Operating Support

To develop and expand our vocational and social skills programming for adults with disabilities being served through Adult Day Programs. Measurable outcome: in response to changes in the structuring of Adult Day Programs, we will carry out a new model of adult programming that is integrated into day-to-day services, multiple times a week. By expanding our work with adults with disabilities, who would otherwise have limited access to the arts, we are addressing the Minnesota State Arts Board’s goal that people of all ages, ethnicities, and abilities participate in the arts. We track our service and client numbers, and carry out pre- and post- program evaluations on each program participant, as well as staff/ teacher evaluations. In fiscal year 2013, we carried out 170 hours of programming for adults with disabilities at Adult Day programs, and worked with eleven different Adult Day programs. This is an increase from the previous year, but even more substantial is how our expansion and development of adult programming in fiscal year 2013 has attracted new clients and leveraged funding so that in fiscal year 2014, we will carry out 290 hours of programming for twenty four different Adult Day program groups. Our evaluation from the past year found our programs had significant impact on participants' social and vocational skills, and increased exposure and participation in the arts. Our evaluation and service numbers help us to demonstrate that we are contributing to the Minnesota State Arts Board's strategic goal that People of all ages, ethnicities and abilities participate in the arts. 2: Respond to the current economic climate, by refining our program model and pricing to ensure our programs are both sustainable and accessible to our clients. Measurable outcome: in 2013, we will maintain our current clients and service numbers, while maintaining a balanced budget. By making strategic organizational changes to ensure our mission to serve people of all abilities is carried out and ensure that all of our clients can access our services, we are addressing the Minnesota State Arts Board’s goal that people of all ages, ethnicities and abilities participate in the arts. The main demonstration that we achieved our goal is that we ended our fiscal year 2013 with a balanced budget and surplus to bolster our cash reserves. We now have in place more robust financial systems, policies and reporting capabilities and our Board and staff have increased their expertise in financial management. This is demonstrated by the fact that we underwent review and met the standards of the Charities Review Council this past year. We track our service and client numbers, and carry extensive program evaluations to track our organizational impact. In fiscal year 2013, while streamlining costs, Upstream Arts increased our service numbers and the number of programs we carried out, by serving over 1,900 individuals ages birth to 75+ of all abilities, including those with cognitive, developmental, emotional, behavioral, physical disabilities and visual and hearing impairments, thereby advancing the Minnesota State Arts Board’s goal that People of all ages, ethnicities and abilities participate in the arts.