ANNUAL REPORT
2024
ANNUAL REPORT
2024
Message from the Chair and the President
We are proud to present this annual report, which illustrates the difference Trellis made in the lives of thousands of older adults and caregivers in 2024. Throughout a year of transitions, our partners, volunteers and staff committed themselves to our mission to help people thrive as we age. We are grateful to everyone who helped us show up for the community as a funder, a service provider, an advocate and a leader in aging services.
We look back at 2024 with a sense of accomplishment, and we look forward to a new year full of new opportunities, new beginnings and new partnerships.
Vanne Owens Hayes
Board Chair
Dawn Simonson
President and CEO
How We Serve
Trellis provides services, connections and innovations to help people thrive as they age.
We are 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 and social care provider network, have a broad geographic reach across Minnesota and, in some cases, across the nation.
As an area agency on aging, we ensure services and policies are tailored to the needs of local communities. We award federal Older Americans Act funding to organizations that provide services to older adults and caregivers and help provide the Senior LinkAge Line, a free, statewide service of the Minnesota Board on Aging in partnership with Minnesota’s area agencies on aging.
We are leading the charge in integrating social care with medical care to produce better life and health outcomes for older adults. Learn more at trellisconnects.org.
Information and Assistance
Trellis supports individuals through the Senior LinkAge Line, a free, statewide service of the Minnesota Board on Aging in partnership with Minnesota’s area agencies on aging. The Senior LinkAge Line is a key resource for older adults who want to optimize well-being as they age.
James’ Senior LinkAge Line Story
Benefits and options specialist Ryan helped “James” compare Medicare Part D plans during open enrollment. James needed expensive diabetes medications—Ozempic, Farxiga and Tresiba—because he couldn’t take generics. His current prescription drug plan for 2025 would cost $9,168, since not all his medications were covered. After comparing plans, Ryan found a better option that covered all James’ medications and cost only $2,070 for the year. Ryan also explained the new Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which made monthly payments more affordable. James was very thankful for the help from the Senior LinkAge Line!
2024 at a Glance
31,531
Senior LinkAge
Line calls
13,640
preadmission
screenings
2,151
resource coordination in-person visits
Juniper is Minnesota’s community care hub, working to bridge the gap between health and social care in our state. At the heart of Juniper are wellness classes that help people get fit, live well and prevent falls.
Karel’s Juniper Story
Karel is 70; she was just 38 when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Now in her 3rd year of taking Juniper’s Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) class three days a week, Karel says she can’t live without it.
“Between the class and walking two days a week, I’ve been able to keep my diabetes under control and keep my A1C under seven,” she says. “I feel strong, and I have the energy to care for my grandchildren and drive them to their activities. I’m pretty sure I also inspired their parents to exercise! I’m so grateful SAIL is there for me. It’s been a game-changer.”
2024 at a Glance
4,134
Juniper participants
278
classes
Learn more about Juniper
Older Americans Act Administration
In our role as the area agency on aging in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area, Trellis’ Older Americans Act team works with direct service provider organizations to fund services that meet local needs and preferences. Highlights from 2024:
- 2024 was the first year we used the SmartSimple Grant Management system with our partners to track information related to persons served, units of service, and payments.
- Trellis staff participated in a statewide collaboration between area agencies on aging and the Minnesota Board on Aging to develop Older Americans Act policies that come into compliance with the updated federal regulations.
DARTS is one of the many organizations that receive Title III funding from Trellis. Read Barb’s story for more information about the difference DARTS makes in our community.
Older Americans Act 2024 Funding at a Glance
$13.1 million
distributed to 39 organizations
Volunteerism and Outreach
The Volunteer and Outreach team delivers education and information about the Senior LinkAge Line throughout the seven-county metropolitan area in partnership with community organizations. Volunteers provide Medicare counseling, give community presentations, serve as ambassadors to their home communities and are embedded in nearly all departments within Trellis.
Volunteer Spotlight: Manuela
Manuela has been a volunteer at Trellis for two years and holds a variety of roles. She joins many outreach events including those in the Latiné community where she helps to translate outreach materials into Spanish. Manuela has expressed many times that these outings have not just given her the opportunity to be part of the community, but it has also given her a chance to improve and strengthen her English. When Manuela comes into the office to help with administrative tasks, she has described her experience at the office as warm, welcoming and a great way to connect with other volunteers.
2024 at a Glance
4,393
volunteer hours
1,089
Medicare counseling hours
150
community presentations
ElderCare Development Partnership
The ElderCare Development Partnership (EDP) team helps community organizations build capacity and sustainability so they can provide services that meet the needs of older adults in their communities. In 2024, the EDP team:
- Hosted Phoenix, A2 AAA to deliver “Too Many Treasures” hoarding disorder training
- Provided technical assistance for 68 prospective grant applicants for five different funding sources
- Shared current and emerging trends, tools and resources through presentations and workshops reaching over 400 professionals
- Engaged in 18 community-based and municipal groups across the seven-county Twin Cities metro area working on wide-ranging issues such as caregiving, age-friendly initiatives and more
- Convened more than 125 people from across the country in an Aging with HIV webinar
2024 at a Glance
68
prospective grant applicants received technical assistance
125
people convened for an Aging with HIV webinar
Dementia Friendly Community Initiatives
Trellis leads three dementia friendly community initiatives across Minnesota: ACT on Alzheimer’s, Dementia Friends Minnesota and The Remember Project. These initiatives strive to make communities good places for people with memory loss to live and thrive. Highlights from 2024:
- Added nearly 2,500 Dementia Friends, the most in one year since 2019
- Hosted the Dementia Friendly Changemakers Summit to celebrate 10 years of Dementia Friends Minnesota
- Received a two-year grant from the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation to expand the work of Dementia Friendly Dental Practices. In partnership with the U of M, Trellis is working to train 600 dental office staff by 2026, and has launched a six-hour advanced clinical training for dentists
- The Remember Project hosted 1,713 attendees at 17 events. 91% of participants have an increased understanding of memory loss because of The Remember Project
- State of Wisconsin BOLD funding made possible an adaptation of The Remember Project play, “Fortune Cookies” featuring deaf actors, voice-over actors and ASL interpreters. Additional events are being coordinated around Wisconsin
2024 at a Glance
1,713
individuals attended 17 events hosted by The Remember Project
2,475
people joined the growing Dementia Friends community
Data Management Program
The Data Management Program manages the information that populates the Minnesota Aging and Disability Resources and Help Me Connect websites. The database includes listings for social services across Minnesota. Highlights from 2024:
- Numerous data integrity and planning projects occurred throughout the year to support the full redesign of MinnesotaHelp.info and relaunch of the website as Minnesota Aging and Disability Resources in 2025
- Developed technology to add direct links to each assisted living facility’s report card
- Top three searches: assisted living facility, transportation, personal care assistance
2024 at a Glance
13,502
total agencies in the database
72,764
points of service in the database
Pension and Retirement Rights
Trellis Pension and Retirement Rights provides legal services to ensure workers, retirees and their families receive their retirement funds. In 2024, Trellis was awarded a second pension project in addition to renewing our existing project. The Mid-America Pension Project serves Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Pension and Retirement Rights Impact Story
A client was receiving a pension for over four years when she was suddenly notified that the pension plan had made an error in calculating her monthly annuity. As a result of the plan’s error, the client received an overpayment of $31,000.
The plan demanded that the client return that money. The client filed a claim on her own, which was denied. The client then contacted the Upper Midwest Pension Project for assistance with an appeal. The project contacted the plan, obtained documents and other important information to review. Trellis attorneys were able to confirm that the overpayment was entirely the fault of the plan and its third-party administrator.
The pension project filed an appeal on behalf of the client, arguing that the plan should cease its recoupment action against the client and instead seek recoupment from the third-party administrator. As a result of the Project’s advocacy, the pension plan abandoned its recoupment action against the client, thus saving her $31,000 that she could rely on for the rest of her retirement.
WRAPS Resources
Trellis partnered with the MN Department of Human Services and metro counties to provide short term case management and wraparound services to Adult Protective Services clients. The goal was to help stabilize clients and support their service plans. Each client had a budget that the Trellis case manager used to procure needed supplies or implement services.
WRAPS Resources Impact Story
A client was referred to WRAPS Resources because she was experiencing major plumbing issues that resulted in standing water in her basement, low water pressure and no hot water throughout her house. After reaching out to the well-known advertised plumbers who gave quotes well beyond the WRAPS budget, the case manager was able to find a small local plumbing business that fixed all the client’s plumbing issues with some budget to spare.
As the case manager spent time with the client, they discovered that she had other home repair needs like broken windows and was able to connect to Rebuilding Together MN to fix them at no cost. After using the remaining budget on some new sink faucets for her, the Trellis case manager was able to close the case and the client was so thankful for everything that Trellis provided for her.
Advocacy and Equity
In 2024 we gained additional support and momentum for the Volunteer Driver Coalition. We picked up five House co-authors and two Senate co-authors. We hosted visits with Representative Ilhan Omar and Senator Tina Smith regarding the importance and impact of the Older Americans Act. Highlights from our equity work in 2024 include:
- Awarding funds to two new Title III providers as a result of targeted outreach
- Our strategic plan includes commitments to explore an equity fund and welcome an indigenous person to the board
- We provided forms assistance for low-income older adults through grants from the City of Minneapolis and the National Council on Aging
Leadership
Board of Directors
Officers and committee chairs
Vanne Owens Hayes
Chair
Cultural Consultant and Health Educator
Mike Rothman
Vice Chair
Attorney at Law, Rothman Law and Consulting LLC
Barb Blumer
Secretary
Attorney at Law,
Barb Blumer Law, P. A.
David Van Sant
Treasurer
Project Executive, Netsmart Technologies
Kris Orluck
Immediate Past Chair
Retired Senior Coordinator, Maple Grove Parks and Recreation Board
Jeff Bangsberg
Planning Committee Chair
Retired Public Policy Initiative Leader, Minnesota Home Care Association
Becky Stibbe
Governance Committee Chair
Director of Family Philanthropy, Myriad USA
Members
Josh Berg
Director of Services & Strategic Growth, Accessible Space, Inc.
Council Member, City of Elko New Market
Lisbeth Cachima
Medical Assistant, Venezuelan MD
Barbara Champlin
Adjunct Nursing Faculty, University of St. Thomas, Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing
Alison Colton
Retired Deputy General Counsel, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Kathleen Dempsey
Founder, CEO, Care Manager,
Pathfinder Care Management
Matthew Koncar
Owner, Rose Hill Stay-at-Home Services
Adeel Lari
Retired Director, Institute for Urban and Regional Infrastructure Finance, Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs
Ram Rajagopalan
Global Business Consulting Head, Sonata Software
Sarah Urtel
Vice President and System Support, Ridgeview Medical Center and Clinics
Carla Zbacnik
Senior Associate State Director, Communications, AARP Minnesota
Ellie Zuehlke
Director of Operations, Allina Health Foundation
Staff Leadership
Dawn Simonson
President & CEO
Brad A. Bettger
Vice President of Information Technology & Facilities, Information Security Officer
Andy Brown
Vice President of Communications & Engagement
Mark Cullen
Vice President of Strategy and Business Development
Mike Frazho
Vice President of Finance
Nicole Pace
Human Resources Director
Financial Report
January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024
Balance Sheet
Total Liabilities and Net Assets
$7,340,538
Revenue and Expense
Total Revenue $24,640,057
Federal Grants: $14,327,620 (58%)
State Grants: $8,647,118 (35%)
Foundation Grants and Contracts: $808,500 (3%)
Contributions: $692,950 (3%)
Other Revenue: $163,869 (<1%)
Total Expenses by Program $23,804,139
Funding to Community Partners: $13,087,271 (55%)
Information and Assistance: $4,783,381 (20%)
Management and Program Development: $2,964,038 (12%)
Juniper: $1,629,672 (7%)
ElderCare Development Partnership and WRAPS Resources: $646,893 (3%)
Pension and Retirement Rights: $219,488 (1%)
Dementia Friendly Initiatives: $245,022 (1%)
Other: $228,374 (1%)
Statement of Functional Expenses
| Expense Category | Program Services | Management & General | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass-through dollars to community partners | $13,087,270 | $0 | $13,087,270 |
| Salaries, wages and payroll taxes | 5,756,582 | 998,945 | 6,755,527 |
| Fringe benefits | 991,605 | 131,934 | 1,123,540 |
| Legal and accounting fees | 36,822 | 45,859 | 82,681 |
| Consultants | 840,391 | 165,139 | 1,005,531 |
| Travel | 58,427 | 9,341 | 67,768 |
| Seminars | 19,568 | 8,953 | 28,521 |
| Communication and postage | 128,966 | 272,588 | 401,554 |
| Supplies | 38,007 | 28,991 | 66,997 |
| Facility | 0 | 676,562 | 676,562 |
| Depreciation and amortization | 121,186 | 0 | 121,186 |
| Insurance | 9,856 | 84,563 | 94,419 |
| Advertising | 49,905 | 7,410 | 57,316 |
| Other costs | 233,563 | 1,707 | 235,270 |
| In-kind | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | $21,372,148 | $2,431,993 | $23,804,141 |
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
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
HealthPartners
Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies
M Health Fairview East Side Health & Well-Being Collaborative
Minnesota Board on Aging
Minnesota Department of Health
Minnesota Department of Human Services
UCare Minnesota
National Council on Aging
City of Minneapolis
Sponsors
We thank the following organizations for sponsoring Trellis programs, projects and events:
AARP
Aging & Disability Resource Center of Columbia County
Allina Health Neuroscience Spine and Pain Institute
Alzheimer’s Association Minnesota-North Dakota
Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging
Art to Change the World
Care Providers of Minnesota
Central Minnesota Council on Aging
Columbus Public Library
Columbus Rotary
Eisai
Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church
FiftyNorth
First Universalist Church of Minneapolis
Friends & Co.
Health & Human Services – Portage
Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Minneapolis
LeadingAge Minnesota
Legacy Dream Space
Lodi Rotary
Medica
Minnesota Department of Health
Minnesota Nursing Home Social Workers Association
Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging
Modus Locus Expansion
Pardeeville Senior Center
Plymouth Community Center
Reach Out Lodi
Riverwood Senior Living – Wisconsin Dells
SEWA-AIFW
The Center for Creativity & Public Health
The Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation
United Healthcare
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Volunteers of America – Culturally Responsive Caregiver Support & Dementia Services
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Wisconsin Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Wisconsin Public Health Association
Individual and organizational contributors
Mary Jo Balzart
Jeff Bangsberg
Josh Berg
Bob Besinger
Brad Bettger
Denise and Jon Beusen
Sarah Blonigan
Barb Blumer
Marietta Booth
Mary Brauer
Rachel Bremness
Karen Brenteson
Andy Brown
Ginger Carroll
Gail Cederberg
Barbara Champlin
Alison Colton
Deb Courts-Brown
Rich Cowles
Mark Cullen
Kathleen Dempsey
Stephanie Devitt
Audrey Fenske
Rory Foley
Mary Kay Fortiers Spalding
Iris Freeman and Warren Woessner
Jiselle and Gregory Graves
Craig Harris
Erik Heieie
Katie Hemme
Kelley Hempel
Thomas Henke
Douglas A. Hill
Paula Hughes
LuAnne Hurst
Mary Kaltinger
Matthew Koncar
JoAnn LaFave
Kim and Dorothy Lane
Adeel Lari
Susan Larson
Jesse Lipson
Melody Lockwood
Beckie Lueck
Margaret Luhrs and Leif Bjornson
Michael McGorray
Deb and Jon McTaggart
Joann Merrill
Kathy Messerli
Rajean Moone
Anuradha Narasimhan
Amanda Nickerson
Carmen Nomann
Leon Oman
Kristine Orluck
Renae Oswald Anderson
Nancy Ovick
Vanne Owens Hayes
Nicole Pace
James Peitzman
Lauren Peterson
Mary Peterson
Robert Power
Mary Quirk
Ram Rajagopalan
Julie Roles
Deb Rosenberg
Michael Rothman
Saint Paul and Minnesota Community Foundation
Dawn Simonson
Diane Smith
Leanne Sponsel
Rebecca Stibbe
Stinson LLP
Sarah Urtel
David Van Sant
James G. Varpness
Stephanie Walseth
John Ward
Martin Wera
Romell White
Pam Will
Mary Youle
Carla Zbacnik
Ellie Zuehlke
Older Americans Act
Services Funded
Payments for services provided between January 1–December 31, 2024.
Nutrition
69,170 meals provided in group settings and 883,667 delivered to individuals in their homes.
| Funding Source | Dollars |
|---|---|
| Older Americans Act | $7,238,235 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $1,479,503 |
| Total | $8,717,739 |
Special Access
24,147 hours of services to individuals to overcome cultural/language barriers in making community and government services accessible.
| Funding Source | Dollars |
|---|---|
| Older Americans Act | $462,450 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $214,042 |
| Total | $676,492 |
Caregiver Services
20,942 units of counseling, support group, and other assistance for caregivers of older adults.
| Funding Source | Dollars |
|---|---|
| Older Americans Act | $1,033,744 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $342,005 |
| Total | $1,375,750 |
Assisted Transportation
27,087 rides for individuals who have difficulties (physical or cognitive) using other forms of transportation.
| Funding Source | Dollars |
|---|---|
| Older Americans Act | $519,552 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $218,555 |
| Total | $738,108 |
Chore and Homemaker Services/Home Modifications
22,693 hours of chore and homemaker services, including 40 home modification projects that help older adults continue to live in their own homes.
| Funding Source | Dollars |
|---|---|
| Older Americans Act | $607,342 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $289,067 |
| Total | $896,409 |
Legal Assistance/Education
10,200 hours of legal assistance.
| Funding Source | Dollars |
|---|---|
| Older Americans Act | $197,994 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $137,675 |
| Total | $335,669 |
Health Promotion
926 people took health promotion classes to stay healthy, manage chronic conditions and prevent falls.
| Funding Source | Dollars |
|---|---|
| Older Americans Act | $131,092 |
| COVID Emergency Funds | $119,207 |
| Total | $250,299 |
Community-based Partner Organizations
The following organizations directly received Older Americans Act funding through Trellis in 2024:
Karen Organization of Minnesota
Lao Advancement Organization of America
Longfellow Seward Healthy Seniors
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota
Minneapolis American Indian Center
People Served by Race
Total Served 30,303
White: 70%
BIPOC: 26%
Unknown: 4%
Public Information Services (PIS) has been removed from the demographic data of those served through more traditional services. Since PIS is designed to support caregivers in large group settings (resource fairs, etc.), individual demographic data cannot be collected.
BIPOC Served 6,073
Black/African American: 42%
Asian: 32%
Hispanic/Latino: 17%
American Indian/Alaskan Native: 6%
Two or More Races: 3%
Trellis is funded in part by the Minnesota Board on Aging under the Older Americans Act.