2025-02-26T15:38:21-06:00 2023-06-30 992277914 EAG NEW ENGLAND LLC 160 FEDERAL STREET 9TH FLOOR BOSTON MA 02110 990EZ 2022-07-01 451682762 SWEET READERS INC SWEE 9178868116 133 CLARENDON STREET 170003 BOSTON MA 02116 KAREN YOUNG PRESIDENT 9178868116 2025-02-26 1 0 EUGENE BORGONZI P01269879 6172276161 2025-02-26 2022 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z X WWW.SWEETREADERS.ORG X X 61689 X 40005 13325 559 7800 5354 2446 56335 122993 34739 24002 181734 -125399 143009 -71 17539 143009 17539 143009 17539 0 0 143009 17539 X SWEET READERS BUILDS COMMUNITIES AROUND THE TRANSFORMATIONAL INTERACTION BETWEEN TRAINED MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ISOLATED OLDER ADULTS, MOST LIVING WITH SOME FORM OF DEMENTIA. OUR MISSION IS TO INSPIRE YOUNG PEOPLE, THROUGH TRAINING, MULTIGENERATIONAL PROGRAMS AND IMMERSIVE COMMUNITY EVENTS, TO REVITALIZE ADULTS LIVING WITH DEMENTIA AND BECOME CATALYSTS TO IMPROVE HEALTHCARE FOR ALL. OUR FACILITATED PROGRAMS, BASED IN LANGUAGE AND THE ARTS AND INFUSED WITH SCIENCE, ARE HOUSED IN MUSEUMS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, SCHOOL CLASSROOMS AND ELDER CARE CENTERS. IN FY23, OUR 12TH YEAR, HAVING SUCCESSFULLY PILOTED OUR ONLINE PROGRAMMING: SWEET READERS CONNECT, DURING COVID (FY20 AND FY21); EXPANDED, DEEPENED AND CONTINUED TO INVESTIGATE WAYS TO DECENTRALIZE OUR HIGH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL AND SUCCESSFULLY PILOTED A PUBLIC IMMERSIVE COMMUNITY BUILDING MODEL: STAND BY ME, IN FY22, OUR FOCUS CONTINUED TO BE ON DEVELOPING A MODEL THAT WOULD ALLOW SWEET READERS' IMPACT AND WORK TO CONTINUE TO SCALE, IN FY23 THIS MANHATTAN SWEET READERS PROGRAM RESUMED IN PERSON PROGRAMMING, HOUSED IN SCHOOL CLASSROOMS. THIS PROGRAM, IN ITS 11TH YEAR WITH SWEET READERS, BROUGHT TOGETHER STUDENTS FROM AN ALL GIRLS SCHOOL ON MANHATTAN'S UPPER EAST SIDE WITH OLDER ADULTS FROM TWO UPPER EAST SIDE ELDERCARE RESIDENTS. DURING THE FACILITATED PROGRAMS, SWEET READERS AND THEIR ADULT PARTNERS EXPLORED THE CONCEPTS OF GATHERING, COMMUNITY AND THE TRADITIONS AND IMPACTS OF SHARING MEALS TOGETHER DURING A SPECIAL COMMUNITY TABLE CURRICULUM. THE ENTIRE 6TH GRADE, 56 STUDENTS, ENGAGED WITH APPROXIMATELY 20 ADULT PARTICIPANTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. ONE OF THE ELDERCARE PARTNERS HOSTED A COMMUNITY DINNER TO EXTEND THE ENGAGEMENT AND ITS IMPACT FOR SWEET READERS, SCHOOL FACULTY AND THEIR FAMILIES AND SWEET READERS HELD A YEAR END GATHERING TO FURTHER ENGAGE THE RESIDENTS AND THEIR CARE PARTNERS WITH SWEET READERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AT THE JEWISH MUSEUM. SWEET READERS WERE ENGAGED, ON AVERAGE, 8 HOURS PER SCHOOL YEAR AND THE ADULTS, 18 HOURS. A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE PROGRAM COSTS WERE ABSORBED BY THE SCHOOL WHO PAID TEACHERS TO FACILITATE THE PROGRAMS AND FOR SNACKS; THE ELDERCARE PARTNER WHO PAID AIDES TO FACILITATE ON THEIR END, WITH THEIR RESIDENTS, FOR TRANSPORTATION AND THE COST OF FOOD AND SPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY DINNER; AND BY THE JEWISH MUSEUM WHO DONATED THE SPACE FOR THE CULMINATING COMMUNITY GATHERING. TOTAL COST TO SWEET READERS, COMPRISED OF DEVELOPMENT, SITE VISITS AND LOGISTICS WAS APPROXIMATELY $45,179.63. PROGRAM REVENUES WERE: $9,350. 0 45180 CONNECTICUT SWEET READERS WAS OUR SECOND LARGEST PROGRAM IN TERMS OF NET REVENUES AND OF NUMBERS OF STUDENTS SERVED. CONNECTICUT SWEET READERS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THEIR ELEVENTH YEAR OF SWEET READERS, CONSISTENTLY SERVING MOST OF THEIR 8TH GRADE STUDENTS, APPROXIMATELY 67 IN NUMBER. EACH OF 6 PROGRAMS WAS COMPRISED OF A TRAINING SESSION, FIVE INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAM SESSIONS AND A REFLECTION SESSION. AVERAGE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WAS 7 HOURS PER PROGRAM. DURING PROGRAM SESSIONS, STUDENTS AND THEIR OLDER ADULT PARTNERS EXPLORED AND CREATED POETRY AS THEY DISCOVERED EACH OTHER. ADULT PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR CARE PARTNERS WERE ENGAGED IN MULTIPLE PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, FOR AN AVERAGE TOTAL ENGAGEMENT OF APPROXIMATELY 20 HOURS. A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE PROGRAM COSTS WERE ABSORBED BY THE SCHOOL WHO PAID TEACHERS TO FACILITATE THE PROGRAMS, THE ELDERCARE PARTNER WHO PAID AIDES TO FACILITATE ON THEIR END, WITH THEIR RESIDENTS AND FOR TRANSPORTATION AND OUR TRAINED YOUNG LEADERS (SELECT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO SERVED AS SWEET READERS WHEN THEY WERE IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL) WHO HELPED TO DEVELOP THE CURRICULUMS AND FACILITATE THE PROGRAM SESSIONS. TOTAL COST TO SWEET READERS, COMPRISED OF DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING, SITE VISITS AND ADMINISTRATION, WAS APPROXIMATELY $45,179.63. PROGRAM REVENUES WERE $8,800. 0 45180 IN THIS, OUR THIRD LARGEST PROGRAM, THE ENTIRE 5TH GRADE OF A TITLE 1 CHARTER SCHOOL IN THE HARLEM SECTION OF MANHATTAN, TRAVELED TO A SOCIAL ADULT DAY PROGRAM IN WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NEW YORK. DURING THE PROGRAM SESSIONS PARTICIPANTS EXPLORED THE CONCEPTS OF COMMUNITY, FAMILY AND THE COMMUNITY TABLE AS THEY SHARED THEIR STORIES, CREATED THEIR OWN MULTIMEDIA COMMUNITY TABLE, DISCOVERED EACH OTHER AND BRIDGED THEIR COMMUNITIES. 23 STUDENTS WERE ENGAGED THROUGH TRAINING, MULTIGENERATIONAL PROGRAMMING AND COMMUNITY EVENTS FOR A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 10 HOURS PER SCHOOL YEAR. THEIR 15 ADULT PARTNERS WERE ENGAGED FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 HOURS. WHILE THE VAST MAJORITY OF PROGRAM EXPENSE WAS BORN BY THE ELDERCARE CENTER WHO CONTRIBUTED THE SPACE AND THE AIDES WHO HELPED TO SET UP THE ROOM AND FACILITATE AND THE SCHOOL WHO PAID FOR TRANSPORTATION AND THE COST OF THEIR FACULTY TO FACILITATE. THE COST TO SWEET READERS, COMPRISED OF TRAINING, SITE VISITS, ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS, WAS APPROXIMATELY $15,579.18. THIS PROGRAM WAS DELIVERED TO BOTH THE SCHOOL AND ELDERCARE CENTER FREE OF CHARGE. 0 15579 OTHER PROGRAMSEVEN AS SWEET READERS REDUCED THE NUMBER OF PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO FOCUS ON TESTING AND EVALUATING NEW MODELS FOR SCALE, IN ADDITION TO THE THREE LARGEST SWEET READERS COMMUNITIES AND PROGRAMS SUMMARIZED ABOVE, SWEET READERS STILL MANAGED TO PROVIDE PROGRAMMING WHICH BRIDGED 3 ADDITIONAL COMMUNITIES, COMPRISED OF 7 ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS, SERVING APPROXIMATELY 500 PARTICIPANTS COMPRISED OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, ART EDUCATORS, MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATORS, ADULTS WITH DEMENTIA AND THEIR CARE PARTNERS. BECAUSE SWEET READERS COMMUNITIES ARE SELF-SUSTAINING WITHIN 3-4 YEARS, TYPICALLY WITH DIMINISHING EXPENSES EACH YEAR, COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT OUR PROGRAM PARTNERS ARE VESTED STAKEHOLDERS AND GENEROUS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES WERE PROVIDED ON A PRO BONO BASIS, THE TOTAL NET COST TO SWEET READERS, COMPRISED OF DEVELOPMENT, SITE VISITS, TRAINING AND EVALUATION FOR THOSE 7 PROGRAMS WAS $49,853 0 49853 155792 KAREN YOUNG PRESIDENT/CEO/TREASURER 40.00 72083 0 0 LINDA DECHERRIE SECRETARY 2.00 0 0 0 AMIR PARSA DIRECTOR 2.00 0 0 0 X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NY MA KAREN YOUNG 133 CLARENDON ST 170003 BOSTON MA 02116 9178868116 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NONE NONE 1 X 123949 104091 126178 129237 40005 523460 123949 104091 126178 129237 40005 523460 184000 339460 493 67 407 16 559 1542 525002 127784 0.64660 0.68610 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED FORM 990-EZ, PART I, LINE 4 - OTHER INVESTMENT INCOME DESCRIPTION: DIVIDEND INCOME. AMOUNT: 559. FORM 990-EZ, PART I, LINE 16 - OTHER EXPENSES DESCRIPTION: FEES & MEMBERSHIPS. AMOUNT: 194. DESCRIPTION: INSURANCE. AMOUNT: 1,908. DESCRIPTION: LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEETINGS. AMOUNT: 345. DESCRIPTION: PAYPAL FEES. AMOUNT: 374. DESCRIPTION: PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT & SITE VISITS. AMOUNT: 21,181. TOTAL TO FORM 990-EZ, LINE 16: 24,002. FORM 990-EZ, PART I, LINE 20 - OTHER CHANGES IN NET ASSETS DESCRIPTION: UNREALIZED LOSS ON INVESTMENTS. AMOUNT: -71. FORM 990EZ, PART III, PRIMARY EXEMPT PURPOSE (CONTINUED) DRIVEN BY YOUTH AND THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES WHILE VIRTUALLY ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR OVERHEAD COSTS AND UNNECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE. THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION WE POSED, WAS, COULD WE CONTINUE TO SCALE SWEET READERS WHILE ELIMINATING MOST IF NOT ALL OF ITS OVERHEAD EXPENSES? WHILE THIS MAY FOR SOME HAVE FEL COUNTERINTUITIVE AS MOST ORGANIZATIONS' BUDGETS EXPAND AS THEY SCALE, FOR SWEET READERS, IT FELT LIKE A NATURAL PROGRESSION OF THE COMMUNITY BUILDING MODEL PUT IN PLACE SINCE DAY ONE, WHICH IS FOUNDED ON THE COLLABORATION AND VESTED ENGAGEMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO CONTRIBUTE IN THE FORM OF FREE OR DISCOUNTED PROFESSIONAL TIME AND SERVICES, FACILITIES, SUPPLIES, TRANSPORTATION; AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT. WHILE OTHERS VALUE AN ORGANIZATION ON THE SIZE OF ITS BUDGET, WE HAVE ALWAYS VALUED SWEET READERS ON THE DEPTH AND DURATION OF ITS IMPACT AND BREADTH OF COLLABORATION, GIVING AGENCY TO OUR PARTNERS AND VOLUNTEERS AND MINIMIZING COSTS FOR ALL. IN FY23, WHILE WE CONTINUED TO RUN CLASSIC SWEET READERS PROGRAMS IN THE US, SERVING ISOLATED OLDER ADULTS AND YOUTH DURING TRANSFORMATIONAL TIMES IN THEIR LIVES THROUGH 21 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, WE NARROWED OUR PROGRAM FOCUS SO THAT WE COULD ACHIEVE TWO MAJOR GOALS: 1. STRENGTHEN OUR MODEL TO SERVE LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES THROUGH FREE PROGRAMMING AND 2. LOOK DEEPER INTO PROGRAMMING AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A VIRTUALLY COST FREE MODEL TO SUSTAIN AND SCALE THE CHARITY IN ITS NEXT GROWTH PHASE. OUR THREE LARGEST PROGRAMS WERE 1. MANHATTAN SWEET READERS SWEET READERS - ALL GIRLS ; 2. CONNECTICUT SWEET READERS - ALL BOYS AND 3. HARLEM/WASHINGTON HEIGHTS SWEET READERS - CO-ED. THE ORGANIZATION DID NOT, DURING THE YEAR, RECEIVE ANY FUNDS, DIRECTLY,OR INDIRECTLY, TO PAY PREMIUMS ON A PERSONAL BENEFIT CONTRACT.THE ORGANIZATION, DID NOT, DURING THE YEAR, PAY ANY PREMIUMS, DIRECTLY,OR INDIRECTLY, ON A PERSONAL BENEFIT CONTRACT.