Thank you for your Support
At Minnesota Computers for Schools, our mission is to provide technology access and skills training to individuals in need. In the past year, our programing expanded, our team grew and our supporters helped us grow our programs more than ever before.
Thanks to every single person who supported our mission this past year. It is because of your shared dedication to make sure every student has a fair shot at success that we were able to reach more students than ever before.
Tamara Gillard
Executive Director
Deborah Johnson
Board Chair
TOGETHER, WE MADE HUGE STRIDES IN CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP.
computers placed in 75 schools and 25 nonprofits
Challenges
Digital Gap
17% of households in Minnesota don’t have reliable technology at home.
ACHIEVEMENT GAP
As a result of the lack of technology in the home, many students fall behind in school and don’t develop the digital literacy skills needed for success in the future.
EMPLOYMENT GAP
STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) careers are on the rise – projected to increase nearly 15% by 2020. Students without access to and training in technology will miss out on these opportunities and could be at risk of remaining in a cycle of poverty.
Solutions
Provide Technology Access
Since MCFS was created in 1997, we have placed 82,539 computers in schools and nonprofits throughout the state.
TRAINING IN THE COMMUNITY
Through our CORE I.T. program, we train individuals in need with digital literacy and in-demand technology skills. In total, we have trained 573 individuals.
INTERNSHIPS & JOB PLACEMENT
After students complete training, we help them put their skills to use and take the next step towards earning stable employment. 48 students have completed internships and eight students have secured jobs in the technology field.
Our Impact
5,476
computers placed
197,136
students served
245
students trained
- In the Community
- On the environment
43 internships coordinated, totalling more than 2,765 hours of on-the-job work experience.
79 Offenders hired at Stillwater Correctional Facility and taught transferable, on-the-job technology skills
187,306 Pounds of computer waste recycled from 65 businesses and organizations.
WE COORDINATED EIGHT WEEKS OF SUMMER CAMP IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS.
Youth explored coding, squishy circuits, computer recycling, Minecraft, computer art and entrepreneurship.
WE BEGAN TEACHING GAME CODING AND DESIGN TO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT HUMBOLDT HIGH SCHOOL, AND AT THE EMERGE ECTC AND CEDAR RIVERSIDE PLAZA TRAINING SITES.
we OPENED A TRAINING CENTER AT CEDAR RIVERSIDE PLAZA TO TEACH CISCO IT ESSENTIALS, CompTIA A+, DIGITAL LITERACY, GAME CODING AND WEB DESIGN.
Since the site opened in January 2016, 89 students have participated in our classes at this training site.
WE BEGAN TEACHING CISCO IT ESSENTIALS AT STILLWATER CORRECTIONAL FACILITY.
Our first eight offenders are working on completing their certificate and will be eligible for an entry level IT job upon release
AT OUR ANNUAL CELEBRATION, GUESTS FUNDED COMPUTERS FOR 103 STUDENTS WHO DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A RELIABLE COMPUTER AT HOME.
WE BEGAN OFFERING COMPTIA A+ CERTIFICATION COURSES TO ALLOW STUDENTS WHO COMPLETED CISCO IT ESSENTIALS TO CONTINUE TO HONE THEIR SKILLS AND GAIN ANOTHER INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATE.
WE WERE RECOGNIZED AS THE CTEP PARTNER OF THE YEAR AND PROUDLY ASSISTED WITH IMPORTANT PROGRAMS SUCH AS DIGITAL STORYTELLING, DIGIDAZE, TECHY GIRLS AND DIGITAL INCLUSION FOR DEAF COMMUNITIES.
Supporters
THIS YEAR, 25 VOLUNTEERS DONATED MORE THAN
405 HOURS OF SERVICe in our community
That is more than 16 hours per person!
74 EQUIPMENT DONORS DONATED MORE THAN 7,000 COMPUTERS THAT WERE PUT TO GOOD USE IN THE COMMUNITY.
That is about 95 computers per donor!
FUNDERS DONATED MORE THAN $300,000, WHICH HELPED
US ADD NEW CURRICULUM, NEW INSTRUCTORS AND TWO NEW
CORE I.T. TRAINING SITES.
- Aerospace Welding, Inc.
- Allianz Life
- Apprize Technology
- Avtex
- "Blue Cross/Blue Shield
- CentraCare
- CentraCare- Monticello
- Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
- City of Blaine
- City of Bloomington
- City of Woodbury
- City of Wyoming
- Conestaga Rovers & Associates
- GHD
- Consolidated Lumber
- Cray Inc.
- Direct Sources
- DTZ
- Ecolab/Nalco
- Edvisions High School
- Emmons Olivier Resources
- Evantage Consulting
- Face to Face Health and Counseling
- Service, Inc.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Federal Highway DOT
- "GAF Materials Corporation
- 50 Lowry Avenue North
- General Dynamics Information
- Systems
- Girl Scouts
- Great River Energy
- Hennepin County
- ICON
- Improving Enterprises
- James Kroesch & Associates
- Lake Elmo Bank
- Lutheran Social Services
- Macro Group
- MCF-Shakopee
- MCF-Stillwater
- Metro Machine
- Metropolitan Council
- Metropolitan Council (Plant)
- Midwest Dairy
- Midwest Special Services
- Milestone AV
- Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce
- Minnesota Attorney General's Office
- Minnesota Board of Psychology
- Minnesota Department of Health
- Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
- Minnesota Management & Budget
- Minnesota National Guard
- MN Department of Corrections
- MN IT/DOL
- New Ulm Telecom
- Nonprofits Assistance Fund
- North Sky Capital
- Opportunity Services Inc.
- Pace Analytical
- Perkins Capital Management
- Pine River Capital Management
- Progress Valley
- Randall Berger Consulting
- Rice Memorial Hospital
- Science Museum of Minnesota
- Social Security Administration
- St. Charles Bormeo School
- St. Cloud Hospital
- State of Minnesota Surplus
- Stillwater Area High School
- Stillwater School District
- Travelers Foundation
- United States Secret Service
- Uponor
- USDA/ITS
- Accenture
- Advance IT Minnesota
- Musalimah and Bahe Aledean
- Jacob Alt
- Elmer & Eleanor Andersen
- Foundation
- Ted and Jeri Angelo
- Avtex
- Deb Bahr-Helgen
- Lena Balk
- Tim Barrett
- Patricia Berger
- Best Buy Foundation
- Karen Black
- BNSF
- Becky Boland
- Boyum & Barenscheer
- Richard and Sharon Braden
- Bremer Bank
- Darcy and Mike Dahnert
- Michael and Whitney Davy
- Corey Donovan
- Gregg Dorazio
- Duddingston Sylvester Group
- Ecolab Foundation
- Russell Fraenkel
- Jack Frangipane
- Fred & Katherine Andersen
- Foundation
- Steven and Tamara Gillard
- Vinoth Gopalakrishnan
- Garret and Kristyne Grev
- Jeff Halbur
- Dean and Marla Haley
- Dave and Pat Hamilton
- JoAnn Hannon
- James and Jennifer Heddle
- Claire Hoyum
- J Murphy & Associates
- Ernest and Deborah Johnson
- Mike Kingbird
- Mike Klein
- Doug Knowlton
- Gwen Krogh-Zent
- Land O’Lakes
- Neal and Peggy Lewis
- Bill Linder-Scholer
- John and Mary Linnemann
- Nick and Bridget Liverca
- Anna Lovegren
- Erick Maki
- March Family Foundation
- Mark Davy & Associates
- Clint and Katie McMahon
- Barbara Mednick
- Belinda Meier
- Minnesota High Tech Association
- Cheryl Moeller
- Morgan Family Foundation
- MTS
- Brian and Joanne Mullen
- Craig and Julie Murphy
- Mike Newman
- Katie Nixdorf
- Jamice Obianyo
- Jim and Kay Olson
- Otto Bremer Foundation
- Nancy Price
- Katelyn Regenscheid
- Richard M. Schulze Family
- Foundation
- Paul Schulz and Katie Fitzpatrick
- Debra and Randy Sevelius
- Teresa Spaeth
- St. Croix Lions Club
- STEM Fuse
- Cheryl Swanson
- Doug Swenson
- TCF Eden Prairie
- Travelers Foundation
- Paige Vinall
- Cary Weatherby
- Velocity Tech
- Erin Wait
- Archie & Bertha Walker
- Sue Wallace
- Cary Weatherby
- Lisa, Davy and Andy Weigman
- Wells Fargo Foundation of
- Minnesota
- Da Lee Yang
- Paul and Kristin Young
Our Team
OUR TEAM HAS CHANGED OVER THE PAST YEAR.
Most notably, we welcomed four new members to the MCFS team.
DES CULPITT
Workforce Development
Manager
MIKE KINGBIRD
Production & Online Sales
Associate
LEE YANG
Production & Tech
Support Manager
LA VANG
Business Manager
CORE I.T INSTRUCTORS
SCOTT McGILLICUDDY
EMERGE Career and
Technology Center
EVAN DAVIS
Cedar Riverside Plaza
AmeriCorps Member
HNOU VANG
Cedar Riverside Plaza and
Humboldt High School
Board of
Directors
MCFS IS OVERSEEN BY A TALENTED,
DEDICATED BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
LEAH ANDERSON
Land O’Lakes
KAREN BLACK
Insight Edge
RICHARD BRADEN
Honeywell
VINOTH GOPALAKRISHNAN
Independent Consultant
MARLA HALEY
Ecolab
DEBORAH JOHNSON
Board Chair
D J Consulting, L.L.C.
DEBRA SEVELIUS
Code42
PAIGE VINALL
Allianz
ERICK MAKI
Vice Chair
Bremer Bank
DOUG SWENSON
Lutheran Social Services
ERIN WAIT
Treasurer
Travelers
VALORIE KLEMZ
Interfaith Outreach &
Community Partners
Numbers
$1,431,693
Program Services
$247,759
General & Administrative
$108,733
Fundraising
TOTAL REVENUES, SUPPORT & OTHER INCOME
$1,764,641
+ $341,205
Contributions & Grants
+ $477,201
Contributed Services & use of facilities
+ $945,715
Computer Sales
+ $520
Interest Income
TOTAL REVENUES, SUPPORT AND OTHER INCOME
$1,764,641
- $1,431,693
Program Services
- $247,759
General & Administrative
- $108,733
Fundraising & Grant Solicitation
TOTAL EXPENSES
$1,788,185
NET ASSETS, BEGINNING OF YEAR
$660,432
NET ASSETS, END OF YEAR
$636,888
2015/2016
was our biggest year yet.
Thank you to every single one of you who made it possible.