Gaining
momentum
toward equity in aging
Annual Report
2021
Message from the chair and the president
We are pleased to share our annual report for 2021, including a summary of the impact we made during the year.
Trellis entered 2021 with a commitment to do more to support older adults. Like most nonprofit organizations we had to dig deep in 2020 to maintain services and support a community rocked by the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd. Maintaining the status quo was not acceptable.
- Early in 2021, we began the careful work of revising our Older Americans Act funding policies and process to move us toward becoming an equitable funder.
- State agencies called on us in the second quarter to create vaccination clinics for thousands of older adults who had language and other barriers that presented challenges to their receiving the lifesaving COVID vaccine.
- We gambled in the third quarter and organized a dementia-friendly community summit for October, hoping that interest would be strong, and we celebrated when hundreds participated.
As we moved into 2022, we welcomed John Doan, our inaugural VP of Operations and Equity, and we look forward to his leadership as we continue to develop our work to catalyze greater equity for older adults and within the field of aging.
We’re grateful to our supportive partners and proud of our staff, volunteers and board members for their contributions of energy, time and resources to elevate our mission.
Kris Orluck
Board Chair
Dawn Simonson
President and CEO
Becoming Trellis
In March 2021, we adopted a new name and a new brand: Trellis.
Trellis is an umbrella brand. Both legal entities, Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging, and our wholly owned nonprofit subsidiary, Innovations for Aging, do business as “Trellis.”
The new brand better represents the breadth and depth of our work and has been well-received in the community.
How We Serve
Trellis provides services, information and innovations to achieve our mission of assisting individuals to age well and developing the capacity of communities to care for an aging population.
Trellis is the area agency on aging for the seven-county metro area — including Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties. Many Trellis initiatives and activities, including our Juniper® health promotion programs, have a broader geographic reach, across the state of Minnesota and, in some cases, across the nation.
As an area agency on aging, we ensure that services and policies are tailored to the needs and aspirations of the people living in their local communities. We award federal Older Americans Act funding to organizations that provide services to older adults and caregivers and provide the Senior LinkAge Line® — a free, statewide service of the Minnesota Board on Aging — in the Twin Cities metro area.
We are leading the charge in integrating social care with medical care to produce better life and health outcomes for older adults in Minnesota. Learn more at trellisconnects.org.
Our commitment to equity
Trellis is committed to becoming an equitable organization and to making the changes needed in our internal and external activities to achieve that goal. These are some of the actions we took in 2021.
- Completed an equity assessment of access to our Older Americans Act Title III funding and incorporated changes into our funding approach.
- Created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Roadmap to guide our work.
- Added new staff with diverse ethnic and cultural identities that more closely reflect the communities we serve.
Programs
Our programs provide services, information and connection for older adults and the people who care for them.
Older Americans Act Funding and Programs
Trellis awards Older Americans Act funding and other federal and state funding to community-based organizations that support older adults to live healthy and connected lives in their communities. The funding supports services such as home-delivered meals and group dining, caregiver support and respite care services, assisted transportation, health promotion, and chore and homemaker services.
Information and Assistance
In partnership with the Minnesota Board on Aging, Trellis provides Senior LinkAge Line® services in the Twin Cities metro area. During 2021, we had 79,000+ points of contact with older adults and caregivers providing information and resources on Medicare, housing, transportation, financial services and other community supports. Our Data Management Program manages data for MinnesotaHelp.info which lists 10,874 agencies with more than 64,500 points of service.
Juniper
Juniper® — a program of Trellis — delivers evidence-based health and wellness classes to help Minnesotans improve their health and reduce disease and injury. The Juniper network comprises community organizations, healthcare organizations and class leaders.
Pension and Retirement Rights
Trellis Pension and Retirement Rights (formerly Upper Midwest Pension Rights) provides free legal counseling to individuals with pension or retirement plan issues in six states — Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.
ElderCare Development Partnership
ElderCare Development Partnership team members help community organizations build capacity for serving older adults and caregivers. They connect individuals and groups and help to design new initiatives and collaborations across the metro area.
Dementia Friendly Initiatives
Trellis supports statewide initiatives to help people living with memory loss thrive. ACT on Alzheimer’s® equips communities to support people who are impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. In 2021, ACT launched Dementia Friendly for Healthcare with tools to help dentists and medical clinics to be more dementia aware. Dementia Friends Minnesota leads free information sessions across the state and The Remember Project uses the arts to reduce the stigma of memory loss.
Key Accomplishments
Older Americans Act Funding and Programs
Older Americans Act funding provides access to home-delivered meals, the ability to get to doctor appointments, help with cleaning and heavy chores and more. These services help people reduce stress, stay healthy and continue to live in their homes.
In 2021, Trellis provided Older Americans Act Title III, State of Minnesota and federal emergency funding to 67 organizations (through direct and sub-recipient awards).
$13.6 million
Serving 32,559*
* Individuals who received more than one
service may be counted more than once
Services funded
Nutrition
1,077,271 meals provided in group settings and delivered to individuals in their homes.
| Older Americans Act | $8,753,850 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $934,891 |
| Total | $9,688,741 |
Special Access
15,504 hours of services to individuals and 709 group events to overcome cultural/language barriers in making community and government services accessible.
| Older Americans Act | $628,404 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $0 |
| Total | $628,404 |
Caregiver Services
24,266 units of counseling, support group, and other assistance for caregivers of older adults.
| Older Americans Act | $1,072,329 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $6,032 |
| Total | $1,078,361 |
Assisted Transportation
22,218 rides for individuals who have difficulties (physical or cognitive) using other forms of transportation.
| Older Americans Act | $571,344 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $0 |
| Total | $571,344 |
Chore and Homemaker Services
21,125 hours of chore and homemaker services including 99 home modification projects that help older adults continue to live in their own homes.
| Older Americans Act | $578,762 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $0 |
| Total | $578,762 |
Telephone Reassurance
8,500 calls with isolated older persons to provide social contact and ensure continued well-being.
| Older Americans Act | $302,014 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $0 |
| Total | $302,014 |
COVID-Specific Services
43 vaccine clinics in community settings, serving 11,300 people.
| Older Americans Act | $0 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $280,019 |
| Total | $280,019 |
Legal Assistance/Education
6,895 hours of legal assistance.
| Older Americans Act | $280,000 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $0 |
| Total | $280,000 |
Health Promotion
66 classes served 537 people in taking steps to stay healthy, manage chronic conditions and prevent falls.
| Older Americans Act | $157,320 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $0 |
| Total | $157,320 |
People served by race
Persons served
Total served – 33,202
White – 42%
BIPOC – 32%
Unknown – 26%
Total BIPOC served – 10,623
Asian – 31%
Black/African American – 44%
Hispanic/Latino – 12%
Other – 10%
American Indian/Alaska Native – 3%
Community-based partner organizations
African Community Services | Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
Anoka County Community Action Program
Anoka County Human Services | Bhutanese Community Organization of MN
CAPI USA | Centro Tyrone Guzman | CLUES | CommonBond Communities
Community Action Partnership of Scott Carver Dakota
DARTS | Division of Indian Work
East Side Neighborhood Services, Inc.
Faith Community Nurse Network of the Greater Twin Cities | FamilyMeans
Help At Your Door | Jewish Community Center of St. Paul
Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Minneapolis
Jewish Family Service of St. Paul | Korean Service Center
Lao Advancement Organization of America | Living At Home Network
Longfellow Seward Healthy Seniors | Lutheran Social Service of MN
Lyngblomsten Services | Metro Meals on Wheels | Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
Minneapolis American Indian Center | Neighborhood Health Source
NewTrax | Normandale Center for Healing and Wholeness
Northeast Youth & Family Services | Open Arms of Minnesota
Optage Senior Dining – Presbyterian Homes & Services
Pillsbury United Communities – Brian Coyle Community Center
Rebuilding Together MN | Senior Community Services | SEWA – Asian Indian Family Wellness
Southeast Seniors | Southern MN Regional Legal Services
Touchstone Mental Health Services
United Cambodian Association of MN | Vietnamese Social Services
Volunteers of America MN & WI
Anoka County Community Action Program
Bhutanese Community Organization of MN
Community Action Partnership of Scott Carver Dakota
East Side Neighborhood Services, Inc.
Faith Community Nurse Network of the Greater Twin Cities
Jewish Community Center of St. Paul
Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Minneapolis
Jewish Family Service of St. Paul
Lao Advancement Organization of America
Longfellow Seward Healthy Seniors
Normandale Center for Healing and Wholeness
Northeast Youth & Family Services
Optage Senior Dining – Presbyterian Homes & Services
Pillsbury United Communities – Brian Coyle Community Center
SEWA – Asian Indian Family Wellness
Southern MN Regional Legal Services
Touchstone Mental Health Services
United Cambodian Association of MN
Pension and
Retirement Rights
179 new clients
$1,028,662 in funds recovered
ElderCare Development Partnership
Organized 43 vaccine clinics in community settings, serving 11,300 people
Dementia Friendly
Initiatives
2,068 at The Remember Project events; by the end of 2021, there were 22,500 Dementia Friends in Minnesota
Information and Assistance
Trellis provides SeniorLinkage Line® services in the seven-county metro area. A dedicated staff of social workers, nurses and other professionals provide these services. They work diligently to understand each person’s unique situation and to find effective solutions to often complex problems.
33,609
Senior LinkAge
Line Calls
3,818
Hours
Contributed by
Volunteers
31,273
Preadmission
Screenings
289
In-Person and By Appointment
Medicare Counseling
Sessions
4,559
Clients Served in
the Community
8,211
People Reached
through Outreach
Presentations
Data Management Program
In 2021, the Data Management Program started providing data management for “Help Me Connect,” an interagency collaboration between Minnesota’s Departments of Education, Health and Human Services that provides access to services for families with young children.
Juniper
Juniper partners with community-based organizations and healthcare providers to offer 14 evidence-based health promotion classes that help people take charge of their health and their lives.
In 2021 Juniper:
- Completed 354 classes with 3,876 participants.
- Added three community health workers to help individuals navigate resources for health-related social care.
- Distributed $600,000 to our network partners to support local delivery of classes.
- Offered Juniper classes as a benefit to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and HealthPartners members.
- Was recognized as a “Network Lead Entity” by the federal Administration for Community Living and as a national leader in providing social care integrated with traditional medical care.
Strategic Directions
2020 to 2023
NORTH STAR STATEMENT
We are committed to improving the lives of 1 million people by 2023
Be at the forefront
Trellis will be a leader in designing and delivering services for older adults and caregivers and an active advocate for meeting the evolving needs of older adults.
Demonstrate excellence
Trellis will improve organizational rigor and increase awareness of services that benefit older adults, caregivers and partners.
Advance equity
Trellis will broaden the availability of services to communities and populations of older adults that face disparities and are historically underserved.
Foster financial strength
Trellis will broaden our revenue-generating partnerships to increase the dollars available to further well-being for older adults.
Leadership
Board (2022)
Officers and committee chairs
Kris Orluck
Chair and
Executive Committee Chair
Retired Senior Coordinator, Maple Grove Parks and Recreation Board
Vanne Owens Hayes
Vice Chair
Cultural Consultant and Health Educator
Barb Blumer
Secretary
Attorney at Law,
Barb Blumer Law, P. A.
David Van Sant
Treasurer and
Audit and Finance
Committee Chair
Consultant at Robert Half Technology
Iris Freeman
Governance Committee Chair
Adjunct Professor,
Mitchell Hamline School of Law Elder Law and Chronic Care Certificate Course
Sarah Urtel
Planning Committee Chair
Vice President, System Support, Ridgeview Medical Center & Clinics
Randy Maluchnik
Immediate Past Chair
Retired Carver County Commissioner
Members
Jeff Bangsberg
Retired Public Policy Initiative Leader, Minnesota Home Care Association
Tim Busse
Mayor of Bloomington
Barbara Champlin
Clinical Associate Professor for the University of MN School of Nursing
Sumee Lee
Community Partnership Lead, Livio Health, Stella Care
Ram Rajagopalan
Medical Device Industry Solution Head at Virtusa, a Digital Transformation Company
Mike Rothman
Attorney at Law, Rothman Law and Consulting, LLC
John Selstad
Retired Gerontologist and Dementia Services Developer
Rebecca Stibbe
Senior Vice President of Charitable & Legacy Services, Thrivent
Leadership Team
The Leadership Team at Trellis works with the board to set the strategic direction for the organization and engages staff to achieve our shared goals.
Brad Bettger
Vice President of Technology and Facilities
Mark Cullen
Vice President of Strategy and Business Development
Amanda Wall Dotray
Vice President of Finance
Rebecca Ervasti
Vice President of Human Resources
John Doan
Vice President of Operations and Equity
Julie Roles
Vice President of Communications and Advocacy
Dawn Simonson
President and CEO
Financial Report
January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021
Balance sheet
| Assets | |
|---|---|
| Cash and cash equivalents | $3,070,711 |
| Grants, contracts and pledges receivable | 4,236,263 |
| Prepaid expenses | 195,566 |
| Property and equipment, net | 248,079 |
| Other assets (software), net | 251,816 |
| Total Assets | $8,002,435 |
| Liabilities | |
|---|---|
| Accounts payable | $3,849,247 |
| Accrued expenses | 612,615 |
| Leases and notes payable | 70,358 |
| Total Liabilities | $4,532,220 |
| Net Assets | |
|---|---|
| Without restriction | $1,416,062 |
| With restriction | 2,054,153 |
| Total Net Assets | $3,470,215 |
| Total Liabilities and Net Assets | $8,002,435 |
Revenue and expense
Total Revenue $24,215,312
Federal Grants $16,157,725
State Grants $6,459,286
Foundation Grants and Contract Revenues $1,284,672
Contributions $47,548
Other Revenue $266,081
Total Expenses by Program $24,637,569
Funding to Community Partners $13,564,965
Information and Assistance $5,911,382
Juniper $1,976,884
Management and Program Development $2,642,417
Pension and Retirement Rights $171,218
Dementia Friendly Initiatives $212,486
ElderCare Development Program $158,217
Statement of functional expenses
| Program services | Management & general | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass-through dollars to community partners | $13,847,902 | $0 | $13,847,902 |
| Salaries, wages and payroll taxes | 5,895,086 | 886,992 | 6,782,078 |
| Fringe benefits | 1,147,857 | 191,708 | 1,339,565 |
| Legal and accounting fees | 5,684 | 50,550 | 56,234 |
| Consultants | 811,285 | 253,390 | 1,064,675 |
| Travel | 7,802 | 589 | 8,391 |
| Seminars | 44,831 | 57,562 | 102,393 |
| Communication and postage | 67,305 | 3,244 | 70,549 |
| Supplies | 96,074 | 151,008 | 247,082 |
| Repairs and maintenance | 18,840 | 0 | 18,840 |
| Facility | (39,071) | 632,301 | 593,230 |
| Depreciation and amortization | 0 | 205,650 | 205,650 |
| Insurance | 8,509 | 44,821 | 53,330 |
| Advertising | 28,450 | 5,034 | 33,484 |
| Other costs | 1,868 | 159,568 | 161,436 |
| In-kind | 52,730 | 0 | 52,730 |
| Total | $21,995,152 | $2,642,417 | $24,637,569 |
Our major funding partners
We are grateful for the foundations, governmental units and businesses that help support our mission through grants, contracts and sponsorships
- Administration for Community Living
- AgeOptions
- Bader Philanthropies, Inc.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
- Delta Dental Foundation of Minnesota
- F. R. Bigelow Foundation
- HealthPartners
- Mardag Foundation
- Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies
- Metropolitan Regional Arts Council
- Minneapolis Foundation
- Minnesota State Arts Board
- Minnesota Board on Aging
- Minnesota Department of Health
- Minnesota Department of Human Services
- Minnesota Northstar Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (MN GWEP)
- National Council on Aging
- Quality Health Associates of ND
- Spectrum Generations
- Texas Healthy at Home
Sponsorships
Hammond Arts Alliance
Hudson Hospital Foundation
St. Croix Valley Foundation
Bill & Danette McCarthy
ADRC of Pierce County
ADRC of St. Croix County
Paul McCarthy State Farm Insurance Agency
Individual and organizational contributors
Michelle Allain
Jackie Anderson
Jeff Bangsberg & Anita Boucher
Emily Beckers
Brad Bettger
Barb Blumer
Lucy & Jack Bodie
Marietta Booth
Mary Brauer
Karen Brenteson
Mary Cayan
Lisa Chamberlin
Mark Cullen
Scott DapiStrant
Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation
John Doan
Amanda Wall Dotray
Judith Driscoll
Clover Earl
Rebecca Ervasti
Bob & Jane Fedderly
Jamie Flanagan
Iris Freeman & Warren Woessner
Kathy Jeans Glaser
Kate Goebel
Diane Graham-Raff
Gregory & Jiselle Graves
Donna Hanzal
Katie Hemme
A J Howey
Trent Jaeger Kendall Johnson
Land O’Lakes Aging Successfully Employee Resource Group
Sumee Lee
Carol Lenhart
Meg Luhrs & Leif Bjornson
Randy Maluchnik
Danette McCarthy
Bill McCarthy
Thomas McCarthy
Louise McCarthy
Dick & Regina McCarthy
Joyce McKenzie
Jon & Deb McTaggart
Donald & Marie Merritt
Kathy Messerli
Joseph Meyer
Minneapolis Foundation
Sherilyn Moe
Edward & Karel Moersfelder
Pamela Moret
James Morten
Marysue Moses
NAMI Minnesota
Leon Oman
Kris Orluck
Renae Oswald Anderson
Vanne Owens Hayes
Sheila Peschges
Mary Claire & John Potter
Jim Pounds
Jean Quam
Mary Quirk
Barbara Radtke
Ram Rajagopalan
Maria and David Reamer
Jason Rimkus
Julie Roles
Jennifer Rooney
Mike Rothman
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
James Secord
John & Shelley Selstad
Kathryn Shortridge
Dawn Simonson
Nancy Smith
David Smith
Mary Kay Fortier Spalding
Leanne Sponsel
Gretchen Stein & David Wettergren
Rebecca Stibbe
Stinson Leonard Street LLP
Sarah Tithof
UnitedHealthcare
Sarah Urtel
David Van Sant
Stephanie and Sam Walseth
John Ward
Jane, Dan, Emily & Katy Warren
Sherri Weiss
Mary Youle
Trellis is funded in part by the Minnesota Board on Aging under the Older Americans Act.
