lost boyz inc. annual report fy 2014
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Table of Contents
Letter from the President………………………………………………………………………………………………….....Page 2
Board of Directors .………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....Page 3
Program Sponsors ……………………………………………………………………………………...…………………….....Page 5
Program Partners ............................................................................................................................................................Page 7
About Us………………………...............................................................................................................................................Page 9
Youth Baseball/Softball Program............................................................................................................................Page 11
Successful Youth Leaders (SYL) Program............................................................................................................Page 19
Fundraising Efforts & Results………………..............................................................................................................Page 21
Program Revenue & Expenses 2014………………….............................................................................................Page 23
Next Steps & Press Highlights ………………............................................................................................................Page 24
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Chairman’s Letter
I must first start by commending the compassion and support from the American citizenry for Lost
Boyz Inc. Although we are small in stature and size, people from all across the nation answered the
call to eradicate youth violence, specifically here in Chicago. From Texas to California to D.C.,
volunteers and donations poured in to develop 70 youth in our south side neighborhood. By far 2014
was our best year; we expanded the age served down to 4 years old and integrated girls with softball.
Furthermore, we grew our budget by 100% since the previous year and doubled the number of youth
served as well. Most important, all of the 70 youth we served this year are doing well in school and
in life in general, with little to no violence permeating their lives directly.
I am very grateful to the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, parents, participants, donors, and
general supporters. Your commitment to excellence, equity, equality, and justice made 2014 the
most memorable year. I am so elated I cannot even single out the best moment, because...well....
they were all so great! Special thanks to Leo High School President Dan McGrath and Varsity
Baseball Manager Coach Anderson, Tobias Blake of Experience Baseball, Martha Jo Black of the
Chicago White Sox, Sharon O'Keefe President of University of Chicago Medicine, Dr. Carol Adams,
Pemone Rami, and Sydni Inis of the DuSable Museum of African-American History, Billy Dec, Ralph
Peterson President of Rosemoor Little League, Tina Sernett at the Sports Shed, David Rhodes at
Pitch In For Baseball, Bill Haley President of Jackie Robinson West Little League, and National
League MVP Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
I can't wait for 2015 to start as we look to have an even more phenomenal year. May God bless
everyone involved with Lost Boyz and continue to lighten our path in the battle against youth
violence. Thank you all, we love you Chicago, and remember our mantra.....Educate, Recreate,
Cultivate....Go Hard or Go Home!!!
LaVonté Stewart Sr.
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Board of Directors
President & Director - LaVonté Stewart
LaVonté Stewart Sr. was born on Chicago’s South Side at Jackson Park Hospital.
He graduated in the top 5% from Our Lady of Peace Elementary School, Hirsch
Metropolitan High school, and Chicago State University, all on Chicago’s South
Side as well. Mr. Stewart Sr. earned his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science
in 2004, and then worked on his Master’s degree until illness struck his family
in 2006. He then started working closely with troubled youth through
baseball, and formed Lost Boyz Baseball League, which eventually became
known simply as Lost Boyz Inc. Recently, LaVonté began working on his
Masters in Public Policy at DePaul University while working in the office for a
well-known State Senator. He currently resides on the south side with his fiancée and 3 children.
Secretary & Treasurer - Jocelyn Vana
Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Jocelyn now resides in the western
suburbs with her husband Chris. After graduating from the University of
Pennsylvania, Wharton Undergraduate Business School in 2009, Jocelyn went
on to work in the Corporate Development and Finance industries. Currently, she
works as a Financial Analyst at a nonprofit firm located in the Loop and is
working towards an MBA focused on Social Enterprise from the Kellogg School
of Management at Northwestern University. In addition to her role as the
Secretary for Lost Boyz Inc., Jocelyn also participates in the overall development of the organization,
overseeing the organization’s finances, fundraising efforts, and volunteer recruitment.
Board Director, Fundraising and Event Planning - Michael Martinez
Michael has spent over twenty five years in the non-profit sector with nearly half
of those years with the United Way of Southeastern Michigan where he served as
Senior Program Officer and Planning Director. After re-locating to Chicago, he
continued his career within the non-profit sector focusing on
fundraising/marketing. The majority of his career has been within the
development field where he has led teams/departments in raising approximately
17 million dollars.
Michael's development experience covers all facets of fund-raising with an
emphasis on grant writing (foundations/corporate/government), special events,
corporate giving/sponsorships and individual giving. Currently Michael serves as the Chief Development
Officer for The Delta Chi Educational Foundation.
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General Board Member – Jordan Hadelman
Named in The New Career Makers as one of America’s top executive recruiters,
Jordan includes among his clients some of the nation’s most respected leaders in
health care. His pivotal role in an executive search includes advising CEOs,
governing boards, search committees and executive and medical leaders on
strategy, organizational assessment, leadership transition and succession
planning. He formerly served as a hospital executive and is currently a board
member at a metropolitan Chicago academic medical center. Earlier in his career,
Jordan served as a U.S. Navy lieutenant. He earned his Bachelors of Science from
Georgetown University and his M.H.A. from George Washington University.
General Board Member - Robert Williams
A graduate of Hampton University in 1996, Rob went on to work for the Chicago
Police Department. There, he continues to fight violence on the streets of the city as
an officer. When not patrolling the neighborhoods of the city, Rob tends to the
buildings he owns and its residents. He currently resides on the south side of the
city.
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Program Sponsors
The University of Chicago Medicine has been at the forefront of medical care since 1927, when they
opened their doors to the first patients. Located in historic Hyde Park on the South Side of Chicago, the
medical campus includes the Center for Care and Discovery, Comer Children’s Hospital, Bernard A.
Mitchell Hospital for adult inpatient care, and the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine. The
University of Chicago Medicine also has outpatient locations throughout the Chicago area.
As your local utility and an energy delivery company
with more than a century of experience, ComEd’s
commitment to customer service, security, and
satisfaction is guided by the progress of the past and
the promise of the future. Driving an industry that is
entrepreneurial in nature, they have always remained focused on benefiting the people, environment,
and economies of the communities they serve. ComEd continues to enhance their services and the
workforce that helps them generate smart ideas.
The Sports Shed is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that
provides sports equipment to under-resourced kids. They collect
new and gently used sports equipment and distribute these items
to organizations that provide sports programs for kids in need.
The Sports Shed provides kids with equipment so that these kids
have the opportunity to participate in sports without having to worry about the cost.
Pitch In For Baseball spreads America's favorite pastime to kids all over the world. From getting out and having fun, to learning about sportsmanship and teamwork, baseball is a great activity for all kids. To share our beloved sport, Pitch In For Baseball collects and redistributes new and gently-used youth baseball and softball equipment to underserved communities here in the United States and around the globe.
"We're grateful that Pitch In For Baseball will fill this significant need." - Steve Keener, CEO and President, Little League Baseball and Softball
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The team members at Experience Baseball are baseball fans,
educators, and community volunteers. They believe baseball
has the power to transform communities. Founded and led by
Tobias Blake, Experience Baseball’s Mission is to improve the
quality of life in urban neighborhoods home to professional baseball.
Their goal is to provide safe, fun, and educational baseball experiences for all baseball fans and to connect resources with the needs of community development organizations that work to improve access to health, education, and a vibrant economy in urban baseball communities.
South Shore Hospital is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the
highest quality of Healthcare possible to the South Shore community. They are
committed to providing appropriate care to each individual patient, regardless of
race, color, creed, and financial status.
Known for delivering high-quality care since its founding in 1912, South Shore Hospital’s reputation is
based on the dedication of its physicians and caring professional and support staff members. They
believe that it is their commitment to excellence that enables them to deliver extraordinary care to their
patients.
Athletic Specialties, Inc. has provided Sporting Good Dealers with team athletic products and accessories for more than 30 years. With over $2 Million in inventory, count on ASI for immediate fulfillment of your stocking needs.
Masterpiece Framing is Chicagoland's premier custom frame
gallery and design boutique. They frame pictures, restore
photos, print images and place art. In other words, they
transform your memories into a Masterpiece!
The Welles Park Parents Association (WPPA) is a parent volunteer
organization that operates in cooperation with the Chicago Park District to
provide baseball instruction to neighborhood children. The goal of the
program is to teach baseball fundamentals and good sportsmanship to kids
in a positive and enjoyable atmosphere. The association has obtained both
Federal and State tax exempt charitable organization status. The program
has expanded and now uses the fields and facilities at Welles Park,
Winnemac Park, Legion Park, River Park, and Rogers Park.
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Program Partners
Rosemoor Little League is comprised of 6 Divisions of co-ed baseball ranging from
ages 3 through 16. T-Ball Division (Ages 3 - 6); Minor League (Ages 7 - 9); Girls
Softball Minor League (Ages 7 - 10); Major League (Ages 10 - 12); Junior League (Ages
13 - 14); Senior League (Ages 15 - 16). Big League (Ages 17 - 18) is offered through
the district. Over 200 boys and girls participate in Rosemoor Little League Baseball.
CYC Rebecca K. Crown Youth Center in South Shore offers well-trained youth-development specialists giving
individual attention to children and teens to help them with academic achievement and social and life skills
development. Each year, the center serves more than 500 children and teens. The center’s goal is to give
members the tools, support and guidance they need to reach their full potential through age-specific programs.
Through this Center, Lost Boyz is able to host its Winter Clinic Program using donated space from January until
March every year.
Working with the highest caliber non-profit organizations,
WyzAid connects deserving students with volunteer tutors
to foster educational growth. WyzAid seeks to even the
playing field for students who lack the resources required
for quality supplemental education. They aspire to mobilize
passionate volunteers who can transform the lives of students throughout the country.
Zealous Good connects people with excess goods to local charities in need. By matching
specific donations to specific needs, this organization helps reduce the cost and effort of
getting goods to charities.
One Summer Chicago brings together government institutions,
community-based organizations and companies to offer over
22,000 employment and internship opportunities to youth and
young adults. During this summer, Lost Boyz partnered with St.
Sabina Church to be a work-site. As a work-site, we hosted 1 intern
who worked in Graphics Design and Marketing.
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Program Partners (continued)
The Illinois Community Violence Prevention Program is a collaborative effort of public
and private agencies that provides pro-social opportunities to youth and parents
in underserved communities. CVPP program components work to empower
youth with job training, strengthen social skills, and increase parent leadership
within communities. Through this program and by partnering with ABJ, Lost
Boyz hosted 4 youth interns in the roles of Youth Assistant Baseball Coaches
and Social Media Analysts.
Perkle’s mission is twofold. This company wants to make giving back to communities a part of everyday
living. They want to empower people to support causes important
to them without spending an extra dollar. Second, Perkle wants to
create social good by connecting nonprofit organizations with
corporate sponsors and enable them to benefit from one another.
They want brands to be able to engage customers around causes important to them, while providing
support to the organizations that help our community. By shopping through their website, customers are
offered “perks” for some of their favorite stores (Macy’s, Amazon, Nordstrom, and more). When a
purchase is made, the customer simultaneously contributes to a nonprofit.
Force for Good is a two-year, Chicago Police Department Program that provides 25 community and faith-
based organizations with skill development classes, technical assistance and mentorship to increase their
capacity to identify, obtain and manage grants and resources. Through this program, Lost Boyz staff was
able to gain much needed knowledge about Board Development, applying for grants, partnering with
other organizations, and other important topics.
Via Zealous Good, Lost Boyz was connected to Artizone, an online food delivery
service. For Thanksgiving last year, Artizone donated 20 dinners to families that
we serve.
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About Lost Boyz Inc.
Founded in September of 2008 by LaVonté Stewart Sr., Lost Boyz Inc. is a non-for-profit, grass-roots
organization engaged in community development within Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. Our
organization services youth ages 4 to 17 through our various programs from February until August of every
year. Our target population is focused primarily on ultra high-risk youth, incarcerated youth, alienated
youth, low income youth, and abused youth. As a result of our efforts since 2008, over 220 children from
the South Shore community and 32 children detained in the Illinois Youth Center (IYC) have stayed trouble
free for a range of four to nine months while occupied with our athletic and youth leadership activities.
Our organization originated in the South Shore neighborhood as a direct response to the need for the
revitalization of organized youth baseball in the community. However, an organizational vision and
mission greater than providing baseball developed as a result of the spike in adolescent violence, CPS
student murders, increased criminal activity, police harassment, and other astonishing deteriorating social
conditions of the youth in the community.
Our Mission
Our mission is to decrease violence and improve the social conditions among the youth in the South
Shore community. Our mission is achieved by providing quality athletic and leadership training, re-
entry assistance, and innovative ideas geared for at-risk youth to align income and entrepreneurial
opportunities.
Our Vision for Growth
Our long-term vision is seeing youth driven economic redevelopment dominate in poor communities.
Violent youth would display improved social conditions, scholastic aptitude, and trade skill development
as a result of an “earn as you learn” approach. This approach promotes economic reconstitution among
younger generations of poor communities by establishing several community-vested, youth-driven
venues to attract new external revenue and revive non-residential consumer activity by providing quality
service and product.
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Youth Baseball and Softball
Winter Clinic Description & Summary
The first phase of the Youth Baseball program, Winter Clinic, is conducted indoors, from January
until early April. Participants are taught appropriate behavior and safety on and off the field, the
history of baseball, and physical conditioning.
Game skills enhancement is the goal, but academic improvement and giving back to the community
are both important as well; this is accomplished through Tutoring and Service Learning activities.
Past Service Learning activities have included Earth Day and Worm Composting.
During Winter Clinic 2014, 22 youth boys were
served by Lost Boyz. Internal evaluations found
that through the tutoring services available,
the average GPA increased by
.62 points! This represents a half letter
grade improvement (i.e. B increases to a B+).
Furthermore, 92% of parents agreed with the
statement, “Being involved in Lost Boyz helped
prevent my child from being influenced by street
gangs, violence, or any other negative activities as
this program provided a safe indoors option and
motivational guidance.”
For the program’s Service Learning program, 15 of our youth each spent 3 hours at the forest preserve learning
about evasive species removal, wolf tracking, and identifying and understanding urban wildlife.
What programs does Lost Boyz offer?
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Spring Training/Summer Baseball Description & Summary
The second phase of the program is Spring Training & Summer League, which moves from indoors
to outdoors for 12 weeks of training and competitive play. Here, all players are assessed by a series
of measures; new players are drafted by an interested team or lottery, and returning players are
either traded or returned to their previous team.
From April until August, each team plays approximately 30 games in competitive play and faces
teams from the Chicagoland area. All teams will make the playoffs, which is a three round, best-of,
round-robin tournament. Also, players will again participate in Service Learning activities, but will
also participate in fun outings, such as a trip to a White Sox game.
Did You
Know?
Lost Boyz hosted its
first Girls Softball
team this summer!
The number of youth
athletic teams
expanded from 2 to 5
during 2014.
66 Children were
served through the
Spring Training/
Summer Program!
Over 21 volunteers
work to make Lost
Boyz possible!
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Royals (ages 4-7) End of Season Statistics # of Youth Served 7 kids served
Royals Win/Loss/Tie Record Everyone Wins!! # of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth 12 Hours
Game Participation per Royal 5 Games/10 Hours
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Reds (ages 8-10) End of Season Statistics # of Youth Served 10 kids served
Reds Win/Loss/Tie Record 25/10, Playoffs 4-2 # of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth 60 Hours
Game Participation per Red 20 Games/40 Hours
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Coach Cooper, “Improvement, not growth.
We want to get better, not bigger.”
Patriots (ages 8-12) End of Season Statistics # of Youth Served 14 kids served
Patriots Win/Loss/Tie Record 1/11/0, No Playoffs # of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth 100 Hours
Game Participation per Patriot 12 Games/24 Hours
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Yankees (ages 13-17) End of Season Statistics # of Youth Served 15 youth served
Yankees Win/Loss/Tie Record 7/7/1, No playoffs
# of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth 90 Hours
Game Participation per Yankee 15 Games/30 Hours
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Lady Thunder (ages 10-14) End of Season Statistics
# of Youth Served 15 Youth served
Lady Thunder Win/Loss/Tie Record
3/3/0, Playoffs 0/4
# of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth
20 Hours
Game Participation per Yankee
10 Games/20 Hours
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Other activities the kids participated in this
year include:
PwC Day Northwestern Game DuSable Museum 2nd Annual Civil War Day DuSable for Movie Night Kayaking Chi*Talk with Nike Learn Your Game with Nike
Benefits for the youth participating in
the program include:
Improved grades
Decrease in behavioral
issues at school
Decrease in peer-to-peer
conflict
Improvement at home with
personal responsibility and
discipline (according to
parents)
Exposure to neighborhoods,
activities, and cultures
outside those represented in
the South Shore area
College Visits
Opportunities to volunteer
both within and outside of
the South Shore Community
The opportunity to be a kid!!
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Successful Youth Leaders (SYL)
Service Learning:
The Service Learning aspect of the SYL Program combines service objectives with learning objectives, with the intent that the activity changes both the recipient and the provider of the service. This is accomplished by combining service tasks with structured opportunities that link the task to self-reflection, self-discovery, and the acquisition and comprehension of values, skills, and knowledge content.
MLK Day of Service - During the Winter Clinic Program, our youth
visited a local forest preserve to learn about urban wildlife and
evasive plant removal techniques. They also learned various ways to
maintain and beautify the area in the forest preserve.
Earth Day – In April, our youth gathered at Ashe Park, located on
Chicago’s far south side, to help clean the park and plant trees in
celebration of Earth Day.
Buddy Baseball – Buddy Baseball is a program where children with
different disabilities have a chance to play baseball with a person
helping them, also known as a buddy. As a major part of the core
initiatives of Lost Boyz is to volunteer and help others as you would
want to be helped, our players took a Sunday to go and be buddies!
Before the Buddy Baseball outing, three employees from Access
Living visited our program to perform a sensitivity training with our
youth.
Academic Arm:
Through SYL Academic Arm, Lost Boyz hopes the participants will either become entrepreneurs or obtain
a paid position in their field of choice. Partnering with the Chicago One Summer Plus program and the
Community Violence Prevention Program (CVPP), Lost Boyz hosted 5 youth summer workers this year.
Through our SYL program, these youth workers held positions such as Youth Assistant Baseball Coach,
Social Media Analyst, and Graphics Designer. These are all skills that we hope the summer youth will take
with them as they go off to college and continue advancing professionally.
Aligned with our program’s goals, the Graphics Design youth worker was offered a paid position at the
company with which Lost Boyz connected him. His starting pay will be $10.00 per hour, an increase of
17.6% compared to his previous position.
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Fundraising Efforts & Results
This year, Lost Boyz continued hosting fundraiser events in order to help relieve any financial barriers
parents faced when deciding whether or not to sign their child up for our program. Because we want
every willing family to be able to participate in our programs, we thought selling candy and tickets to
events would be a fun way to not only afford the program fee, but also to meet other parents,
participants, staff, and donors. Continue reading to learn more about the fundraisers we held this year.
COSMO for a CAUSE
Our first fundraiser of 2014, COSMO for a CAUSE, was a great success. Not only did Lost Boyz raise $530
in ticket and raffle sales, but we also raised awareness! We met some really great supporters and
potential volunteers that evening, while
also seeing some familiar faces.
Proceeds from the COSMO for a CAUSE
event will either go towards summer
baseball league fees or uniform
accessories purchases for one of our
teams.
Family & Friends Night – In May, Lost Boyz hosted its Second Annual Family and
Friends Night at the Dr. Martin Luther King Drive Family Entertainment Center. Our
players, parents, and guests really enjoyed themselves. Guests were able to both bowl
and skate!
Spring Benefit Concert - Our spring fundraiser
this year was titled The Art of Music. Held at the
Chaturanga Fitness Studio, this event involved
artists from varying backgrounds performing for
our guests. We had a poet perform, along with a
youth rock band, a gospel singer, and a Christian
rap group. Over 45 people attended The Art of
Music fundraiser and we raised $1,100 that night.
All proceeds directly benefit the youth we serve.
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White Sox Game – Courtesy of the
White Sox, tickets were donated to
Lost Boyz so that we could raise
money to further fund our 2014
summer season. The Take Me Out to
the Ball Game fundraiser was a great
success! We can’t thank the White Sox
and our players who sold tickets to
their family and friends enough!
Experience Baseball White Sox Fundraiser –Experience Baseball hosted 2 events for Lost Boyz this
year. Each events included tailgating, attending a game, and a discussion geared towards raising
awareness about a social issue and the efforts of Lost Boyz Inc. Proceeds raised from these events directly
benefited our organization and help furthered the baseball and softball programs for our youth.
Candy Sales – In order to help offset costs for families, the participants and their parents were able to
sell boxes of candy this year. Each box sold helped contribute to their child’s program fee and reduce
their out-of-pocket contribution. This method was very successful and thus, Lost Boyz will be offering
this option again during the 2015 season.
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Financial Results for FY 2014
Donations, 37.0%
Program Service Revenue, 6.9%
In-Kind Items, 34.4%
Fundraisers, 12.3%
Board Dues, 7.4%Miscellaneous, 2.0%
FY 2014 REVENUE
Equipment Purchases, 48.3%
Uniforms, 10.8%
League & Tournament Fees,
21.2%
Winter Clinic Athletic Insurance, 2.0%
Travel, 7.9%
Fundraiser Costs, 6.4%
Administration, 3.4%
FY 2014 EXPENSES
Revenue……..$23,053
Operating Expenses……..$18,635
Year-End Surplus $4,418
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Growth Opportunities
For 2015 we have some very lofty goals. This year coming we are hoping to increase our budget by 100%
once again so that we begin to secure our own facility for programming and administration and bring on
one full-time staff.
Press Highlights
Windy City Live:
http://windycitylive.com/episodes/Whats-on-Dec-with-Billy-Dec--February-20/9437886
KISS 103.5:
http://www.1035kissfm.com/onair/the-weekly-show-w-jordan-50662/the-weekly-show-w-jordan-
whats-good-w-billy-dec-21514-12069508/
IL Voices from Kids:
http://www.voices4kids.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/VOICES_2014KC_report_FINAL-hires.pdf
Shopping Spree with Pittsburgh Pirates Player, Andrew McCutchen:
http://www.lostboyzinc.org/news/niketownwithandrewmccutchen
LOST BOYZ INC. ANNUAL REPORT FY 2014