OPEN DOORPRESCHOOLS

2012 ANNUAL REPORT

TO NURTURE AND INSPIRE YOUNG CHILDREN OF DIVERSE NEEDS, ECONOMIC LEVELS, AND FAMILY BACKGROUNDS IN AN ENGAGING EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT.

2012 was a year of growth for Open Door. With the opening of Open Door at M Station in late 2011, we were able to serve 50% more children and their families during the past year. Our new school, like our two established sites, quickly earned a reputation as a model program.

With growth invariably come growing pains. Because we are so administratively lean, with most of our resources poured directly into our classrooms, sustainability becomes an issue. How can we ensure that we remain a treasured community resource for another generation?

We can be sustainable only when we are in genuine partnership with the wider community. Our strength is a reflection of the many supporters who invest their time, talent, funds, and good will into Open Door. Without them—without you—these pages would be blank.

We thank you for helping to fill these pages with images and words that demonstrate why Open Door truly matters.

Sincerely,

Larry Elsner Donna ThayerExecutive Director Chair, Board of Directors

When the President of the United States used the State of the Union Address to highlight the importance of early childhood education, the nation heard what many of us in the field have been stressing for decades. If we are serious about bridging the achievement gap between the haves and the have-nots and want to create genuine opportunities for all children, we must work with children when they are very young.

Research shows that children from high-risk environments are often two years behind developmentally by the time they reach kindergarten. Sadly, the gap tends to persist over time and adversely affects not only their readiness for school but also their lifelong success.

Since our founding, Open Door Preschools has been dedicated to providing the best start possible for all children. For thirty-eight years we have been building on children’s strengths to better equip them to prosper in an increasingly challenging world. Our commitment to diversity—bringing together children of varied abilities and family backgrounds—coupled with our commitment to quality make Open Door unique in our community.

But we don’t want to be unique. We want all children to be shaped by the values that are the underpinning of Open Door.

DEAR FRIENDS,

WHAT WE DID IN 2012Expanded our Foster Grandparent program with help from LCRA Employees’ United Charities and the Weatherspoon Foundation.

Provided an enriching summer experience for school-aged children through Camp Chef Kids, with funding from 3M.

Offered nutrition education at Open Door at M Station through a grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture.

Expanded our creative movement and music program at all three sites with generous funding from the Ward and Genevieve Orsinger Foundation.

Began the NAEYC accreditation process at Open Door at M Station with major support from the Webber Family Foundation.

Developed nature-based learning with assistance from the Inman Foundation.

Provided tuition subsidies for working poor and families facing financial setbacks through Project Helping Hand, funded by the Lowe Foundation, the Donald D. Hammill Foundation, and the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation.

Honored Will Meredith with the Lack Family Visionary Volunteer Award, the Donald D. Hammill Foundation with the Opening New Doors Award, and Larry Elsner with the Board of Directors’ Exceptional Leadership Award to mark his ten years as Executive Director of Open Door.

Presented the Nira Changwatchai Living the Mission Award to Diana Peyton, Morgan Del Valle, Veronica Rodriguez, Liesel Schmidt, and Bonnie Ricks.

Served over 300 children and their families.

Lived our mission every day.

The whole staff at Open Door is an assuring presence that my son is nurtured, supported and growing. I have to work. I am the provider of the family and I am grateful every day that my son has a warm, creative, out of the box environment to go to during the week.

I honestly believe that I am a better parent as a result of the input and advice that I have gleaned from the Open Door staff.

Once upon a time a family wanted to send their two children to preschool together. Because their son had a disability, no one would accept them both. So they started their own school so that children with special needs and typically developing children could learn, grow, and thrive together.

Open Door began in 1975 with just nine children.

Since then ...

• We have grown to three schools in central Austin (two in East Austin and one in Clarksville)

• We have increased our capacity to over 210 children every day

• We have expanded our mission to emphasize socioeconomic and cultural diversity of our families

• We have added infants and young toddlers to our mix• We have built a strong reputation in the community

based on our commitment to high quality early childhood education for all children and our attention to social and emotional development

• We have worked with many children who have been unsuccessful at other programs

• We have been awarded NAEYC accreditation (we were the first in Austin), which is the gold standard in the field. Open Door-Central and Open Door-East are currently accredited. Open Door at M Station, as a new school, is on target to become accredited by the end of 2013.

• We have established a social work program to help connect families to community resources and to bridge school and home

• We have provided a myriad of training opportunities for students in the field so we can broaden our reach

Our goal is for all of our children and families to live happily ever after.

OUR STORY

REVENUESTuition, including City/County subsidies 1,659,789United Way allocation 104,000Grants 193,207Contributions 62,995 Contributions – in-kind 6,447Fund-raising events 66,681River City Bingo 111,317Investment income 1,901Other income 6,961Total revenues 2,213,298

EXPENSESProgram Services 2,049,328Management and General 95,350Fundraising 48,413Total expenses 2,193,091Change in Net Assets (decrease) 20,207

ASSETSCash 24,161Receivables 98,818Cash and investments restricted 51,958Fixed Assets (net of depreciation) 176,536Other Assets 38,758Total Assets 390,231

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETSTotal Liabilities 54,622Total Net Assets 335,609Total liabilities and net assets 390,231

STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIESAudited as of December 31, 2012

My boys have blossomed in the short time they’ve been at Open Door. Their vocabulary has exploded, they are so much more outgoing and social now. They are learning so much every day. These past few months have been transformative for all of us.

INDIVIDUALAnonymousI.J. AaronsDiane BakerDavid & Shirlene BallTimy BaronoffReynolds BarnesGreg & Lori BausmanDon & Michele BaylorDon & Rebecca BaylorMeredith BeemanMary & Marshall BenbowCharles & Kathleen BoasAlice BolanderRoss & Patricia BucholtzChristine Burgess & John PraterChanning BurkeKane & Kate BurnsJohn BurrowsJay & Torie CampTodd CampbellPaul Carpetyn & Julia SpannJim & Nancy ClarkTim & Debbie CooperRobert Cullick & Suzy SeriffJoan CunninghamAmi DavisChris Dietche & Ana Mejia-DietcheHonorable Lloyd & Libby DoggettJames Dunnam & Tracey TisdaleBrian EastJean ElsnerLarry Elsner & Benita RubinettMichael Elsner & Peggy HutchisonMark Engeling & Ann BenolkenJohn & Barbara FilippidisCharlotte FlynnFrank & Sharon Foerster

2012 DONORS

Richard & Susan FrapartStan & B.J. FriedmanAda Belle FudellMaria GarcesPonch Garcia & Lydia PuenteBill Gardner & Paul WarnkeAdrian Getzoff & Sally PyeRichard & Carol GlascoDwayne & Dawn GoetzelLaura & Russell GoldAndrew & Stefani GolubNeia GoodwynAshley GordonMary Ellen GrafRhonda GreeneCuatro & Alicia GroosLynn HailstoneRachael HaireAndrew & Erica HarrisScott & Melinda HarrisAarne & Mickey HartikkaEric & Britney HeimCharles & Christy HeimsathRoss & Nichole HendersonKatherine HerringBruce HinsonJoan HornigArnold & Penny HorwitchStaci Hubbard & Ann JinkinsBob & Gail HughesMike Hurewitz & Isabelle HeadrickJohn Kokernot & Margaret MendezJames & Mary KahleWilliam & Stephanie KalahurkaPeter Kaltenbach & Anne GoshornRobin KaminskyBlynda KellnerChristopher MacDonald Kindel

Christopher King & Cody BradyTara KirklandRoger & Janet KleinmanStephen & Mary KnightCass Meyer & Jennifer KnowlesBarbara KoeppReuben & Estelle KogutPatrick & Joan KotheRushmi & Pradeep KumarMark & Tara LevyRick Levy & Lynn RubinettRobert & Helen LightfootScott Lipton & Erica ShamalyMichelle MannRobert MannJose Merrero & Mary SearcyMike MarshallJamie MartinezBetty MarzMarco & Tracey MatcheftsMichael & Cyndi MayoAnnette McCoyMichael McCullough & Carol PazeraKelly & Cynthia McCullumLinda McDavittJohn McGlothlinJeff & Cindy McKeeRichard MichelettiAnna MillerBob Miller & E.J. RomeroMeg & HD MooreTristan Ader & Jessica MooreRoger MorenoKevin & Catherine MorseMariano Reynoso & Dana Muse-ReynosoDavid Myren & Sharon DoerreMichael & Alexandra Nagy

Elliott NaishtatLarry & Cindy NaleJarod Neece & Andrea Yz CatalinaCarol NelsonPiper & Drew NelsonRebecca NeubauerSa V NguyenMiriam NussenbaumRock & Barbara OnstadMarylin Orton & Rosalyn CliftonTom PalaimaJuan Parra & Gissela Santa CruzLindy PattersonAnn & Kyle PickensJenny Pitts & Deborah CannonMike Powers & Stacy LeonLynne PraterHarry & Jerri PriceDan PruettMitch Pryor & Donna BuecheLansing Pugh & Liz BadgerCindy RabbJoe ReyesChris & Meredith RoachDale & Andrea RobertsPaul & Carolyn RobertsEagle H. RobinsonMonique RodriguezNancy RosenauRobert RouderGordon & Susan RubinettDaniel & Rosalie SamuelsonCristina SanchezMario & Joanne SanchezPhil & Donna SchmidtSeth & Judith SearcyJoe & Elaine SeiboldEddie Selig & Cathy Schechter

Armand & Lynn ShapiroJohn SheafeGreg Sheff & Sarah ButtreyGina ShishimaJeff & Melissa SimplerSusan SkylerMatt SmithDevon SmithGale SpearHelen SpearBarry SpearsEric Spivey & Wendy MooreBill & Jeanie StarkGuy & Robert StefaniBob & Diane StonecipherRodney & Gail SusholtzScott & Cathy SweetAaron & Navvab TaylorDonna ThayerBratten ThomasonDyana ThomasDustin & Lea ThompsonG.E. & Brenda ThompsonKristal ThomsonErik Tragus & Kiao Yun WangElliot Trester & Barbara WilsonSamuel Trickey & Cynthia KarleTim Trickey & Jennifer WhittenMayra VasquezMarcelyn Freed VenerAlex & Rebecca WalstonDan & Amber WeiglChris Weimer & Georgina DominguezJason & Mandy WellsLinda WelshDana Hoyer WestMichael White & Amy Hardison

Andy & Karen WhiteJohn Williams & Michelle RossomandoKatherine WilliamsMark and Linda WilliamsMarc & Suzanne WinkelmanMarc & Phyllis WorobRonald Wyllys & Martha RichardsonEmily YeagerStephen Yelenosky & Jill McRaeAlejando Zepeda

FOUNDATIONSAnonymousDonald D. Hammill FoundationInman FoundationLowe FoundationGenevieve & Ward Orsinger FoundationBernard & Audre Rapoport FoundationRubinett Family FoundationStill Water FoundationTopfer Family FoundationWeatherspoon FoundationWebber Family Foundation

CORPORATE3MApple Matching GiftsApplied Materials Matching GiftsCovert ChevroletDell Direct Giving CampaignFulbright & Jaworksi, LLPGoldman Sachs Matching GiftsIBMJackson Walker, LLPMcKinney York Architects

Michele King ConsultingMicrosoft Matching GiftsMiller BlueprintPew Charitable Trust Matching GiftsSabre Matching GiftsSafeway, Inc./Randall’sSamsung Austin SemiconductorSeton Texas Capital BankThomson Reuters Matching GiftsThreadgill’sWhole Foods Market

ORGANIZATIONSCity of AustinGenerous Art, LLCLCRA Employees’ United CharitiesRiver City BingoTexas All British Car DaysTexas Department of AgricultureTravis CountyUnited Way for Greater AustinWorkForce Solutions

Not only has our daughter learned to treat her peers and teachers respectfully, she has a sense of self-importance. That is essential.

Donna Thayer, Chair 2013Thomson Reuters

David Ball, CPAJI Companies

Michele BaylorUniversity of Texas at Austin

Laurie Gallardo*KUT

Michele KingMichele King Consulting

Tara KirklandGreenlights

Rushmi KumarCommunity Volunteer

Mark Levy*State of Texas

Scott Lipton*Del Valle I.S.D.

George LucGivePulse, Inc.

Michelle MannDell, Inc.

Meg MooreAustin Strategic Planning

Nicole RobertsGeneral Mills

Devon SmithDell, Inc.

Jeanie Stark*Good Shepherd Episcopal School

Dustin ThompsonInfosys, Ltd.

Chris WeimerNorton Rose Fulbright

Jason Wells*Netspend

Larry ElsnerEx-OfficioExecutive DirectorOpen Door Preschools

* Retired Board Member

OPEN DOOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS2012–2013

LOCATIONS

Open Door Central1717 West 10th StreetAustin, TX 78703512.477.9632

Open Door East3804 Cherrywood RoadAustin, TX 78722512.481.0775

Open Door at M Station2918 E. MLK Blvd.Austin, TX 78702512.610.7383

WWW.OPENDOORPRESCHOOL.ORGPhotography by Jen MayerDesign by Sara Rubinett • sararubinett.comPrinting donated

If you would like more information, please contact Larry Elsner at:

512.481.0775elsner@opendoorpreschool.org