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ADVENTURES IN LEARNING — LESSONS FOR LIFE

WILDERNESS LEADERSHIP & LEARNING

2016 ANNUAL REPORT

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Wilderness Leadership & Learning’s Mission is to provide diverse growth experiences and challenging learning opportunities to inspire and assist youth to make good decisions, become effective leaders, and achieve their goals.

WILL’S MISSION

Table of Contents

2 Mission Statement 3 Message from WILL’s President 4 WILL’s Pillars 5 Program Activities and Services 9 WILL 2016 Graduation 10 Outcomes & Impact 11 WILL Donors 14 WILL Leadership 15 2016 Financial Highlights

WILL is honored to be re-featured on the

Catalogue for Philanthropy’s 2016-2017 website and to

have been in the Catalogue since 2012, as one of the best community-based nonprofits

in the Greater DC region.

“The WILL Program positively changed my mindset, my outlook on life, and my perception of the world.” - Kyree

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MESSAGE FROM WILL’S PRESIDENT Dear Members of the WILL Family and Friends, I am pleased to report that FY16 (October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016) was another awesome Wilderness Leadership & Learning, Inc. (WILL) year. We marked WILL’s 12th year of providing positive holistic youth develop-ment programming for DC youth. We again attained a new revenue high - thank you to all who contributed to this milestone. WILL youth were engaged in more than 335 hours of quality experiential learning, youth leadership and life skills development activities that are de-signed to develop their inherent strengths, decision-making and leadership skills. For 9 years in a row, WILL’s retention rate has been between 67% and 76%, far exceeding the 50% considered excellent for youth development programs (we have never been below 50%). 90% of WILL youth reported that they learning something from the WILL programs in which they participat-ed, and 100% said that they benefited a great deal from being in WILL. WILL was accepted for a Compass Micro-Project focused on individual donor strategies. The Board prioritized and approved the Compass recommenda-tions, and we began to implement plans to further insure WILL’s growth and organizational and program sustainability. WILL was/is honored to have been selected be re-featured on the 2016-2017 Catalogue for Philanthropy’s website, to have been in the Catalogue since 2012, and to continue our partnership with the Catalogue as one of the best community-based nonprofits in the Greater Washington region. Kristen Best and Caroline Revis Co-Chaired a fantastic Fourth Annual WILL Power Party focused on celebrating 12 years of WILL positively im-pacting DC youth from underserved neighborhoods, and we honored WILL Partner of the Year - the Spend Performance Solutions Team of the Adviso-ry Board Company. THANK YOU to everyone who has been involved in the success of WILL’s first 12 years - the schools with whom we partner, our program partners who assist us to provide amazing learning experiences, our volunteers, past and current Board members, the donors and funders who make the work we do possible, and the WILL youth and their families for believing in us and the positive impact WILL has on the youth with whom we work. Warm regards, Steve

There Are No Can’ts In WILL

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WILL’S PILLARS Wilderness Leadership & Learning is a holistic

12-month,experiential learning, youth leadership, and life-skills development program.

Critical Life Skills Development WILL develops critical life skills, which are under-emphasized or not taught in school, such as financial literacy; accountability for behavior; communication skills; the importance of saying “please” and “thank you;” and how to make healthy nutrition de-cisions, set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound) goals, and create action plans to achieve them.

Cultural Awareness & Appreciation

Environmental Awareness & Stewardship

WILL youth learn to be receptive to, to appreciate and to respect diversity and differences in others (e.g., race, gender, religion, country of origin, sexual orientation, and beliefs).

Youth become more aware of the world around them and to be better stewards of the environment.

Leadership & Self-Empowerment Individual leadership, self-esteem, and confidence growth assist WILL youth increase their appreciation that each has the power and the ability to determine his/her life trajectory and to make decisions that lead to self-determination and self-sufficiency.

“Being a WILL participant changed the way I think about the environment and that we should do everything we can to protect and help save the environment.” – Joseph

OUR VALUE is found in our FOUR PILLARS:

“My word to describe my WILL experience is amazing because of all of the incredible activities I did with WILL and would never have had the chance to do.” – Kelvin

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WILL’S PROGRAM WILL believes that every youth has the potential to succeed and to create a full and meaningful life.

WILL’S CORE PROGRAM ACTIVITIES Ropes Course Rivers Day Holiday Party 2 Nutrition & Cultural

Awareness/Appreciation Days

Biases, Diversity & Inclusion Day

Day at the Newseum Bowling 3 Days at Karen Noonan

Center (Chesapeake Bay Foundation Environmental Education Center)

3 SMART Goals Setting & Discussion Days

3 Financial Literacy Days

College Admissions Forum/Expedition Orientation

Environmental Service Project

Scavenger Hunt on The Mall

Day at Mount Vernon Canoeing on the

Anacostia River Service at the Clagett

Farm 7-Day Expedition on

Appalachian Trail Graduation

WILL’S ALUMNI SERVICES Letters of Recommendation Alumni Lunch Alumni Cookout

“A word to describe my WILL experience is thoughtful be-

cause every activity I did in WILL taught me something new, and I know if I use all I learned in WILL, I can and will be the best person I can be .” – Abel

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YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

“The purpose of today’s scavenger hunt is to explore places in DC that we do not typically go to as well as to learn more about the memorials and museums in DC and art.” – Royerick

Service learning and giving back to one’s community are important aspects of WILL. Environmental Service Project – native wetland planting in the Anacostia River bottom during low tide

WILL’s youth development activities are critical to the ongoing growth process by helping WILL youth (1) meet their basic personal and social needs to be safe, feel cared for, and have value, and (2) to build upon skills and competencies that allow them to be agents of change, and to be effective in their daily lives.

Learning about art in the National Gallery of Art

during the Scavenger Hunt on the Mall.

Cultural Awareness - WILL Youth Learn about Persian culture and how

to play the Daf.

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EXPERIENTAL LEARNING

“The purpose of the Ropes Course was to get everyone to know one another, to learn to trust each other, and to show us how much teamwork impacts the majority of things that we do in life.” – Ta’a

WILL’s experiential learning activities enlarge the life experiences, enhance decision making and life skills, build character, and develop the leadership potential of WILL youth.

Environmental education on the Potomac & Anacostia Rivers.

Working on communication and team building skills

at the Ropes Course

WILL Youth hiking through a field on the

Appalachian Trail

Having fun setting crab pots and learning about the ecology

of the Bay at the KNC

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LIFESKILLS DEVELOPMENT WILL’s life skills development programs develop youth abilities for adaptive and positive behavior, that enable youth to deal effectively with the life’s challenges.

WILL Youth learn how to make a budget while

learning an essential life skill - Financial Literacy

During small group discussions at SMART

Goals days, WILL Youth provide constructive feed-back on each other’s goals

and action plans “During the WILL financial literacy days, I learned how to make a budget and that there is a real difference between a need and a want, and that being financially responsible is living with dignity – I plan to do that.” – Anthony

“I learned the importance of having action plans/steps to achieve my SMART Goals so I can at-tain my goals not dream about them.” – Nya

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WILL’S 2016 GRADUATION

September 3, 2016, WILL youth who successfully completed the year gathered with their families, teachers and WILL Board Members at the Thurgood Marshall Center to celebrate and honor their accomplishments and their year of new expe-riences and experiential learning. Royerick Carrillo received the Third Annual Jack Bauer Environmental Stewardship Award given in honor of Jack Bauer, a WILL Board Member and friend who passed away in December 2013.

“Every day in WILL was empowering. Every activity taught me something new, and I felt better and stronger as a person than before.” – Carlos

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WILL’S OUTCOMES & IMPACT

Since 2004, 100% of youth who have graduated from WILL have graduated from

high school or are on track to graduate.

2016 Graduates had 87% attendance rate

at WILL programs 90% of WILL youth

reported learning something new at each WILL activity

100% of WILL youth said that they benefited a great deal from being

in WILL 2015-2016 Evaluation Survey Results

WILL youth showed: significant increases in knowledge and understanding of financial literacy, SMART goals, en-vironmental awareness, nutrition, and leadership and self-empowerment, as well as positive knowledge acquisition in the areas of accountability, cultural awareness and appre-ciation, and the importance of good communication skills. WILL youth also universally demonstrated increases in

positive attitudes and perceptions about themselves.

“Because of what I learned in WILL, I now pick-up trash I see on the ground, I tell my friends not to drop trash on the ground, and I recycle.” – Ta’a

For 9 years in a row, WILL’s retention rate has been between 67% and 76%, far exceeding the 50% considered excellent for youth development programs

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WILL’S DONORS

We are pleased to recognize our growing community of supporters. Their generosity has allowed WILL to provide diverse growth experiences and challenging learning opportunities to more than 325 high potential underperforming youth in the Washington, D.C. area. We sincerely thank all those who contribute to WILL and invest in the futures of these incredible youth.

Foundations/Trusts The Aaron Straus & Lillie Straus Foundation Amazon Smile Foundation Anonymous Black’s Family Foundation Chesapeake Bay Foundation Chesapeake Bay Trust/NOAA Clark Charitable Foundation Clif Bar Family Foundation The Columbia Foundation The Comcast Foundation Corina Higginson Trust Dimick Foundation Genworth Foundation The George Preston Marshall Foundation Jack & Jill of America Foundation Jockey Hollow Foundation John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation Live Like Jack Fund Marlene & Samuel Halperin Charitable Trust M &T Charitable Foundation The Morningstar Foundation The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Share Fund Shiffrin Family Foundation The Steuart Foundation, Inc. T. Rowe Price Foundation, Inc.

Businesses Advisory Board Company Catalogue for Philanthropy Chase Builders, Inc. CIGNA Clear Vision Optical Co., Inc. Comcast Corporation District ChopHouse Family Law and Mediation Center Flare Events, LLC Foley Law Firm Good Search Grosvenor Americas Han Group LLC Haas Group LLC Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. Jones Lang LaSalle Americas Kannapell Associates, Inc. Lucky Strike Lanes Washington DC M&T Bank MetroAid, LLC Pepco Raffa, PC Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Co. Royal Cup Coffee Silberstein Insurance Group Sullivan & Cromwell LLP Alice Sydney, LLC TASC Three Crowns LLP Tri-State Stone & Building Supply Whole-Tech Solutions, LLC

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WILL’S DONORS (CONT’D)

Individuals Anonymous Steve Abraham Whitney Akers Derek & Sian Anderson John & Barbara Apostle Vernon & Sandra Baker Will Baker Robert King & Deena Barlev Mark & Jeyalene Baron Rob Barnett Jim Barrett Donna Duquette & Jay Barrymore Nathan Barrymore Barbara Batte Justin & Elizabeth Bausch Steve & Kristen Best Barbara Black David Blackwood Steve Bloom Wes & Mona Boatwright Marty Bowers Bruce & Sharon Bradley Andrew & Sharalyn Brady Drew Brandylyons Patricia Braun Jim & Alissa Brawner John Patrick Brown, Jr. Betsy Bubier Richard & Amy Buckley Ton Jarrett & Mimi Burke Barry & Phyllis Caldwell Bill Casano Elizabeth Cassady Meg Caulk Roger Charin Bill & Anne Charrier James & Heather Clessuras Wade Newton & Julie Clowes Sig & Susan Cohen Howard Bierman & Jill Coleman Bob Condit Eddie & Shaila Cordone Don & Margot Critchfield Ambler Cusick Jack & Caroline Daggitt David & Sally Daniel Burr Datz Cynthia Davenport Geoff Davis Kathy Davis Kirby & Ann Davis Lowell & Nancy Davis Gil & Margaret DeLorme Rebecca Dernbach Caulley Deringer Rich & Susan DiMaio Cathy Dooley Jim Dooley Stephanie Duncan-Peters

Gary & Tricia Duncan Nancy Dutton Evan & Amanda Farber Paul & Gretchen Fearey Nancy Fearheiley Carlos & Martha Fernandes Mike & Karen Foley Ben & Patricia Forman Brian & Nancy Ho Foster Tim Francis John & Mary Fritsche Jose Fuentes Josh & Erin Galper Nick & Katie Gard Jeff Gelman Steven & Katie Gewirz Jean Gilbert Munro Meyersburg & Kristina Gilbertson Nick Gill Graham & Kelli Gilmer Beata Glover Christina Golubski Adam & Liz Goozh Steve & Mary Gordon Kiran Gore Reggie Grant George Graves Robert & Bonnie Green Sean & Alisha Griffey Susan Griffey Kevin Hardy Paul & Heather Haaga Kirsten Hagen Anna Haglund Carl Hairston Albert Hart Peter Hawley Dan & Bridget Healey Steven Hirsch Jeff Hirschberg Scott Hoffman William Hoffman Don & Courtney Holmes Jamie Hotchkiss Bob & Vicki Huddleston Dan Humphrey Ash Johnson Ryan Brown & Bonnie Johnson Bruce & Pam Johnson Grif & Alix Johnson Mike & Marlana Kain Carter & Smythe Kannapell Frank & LeAnne Kannapell Caroline Kaplan Dallas & Amy Kaplan Walter D. Kelley, Jr. Eric Keller Karen Kelliher Tonya Kinlow Ryan Kilpatrick Doug & Elizabeth Kinney Charlie Kramer Rebecca Kullback

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Michelle Larson Rich & Christine Leggett Michelle Levister Sarae Leuckel Shira Lipsky Nick Loftus Felda Looper Rob & Linda Low Lucy Lowenthal Richard Luchs Roger Luchs Karen Lynch Wendy Malacaria Paul & Lois Maloney Julie Maner Mike & Kathy Marshall Justin Masters Melinda Maxfield Melissa Maxfield John & Ann McAllister Carola McGiffert Mike & Leslie McNamara Dave Hagigh & Ellen McRae Jennifer Medley Jake Michel Mark Miller Chris & Melinda Miller Ben & Elysa Mills Lanny Moldauer Kevin & Sarah Mooney Peter O’B. Moore Leora Motley Sarah Murdock Jennifer Murphey Emaan Abdelbaki & Nicole Naassan Richard & Mary Nenno Susan Niblock Laura Nickelhoff Rebecca Nichols Kevin & Karen Nimerick Carl Northrop Ned Scharpf & Tania Odabashian Kate Olson Joe & Edith Oppenheimer Greg & Amy Ossi George Pappas Henrik & Jennifer Parker Scott Parr Susan Parr Bijan Patala Brian & Jennifer Pellegrini Mike Phipps Jayne Plank Brian & Cathy Porto Kathy Prendergast Jim & Linda Pugel Victoria Quint Caroline Randall Rahul & Jeannine Ravel Jim Reed Caroline & Jeffrey Revis Eddie Reyes Scott Rhodes Juan Cameron & Martha Richardson

Matt & Elaina Roberts Kyle Roche Liz Rose Bennett Ross Michael Zeldin & Amy Rudnick Mark & Marissa Ruhe Jim Sadowski John & Kathy Sanders Michael & Deborah Sauri Steve & Sue Schiffman Ed Schirick Bobby & Janice Schmidt T. Michael Scott Laurie Davis & Joseph Sellers Jack & Elizabeth Sharman David & Peggy Shiffrin Tomm Sibert Richard Silberstein Dave & Anne Simms Zelma Slawsky Bill & Laura Slover Albert Small Sonny & Tina Small Hatton Smith Sarah Smith Valerie Smith John & Kim Snedden Margaret Snyder Luke and Anna Sobota Leigh Anna Sodac David & Madeleine Solan Kambiz Soltani Jamil & Lynn Sopher Adam & Ellen Spiegel Jim & Cecile Srodes Todd & Malia Stenerson John & Sarah Stephens Brad & Jennifer Steuart Guy & Peggy Steuart 2nd Guy & Cindy Steuart III Brooke Suiter Elizabeth Tanzi Robert Tigner Robert Twining Tim & Katie Tyler Mark Policy & Kathy Veazey Jim Vines Jonah Wagner Sheila Walker Meredith Keyse & Jason Walton Mark & Mandy Watson Erin Watts Kevin & Katherine Webb Eleanor Weiss David West Steve & Melissa Whiting Adam & Vicki Wickline Donald Williams Richard & Lena Wise Mark Witowski Tom Barr & Minh Woods Nancy Young Tony & Corrine Zaccagnini Frank & Meghan Zampardi Kurt & Catherine Zimmermann

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Matthew Roberts Director & Secretary Director of Group Benefits, Raffa Financial Services, Inc. Melissa Maxfield Director Senior Vice President of Federal Government Affairs, Comcast Corporation James Vines Director Partner, King & Spaulding, LLP

WILL LEADERSHIP

Stephen H. Abraham Director & President/CEO John Griffith Johnson, Jr. Director & Chair of the Board Of Counsel – Telecommunications Law Professionals, LLC Victoria Wickline Director & Vice-Chair of the Board Senior Director– Advisory Board Company Jean Gilbert Director & Treasurer Senior Manager, Raffa, PC

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2016 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS October 1, 2015 - September 30, 2016 Audited Numbers

REVENUE AND SUPPORT 2016 2015 Grants $126,112 $131,513

Contributions 75,044 59,787 Special Events 70,365 55,998 In-kind revenue 13,097 13,495 Other Income 629 2,046 Releases Temp. Restricted Net Assets 10,000 10,000 Total Revenue and Support 295,247 272,839

EXPENSES Program Services 194,040 177,735

Supporting Services: Management and General 8,803 8,104 Fundraising 48,533 42,481

Total Support Services 57,336 50,585 Total Expenses 251,376 228,320 Change in Net Assets 33,871 44,519

Change Temp. Restricted Net Assets (10,000) - Net Assets – Beginning of year 243,166 198,647 Net Assets – End of year $277,037 $243,166

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1758 Park Road, NW | Washington, DC 20010 | (202) 319-2765

@will_lead_dc | www.facebook.com/wildernessleadership

WWW.WILL-LEAD.ORG

“If I were you, I would join the WILL Program. It is really

a great experience, you learn about yourself and get to do

things you never thought you would or could do. WILL

should be required for all high school students.” – Royerick