SYF 2016-17 Impact Report

BEYOND STATISTICS

2016–17 Impact Report

SYF.ORG

Message from SYF Leadership

Dear Friends of Simon Youth Foundation: Since 1998, nearly 16,000 students have graduated from a Simon Youth Academy and more than $17 million in scholarships has been awarded to students

school. Duane is one of the many students who benefits from the educational programming your donations provide. Learn more about his story at http://bit.ly/syfduane . Educational programming is at the heart of everything we do. By working with successful dropout prevention and recovery programs in communities that are home to a Simon mall, we opened three new SYF Academies in 2016. SYF established Simon Youth Academy at Burlington High School, in Burlington, MA. In September 2016, SYF cut the ribbon on a new Academy at Katy Mills in Katy, TX. Opening this in conjunction with the Simon Youth Academy at Martha Raines High School allowed us to expand the district’s options in reaching students. Your continued support motivates the work of SYF in changing the lives of our students, their families and communities across the country. Thank you for being someone special to all of these lives, many who may not have anyone else. You make a measurable impact on these lives. All of us at SYF are pleased to be able to share these outcomes with you. We invite you to stay current with all of our work through your preferred social media platform. You can now find SYF on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

pursuing post-secondary education across the country. But those are just numbers. The story of SYF is so much more than any one statistic. Now more than ever, SYF is a critical partner in the success of our communities, districts and students. While current headlines announce the demise of the educational landscape and the decline of student achievement, SYF creates impact beyond the statistics and cultivates opportunities for student success. This year’s impact report goes beyond our traditional fiscal year to include all of the activities that lead us to celebrating our students at graduation. Beyond the numbers, our students overcome unimaginable obstacles to earn their high school diplomas and begin new journeys previously thought unattainable. Our scholarship recipients also share with us how the SYF scholarships have provided them the opportunity to pursue a course of study that they could have only dreamed about without your support. Through your caring and generosity, SYF gives a voice to the stories of our students and teachers. Duane, a Class of 2016 Academy graduate from Seattle, WA, dropped out of high school and without any family support was living on the streets. A friend told him about the “school in the mall,” and now Duane is the first in his family to graduate from high

Sincerely,

Deborah J. Simon Chairperson

J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive Officer

Board of Directors (as of June 30, 2017)

Deborah J. Simon Chairperson Lena Barkley CVS Caremark

Gregg M. Goodman Simon Property Group Kimberly A. Johnson Melvin Simon & Associates, Inc., Treasurer Steve E. Kingsley Simon Property Group Jeffrey J. Kucer The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Susan Massela Simon Property Group Michael E. McCarty Simon Property Group Jeffrey H. Patchen, D. M. E. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

William N. Salin, II Salin Bank Collin Sam, CPA

Honorary Board Members David Simon Herbert Simon Melvin Simon (1926-2009) Board Members Emeritus Ron Hanson

United Pacific Jeremy Smith Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation Mark J. Silvestri Simon Premium Outlets Stephen H. Simon Simon Equity Partners, LLC Scott Wolfrum Wolfrum Capital Management Group

Michelle J. Bellej Darin L. Etchison UBS Financial Services, Inc. Leslie G. Fatum, DMV Kokomo High School Beth Fortune Haley A. Glover Lumina Foundation Shari Simon Greenberg Simon Property Group

Richard O. Kissel Stephen A. Stitle

Elvis Kahoro, Community Scholarship Recipient, Town Center at Cobb

Graduates from the Simon Youth Academies in Seattle, WA

The nationally competitive Simon Youth Foundation scholarship program provides students with access to post-secondary experiences. Our scholarship program targets high school graduates with academic promise, proven civic engagement and financial need. This year, we had 1014 applicants across all scholarship programs and distributed over $1.6 million in awards. The majority of SYF’s scholarship recipients will be the first in their families to attend college or post-high school specialized training. The Simon Youth Foundation Community Scholarships are awarded to students who reside within the area of a Simon Mall, Mills or Premium Outlet community across the nation. These one-time $1,500 scholarships, presented in partnership with the local center, are one of the many ways in which the Simon center gives back to the local community. Our signature “big check” has become highly sought after, and the mall teams have adopted creative ways to share the news, whether it is surprising a student while they are in the local Simon center or showing up at their graduation. Many of this year’s happy recipients are featured on our social media feeds. You can find them by searching #SYF2017 on Facebook and Instagram. The Simon Youth Foundation Academy Scholarships are for students who graduate from a Simon Youth Academy. This year, SYF awarded 66 Academy scholarships, ranging in a cumulative value from $8,000 to $40,000. A hallmark of this scholarship is in the surprise announcement and presentation at the student’s commencement ceremony, in the presence of their family, teachers, peers and community. Seeing first-hand the impact that these scholarships can have for a student is a heart-warming reminder of why our mission is so important, and we encourage you to view some of the surprise announcements and student reactions on the Simon Youth Foundation YouTube channel. $17 million Total Amount of Scholarships Awarded by SYF since 1998

16,000 Graduation Milestones

Graduation celebrates the success of Simon Youth Foundation’s collaboration with partner school districts and their communities. Each student’s graduation becomes a milestone event in his or her life. To date, SYF has graduated nearly 16,000 students from our 30 Academies, and according to self-reported data from our students, 35% of students attending Simon Youth Academies are the first in their family to graduate high school. Three Academies celebrated their first year of partnership and class of SYF graduates. Simon Youth Academy at Katy Mills (TX) and Martha Raines High School (TX), along with Simon Youth Burlington Academy (MA) joined our established academies to help us reach more than 1,600 graduates in 2017—a new record. Several of our academies celebrated noteworthy accomplishments. The 2016 inaugural class of juniors that began with the opening of Simon Youth Academy at Circle Centre Mall (IN) graduated in June 2017, and each of the 22 students had earned acceptance into at least one higher education institution. In addition to The Simon Youth Academy at Circle Centre Mall, Simon Youth Peabody Academy at Northshore Mall (MA) and Simon Youth Valley Vista Academy (CA) boasted graduation rates of over 100%. Many of these students were initially considered so significantly behind in credits that graduation this year was not possible, yet these Academies helped them graduate ahead of their predicted timeline. Simon Youth Academy at Hickory Hollow (TN) and Simon Youth Paul R. Kelly Volunteer Academy (TN) both awarded diplomas to their 1000th graduate. A highlight of each Academy’s graduation is the student graduation speech. Not a typical commencement speech, these heartfelt and unvarnished testimonials recount a student’s journey from being at risk of dropping out of high school to achieving a dream. They are an unflinching look at the hardships our students overcome, and an inspiring reminder of the impact SYF can have.

New this year, SYF went “live” on Facebook, streaming select graduation ceremonies.

Read our students’ stories at syf.org/blog

Deborah Simon, Chair (left) and Michael Durnil, President (right) recognize William Fellman and Betsy Spardel for their outstanding achievements during the annual SYF Awards Dinner.

Teachers Making a Difference

Partnerships, Grants, Conferences and More

Simon Youth Foundation continues to invest in our partnership offerings as a way to create fidelity with the students, school districts and communities where Simon Youth Academies are located. SYF sustains our value proposition with our partners by creating, evolving and expanding resources that are otherwise not readily available. One way SYF leverages our uniquely held assets is to help provide increased opportunities and experiences. Our workforce development partnerships with CVS, LIDS and other retailers are made possible by the generosity of donors and allied organizations whose missions support education, teachers and student success and help us to cultivate and target areas of specific need. Students and teachers from several academies participated in the annual Close Up Foundation visit to Washington, DC. This scholarship experience offers students an Academy immersion in civic leadership, including Capitol Hill visits with their elected representatives. Students return to their Academy charged with developing and executing a civic engagement activity. The annual SYF enhancement grant awards up to $5,000 to Academies based upon their participation in SYF activities, graduation rates and other markers of success. These incentive-based grants recognize creativity in meeting student needs, or funds those items often sacrificed with limited public school budgets. A total of $110,500 was awarded in 2017. Academies have used these grants to improve reading skills and academic excellence; prepare students for life after high school, and provide for the mental, physical, and emotional wellness of students. SYF recognizes the importance of our teachers and works to provide them with a depth and breadth of materials to meet the demands of their profession. SYF is the largest chapter of the international teaching honor society, Kappa Delta Pi (KDP). Each SYF educator receives a personal membership to all KDP benefits, including an online professional

development community, seminars, research, continuing education and grant opportunities to support day-to-day work in the classroom. As a result of our participation in the November 2015 Center for Effective Philanthropy Youth Truth Survey, SYF sent a delegation of lead Academy teachers to the Reaching the Wounded Student Conference in Orlando, FL. The delegation learned the Trauma Informed Methodology for reaching disenfranchised students, and then served as trainers for their SYF Academy peers at our annual conference. Additionally, SYF developed a partnership with the national Mental Health Educator Association to provide mental health triage training for SYF Academy teachers. Our Annual Teacher’s Conference was held in Indianapolis in November 2016. Conference sessions focused on alternative high school programs, STEM, mindfulness, and restorative justice practices. Activities included a reception at Simon Tower which coincided with our annual employee campaign celebration; participation in the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, one of our fundraising activities; and a Pacers’ basketball game at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis hosted the annual awards dinner where SYF honored Academy achievements for graduation rates, length of service and exemplary educators. Our Teacher and Administrator of the Year annual recognition awards provides an honorarium for the educators to use for personal development. The nominees are selected by their peers, and the announcement of the winners of these competitive awards is always a highlight of the year. Congratulations to the 2016 Teacher of the Year, Betsy Spardel, a social studies and English teacher from Simon Youth Rose Tree Media Academy (PA) and the 2016 Administrator of the Year, William “Billy” Fellman, principal of Simon Youth Academy at Hickory Hollow (TN). Betsy and Billy were also honored during their local Academy graduations and will play a key role at the 2017 Teacher’s Conference in Nashville (TN).

Increasing Impact in Our Communities 30 Academies in 12 States Gregg Goodman, President of The Mills; Rebecca Fox, School Board President of Katy ISD; City of Katy Mayor Fabol Hughes; Dr. Lawrence Hindt, Superintendent of Katy ISD cut the ribbon opening the Simon Youth Academy at Katy Mills.

Simon Youth Foundation continues to extend the reach and impact of our programs through the building and expansion of our Academy network. In the last academic year, SYF added three new Academies, bringing our current total to 30 Academies across 12 states. SYF has broadened our traditional mall-based Academy location structure in order to create sustainability and scalability in our longer-term success. For several years, for partnership with and at the request of school districts where SYF has a successful existing mall-based Academy, we have extended our support and adopted into our relationship additional school programs targeting drop-out recovery and alternative diploma pathways. The adoption of these non mall-based programs establishes a node of Simon Youth Academies in those communities. These nodes help us reach more students, develop stronger community-based strategic ties and create a broader economic impact in those communities. SYF has nodes in association with Huntington Beach Union High School District (CA), San Juan Capistrano School District (CA), Charlotte County Public Schools (FL), Metro Nashville Public Schools (TN) and Seattle Public Schools (WA).

While a Simon Mall-based Academy will always be our preferred entry into a community, SYF expanded our strategic growth plan to engage successful diploma recovery and dropout prevention high school programs that align with our mission, and are located in communities where Simon Mall space is not yet available. These partnerships allow us to build strong engagement with the school district and community ahead of building the mall-based facility. Simon Youth Clark-Pleasant Academy (IN) in partnership with Greenwood Park Mall and Simon Youth Burlington Academy (MA) in partnership with Burlington Mall, new this year, are examples of this type of partnership. In September 2016, SYF cut the ribbon to open Simon Youth Academy at Katy Mills (TX) and celebrated the adoption of Martha Raines High School. Gregg Goodman, President of the Mills and SYF Board member presided, along with Rebecca Fox, Katy ISD School Board President, the Honorable Fabol Hughes, Mayor of Katy, and Dr. Lawrence Hindt, Katy ISD Superintendent. Visit syf.org/katy to read The Houston Chronicle front page article about Simon Youth Academy at Katy Mills and to view more photos of the grand openings.

Visit syf.org/academies to view Academy locations, contact information, graduation rates and more.

Investing In SYF Support Comes in Many Forms

national sponsors working in multiple markets, these activity- based events raised over $1.2million last fall, and events introduce SYF to local business leaders and influencers that we would not otherwise access. Originally started as a single Bowling for Education event for the Northeast region, these events now include Karting for Education, Tees for Education, and even Havana Nights—a themed night with a domino tournament.

Year after year, SYF donors and supporters provide generous amounts of their time, talent, treasure and ties to amplify and expand the success of our programs, resources and activities. Our 2016 fiscal year end report notes a record-breaking $4.2 million raised through all sources. The impressive total is made even more significant when underscored by donors’ stories of engagement. A robust calendar of annual fundraising events provides multiple opportunities for a variety of stakeholders and supporters to find the perfect way to be involved with the life of SYF. Masquerade, our signature Indianapolis event, hosted to benefit Simon Youth Foundation and The Pacers Foundation, is legendary, and brings together key business and community influencers in celebration of our joint missions. Over the past 15 years, and with PNC Bank as the presenting sponsor, this event has raised over $11 million.

Teresa James Robinson, Principal, Simon Youth Academy at Circle Centre Mall (IN) accepts the Beyond Monumental Contribution to SYF.

Donors also support us through their personal and professional networks. Introductions and invitations to present about the work of SYF often lead to a variety of new opportunities and resources for our students and teachers. The SYF Board-led campaign, “Turning More Tassels,” created a highly successful matching program to increase new and encourage the return of former donors. The Circle of Hope campaign, a giving circle for our Academy teachers and school districts, experienced growth and introduced a peer-to-peer fundraising opportunity.

For a full list of SYF donors, visit syf.org/who-we-are

One of the newer events on our annual calendar is Founders Celebration. Started in 2012 by a group of SYF Founders as a summer cocktail house party connecting Simon executives and business supporters, the event has grown into a night of fellowship and fun among a wide range of national corporate supporters and spouses converging on Indianapolis for a special dose of Hoosier hospitality in truly unique, Indy-only venues. To date, this event has raised over $1.4 million dollars. At this event, Academy students and teachers share their personal stories, and the transformational impact of our donors’ support. Founders Celebration is an intimate evening where all in attendance can share the impact and connection to SYF. Tees for Education celebrated its 10th anniversary in June 2017, raising an annual record amount of nearly $65,000, and bringing total contributions since the event’s inception in 2007 to $250,000. Simon Tenant Coordination started Tees for Education by leveraging their suppliers and contracting relationships to seek support for SYF. The reputation and quality of the event, now perennially sold out, engages individuals and businesses who work with Simon in myriad ways throughout the country. A variety of regional events, hosted by Simon Malls, Premium Outlets, and The Mills regional and field teams, allows SYF to reach an increasingly larger and more diversified group of donors. Leveraging key community connections coupled with Cindy Simon Skjodt and Deborah Simon, hosts of Masquerade, celebrate the success of the 2016 event!

Through the annual Simon Employee Contribution Campaign, our colleagues at the corporate offices and centers across the country demonstrate their commitment to SYF. The 2016 campaign broke all previous records with donations and pledges above $715,000. The photo on the cover of this report shows employees at Simon Tower in Indianapolis celebrating The Power of Orange Day last October. For all of us at SYF, this commitment speaks to how central the mission of SYF is to Simon’s corporate DNA, and reminds us just how big the Simon in Simon Youth Foundation truly is. Support for SYF comes in many forms. Developing relationships with retailers and other organizations provides unique opportunities for our students and teachers. Retailer LIDS reached out to SYF through their senior talent acquisition team to begin a program preferential to interviewing SYF Academy students, graduates and scholarship recipients for seasonal and full-time employment. Learning from that model, SYF has reached out to a variety of other retailers to consider similar programs to help our students find economic stability, build skills, and understand the world of work. CVS continues to be a long-term supporter of SYF and to find new ways to leverage their resources to benefit our students. Initiatives include offering training curricula for students seeking employment in the retail and pharmaceutical fields, and providing scholarship support to qualified students.

SIMON SUPPORTS EDUCATION

The First National Awareness Campaign and Giftcard are Launched for Graduation 2017

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In time for Graduation season 2017, Simon Global Marketing launched the national campaign “Simon Supports Education,” bringing greater awareness and support to the work of SYF. Malls across the US proudly displayed a variety of visual, digital and activity-based marketing to engage shoppers in the mission of SYF and our impact in the local community. Education is the second largest philanthropy cause in the US and the long time charity of choice for Simon; this campaign introduced SYF to a broader audience and generated new donations. Guest Services staff were dressed in our signature orange and white and our social media platforms effectively used

#SYF2017 and #SimonSupportsEducation (#SSE) to capture the story across the country. Debuting as part of this campaign, and now available year around, the SYF Visa ® Simon Giftcard ® was the go-to gift for graduates, teacher appreciation and other spring occasions. The SYF Giftcard is a gift that gives twice. For each card sold, SYF receives $1. Coming in Fall 2017, look for this campaign to continue in celebration of back to school. As you have gift card needs, please consider showing your support of SYF and purchase a SYF Visa ® Simon Giftcard ® . They can be used anywhere Visa ® debit cards are accepted!

Search your social media for #SYF2017 and #SimonSupportsEducation #SSE to see even more pictures and the impact of this campaign.

Financial Position

Support and Revenue Trends

Expenses

2016

2015

2014

Contributions / Fundraising

$4,229,783 $4,053,915 $3,882,998

$5,543,373 $3,321,976 $2,421,063

In-Kind

■ Programs ■ Fundraising ■ Administration

Interest & Dividends

$218,997 $268,692 $257,797

$6,000,000 $5,500,000 $5,000,000 $4,500,000 $4,000,000 $3,500,000 $3,000,000 $2,500,000 $2,000,000 $1,500,000 $1,000,000 $500,000 $0

$573,898 6%

■ 2014 ■ 2015 ■ 2016

$1,019,847 11%

$7,318,701 82%

Contributions / Fundraising

In-Kind

Interest & Dividends

This is an excerpt of SYF’s audited financial statements. Full audited financial statements are available upon request or at syf.org.

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