Impact Report
2024 - 2025

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The past year has been a time of exciting change for our organization. We’ve embarked on a new partnership with the Goodhue County Education District (GCED), which has allowed us to extend our impact to youth across Goodhue County. We’ve expanded our programmatic offerings and our partnerships with local organizations, and grown our staff accordingly. We’ve intentionally sought out and created opportunities for authentic youth leadership through advocacy and youth-led community engagement. Our growing impact and the ever-increasing scope of our work is reflected in our new name: RiseUp Partnership.

Our impact is the direct result of the commitment of our partners, donors, and vounteers, and partnerships are more critical now than ever before. In the face of the challenges and changes, our community has shown time and again over the past year that we are stronger together, that our diversity is a strength, and that we have the power to make Goodhue County a place where all young people can thrive. Partnership is at the core of our mission and the work we do, and we are profoundly grateful for the energy, advocacy, and support from our community partners.

In this report, you’ll read more about the impact that our programming had on the youth of Goodhue County, and the adults who care for them. You will see examples of youth leadership in action, of community partnership, and of authentic connection. You’ll hear directly from the people who are closest to the work we do, and you’ll have an opportunity to preview what’s to come as we continue to grow.

We are honored to work alongside so many dedicated partners in this work. Thank you for your continued support and for playing a critical role in helping to build a Goodhue County where every young person has the opportunity to thrive.

In partnership,

Mandy Arden
Executive Director
RiseUp Partnership

About RiseUp Red Wing

Mission

We are on a mission to ensure Goodhue County offers abundant opportunities for all young people to unleash their potential. We serve youth and families through caring, responsive programming, and we foster shared action among partners committed to supporting youth.

Vision

We envision a safe, vibrant Goodhue County for all: Every young person has access to opportunities that help them reach their goals, youth and families are recognized as collaborators and leaders, and all Goodhue County youth and community members feel valued, included, and empowered.

Programming for Families

RiseUp Partnership provides support to families across Goodhue County by connecting them with essential services and resources to ensure their needs are met. Our staff Family Navigator serves as the point of contact for families, supporting them through every step of their interaction with our organization. All of our family services are offered in both Spanish and English. In 2025, RiseUp Partnership provided over 500 hours of support to 42 families.

In 2024-2025, RiseUp Partnership:

Supported families with transportation, appointments, health insurance, and benefits
Referred families to Goodhue County’s Parent Support Outreach Program, helping them access critical resources
Assisted a youth with part of a $600 housing deposit
Helped a mother make an initial car insurance payment to receive a donated car from another organization
Provided financial support to a mother after her ex-partner left the country, helping her cover her electricity bill while she arranged legal support for divorce

By the numbers

42
families served

257
referrals provided

18
emergency assists

$3,609

Estimated $ value of assistance provided

100%
feel more confident in seeking out resources

528
Total hours of assistance provided

100%
feel more confident in seeking out resources

Families

100%
feel more confident in seeking out resources

8
families receiving financial assistance

Independent Living Skills

The RiseUp Red Wing Independent Living Skills (ILS) class at Tower View Alternative High School was designed to support students in managing their day-to-day needs as they enter adulthood, giving them the skills needed to pursue their goals. The class consisted of a semester-long curriculum, including a simulation of finding a job, opening bank accounts, finding a place to live, understanding insurance, and financial planning and budgeting. Students attended field trips and participated in events such as mock interviews with the Career Force Center. They also learned how to use public transportation, reducing a critical barrier to consistent employment.

Parent Engagement

RiseUp Red Wing provides support to families across Goodhue County by connecting them to services and resources to ensure their needs are met. Highlights from the year included:

Supported a newly arrived family in Red Wing by helping them with school enrollment, immigration support, transportation, and securing basic needs such as housing and employment.
Coordinated a full-ride scholarship for one parent to take a nail technician course.
Secured transportation costs for a parent’s fingerprinting appointment in Denver, resulting in work authorization.
Facilitated a job opportunity for a parent from Venezuela with a special education background, helping them secure a position working with children at a local academy.

By the numbers

19
students graduated from the ILS program in the 2023-2024 school year

406
staff 1:1 support hours

10
community partners/businesses

21
families supported

11
employment supports (translation for interviews)

5
supportive housing accommodations

Event Spotlight: PRIDE

In June 2024, RiseUp Red Wing hosted a community Pride event. This familyfriendly event in downtown Red Wing featured a red carpet walk, games, music, and activities — including tie-dye shirts, tote bag decorating, rock painting, chalking, sand pouring, and much more. Pride also highlighted LGBTQ+ artists and community art around the theme of “Be Bold. Be You!” The event included booths from local organizations and an education resource area with information and resources to support the LGBTQ+ community and allies.

1,400 Attendees

Introducing the Community Youth Council

The Red Wing Community Youth Council (CYC), officially launched in 2024, is a pathway for young leaders to collaborate and advocate to shape our community’s future. The CYC is comprised of community partners and local youth, who came together to design and implement this program. With 24 members meeting weekly for more than 50 hours in working sessions, the CYC's activities have been diverse and impactful.

Some activities so far:

Visited the Minnesota State Capitol and lobbied for policies after working with a lobbyist to develop policy agendas
Granted out $50,000 to community organizations to support initiatives that serve youth
Began the process to develop a Youth Center in Red Wing by touring other youth center sites and leading a community pitch meeting at Red Wing Ignite
Hosted a voter registration drive at River City Days
Met with community leaders, including City of Red Wing staff and Red Wing League of Women Voters
Volunteered at Red Wing Pride and the local farmer’s market
Created a Theory of Change and a set of long-term goals and strategies

“From working together to figure out what bills to support to writing testimony to meeting representatives, our experience working with the State Legislature was empowering.”

— Alyvia, CYC member

CYC Goals & Strategies: 2024 - 2027

Goal 1: Amplify youth voice and involvement in matters across Red Wing community.

1.1: Create opportunities to meet with community leaders to provide youth perspectives on citywide issues.
1.2: Establish The Kiln Youth Center as a safe and supportive community “third space”, designed by and for youth.
1.3: Organize youth voter registration and education opportunities.
1.4: Grant money to community organizations for projects supporting youth.
1.5: Seek youth representation on city and local boards and commissions.

Goal 2: Advocate for policies at a state level.

2.1: Collaborate with a lobbyist to create a Minnesota state legislative policy agenda and provide testimony on bills.
2.2: Participate in Educational Partnerships Coalition Day and Youth Day at the Minnesota State Capitol to advocate for statewide youth and family issues.

Goal 3: Integrate youth voice into the Red Wing Public Schools (RWPS) system.

3.1: Engage in co-design workshops and small groups to foster power-sharing among high school students, faculty, and staff.
3.2: Work collaboratively with the RWPS School Board to revive the student school board member position(s) with full voting rights.

Goal 4: Create clear pathways of communication and expectations for Community Youth Council members that allow all to participate.

4.1: Maintain an updated roster of CYC members.
4.2: Create an accessible list of policies that clarifies CYC’s structure and member roles.
4.3: Hold weekly CYC afterschool “office hours” for members to collaborate on projects and plan.

Goal 5: Build a diverse and sustainable base of youth leaders on the Council.

5.1: Value a diversity of ages, genders, sexualities, socioeconomic statuses, races, ethnicities, and abilities of youth when recruiting members.
5.2: Develop informational document to attract new CYC members.

“I really saw how the Youth Council has changed as more diversity came into the group, helping our goals come into fruition.”

— Jaylen, CYC member

Fostering Shared Action

Partnership Spotlight: HOPE Coalition

HOPE Coalition (HOPE) is a nonprofit organization that provides support to individuals and families experiencing domestic trauma in Goodhue and Wabasha Counties. In April 2024, the RiseUp Red Wing Community Youth Council granted $4,000 to HOPE to fund their second annual Healthy Kids Day, in collaboration with the Red Wing Family YMCA. More than 300 people attended Healthy Kids Day, where participants played games, did arts and crafts, and learned about community resources. HOPE’s planning and implementation of this event aligned with RiseUp Red Wing’s vision:

Every youth has access to opportunities to learn and lead: HOPE’s team of youth interns participated in the planning process of this year’s event. They attended all planning meetings and contributed ideas for youth involvement at the event.

Every youth has the knowledge and resources they need to thrive: Healthy Kids Day featured booths with community resources for youth and parents, including information from Girl Scouts of America; United Way of Goodhue, Wabasha, and Western Pierce County; Red Wing Police and Fire Departments; Bikers Against Child Abuse; Fernbrook Family Center; FamilyWise; and more.

Every youth is respected, included, and seen as a valued member of the community: Youth voice was prioritized in the planning and implementation of Healthy Kids Day. RiseUp Red Wing youth, the Red Wing High School Black Student Union, and the Red Wing High School Gay-Straight Alliance hosted booths at the event.

22 Partners

$46,747.82 regranted to our partners

Youth Leadership in Action

In June 2024, the Red Wing Community Youth Council partnered with the Loop Consulting Collective to participate in a co-design workshop. Twenty-four Red Wing High School students and eight Red Wing Public School staff members came together to build power while engaging in meaningful learning experiences and developing transferable skills. Their purpose was to reimagine and reconstruct education to increase equitable engagement, learning, and collective school ownership. Over the course of the workshop, the Community Youth Council developed a series of goals aligned to the purpose and brainstormed associated actions to help reach those goals. The result was a set of ideas and action steps, collectively generated among teaching staff and students, to help Red Wing Public Schools move toward a more equitable system of education.

“Teachers listened. Sometimes for students, it may be intimidating to talk to adults in the hierarchy we have talked about, but as the workshop progressed, the hierarchy diminished and allowed students to feel heard and in the same position as educators. As a student, I didn’t feel shut down.”

— Student Participant

“I could talk freely to those I don’t know, because this group of people listens and doesn’t judge anyone’s voices. Working with this group of people was revolutionary, because we came up with solutions and addressed issues that needed to be talked about, or else no one would’ve known.”

— Student Participant

Looking Ahead

In the coming year, we’ll continue to support local youth through direct programming and shared action. Here’s a look at what’s ahead:

Caring, Responsive Programming

Continue working toward establishing a youth center in Red Wing, in collaboration with the Community Youth Council
Expand the Community Youth Council to continue to center youth perspectives
Conduct a needs assessment to determine future programming for youth and families
Introduce a math literacy afterschool program in the middle school with staff and peer mentors undergoing training to effectively teach math concepts

Fostering Shared Action

Collaborate with Goodhue County Education District to expand the partnership across the county
Expand co-design opportunities throughout Goodhue County to increase youth perspectives in decision-making
Assess District needs and provide targeted support in cradle-to-career areas
Increase data literacy, data access, and data-based decision-making in Goodhue County

Financials

Our programming year runs July - June, and our fiscal year runs January - December. In order to better demonstrate financial impact, we are reporting revenue and expenses from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.

Total Revenue

Total Expenses

Breakdown by Area

Fostering Shared Action:

Regranted to Partners ....................... $46,747.82
Program Expenses ............................ $66,033.75
Personnel and Consultants ............... $202,816.22
Overhead ........................................… $11,553.7

Caring, Responsive Programming:

Assistance to Families ...................... $12,419.86
Program Expenses ............................ $54,053.87
Personnel and Consultants ............... $432,322.04
Overhead ........................................… $49,726.91

Funders / Supporters

Foundations

Businesses

Government Grants

MN Dept of Public Safety (Youth Interventions Program)

MN Dept of Education (IgniteAfterschool and ESSER)

Goodhue County Health and Human Services (STAY in the Community)

State of Minnesota (Education Partnerships Coalition)

Local Grants

United Way of Goodhue, Wabasha, and Pierce Counties

First Lutheran Church

National & State Networks

RiseUp Red Wing is a member of StriveTogether, a national network of nearly 70 partnerships across 29 states and Washington, DC, working to ensure every child has every opportunity to succeed in school and in life. Together, the StriveTogether network reaches more than 14 million young people.