2017 Annual Report & 2018 Comprehensive Plan. Released by CEO and Founder Connor Archer. The Courageous Steps Project, Inc.!1

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1 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc.! Annual Report & 2018 Comprehensive Plan Released by CEO and Founder Connor Archer

2 !2 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc. Message from CEO and Founder Connor Archer The Courageous Steps Project is looking forward to a strong 2018 campaign full of adventures, new opportunities, and growth of our current programs. In 2017, we were able to increase our overall revenue in all categories. We were also able to diversify our giving opportunities, by creating programs through our events and launching new events entirely. I am proud of the work that we have done as an organization in 2017, but i m looking forward to what we can do in This includes strengthening our current initiatives, engaging in community activities, and creating new programs that allow for future growth heading into future annual campaigns. If you have any questions, I encourage you to reach out to us at: info@thecourageousstepsproject.org, or to mail a letter of inquiry to: The Courageous Steps Project Att. Connor Archer P.O. Box 1 Stillwater, ME On behalf of The Courageous Steps Project, we are thankful for your continued support with all of our initiatives. With Appreciation, Connor Archer Chief Executive Officer and Founder

3 !3 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc General Programs Narrative Back-To-School Drive The Courageous Steps Back-To-School Drive has supported 29 schools since it s debut back in In 2017, we were able to fill boxes of supplies for 29 schools equaling 50+ boxes full of supplies for the different schools. In 2016, we hope to help 3 dozen (36) schools in Hancock and Penobscot counties. Charitable Giving The Courageous Steps Project s Charitable Giving program donated thousands of dollars back to programs in With the focus on tightening up program guidelines, we were able to better control what organizations received support from our Charitable Giving program. In 2018, we hope to increase our support through Charitable Giving, by encouraging organizations to apply through suggestions of ideas for strong applications. One Word Challenge The Courageous Steps Project s One Word Challenge program supported six schools throughout the state of Maine. The schools were instrumental in the videotaping process allowing for our organization to work with more schools on multiple productions. In 2018, we hope to increase our overall number of One Word Challenge productions. Resources The Courageous Steps Project has continued to work with other organizations to provide our supporters with resources that allow you to learn more about dealing with different challenges that a child or young adult could face. In 2018, we will be expanding our database of resources through working with other organizations. This includes adding community engagement events that encourage parents/guardians of children and young adults with developmental challenges to learn more about the challenges.

4 !4 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc. Scholarship Fund The Courageous Steps Project s Scholarship Fund has awarded nearly $4, to local graduating high school seniors in the Eastern Maine region. In 2017, we gave $2,000 in scholarships to five high school graduating seniors that demonstrated outstanding determination and hard work to succeed in their high school education. In 2018, we hope to award $3, in scholarship to graduating high school seniors in Eastern Maine. Speaking Engagements Speaking Engagements of The Courageous Steps Project have continued to inspire many adults and students. In 2017, we were able to visit schools through our One Word Challenge initiative, and through donation presentations that were morphed with the speaking engagement portion. In 2018, we hope to add more engagements in the later part of the year. Wishlist Initiative The Courageous Steps Project s Wishlist Initiative was established in 2016 to assist organizations through smaller project proposals that is focused specifically on assisting classroom teachers, Unified Basketball programs, and smaller non-profit organizations. In 2017, we were able to award donations to 12 schools. In 2018, we hope to see that number increase through encouraging other organizations to apply and assisting those organizations in the application process as needed.

5 !5 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc Fundraising Events Narrative Reflection Benefit Dinners The Courageous Steps Project held several benefit dinners at Governor s Restaurant with the notion of interesting people to support our organization, but to also volunteer for our organization through different fundraising activities throughout the year. Our benefit dinners this year raised over $1,000 benefiting many programs spearheaded through our organization. 1st annual Charity Kickball Fun-Day The Courageous Steps Project s 1st annual Charity Kickball fun-day had a decent turnout for its first year. The event generated a total of nearly $1,300 plus the monetary donations of teams bringing the total to over $1, All proceeds went back to help Courageous Steps programs. 4th annual Dylan McInnis Walk-Run The Courageous Steps Project s 4th annual Walk-Run attracted 200+ people to Old Town High School s Victory Field facility on Sunday May 21st. After raising over $7,000, we were able to channel our resources back to many programs in the region through our Charitable Giving and Wishlist Initiatives. 1st annual Unified Basketball Fun-Day The Courageous Steps Project s 1st annual Unified Basketball Fun-Day had a great turnout with six teams participating in the event. The event had a great turnout of filling the gymnasium of Orono High School. Proceeds from the event went back to all the teams that participated. The event raised $3, between event sponsorships, admissions, and concessions for the event.

6 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc.! Small Fundraisers Reflection Thirty One Catalog/Online Fundraiser (February & August): The Courageous Steps Project held Thirty One Catalog/Online fundraisers in February and August. The fundraiser total including both fundraisers came in at around $110 for the year. Catalog fundraisers like this usually come in at around $50-$60 per time for our organization. Bucksport Bay Festival Booth (July): The Courageous Steps Project made its first long road trip for a booth fundraising event, by spending the weekend of July 21st and July 22nd at the Bucksport Bay Festival. We focused primarily on selling product line items and encouraging people to get involved in our raffle. We saw some familiar faces at the event. We also were able to promote the donations that we were able to give to programs down in the region. Overall, the event raised nearly $600. Old Town RiverFest Booth (September): The Courageous Steps Project hosted a booth at the Old Town RiverFest once again on Saturday September 30th. We focused primarily on selling product line items, and selling raffle tickets. We also promoted upcoming fundraising events as an organization. From 9:00am to 4:00pm, we were able to raise over $ Tupperware Catalog/Online Fundraiser (September - October): The Courageous Steps Project held a Tupperware fundraiser in October. The fundraising event raised $60 for our organization. Over 10 people were interested in the event as well. Old Town Elementary School Holiday Bazaar (December): The Courageous Steps Project joined many other vendors to support the Old Town Elementary School s Holiday Bazaar fundraiser held by their PTC annually. This year, we were once again a Yankee Candle vendor. We also added our own product sales into the mix and invited one of our committee members to paint nails for girls and ladies at the event for $1.00. At the end of the day, we raised around $ Yankee Candle Online Fundraiser (October - December): The Courageous Steps Project held its annual Yankee Candle fundraiser once again to encourage people to get their holiday shopping done through this fundraiser supporting our organization. We were able to raise nearly $150 for the fundraiser.

7 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc.! Donations - Christian Koelbl s Classroom (RSU #25 G.H. Jewett School) - $ Brewer High School Unified Basketball - $ Orono High School Unified Basketball - $ Bangor High School Unified Basketball - $ Green House Nursery School - $ Hermon High School Unified Basketball - $ Mount Desert Island High School Unified Basketball - $ Brewer School Department - $ Nokomis High School Unified Basketball - $ Lesile Johnson Wright & April Poulsen (Old Town Elementary School) - $ Brewer School Department- $ Orono Middle School - $ Asa Adams Elementary School (Suzanne Neville) - $ Old Town High School Project Graduation - $ Old Town High School Unified Basketball - $ Orono High School Alternative Education (Holly Gunn)- $ Back To School Supplies were donated to 29 schools in Eastern Maine. These following schools received Back-To-School Drive supply donations: Brewer Public Schools Brewer Community School Brewer High School Dedham Public Schools Dedham School Orrington Public Schools Center Drive School Hermon Public Schools Hermon Elementary School Hermon Middle School Hermon High School Regional School Unit #25 G.H. Jewett School Miles Lane Elementary School

8 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc.!8 Bucksport Middle School Bucksport High School Regional School Unit #34 Alton Elementary School Leonard Middle School Old Town Elementary School Old Town High School Viola Rand School Greenbush Public Schools Helen S. Dunn School Regional School Unit #26 Asa Adams School Orono High School Orono Middle School Regional School Unit #24 Ellsworth Elementary/Middle School Ellsworth High School Milford Public Schools Dr. Lewis S. Libby School Veazie Public Schools Veazie Community School Indian Island Public Schools Indian Island School Glenburn Public Schools Glenburn School Regional School Unit #63 Eddington Elementary School Holden Elementary School Holbrook Middle School = $2, Value Annual Total = $7,030.00

9 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc.! Comprehensive Plan (In the words of Connor J. Archer) Overview: The Courageous Steps Project is eager to begin its 2018 campaign with several new events, initiatives, and programs that will have a substantial impact on the overall growth of The Courageous Steps Project. I plan to outline all tasks and goals of mine in 2018 in this year s comprehensive plan. Annual Dinner: The Courageous Steps Project continues to recognize sponsors, suppoters and volunteers that dedicate their resources or time to enhancing the mission and vision of The Courageous Steps Project. In 2018, we shall continue to: invite current individuals to thank them for their efforts on the previous year; announce the top sponsor, top supporter, and top volunteer of 2017; invite potential new supporters/volunteers to learn more about our organization; and create an atmosphere that is fun full of laughs while also continuing to inspire those in attendance on how they are having a positive impact on our mission and vision. (NEW) Accessibility & Technology: The Courageous Steps Project understands the importance of providing access to all information and opportunities of support through our website and social media pages. We also however want to revamp our current designs and efforts through collaborating with other area businesses/organizations. The Courageous Steps Project shall continue to: look into revamping website with design that captures what The Courageous Steps Project is all about; make a strong effort in growing social media numbers for future enagement; create a long-term plan to update the technology infrastructure of The Courageous Steps Project; and ensure that The Courageous Steps Project is continuing to enhance the mission and vision through providing accessibility through technology. Back-To-School Drive: The Courageous Steps Project s Back-To-School Drive will continue to grow in Our main objective in 2018 is to add a few more schools to our list of donors in We had 29 in 2017, so we expect to support anywhere from schools in Hancock, Penobscot and Waldo counties. In 2017, The Courageous Steps Project shall: form a committee to oversee back-to-school drive operations; coordinate all back-to-school drive endeavors with CEO; sort supplies to distribute to schools; and help deliver supplies with founder & CEO.

10 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc.!10 Board of Directors: The Courageous Steps Project Board of Directors will be overseeing more daily operation tasks of the organization, and will be involved in several development projects that will enhance the long-term opportunities for The Courageous Steps Project. The board of directors shall continue to: be involved with the oversight of The Courageous Steps Project; be involved with fundraising endeavors as appropriate; oversee the CEO and his daily tasks; and fulfill the mission and vision of The Courageous Steps Project. Charitable Giving: The Courageous Steps Project will be continuing its expansion of the Charitable Giving initiative. Through this program, we are aiming to channel thousands of dollars back to programs in Hancock, Penobscot and Waldo counties. A strong effort will be made to announce application opportunities for schools and other non-profit organizations to apply for funding. The Courageous Steps Project s Charitable Giving Initiative shall: continue to seek out larger organizations that want to pursue a small project or continue to fulfill their organization, group, or classroom objectives; and continue to look into ways to improve the criteria of the Chariable Giving through measuring the results of previous donations by working with previously awarded organizations. Committees: The Courageous Steps Project will be seeking to create more committees that focus on growing our current events. By having these committees, we hope to have our CEO and board members focus on obtaining large donations, grants and sponsorships that will allow the organization to sustain in the long-term. Fundraising Committee: The fundraising committee shall continue to: be involved with fundraising activities as needed; lead small fundraising activities (benefit dinners, catalog fundraisers, etc.); assist with any tasks needed by the CEO; and continue to fulfill the mission and vision through fundraising activities. (NEW) Walk-Run Committee: The Courageous Steps Project recently formed a walk-run committee that shall: be involved with all walk-run related planning aspects; lead efforts to recruiting and registering interested participants; assist with any tasks needed by the CEO; continue to fulfill the mission and vision through the walk-run. (NEW) Community Engagement Activities: The Courageous Steps Project is hoping to pursue more community engagement activities that expose children and young adults with

11 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc.!11 developmental challenges to opportunities. This includes collaborating with other organizations and groups that share a simillar interest in our mission and vision. The Courageous Steps Project shall: Host 1-2 community enagement activities in 2018 with assistance of the board of directors and committee members; Collaborate with other organizations to grow these community engagement activities; Measure results through turnout and online questionaires and surveys; and Create a long-term plan that uses these community enagement activities to enhance the mission and vision of The Courageous Steps Project. Events: The Courageous Steps Project shall continue to host events and create new events that help enhance the mission and vision of the organization. In 2018, The Courageous Steps Project shall: Continue to host major fundraising events such as the Unified Basketball Fun- Day, Dylan McInnis Walk-Run, etc. Sustain the growth of current events by gaining sponsorships and vendors; and Look into ways that we can create new events for long-term success. Grants: The Courageous Steps Project began the process of searching for long-term grants that will allow our organization to create new initiatives that will have the most impact on children and young adults with developmental challenges. With assistance from our board of directors and committees, we are looking into more opportunities for grants that will allow us to create more opportunities to enhance our mission and vision. We shall continue to: Look at potential grant projects that give us the best chance for success; Create a multi-step plan for implementation of grant project; Collaborate with other organizations with similar interests of the grant project; Research sustainable previous projects of similar model; and Create a long-term sustainable plan that measures results of grants after the projects have been completed. (NEW) Informational Videos: The Courageous Steps Project is continuing to look into ways of sharing the stories that have impacted so many. We, as an organization, have discussed these potential videos coming from different backgrounds. By creating these video productions, the Courageous Steps Project shall: interview board members, committee members, volunteers, supporters, registered agents, sponsors, and contributors as appropriate; create guidelines that are used in these videos; measure how this video will engage members and non-members; and ensure that it fulfills the mission and vision of the organization.

12 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc.!12 (NEW) Memberships: The Courageous Steps Project has implemented a new membership program that encourages individuals to become a member of The Courageous Steps Project. The membership program gives benefits of apparel, discounts, and of course tax-deductible donations. The Courageous Steps Project shall: Recognize members on website and social media pages when appropriate; Work with members to enhance mission and vision of organization; and Reward members with discounts and incentives for future years. One Word Challenge: The Courageous Steps Project s One Word Challenge has continued to support many schools in the state of Maine. We are aiming to get more schools involved in 2018 by working with volunteers and schools to create these video productions. We also hope to create higher quality video productions with the support of several organizations. The One Word Challenge shall also continue to: work with schools and businesses to inspire children and adults to be confident about themselves as individuals; release videos in a timely manner; and create a long-term plan that involves the One Word Challenge in community engagement activities throughout the year. Resources: The Courageous Steps Project has implemented resources on its website and social media pages. However, The Courageous Steps Project shall continue to: collaborate with other organizations to gather more resources to help parents of children and young adults with developmental challenges learn more about their child s challenges; work with other organizations through community engagement activities; feature events held by other organizations that engage in our mission and vision; and ensure that these resources can continue to fulfill the mission and vision of The Courageous Steps Project. Speaking Engagements: I will be continuing to give speaking engagements on behalf of The Courageous Steps Project at different times of the year. These speaking engagements will be corresponding with the efforts of the One Word Challenge. Sponsorships: The Courageous Steps Project relies on sponsorships through many businesses throughout each year. In 2018, we are projecting major growth in all of our sponsorships through events, corporate sponsorships, and community engagement activities. In 2018, The Courageous Steps Project shall: Encourage businesses/organizations to participate in sponsorships through flowing sponsorship platforms and benefits that align with those platforms;

13 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc.!13 Recognize sponsors through benefits; Build relationships with businesses and organizations through collaboration opportunities; and Implement a long-term sustainable plan that can grow sponsorships heading into future fiscal years. (NEW) Step Forward: The Courageous Steps Project s STEP FORWARD initiative, a new initiative launching this year, is a program that will have long-term impacts on our organization. This program, which strives to help children (ages 10-18) and young adults (19-21) take that next Step Forward into their lives. This will be done through community engagement events and future mentorship opportunities. The biggest change with this is in regards to our scholarship fund. Our scholarship fund will sit under the umbrella of this initiative by January 1st, 2018, with the intention of this connecting with the STEP FORWARD program. This program will not affect any current scholarship applicants. All applicants will be considered under the STEP FORWARD umbrella. Our newest initiative shall: look at ways to capture the attention of supporters of this new initiatives through product sales, etc.; look at ways to build a mentorship program through volunteering opportunities; look at grants that will enhance the Step Forward initiative; and create a long-term sustainable plan that carries the Step Forward initiative into future years. (NEW) Step Forward Scholarship Fund: The Courageous Steps Project s STEP FORWARD Scholarship Fund, formerly known as The Courageous Steps Project s Scholarship Fund, will continue to assist graduating high school seniors with significant challenges through an application process that allow these individuals to pursue a post-secondary education. In 2018, our scholarship fund shall continue to: invite more graduating high school seniors to apply for a scholarship; select scholarship recipients through their application and their essays; and continue to fulfill the mission and vision through the scholarship fund. Volunteering: The Courageous Steps Project is continuing to enhance it s volunteering efforts heading into With leadership in our committees, we are hoping to establish a core volunteering group that is interested in the mission and vision of The Courageous Steps Project. The Courageous Steps Project shall look into: Implementing a volunteer to coordinate all volunteer efforts of The Courageous Steps Project in coordination with the CEO; Creating a volunteer group that is used throughout the year at events and in other capacities through Courageous Steps initiatives; and Implementing a long-term plan to use volunteers to fulfill the mission and vision of The Courageous Steps Project.

14 The Courageous Steps Project, Inc.!14 Wishlist Initiative: The Courageous Steps Project s most popular giving program will continue to expand in 2018, with a focus of announcing more application opportunities. The Wishlist Initiative will also aim to support more organizations in 2018 with a focus of targeting projects that immediately impact the classroom or organization that applied. The Courageous Steps Project Wishlist Initiative shall: continue to seek out smaller organizations, classroom teachers, and Unified Basketball programs that want to pursue a small project or continue to fulfill their organization, group, or classroom objectives; and continue to look into ways to improve the criteria of the Wishlist Initiative through measuring the results of previous donations by working with previously awarded organizations.