Annual Report 2011Watch, Learn, Create

Dear Friends,

Board President Executive Director

What a year at SPNN!

As we look through the stories in this annual report we are struck by how much SPNN has changed. Over the years our

organization has grown in size, scope and depth of service. Today, we still provide a vital free speech forum through our

cable channels, but we also teach life skills important for people, young and old, to be successful in our modern economy.

Our new mission is to empower people to use media and communications to better lives,

use authentic voice, and build common understanding. This mission reflects an organization

that has grown from one that cultivates free speech, to one that equips people with the

skills necessary to thrive in a world that is more and more reliant on its technology.

That’s why we are devoted to making sure that all people are digitally literate, that our

community has accurate and useful information about issues important to our lives, and

that our young people can build a path towards being leaders in our community.

We hope you agree that this is a worthwhile venture, and we hope you will continue to be a part of it!

Thank you.

Matt Ehling Mike Wassenaar

2011Board of Directors

Matt EhlingPresident

Dawn MikkelsonVice President

Marc KotsonasTreasurer

Laura Nevitt Secretary

Grant Abbott

Richard Daddi

Cody Fleischfresser

Doug Harris

Joanna Kohler

Kim Vanderwall

In 2011, SPNN taught

250youth

in our after-school, in-school and

summer programs.

“My favoritepart of the summit was

seeing everybody coming and

enjoying what they learned.”

This summer, SPNN Youth hosted its first ever Youth Media Summit where 15

participants, all new to SPNN Youth, came to learn basic video production in a

day-long workshop. Organized by SPNN’s Youth Action Committee (YAC), the project started when youth

members of YAC decided they wanted to change up the usual end of summer screening and facilitate an

event that would be more creative and participatory.

At the summit, each group of youth chose a scene from a movie to re-enact. They received a short training

session in setting up equipment, shooting, and editing their videos. A number of creative stipulations

challenged the participants, such as asking that they use a sock puppet as a prop for each video. YAC member

Samrawit Gabremichael added, “in our group they used the puppet as the one saving Rose [on the Titanic].”

The workshop was followed by an informal screening where all the youth got a chance to view each others’

projects. “My favorite part of the summit was seeing everybody coming and enjoying what they learned,”

said Samrawit. Andrew agrees that the summit was an all around success, “our goal was to make it fun and to

[have a] good turnout of people and I feel like we achieved that goal.”

The program’s success would not have been possible without the creativity and dedication of the youth

who participate in YAC. Thanks to them, two of the summit participants have continued with SPNN in our

Set It Up program. YAC was so pleased with the results that they have decided to make the Youth Media

Summit a new annual tradition.

Youth: Directing Creative Experiences

In 2011, 260 members

of our community produced

1880hours

of original programming on

SPNN’s Access channels.

“I’m proud to be able to bring a message of alternative healing and

medicine to a broader

audience through SPNN.”

When Christine Huff’s employment status changed, she found herself with a lot

more time on her hands. Looking for a constructive way to spend her new free time, Christine

became a member of SPNN’s Access Center. She soon decided to use her experience as a Reiki Master

(a form of relaxation healing) to produce a show that explores holistic healing techniques and

alternative medicine.

Christine possesses a wealth of knowledge about integrated therapeutic practices, but was a video

neophyte and uncertain of where to begin the process of making a TV show. After a consultation with

an SPNN Access staff member, she decided it would be wise to take her one woman show on location,

and shoot at home rather than juggle the availability of a production crew with the cadre of guest

practitioners.

She has single-handedly produced a series of shows on naturopathy, shamanism, energy healing and

acupuncture. Using the wealth of skills she learned at the Access Center, she is able to shoot and edit the

show herself.

Christine holds community media in high regard and sees it as an opportunity to produce television

that is locally relevant. “I’m proud to be able to bring a message of alternative healing and medicine to

a broader audience through SPNN,” Christine says. “I would never be able to produce Healing Arts 101

without SPNN. It’s absolutely amazing, the reach you can have.”

Access: Small Production, Wide Reach

In 2011, SPNN partnered with non-profit

organizations and government

agencies to create

195hours

of original programs about

Saint Paul.

Ensuring that Channel 19 is a place for diverse perspectives, performances and

opinions is the driving force behind SPNN’s Community Productions Department. In 2011, we strengthened this focus, partnering with communities both known and new to us, creating fresh

and exciting programs.

Working in partnership with the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans

(MCDHH), SPNN filmed the performance “The Same Difference: Writers with Disabilities” at The

Loft Literary Center. Local writers John Lee Clark, Raymond Luczak, Tara Arlene Innmon, and Lynne

Nerenberg offered SPNN viewers a unique insight into their artistic processes, as well as a deeper

understanding of how they experience life as artists with disabilities.

Our relationship with the Deaf, DeafBlind, and the Hard of Hearing community continues to grow. In the

past year, over a quarter of all programs created by the Community Productions department included

subtitles, closed-captioning or signed interpretation, allowing us to act as a bridge of communication to a

large and valued segment of our community.

Mary Hartnett, Executive Director of MCDHH says that “SPNN has been and continues to be a valuable

partner. The work SPNN does provides the deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind communities with important

information, the arts and civic engagement in a format that is accessible and engaging.”

“SPNN has been and

continues to be a valuablepartner.”

Community Productions: Creating Accessible Television

In 2011, SPNN placed

AmeriCorps mem-bers at 22 community

technology centers, providing

51,000hours of service,

helping over 5,000 clients and helping 350 find

employment.

SPNN’s Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP), bridges the “digital

divide” for recent immigrants and low-income communities in Minneapolis and Saint

Paul. CTEP is currently hosting 30 AmeriCorps members who have committed to a year of volunteer service

in the community. CTEP members Dol Hassan, Claudia Sueyras, and Christine Eshelman coordinated the

public access lab at the Project for Pride in Living (PPL) Learning Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These CTEP

members structured and built curriculum, facilitated assessments, coordinated instruction schedules and

taught computer workshops.

           

The Computer Basics workshops they taught focused on the basics of computer parts and usage: how to

format and make changes in word processors, operate the internet, and use email. These new high demand

workshops were added at PPL in response to the request for more specific topic classes.           

          

One previous class participant, Eddie Dorsey, enjoyed learning more about his laptop and said that the

experience was helpful in helping him search for a job, while learning more about computers. Eddie

appreciated the one-on-one help he received from staff at PPL who “strived to go above and beyond” to serve

the community.

           

This individual help and classroom instruction has improved the experience for the participants at the Learning

Center. CTEP members at PPL-and at other sites across the Twin Cities- continue to work towards making

technology accessible to people from all walks of life.

This individual help and class-

room instruction has improved the experience for

the participants at the Learning

Center.

CTEP AmeriCorps: Bridging the Digital Divide

Total Revenue and Support $2,722,664

Grants & Contributions $846,927

Contributions $810,588

Government Grants $453,022

Memberships $145,356

Fees $139,109

Sales $13,141

In-Kind $291,660

Investments $6,620

Special Events $16,241

Total Expenses $1,975,631Program Services $1,718,223

General & Administrative $174,216

Fundraising $83,192

Statement of Activities

2011 Revenue and Expenses

Revenue

Expenses

<1

Comcast Grant (31%)

Contributions (30%)

Government Grants (17%)

Memberships (5%)

Fees (5%)

Sales (<1%)

In-Kind (10%)

Investments (<1%)

Special Events (<1%)

Program Services (87%)

General & Administrative (9%)

Fundraising (4%)

Contributions of $5,000 & above

ADC Foundation

Cultural STAR

ETS Pictures

F.R. Bigelow Foundation

McKnight Foundation

Minnesota State Arts Board

Saint Paul Foundation

Contributions of $2,500 to $4,999

Xfinity/Comcast

Contributions of $1,000 to $2,499

Bremer Bank

Ann Kirby McGill

Mukhtar Thakur

Mike Wassenaar

Contributions of $500 to $999

Bradley & Guzzetta

Grant Abbott and Elaine Tarone

Matthew Spector

Vanderwall Consulting

Contributions of $100 to $499

Anonymous

Mike Burbach

John DelVecchio

Dave and Genny Freier

Doug Harris

John Hick

Peter Lee

Dawn Mikkelson

Steve Minnema

Roger Nielsen and Vicki Gee-Treft

Karen Reid

Mike Rossberg

Jason Tanzman

Karen and Clarence Snedeker

Shinji Uozumi

Kim Vanderwall

Annette Wuertz

Contributions up to $99

Sue Abderholden

Nathaniel Abdul-Khaliq and Victoria

Davis

John Akre

Linda Alton

Donelda Applebee

Mary Jean Babcock

E.H. Bienhoff

Steve Boland

Dan Bostrom

Erin Bowley

Ginny Brodeen

Carl Brookins

Paula Buie and Jenn Kokes

Elizabeth Clysdale

Paul Craven

Sherine Crooms

Desiree Culpitt

Richard Daddi

Arline Datu

Constance Jo Davis

Leslie Davis

Martin Deborah

Cathy Decheine

Tom Dooley

Andy Driscoll

Abigayle Einberger

Lawrence and Elizabeth Englund

Janis Lane Ewart

Nichole Fairbanks

Readus Fletcher

John Forde

Timothy Foss

Marla Gamble

Paul Garding

Jean Gilland

Rick Gobell

Neal Gosman

Mike Griffin

Samantha Grose

Mary Hanson

John and Terri Hawthorne

Lisa and David Heil

2011 Supporters

We Appreciate our Supporters!The work we do is only pos-sible through the support of many generous people and organizations. Every gift is important to us and we appreciate every donor.

Nelly Trocme Hewett

Andrew and Rebecca Hine

Rachel Hughes

Max Joiner

Kevin Kalla

Steven Kaplan

Terry Kayser

Jim and Patricia Keller

Jane and Euan Kerr

Mary Klas

Joanna Kohler

Marc and Dimitria Kotsonas

Daniell Krawczyk

Steve Lebeau

Peter Legett

Andrea Lehman

Bil MacLeslie

Glen McCluskey

Maridee McEvoy

Ginger McIntosh

James McJilton

David McKay

Ann McKinnon

Sherry Meek

Michael and Audrey Mikkelson

Micah and Eleanor Minnema

Jane Minton

Christopher Mitchell

Model Cities

Jyl and Randy Molle

Marya Morstad

Laura Nevitt

Jeremy Nichols

Carol Novak

Greg Owen

Ronald Parker

Jim Pennino

Brenda Piekarski

Jan Price

Jane Prince

Erin Prizant

Mike Reardon

William Reardon

Hilary Reeves and Doug Armato

Suzanne Rohland

Harold Rufeldt

Rosemarie Rumsey

Chuck Ryan

Louis Ryg

Ed Sanders

Bonnie and Larry Schumacher

Jon Schumacher

Julie and Phil Souzek

Laurie Stern

Maris Strautmanis

Lisa Tabor

Victor Tedesco

Karen Thompson

Bernice Vetsch

Bryan and Christine Walker

Robert Walters

Deacon Warner

Eric Weisman

Lori-Anne Williams

Miranda Wilson

Mark Wojahn

John Zakelj

Saint Paul Neighborhood Network375 Jackson Street, Suite 250Saint Paul, MN 55101

www.spnn.org