STATUS REPORT

Watch, Learn, Create

Dear Friends,
For nearly 30 years, SPNN has been transforming the lives of people in Saint Paul - as well as the field of community media - both
locally and nationally. As we look to the future, we know that we will need to continue to adapt to evolving technology, our changing
media landscape and the shifting needs of the communities we serve. SPNN has been able to successfully grow and adapt because of
you - our members, supporters and partners - and for that, we thank you.
This past year we saw one major transformation: the departure of our Executive Director of 13 years,
Mike Wassenaar, and the hiring of our new leader, Chad Johnston, who brings to SPNN a wealth of
experience in community media and a deep understanding of the power it has to better lives.
During this time of change SPNN has continued to build capacity and expertise. We completed
a capital campaign to equip our youth programs for 5 years. We completed our second year of
the Doc U program with phenomenal success. We continued to provide relevant and compelling
original programing that cannot be seen anywhere else. Our Community Technology Empowerment
Project forged new partnerships and secured another 3 year federal grant to continue the program.
Thank you again for your support and partnership. We look forward to continuing to work with you to help us serve and transform
our community.

Libby Caulum

Chad Johnston

Board President

Executive Director

BOARD of

DIRECTORS
Libby Caulum
President

Cody Fleischfresser
Vice President

Alissa Harrington
Treasurer

Caryn Jacowski
Secretary

Adam Broderick
Nancy Her
Deirdre Hodgson
Sarah Koschinska
Karen Reid
Josh Schaffer

Last year
263 members
of our community
produced

1803

hours
of original
programming on
SPNNs Access
channels.

ACCESS
Visual artist and blogger Theresa Crushshon has recently added media
making to her list of artistic pursuits, and she is not doing too badly.

Her first

attempt, a documentary on Twin Cities jazz pioneer Irv Williams, garnered a prestigious Hometown
Media Award from the Alliance for Community Media.
While living in the historic Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, disaster hit. Hurricane Katrina
wrought havoc upon the southeastern region of US, and forced this Twin Cities native to return home.
Feeling uprooted and not too excited about leaving the gorgeous sun of New Orleans, Crushshon
decided to immerse herself in the Lowertown arts community of Saint Paul, where she now lives.
Theresa applied to the Doc U project at SPNN, a project funded by Minnesota State Arts Board
that teaches documentary filmmaking to low-income adults. She found the Doc U project to be a
great way to gain the technical skills that she needed. The program helped strengthen my voice in
documentary storytelling. I am grateful for the training and the network of talented people I met
while being involved in Doc U, says Crushshon.
Crushshon is currently completing a Masters degree in Media Studies and hopes to continue to
create entertaining and informative documentaries.

I am grateful for
the training and
the network of
talented people I
met while
being involved in
Doc U.

SPNN served

250

youth in school and

community based
programs.

YOUTH
When RayLynn decided to take a semester off from school, she needed
something new to fill her days. A long-time SPNN Youth participant, she was
looking for an opportunity that would challenge her in new ways.
Thats why she was so excited when SPNN Youth hired her to be a youth producer on a pilot project
with out-of-school-time network St. Paul Sprockets program, which creates promotional videos for St.
Paul youth service organizations. What she didnt expect was to be handed the reigns.
We went to these meetings knowing we were the ones producing this, not just tagalongsand thats
such a liberating, empowering feeling. The pressure was on RayLynn, not SPNN staff, to deliver on the
clients requests.
It turned out to be just the kind of spark that RayLynn was looking for. She is now working on a featurelength narrative film project and credits her summer job at SPNN with helping her build the confidence
and skills she needed to make it happen.
RayLynns story is just one example of how SPNN Youth bridges the gap between creative exploration
through media and real-world job skills. Our paid opportunities help young people develop their media
and professional skills, and then use those skills to better their lives, our economy and the community
we live in.

She was
looking for an
opportunity
that would
challenge her
in new ways.

SPNN partnered
with non-profit
organizations and
government
agencies to create

122

hours
of original
programs about
Saint Paul.

COMMUNITY PRODUCTIONS
Since our early days, SPNN has maintained a strong relationship with Saint
Pauls Hmong community. True to our mission of amplifying diverse voices, we have
regularly worked with the Hmong community to offer news, information, and personal stories.

When SPNN Community Productions staff member David Zierott began producing the web series
Market, he set out to tell the story of the vibrant St. Paul Farmers Market and the people behind it.
Half of the farmers selling at the market today are Hmong, with a deep knowledge and passion for
local food. Fittingly, the lead photographer on the Market project, Noel Lee, is a Hmong immigrant
who, at age 16, began learning video production at SPNN Youth.

Xangs story of
becoming a

For one episode of Market, David, Noel, and the rest of the production crew traveled to Woodbury,
MN to meet with farmer Xang Vang on his land. Xang was the first Hmong farmer to sell at
the market in the 1980s, and he is still there today. His children have now graduated college,
supported by his work providing fresh, locally grown produce to his community. Xangs powerful
story of arriving here as a refugee and becoming a successful small farmer has been one of our
most popular episodes of Market, garnering thousands of views online and on-air. Stories like this
cant be found just anywhere- but they can be found on SPNN.

successful small
farmer has been
one of our most
popular episodes
of Market.

SPNN placed
AmeriCorps members
at 23 community
technology centers,
providing

52,677
hours of service,
helping over
5,465 clients,
428 of whom found
employment.

COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY EMPOWERMENT PROJECT

SPNNs Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP), bridges the
digital divide for New Americans and low-income communities in the Twin
Cities. CTEP currently hosts 35 AmeriCorps members who have committed to
a year of service in the community.

CTEP Member Andy Kishel operated the computer lab at

the Employment Action Center (EAC) in St. Paul, Minnesota. Andys service was with participants with low
English skills and those lacking computer skills.
As a CTEP member, Andy facilitated workshops on computer skills, resumes, job searching on the internet,
finances, and professionalism in computer use. CTEP members structure and build curriculum, facilitate
assessments, and coordinate instruction.
Participants Marva, Saywon and Venoy started participating in computer classes at EACs Community
Technology and Job Search Center after attending an orientation. They focused on patching up their
resumes while learning Microsoft Word skills, and established a procedure for filling out job applications
by taking information from their resumes. Although everyone started at different levels of computer
familiarity, they all learned a lot of email tricks and the aspects of Windows operating system along
the way. Marvas persistence paid off with employment at a catering agency, while Saywon secured a
position in her preferred field of housekeeping. Venoy returned to substitute teaching with a fortified
knowledge of computers.

Venoy returned
to substitute
teaching with
a fortified
knowledge of
computers.

FY 2013 REVENUE AND EXPENSES

Statement of Activities
Revenue

Total Revenue and Support

$2,271,606

Operating Grants

$891,646

Government Grants (18%)

Government Grants

$409,184

Contributions (4%)

$85,647

In-Kind ($16%)

$385,532

Fees (5%)

Contributions

In-Kind
Fees

Memberships (8%)

$112,763

Memberships

$179,057

Sales

$9,303

Interest Income

$11,887

Assets Released from Restrictions

$186,587

Total Expenses
Program Services
General & Administrative
Fundraising

$2,216,030
$1,805,061
$305,498
$105,471

Operating Grants (39%)

Sales (1%)
Interest Income (1%)
Assets Released from Restriction (8%)

Expenses

Program Services (82%)

General & Administrative (13%)
Fundraising (5%)

SUPPORTERS
Contributions of $25,000 & above
ADC Foundation
Carl and Eloise Pohlad Family Foundation
Youthprise

Contributions of $15,000 to $24,999

Cultural STAR

Alissa & Chris Harrington

Josh Albrecht

Seng Her

Barry Anderson

Bradley & Guzzetta

Caryn Jacowski

Donald Applebee

Harrington Langer & Associates

Ann Johnson

Michelle Alimoradi

Sarah Koschinska

Max Joiner

Lee Bjerke

Karen Reid

Marc Kotsonas

Dan Bostrom

Kim Vanderwall

Mary Klas

Eleanor Bienhoff

Peter Lee

Viva Beck

Steve Minnema

Alex Betzler

Jane Minnema

Aviva Breen

Contributions of $500 to $999

Contributions of $100 to $499

Minnesota State Arts Board

Grant Abbott & Elaine Tarone

Contributions of $5,000 to $14,999

Annonymous
Adam Broderick

F.R. Bigelow Foundation

Jeri Boisvert
Erin Bowley

Contributions of $1,000 to $4,999

Ameriprise Financial
Annonymous
Matt Ehling
Cody & Laura Fleischfresser
Robin Hickman
Cheryl Jacobsen
Mike Wassenaar

Mary Boyd
Richard Bancroft
Libby Caulum
Santanu Chatterjee

Micah & Eleanor Minnema

Mike Rossberg
Susan Rockwood
Catherine Reid Day
Susan Rostkoski
Michelle Smith
Josh Schaffer
Sam Salha
Bernice Vetsch

Emergence Pictures

Sheri K Whitfield

Janice Gaughan

John Zakelj

Mike Griffin
Katherine Hadley

Contributions of $1 to $99

James Haselmann
John Hick

John Akre

Beth Blick
Clara Boyum
Danette Buskovick
Claire Cambridge
Erin Chesney
Bruce Corrie
Elizabeth Clysdale
Margaret Charmoli
Nick Conti-Masanz
Steven Clift
Jim Devos
David Duggan
Tom Dooley
Lawrence Englund

SUPPORTERS
Alex Eilts

Blair Jasper

Ann McKinnon

Jodi Sarles

Nichole Fairbanks

Mary Jean Babcock

Ginger McIntosh

Bonnie & Larry Schumacher

Timothy Foss

Jane & Euan Kerr

Kim Mai

Erik Sande

Neal Gosman

Julie Kizlik

Chris McGrath

Jon Schumacher

Cathy Gilmore

Tori Kolste

James McJilton

Michelle Sether

Jean Gilland

Joanna Kohler

Jeremy Nichols

Julie Souzek

Samatha Grose

Pam Hill Kroyer

Kjersti Nilssen

Maris Strautmanis

Marla Gamble

Steven Kaplan

Michael Peterson

Gordon Stecklein

Rachel-Holland Burkhardt

Diana Karrdal

Lisa Peterson-de la Cueva

Katy Schultz

Rebecca Hine

Kevin Kalla

Rose Maria Peterson

Erik Thompson

Jolyn Howe

Emily Krumberger

Sharon Parker

Marilynn Taylor

Kou Doua Her

John Krumberger

Susan Perkins

Mark Tolo

May Her

Peter Kirschmann

Ronald Parker

Shinji Uozumi

Nancy Her

Cynthia Lewis

Sharon & Donald Pine

James Whitfield

Patricia Hummel

Lake Street DQ

Jim Pennino

Robert Walters

Sydney Howell

Adam Litz

Teresa Renneke

Bonnie Watkins

Dia Her

Kristin Lail

Harold Rufeldt

Deacon Warner

Judy Hawkinson

Andrea Lehman

William Reardon

Mark Wojahn

Na Herr

Brian Leehan

Mike Reardon

Thomas Williamson

Nelly Trocme Hewett

Richard Mammen

Anthony Robert Scott II

Erin Walsh

Christine Huff

Jyl & Randy Molle

Hilary Reeves

Libby Yowell

Antoine Haywood

Reecca McLenithan

Kristi Rendahl

David Zierott

Jim Ivey

Sarah Martin

Suzanne Rohland

INKIND SUPPORTERS
Acme Comedy Company

Minnesota Swarm

Best Western, White Bear Country Inn

Minnesota Vikings

Bibelot Shops

Mixed Blood Theater

Childrens Theater Company

MN Childrens Museum

Dancers Studio

Mystic Lake Casino - The Meadows Golf Course

Digital Pictures

Old Log Theater

Dunn Bros Coffee

One Dish at A Time

Flirt Boutique

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Georgias Girl Handbags

Panera Bread

Grand Ole Creamery & Pizzeria

Park Square Theatre

Hands on Heart Holistic Healthcare

Patricks Cabaret

History Theatre

Penumbra Theatre Company

Last year we launched the

Holiday Inn, Downtown St. Paul

Science Museum of MN

Equipping SPNN Youth campaign.

Hopkins Center for the The Arts

Showboat Theater Company

Illusion Theater

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Company

Its ambitious goal: fully funding

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and

St. Paul Saints

Mask Theater

Stages Theatre Company

Jonathan Padelford Riverboats

Stepping Stone Theatre for Youth Development

Jungle Theater

Teatro Del Pablo

Thanks to the support we received

Lakeshore Plyers

The Tea Garden

from many individuals and foun-

Lost Spur Golf and Event Center

The Wilderness at Fortune Bay

Mill City Museum

Toro

dations we reached our goal, and

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Twin City Model Railroad Museum

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Wet Paint

access a state-of-the-art media lab

Minnesota Lynx

YWCA St. Paul

for years to come.

Thank You!

SPNN Youths equipment needs for

the next five years.

so Saint Pauls youth will be able to

Saint Paul Neighborhood Network

375 Jackson Street, Suite 250
Saint Paul, MN 55101
www.spnn.org