712,324

Nearly 3,000 foster and kinship parents in New Jersey learned how to be better, more nurturing parents to their children through embrella’s trainings. embrella developed and presented specific educational courses for youth at our annual Passport to Education Conferences.

In 2018-2019 the NJFC Student Portal went live, giving our students 24/7 access to all things NJFC Scholars (applications, forms, resources, tips and trainings). It also provided another way for them to connect with staff, and with each other! 2018-19 was also the end of the 15th NJFC Anniversary! This was a year-long event to celebrate 15 years of serving over 2,300 students. The 15th Anniversary Celebration gave us an opportunity to connect with current students during three Regional Events, a chance to create a now annual Passport to Education event, an education and employment focused conference for adolescents, providers, New Jersey’s Child Protection and Permanency (CP&P) and other supportive adults, our carnival themed 15th Celebration itself where former NJFC Scholars participated on a panel for incoming students and for best practices for providers, and lastly, our NJFC Gives Back day where the Scholarship Department donated their time to giving back to the community at a local food bank. For PACES, our program reached full capacity during the 18-29 academic year which means 125 adolescents across our 6 counties were being served in the areas of education and employment readiness. Soft-skill building development activities, group engagement and coordination of services were completed to give these adolescents a focused support to help them on their next steps after high school.

Support Services staff attended 76 outreach opportunities to share information on embrella programs and services. This includes 47 recreational events where over 5,000 attendees had the opportunity to connect with their peers for support. As a result of these outreach efforts, 244 resource parents contacted Family Advocates for individualized emotional support and advocacy services. Backpacks and school supplies were distributed to over 400 children in care, helping to prepare and motivate them for their upcoming academic year.

Support

Scholarship

Training

THANK YOU

Al Lehrhoff Sales Inc.Allegra Marketing Barley Custom Homes, LLCBarrett Industries Corp.Becker GuerryBorgenicht Foundation, Inc.Brearly Bears That CareDreams R Us FoundationDr. Lisa Stettner-GlennonEpstein Becker GreenFlames of GivingFree and Accepted Masons Jerusalem Lodge #26Girl Scout Troop #80128Good Deeds By the Heart By WomenGood Shepherd Lutheran ChurchJenene Thomas CommunicationsJohnson & JohnsonJunior League Montclair-NewarkKing George Chiropractic CenterLiquid ChurchLong Valley Presbyterian ChurchMartin MabeMary Grace DondiegoMenasha Corporation FoundationMerckMr. & Mrs. John NowakMr. Michael FrederickMr. Sandeep MarwahaMr. Sanjay Marwaha

Mr. Tony SanchezMr. Jonathan NegroonMrs. Janet FarrandMrs. Sue DondiegoMs. Carrie Eglinton MannerMs. Fran BorgenichtMs. Kathryn KirschMs. Jodi LozauskasMs. Nicole AndersonMunich ReNew Jersey State PBANew Meadowlands Stadium Company, LLCOperation Kids National Police Defence Foundation, Inc.Parke BankPaula BeerPF ConceptsPhotoSafeRe/Max Infinity / The Gonnelli GroupRevenue Guard Ruth Ann and Jon GribbinSheriffs Dept.Signature Title AgencySouth Brunswick Police Dept.St. Jude ChurchThe Gramon Family of SchoolsTicket To Dream FoundationTrinity Sports and EntertainmentTruist Comprehensive DistributionWeichert Realtors

THANK YOUembrella, through the generosity and good-will of our donors, remained committed to granting wishes and fulfilling dreams of foster, adoptive and kinship children throughout New Jersey. Whether it was helping send a future ballerina to the Joffrey Ballet School or making sure a little boy had the chance to join his family on vacation to Walt Disney World, we were there to lend a helping paw.