A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history -Mahatma

Gandhi

ANNUAL REPORT

2012

In January of 2013 Gandhi Brigade will turn five years old. Looking back I feel an enormous sense of pride in what our young people have accomplished. I am also filled with gratitude for the hundreds of adult allies who contributed their time and talent in support of this emerging generation of leaders. The year 2012 marks a threshold of sorts for Gandhi Brigade. Our new Program Director, Mona Yeh, restructured our programs to better align them with our mission and funding. Our board of Directors, led by Vicki Warren, moved forward in establishing its role as the strategic eyes of the organization. Our Common Ground allies at Quebec Terrace, and our emerging partnerships with AFI and the Smithsonian have us poised for deeper and broader engagement with young people and our community. As I look forward to 2013 and beyond, I am satisfied that we have built the programmatic and organizational foundation that can move us forward. But building an organization has never been our vision for the future, only a means for getting there. Our mission is to prepare a generation of moral leaders who recognize that real power is built on justice and inclusion. The recent film, The Rights of Butterflies the story of one young womans struggle to negotiate the barriers of citizenship so that she can complete her education is our most successful effort to create media that impacts our community. This is the beginning of a whole new chapter for Gandhi Brigade. It is as if we spent the last five years building and testing a new kind of vessel, one that is light enough to carry us to a distant shore, but strong enough to withstand the storms along the way. The time for building and testing is done and we now embark on our real journey a journey in concert with all people who have committed themselves to reforming the world in the direction of peace and justice. Richard Jaeggi Executive Director

We help young people realize their inner and collective power to become champions of the common good

Mission

Highlights
Gandhi Brigade youth met with Montgomery County Council members to lobby their support for a grant and testified at the council budget hearing. Their efforts proved successful-the county granted Gandhi Brigade the full amount of $25,000 to launch the Youth Voices on the Plaza community event series.

Gandhi Brigade by the Numbers in FY12

Im so proud of the work that the Gandhi Brigade does to empower youth in Montgomery County. Their discussions of power and privilege, training in media literacy, and opportunities for mentorship allow young

The Social Justice Summer film, Rights of Butterflies, which told the personal story of Katya, young undocumented woman from Montgomery County working to find ways to fund her college education, was screened numerous times across the DC Metropolitan area. Katyas story resonated on a personal level with many audiences, and also gave a deeper connection and context to the Maryland DREAM Act. Common Ground, a new initiative through a Trawick Team Up Grant with partners Arts on the Block, Imagination Stage, and YMCA Youth & Family Services, had a very successful first year. This program provided after school programming in media, visual arts, and performance, leading to a 6 week summer camp, culminating in a pop-up performance in the Carol Avenue Quebec Terrace community. The second year of Common Ground poses some exciting potential to grow the program. Gandhi Brigade staff and Peer Instructors facilitated a middle school summer camp on financial literacy through a partnership with Montgomery Housing Partnership, Passion for Learning, and Class Act Arts.Youth learned how to do magazine layout and created their own financial literacy magazine, which was distributed to families and local businesses in their community. The Gandhi Brigade Promoter program kicked off the fall with Social Justice Bootcamp, a weekend long retreat at the YMCA Camp Letts, where new and returning Promoters did team building and group problem-solving, and participated in workshops on personal values, power & oppression, root cause analysis, and social justice.

24 109 299 317 693 2,489

Community events hosted or co-hosted by Gandhi Brigade youth Middle school youth mentored by Gandhi Brigade Peer Instructors Projects submitted toYouth Media Festival

people to not only join the community conversation, but lead it.
For seven years they have continued to show us that students are not only our hope for the future, but also leaders of our present. -Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin

T youth served by otal Gandhi Brigade in FY12

Rights of Butterflies screening attendees

Attendees of Gandhi Brigade screenings and workshops

One thing I learned about myself is that I can push myself to do anything. -Brieanna

I think Gandhi Brigade is a great organization that provides important skills that youth can take with them throughout life. In the beginning, I only attended because my mother wanted to to come, but six years later, I come here because I want to. I really believe in the mission, trying to get young people involved in the community through multi-media, and I really enjoy working here.

Jess Samuda Gandhi Brigade alum, 08 Current Intern

Gandhi Brigade has helped shaped my character as a young person. When I was in middle school I was demure. Thats when I joined Gandhi Brigades Boys 2 Men program. They helped me cope with my shyness by getting me to participate. For the past year I have helped advocate to the County for Gandhi Brigade to receive funding for programs. Now that I am a high school junior, I am outgoing and not shy anymore. My video team also won the 4 This program helped me to continue focusing Hour Film Competition at Youth Media Festival, which was my greatesthighlight on my education and to at Gandhi Brigade.

I learned not to be afraid and just to get involved, it makes everything more fun. -Michael

Emannuel Minja Gandhi Brigade Community Producer

become the person I am today

-Noemi

Be the change you wish to see

telling people you know about us, or sending them our website

SHARE our work by

HELP US GROW by
making a donation

attending our events, or participating in our programs.

JOIN us by volunteering,

Online Presence: www.gandhibrigade.org Blog: www.gandhibrigade.org/program/brigadeblog/ Twitter: @Gandhibrigade Facebook: www.facebook.com/gandhibrigade Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/gandhibrigade

Mailing address: P.O. Box 7381 Silver Spring, MD 20907

Location: 8661 Colesville Road, 4th Floor Silver Spring, MD 20910 301.588.1399

Financials*

Gandhi Brigades biggest operational challenge consists in securing the necessary funding to fuel our growth amidst a fiscal environment grown increasingly difficult for nonprofit organizations. More than anything we need to grow an adequate cash reserve that will enable us to run programs that are funded on a reimbursable basis. To this end we have taken three actions: 1) hired a part time grant writer; 2) expanded our search for individual donations through crowd-funding and other online methods, and 3) placed a renewed emphasis on corporate partnerships. This last has proven particularly successful as we have seen our corporate donations increase from $3,300 in FY 12 to $23,000 half-way through FY13.

INCOME

FY2012 Other...................................... $268 Sales........................................ $375 Contract revenues............... $1,100 Contributions........................ $22,970 In-kind goods & services..... $52,184 Government support........... $17,670 Foundations............................ $190,695 Total $285,262

FY2011 $325 $1,425 $46,186 $17,935 $15,500 $21,500 $153,501 $257,662 FY2011 $28,288 $36,691 $186,515 $251,494 $3,058 $9,227

EXPENSES

All figures are from Gandhi Brigades annual financial statements. For a complete copy of these financial statements, please contact Gandhi Brigade.

FY2012 Fundraising.............................. $18,639 Administration....................... $48,108 Program................................... $220,323 Total $287,070

*Gandhi Brigade ran a small operating deficit of $1,807 in fiscal year 2012.This reflects an accounting decision to credit certain income received in FY12 as an FY11 receivable.

Net assets at beginning of year $9,227 Net assets at end of year $7,420

Thank you! FY 12 Donors & Sponsors

Chino Cienega Foundation Community Foundation for Montgomery County Jim & Carol Trawick Foundation Howard & Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation Meyer Foundation Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Takoma Foundation

Private Foundations

Director ($500-$999)
Christopher Bailey General Board of Church & Society Holly Brooks John & Carolyn Gipson Sam Hampton Richard & Yoshiko Jaeggi Elaine & Marvin Wunderlich

Silver Screener ($100-$499)

Dave & Toko Ackerman Juanita Bailey Barry Barth & Lynn Bock Renetta Boyd Janet Bradley Jose Burgos Nabby Cheung Conway Chu Karen James Cody Ann & Peter Corran Ann Daly Geraldina Dominguez Tip Fallon Janet & Gordon Forbes Ellen Daniels & Adam Frank Mahmoud Doski Busy Graham Noelle Terefe Haile Andy Hallowell Jim & Jackie Henkelman-Bahn Frances & Tim Hester Sunanda Holmes Allen Jaeggi Susan Klassen & Johannes Zimmerman Heather Bradley Kubo Judy Lapping Isaiah & Catherine Legget Elissa Leif Mary McCurty Ligia Medina-Williams Carolyn Mitchell Sharon Lynch & Peter Perenyi

Government & Local Support

Downtown Silver Spring Montgomery County Government Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County Silver Spring Regional Services Center Dynamic Animation Systems Silver Spring Retail, LLC Sirens Media

Kevin & Mary Murphy Malaika & Andre Pettigrew Amy Rice Reemberto Rodriguez Cynthia Rubenstein Yvette Schock Matthew Serre Jerri Shaw Sirens Media Don & Tina Slater Rachel Steinhardt Mary & Clarence Stone June Taylor & Robert Wolcott Jim & Lois Todhunter Richard Turner Hilmi Ulas Anne Weissenborn

Red Carpet Guest ($1-$99)

Baihina Abadey Bruce Adams & Margaret Engel Vicki & David Adamson Neferta En Aunghk Maaz & Saba Bajwa Herman & Margaret Bailey June Shirley Blank Lorraine Blank Sue Bratten Ann & Robert Bullock Carmen Camacho Deborah Carty Jean Cavanaugh Joan Christopher Cathy Chu Luisa Dantas Sue Dollins Bonnie Fogel Marga & Jesse Fripp Marian Fryer George Neighbors Erica Ginsberg Jane Hudson Harry Iceland

Business Support

Executive Producer ($1,000-$4,999)

Mark Brantly & Judy Lew Christ Congregational Church Dynamic Animation Systems Krista Lee Hanson & Burke Stansbury James Hinshelwood Dwight Jaeggi Michael Lainoff Doloras McDonagh & Jamie Karn Paola Moya Margaret Siegel Vicki Warren & Costas Avrakotos

Akiko Kakazu Glen Kreger Janisa LaSalle Wendy Lesko Susan & Norman Levine Julian Lytle Paula Matallana Meridian Hill Pictures The Minja Family David Moon Chris Moore-Backman Marley Moynahan Phillip Myers Patricia Nemore Lowell & Marjorie Owens Dalila Palchik Carlos Pinto Neville Platt Katherine Rekkas Hans Riemer Gloria & Joseph Rogers Ernie & Betty Rossi Jacqueline Samuda Mike Schapiro Ronald & Barbara Shansby Jennifer Shea & Peter Bruns Karen Shih Ashley Simmons John Slettebak & Graciela Jaschek William Stewart Terry Strand Emily & William Sudbrink Dale Tibbitts Jennifer & Robin Watt Karen Westerberg Lauren Wetherell Sarah Whitelocke Chris Wilhelm Nick Williams Azeb Yonis Bonnie & Galen Young Lei Zhang