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Table of Contents

Letter from the President………………………………………………………………………………………………….....Page 2

Board of Directors .………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....Page 3

Program Sponsors ……………………………………………………………………………………...…………………….....Page 5

Program Partners ............................................................................................................................................................Page 7

About Us………………………...............................................................................................................................................Page 9

Youth Baseball/Softball Program............................................................................................................................Page 11

Successful Youth Leaders (SYL) Program............................................................................................................Page 19

Fundraising Efforts & Results………………..............................................................................................................Page 21

Program Revenue & Expenses 2014………………….............................................................................................Page 23

Next Steps & Press Highlights ………………............................................................................................................Page 24

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Chairman’s Letter

I must first start by commending the compassion and support from the American citizenry for Lost

Boyz Inc. Although we are small in stature and size, people from all across the nation answered the

call to eradicate youth violence, specifically here in Chicago. From Texas to California to D.C.,

volunteers and donations poured in to develop 70 youth in our south side neighborhood. By far 2014

was our best year; we expanded the age served down to 4 years old and integrated girls with softball.

Furthermore, we grew our budget by 100% since the previous year and doubled the number of youth

served as well. Most important, all of the 70 youth we served this year are doing well in school and

in life in general, with little to no violence permeating their lives directly.

I am very grateful to the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers, parents, participants, donors, and

general supporters. Your commitment to excellence, equity, equality, and justice made 2014 the

most memorable year. I am so elated I cannot even single out the best moment, because...well....

they were all so great! Special thanks to Leo High School President Dan McGrath and Varsity

Baseball Manager Coach Anderson, Tobias Blake of Experience Baseball, Martha Jo Black of the

Chicago White Sox, Sharon O'Keefe President of University of Chicago Medicine, Dr. Carol Adams,

Pemone Rami, and Sydni Inis of the DuSable Museum of African-American History, Billy Dec, Ralph

Peterson President of Rosemoor Little League, Tina Sernett at the Sports Shed, David Rhodes at

Pitch In For Baseball, Bill Haley President of Jackie Robinson West Little League, and National

League MVP Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

I can't wait for 2015 to start as we look to have an even more phenomenal year. May God bless

everyone involved with Lost Boyz and continue to lighten our path in the battle against youth

violence. Thank you all, we love you Chicago, and remember our mantra.....Educate, Recreate,

Cultivate....Go Hard or Go Home!!!

LaVonté Stewart Sr.

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Board of Directors

President & Director - LaVonté Stewart

LaVonté Stewart Sr. was born on Chicago’s South Side at Jackson Park Hospital.

He graduated in the top 5% from Our Lady of Peace Elementary School, Hirsch

Metropolitan High school, and Chicago State University, all on Chicago’s South

Side as well. Mr. Stewart Sr. earned his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science

in 2004, and then worked on his Master’s degree until illness struck his family

in 2006. He then started working closely with troubled youth through

baseball, and formed Lost Boyz Baseball League, which eventually became

known simply as Lost Boyz Inc. Recently, LaVonté began working on his

Masters in Public Policy at DePaul University while working in the office for a

well-known State Senator. He currently resides on the south side with his fiancée and 3 children.

Secretary & Treasurer - Jocelyn Vana

Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Jocelyn now resides in the western

suburbs with her husband Chris. After graduating from the University of

Pennsylvania, Wharton Undergraduate Business School in 2009, Jocelyn went

on to work in the Corporate Development and Finance industries. Currently, she

works as a Financial Analyst at a nonprofit firm located in the Loop and is

working towards an MBA focused on Social Enterprise from the Kellogg School

of Management at Northwestern University. In addition to her role as the

Secretary for Lost Boyz Inc., Jocelyn also participates in the overall development of the organization,

overseeing the organization’s finances, fundraising efforts, and volunteer recruitment.

Board Director, Fundraising and Event Planning - Michael Martinez

Michael has spent over twenty five years in the non-profit sector with nearly half

of those years with the United Way of Southeastern Michigan where he served as

Senior Program Officer and Planning Director. After re-locating to Chicago, he

continued his career within the non-profit sector focusing on

fundraising/marketing. The majority of his career has been within the

development field where he has led teams/departments in raising approximately

17 million dollars.

Michael's development experience covers all facets of fund-raising with an

emphasis on grant writing (foundations/corporate/government), special events,

corporate giving/sponsorships and individual giving. Currently Michael serves as the Chief Development

Officer for The Delta Chi Educational Foundation.

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General Board Member – Jordan Hadelman

Named in The New Career Makers as one of America’s top executive recruiters,

Jordan includes among his clients some of the nation’s most respected leaders in

health care. His pivotal role in an executive search includes advising CEOs,

governing boards, search committees and executive and medical leaders on

strategy, organizational assessment, leadership transition and succession

planning. He formerly served as a hospital executive and is currently a board

member at a metropolitan Chicago academic medical center. Earlier in his career,

Jordan served as a U.S. Navy lieutenant. He earned his Bachelors of Science from

Georgetown University and his M.H.A. from George Washington University.

General Board Member - Robert Williams

A graduate of Hampton University in 1996, Rob went on to work for the Chicago

Police Department. There, he continues to fight violence on the streets of the city as

an officer. When not patrolling the neighborhoods of the city, Rob tends to the

buildings he owns and its residents. He currently resides on the south side of the

city.

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Program Sponsors

The University of Chicago Medicine has been at the forefront of medical care since 1927, when they

opened their doors to the first patients. Located in historic Hyde Park on the South Side of Chicago, the

medical campus includes the Center for Care and Discovery, Comer Children’s Hospital, Bernard A.

Mitchell Hospital for adult inpatient care, and the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine. The

University of Chicago Medicine also has outpatient locations throughout the Chicago area.

As your local utility and an energy delivery company

with more than a century of experience, ComEd’s

commitment to customer service, security, and

satisfaction is guided by the progress of the past and

the promise of the future. Driving an industry that is

entrepreneurial in nature, they have always remained focused on benefiting the people, environment,

and economies of the communities they serve. ComEd continues to enhance their services and the

workforce that helps them generate smart ideas.

The Sports Shed is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that

provides sports equipment to under-resourced kids. They collect

new and gently used sports equipment and distribute these items

to organizations that provide sports programs for kids in need.

The Sports Shed provides kids with equipment so that these kids

have the opportunity to participate in sports without having to worry about the cost.

Pitch In For Baseball spreads America's favorite pastime to kids all over the world. From getting out and having fun, to learning about sportsmanship and teamwork, baseball is a great activity for all kids. To share our beloved sport, Pitch In For Baseball collects and redistributes new and gently-used youth baseball and softball equipment to underserved communities here in the United States and around the globe.

"We're grateful that Pitch In For Baseball will fill this significant need." - Steve Keener, CEO and President, Little League Baseball and Softball

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The team members at Experience Baseball are baseball fans,

educators, and community volunteers. They believe baseball

has the power to transform communities. Founded and led by

Tobias Blake, Experience Baseball’s Mission is to improve the

quality of life in urban neighborhoods home to professional baseball.

Their goal is to provide safe, fun, and educational baseball experiences for all baseball fans and to connect resources with the needs of community development organizations that work to improve access to health, education, and a vibrant economy in urban baseball communities.

South Shore Hospital is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the

highest quality of Healthcare possible to the South Shore community. They are

committed to providing appropriate care to each individual patient, regardless of

race, color, creed, and financial status.

Known for delivering high-quality care since its founding in 1912, South Shore Hospital’s reputation is

based on the dedication of its physicians and caring professional and support staff members. They

believe that it is their commitment to excellence that enables them to deliver extraordinary care to their

patients.

Athletic Specialties, Inc. has provided Sporting Good Dealers with team athletic products and accessories for more than 30 years. With over $2 Million in inventory, count on ASI for immediate fulfillment of your stocking needs.

Masterpiece Framing is Chicagoland's premier custom frame

gallery and design boutique. They frame pictures, restore

photos, print images and place art. In other words, they

transform your memories into a Masterpiece!

The Welles Park Parents Association (WPPA) is a parent volunteer

organization that operates in cooperation with the Chicago Park District to

provide baseball instruction to neighborhood children. The goal of the

program is to teach baseball fundamentals and good sportsmanship to kids

in a positive and enjoyable atmosphere. The association has obtained both

Federal and State tax exempt charitable organization status. The program

has expanded and now uses the fields and facilities at Welles Park,

Winnemac Park, Legion Park, River Park, and Rogers Park.

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Program Partners

Rosemoor Little League is comprised of 6 Divisions of co-ed baseball ranging from

ages 3 through 16. T-Ball Division (Ages 3 - 6); Minor League (Ages 7 - 9); Girls

Softball Minor League (Ages 7 - 10); Major League (Ages 10 - 12); Junior League (Ages

13 - 14); Senior League (Ages 15 - 16). Big League (Ages 17 - 18) is offered through

the district. Over 200 boys and girls participate in Rosemoor Little League Baseball.

CYC Rebecca K. Crown Youth Center in South Shore offers well-trained youth-development specialists giving

individual attention to children and teens to help them with academic achievement and social and life skills

development. Each year, the center serves more than 500 children and teens. The center’s goal is to give

members the tools, support and guidance they need to reach their full potential through age-specific programs.

Through this Center, Lost Boyz is able to host its Winter Clinic Program using donated space from January until

March every year.

Working with the highest caliber non-profit organizations,

WyzAid connects deserving students with volunteer tutors

to foster educational growth. WyzAid seeks to even the

playing field for students who lack the resources required

for quality supplemental education. They aspire to mobilize

passionate volunteers who can transform the lives of students throughout the country.

Zealous Good connects people with excess goods to local charities in need. By matching

specific donations to specific needs, this organization helps reduce the cost and effort of

getting goods to charities.

One Summer Chicago brings together government institutions,

community-based organizations and companies to offer over

22,000 employment and internship opportunities to youth and

young adults. During this summer, Lost Boyz partnered with St.

Sabina Church to be a work-site. As a work-site, we hosted 1 intern

who worked in Graphics Design and Marketing.

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Program Partners (continued)

The Illinois Community Violence Prevention Program is a collaborative effort of public

and private agencies that provides pro-social opportunities to youth and parents

in underserved communities. CVPP program components work to empower

youth with job training, strengthen social skills, and increase parent leadership

within communities. Through this program and by partnering with ABJ, Lost

Boyz hosted 4 youth interns in the roles of Youth Assistant Baseball Coaches

and Social Media Analysts.

Perkle’s mission is twofold. This company wants to make giving back to communities a part of everyday

living. They want to empower people to support causes important

to them without spending an extra dollar. Second, Perkle wants to

create social good by connecting nonprofit organizations with

corporate sponsors and enable them to benefit from one another.

They want brands to be able to engage customers around causes important to them, while providing

support to the organizations that help our community. By shopping through their website, customers are

offered “perks” for some of their favorite stores (Macy’s, Amazon, Nordstrom, and more). When a

purchase is made, the customer simultaneously contributes to a nonprofit.

Force for Good is a two-year, Chicago Police Department Program that provides 25 community and faith-

based organizations with skill development classes, technical assistance and mentorship to increase their

capacity to identify, obtain and manage grants and resources. Through this program, Lost Boyz staff was

able to gain much needed knowledge about Board Development, applying for grants, partnering with

other organizations, and other important topics.

Via Zealous Good, Lost Boyz was connected to Artizone, an online food delivery

service. For Thanksgiving last year, Artizone donated 20 dinners to families that

we serve.

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About Lost Boyz Inc.

Founded in September of 2008 by LaVonté Stewart Sr., Lost Boyz Inc. is a non-for-profit, grass-roots

organization engaged in community development within Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. Our

organization services youth ages 4 to 17 through our various programs from February until August of every

year. Our target population is focused primarily on ultra high-risk youth, incarcerated youth, alienated

youth, low income youth, and abused youth. As a result of our efforts since 2008, over 220 children from

the South Shore community and 32 children detained in the Illinois Youth Center (IYC) have stayed trouble

free for a range of four to nine months while occupied with our athletic and youth leadership activities.

Our organization originated in the South Shore neighborhood as a direct response to the need for the

revitalization of organized youth baseball in the community. However, an organizational vision and

mission greater than providing baseball developed as a result of the spike in adolescent violence, CPS

student murders, increased criminal activity, police harassment, and other astonishing deteriorating social

conditions of the youth in the community.

Our Mission

Our mission is to decrease violence and improve the social conditions among the youth in the South

Shore community. Our mission is achieved by providing quality athletic and leadership training, re-

entry assistance, and innovative ideas geared for at-risk youth to align income and entrepreneurial

opportunities.

Our Vision for Growth

Our long-term vision is seeing youth driven economic redevelopment dominate in poor communities.

Violent youth would display improved social conditions, scholastic aptitude, and trade skill development

as a result of an “earn as you learn” approach. This approach promotes economic reconstitution among

younger generations of poor communities by establishing several community-vested, youth-driven

venues to attract new external revenue and revive non-residential consumer activity by providing quality

service and product.

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Youth Baseball and Softball

Winter Clinic Description & Summary

The first phase of the Youth Baseball program, Winter Clinic, is conducted indoors, from January

until early April. Participants are taught appropriate behavior and safety on and off the field, the

history of baseball, and physical conditioning.

Game skills enhancement is the goal, but academic improvement and giving back to the community

are both important as well; this is accomplished through Tutoring and Service Learning activities.

Past Service Learning activities have included Earth Day and Worm Composting.

During Winter Clinic 2014, 22 youth boys were

served by Lost Boyz. Internal evaluations found

that through the tutoring services available,

the average GPA increased by

.62 points! This represents a half letter

grade improvement (i.e. B increases to a B+).

Furthermore, 92% of parents agreed with the

statement, “Being involved in Lost Boyz helped

prevent my child from being influenced by street

gangs, violence, or any other negative activities as

this program provided a safe indoors option and

motivational guidance.”

For the program’s Service Learning program, 15 of our youth each spent 3 hours at the forest preserve learning

about evasive species removal, wolf tracking, and identifying and understanding urban wildlife.

What programs does Lost Boyz offer?

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Spring Training/Summer Baseball Description & Summary

The second phase of the program is Spring Training & Summer League, which moves from indoors

to outdoors for 12 weeks of training and competitive play. Here, all players are assessed by a series

of measures; new players are drafted by an interested team or lottery, and returning players are

either traded or returned to their previous team.

From April until August, each team plays approximately 30 games in competitive play and faces

teams from the Chicagoland area. All teams will make the playoffs, which is a three round, best-of,

round-robin tournament. Also, players will again participate in Service Learning activities, but will

also participate in fun outings, such as a trip to a White Sox game.

Did You

Know?

Lost Boyz hosted its

first Girls Softball

team this summer!

The number of youth

athletic teams

expanded from 2 to 5

during 2014.

66 Children were

served through the

Spring Training/

Summer Program!

Over 21 volunteers

work to make Lost

Boyz possible!

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Royals (ages 4-7) End of Season Statistics # of Youth Served 7 kids served

Royals Win/Loss/Tie Record Everyone Wins!! # of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth 12 Hours

Game Participation per Royal 5 Games/10 Hours

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Reds (ages 8-10) End of Season Statistics # of Youth Served 10 kids served

Reds Win/Loss/Tie Record 25/10, Playoffs 4-2 # of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth 60 Hours

Game Participation per Red 20 Games/40 Hours

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Coach Cooper, “Improvement, not growth.

We want to get better, not bigger.”

Patriots (ages 8-12) End of Season Statistics # of Youth Served 14 kids served

Patriots Win/Loss/Tie Record 1/11/0, No Playoffs # of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth 100 Hours

Game Participation per Patriot 12 Games/24 Hours

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Yankees (ages 13-17) End of Season Statistics # of Youth Served 15 youth served

Yankees Win/Loss/Tie Record 7/7/1, No playoffs

# of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth 90 Hours

Game Participation per Yankee 15 Games/30 Hours

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Lady Thunder (ages 10-14) End of Season Statistics

# of Youth Served 15 Youth served

Lady Thunder Win/Loss/Tie Record

3/3/0, Playoffs 0/4

# of Hours Spent Practicing per Youth

20 Hours

Game Participation per Yankee

10 Games/20 Hours

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Other activities the kids participated in this

year include:

PwC Day Northwestern Game DuSable Museum 2nd Annual Civil War Day DuSable for Movie Night Kayaking Chi*Talk with Nike Learn Your Game with Nike

Benefits for the youth participating in

the program include:

Improved grades

Decrease in behavioral

issues at school

Decrease in peer-to-peer

conflict

Improvement at home with

personal responsibility and

discipline (according to

parents)

Exposure to neighborhoods,

activities, and cultures

outside those represented in

the South Shore area

College Visits

Opportunities to volunteer

both within and outside of

the South Shore Community

The opportunity to be a kid!!

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Successful Youth Leaders (SYL)

Service Learning:

The Service Learning aspect of the SYL Program combines service objectives with learning objectives, with the intent that the activity changes both the recipient and the provider of the service. This is accomplished by combining service tasks with structured opportunities that link the task to self-reflection, self-discovery, and the acquisition and comprehension of values, skills, and knowledge content.

MLK Day of Service - During the Winter Clinic Program, our youth

visited a local forest preserve to learn about urban wildlife and

evasive plant removal techniques. They also learned various ways to

maintain and beautify the area in the forest preserve.

Earth Day – In April, our youth gathered at Ashe Park, located on

Chicago’s far south side, to help clean the park and plant trees in

celebration of Earth Day.

Buddy Baseball – Buddy Baseball is a program where children with

different disabilities have a chance to play baseball with a person

helping them, also known as a buddy. As a major part of the core

initiatives of Lost Boyz is to volunteer and help others as you would

want to be helped, our players took a Sunday to go and be buddies!

Before the Buddy Baseball outing, three employees from Access

Living visited our program to perform a sensitivity training with our

youth.

Academic Arm:

Through SYL Academic Arm, Lost Boyz hopes the participants will either become entrepreneurs or obtain

a paid position in their field of choice. Partnering with the Chicago One Summer Plus program and the

Community Violence Prevention Program (CVPP), Lost Boyz hosted 5 youth summer workers this year.

Through our SYL program, these youth workers held positions such as Youth Assistant Baseball Coach,

Social Media Analyst, and Graphics Designer. These are all skills that we hope the summer youth will take

with them as they go off to college and continue advancing professionally.

Aligned with our program’s goals, the Graphics Design youth worker was offered a paid position at the

company with which Lost Boyz connected him. His starting pay will be $10.00 per hour, an increase of

17.6% compared to his previous position.

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Fundraising Efforts & Results

This year, Lost Boyz continued hosting fundraiser events in order to help relieve any financial barriers

parents faced when deciding whether or not to sign their child up for our program. Because we want

every willing family to be able to participate in our programs, we thought selling candy and tickets to

events would be a fun way to not only afford the program fee, but also to meet other parents,

participants, staff, and donors. Continue reading to learn more about the fundraisers we held this year.

COSMO for a CAUSE

Our first fundraiser of 2014, COSMO for a CAUSE, was a great success. Not only did Lost Boyz raise $530

in ticket and raffle sales, but we also raised awareness! We met some really great supporters and

potential volunteers that evening, while

also seeing some familiar faces.

Proceeds from the COSMO for a CAUSE

event will either go towards summer

baseball league fees or uniform

accessories purchases for one of our

teams.

Family & Friends Night – In May, Lost Boyz hosted its Second Annual Family and

Friends Night at the Dr. Martin Luther King Drive Family Entertainment Center. Our

players, parents, and guests really enjoyed themselves. Guests were able to both bowl

and skate!

Spring Benefit Concert - Our spring fundraiser

this year was titled The Art of Music. Held at the

Chaturanga Fitness Studio, this event involved

artists from varying backgrounds performing for

our guests. We had a poet perform, along with a

youth rock band, a gospel singer, and a Christian

rap group. Over 45 people attended The Art of

Music fundraiser and we raised $1,100 that night.

All proceeds directly benefit the youth we serve.

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White Sox Game – Courtesy of the

White Sox, tickets were donated to

Lost Boyz so that we could raise

money to further fund our 2014

summer season. The Take Me Out to

the Ball Game fundraiser was a great

success! We can’t thank the White Sox

and our players who sold tickets to

their family and friends enough!

Experience Baseball White Sox Fundraiser –Experience Baseball hosted 2 events for Lost Boyz this

year. Each events included tailgating, attending a game, and a discussion geared towards raising

awareness about a social issue and the efforts of Lost Boyz Inc. Proceeds raised from these events directly

benefited our organization and help furthered the baseball and softball programs for our youth.

Candy Sales – In order to help offset costs for families, the participants and their parents were able to

sell boxes of candy this year. Each box sold helped contribute to their child’s program fee and reduce

their out-of-pocket contribution. This method was very successful and thus, Lost Boyz will be offering

this option again during the 2015 season.

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Financial Results for FY 2014

Donations, 37.0%

Program Service Revenue, 6.9%

In-Kind Items, 34.4%

Fundraisers, 12.3%

Board Dues, 7.4%Miscellaneous, 2.0%

FY 2014 REVENUE

Equipment Purchases, 48.3%

Uniforms, 10.8%

League & Tournament Fees,

21.2%

Winter Clinic Athletic Insurance, 2.0%

Travel, 7.9%

Fundraiser Costs, 6.4%

Administration, 3.4%

FY 2014 EXPENSES

Revenue……..$23,053

Operating Expenses……..$18,635

Year-End Surplus $4,418

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Growth Opportunities

For 2015 we have some very lofty goals. This year coming we are hoping to increase our budget by 100%

once again so that we begin to secure our own facility for programming and administration and bring on

one full-time staff.

Press Highlights

Windy City Live:

http://windycitylive.com/episodes/Whats-on-Dec-with-Billy-Dec--February-20/9437886

KISS 103.5:

http://www.1035kissfm.com/onair/the-weekly-show-w-jordan-50662/the-weekly-show-w-jordan-

whats-good-w-billy-dec-21514-12069508/

IL Voices from Kids:

http://www.voices4kids.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/VOICES_2014KC_report_FINAL-hires.pdf

Shopping Spree with Pittsburgh Pirates Player, Andrew McCutchen:

http://www.lostboyzinc.org/news/niketownwithandrewmccutchen

LOST BOYZ INC. ANNUAL REPORT FY 2014