ANNUAL REPORT 2023
2023 Board of Directors Emily Lavelle, President Lauren Lavelle, Vice President Jeremy Parkinson, Treasurer Nick Cofod, Secretary A J Balukoff Harrison Berry Micheline Carter RT Duke Brenna Fallon Steve Frinsko Sarah Griffin Paul Hilding Teresa Killingsworth Drew Lobner Mary Pauline Lowry Molly Nota Stacy Pearson Peggy Runcorn Danielle Strollo Allen Traylor Mike Ward Thank you to Sally Long for all you do for us.
2023 Staff Kurt Zwolfer Executive Director Hillary Bilinski Assistant Director Hillary Colton Education Programs Manager Desmond Fuller Education Programs Coordinator
Message from Leadership Dear Friends of The Cabin, In 2023, we fully embraced our mission at The Cabin, delivering impactful literary experiences. Our core literary programs, including Readings and Conversations, Writers in the Schools, Summer Writing Camps, Writers in the Attic, free drop-in workshops, and Ghosts & Projectors, captivated diverse and engaged audiences, participants, and speakers. These events and classes sparked creativity, experimentation, and dialogue, fostering a love of reading and writing across age groups. The Cabin partnered with Boise Public Library and the Boise City Department of Arts & History to establish Boise’s inaugural Writer in Residence program: a six-month writer residency that nurtures local talent while enriching the community. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to supporting both emerging and established local writers. A notable accomplishment of 2023 was The Cabin's advocacy against censorship and book banning. When faced with a local attempt to restrict access to books and vilify our trusted librarians and teachers, we swiftly responded. Our efforts involved keeping Cabin members informed about pending legislative actions and mobilizing collective voices in defense of everyone's right to read and engage in creative expression. Additionally, for the second consecutive year, we partnered with Rediscovered Books for the Read Freely Project, distributing up to 1,500 challenged books at no cost throughout the valley. The success of our enduring literary programs and impactful initiatives like the Read Freely Project is made possible by the generosity of our members and donors. Your ongoing financial support and belief in our mission enable us to remain a steadfast pillar of the arts in the Treasure Valley, defending the freedom to read and uniting our community through the voices of readers, writers, and learners. Thank you for being part of The Cabin family.
Gen Emerson Patron Services Manager
Sincerely,
Joel Wayne Public Programs Manager
Kurt Zwolfer & Emily Lavelle
Jordyn Marcroft Financial & Public Programs Coordinator Chris DeVore Grants Manager Adie Bartron Marketing & Communications Manager 2
Kurt Zwolfer Executive Director
Emily Lavelle Board President
2023 Financials Other Revenue 2%
Read Freely Project 1%
2023 Revenue Grants 19%
Revenue Total $877,392 Sponsorship 6%
Program Revenue 37%
Total Individual Giving 12%
Program Revenue ($326,297) Total Fundraising ($206,489) Grants ($165,765) Total Individual Giving ($105,601) Sponsorship ($50,250) Other Revenue ($15,144) Read Freely Project ($7,846)
Total Fundraising 24%
Management & Operations 21%
Development 19%
Where Your Dollar Went Expenses Total $870,020
Ghosts & Projectors 5%
Summer Writing Camps 11%
Readings & Conversations 27%
Writers in the Attic 2%
Writing Workshops 3%
Writers in the Schools 12%
Development ($166,781) Readings & Conversations ($234,906) Writers in the Schools ($101,520) Writing Workshops ($23,668) Writers in the Attic ($21,126) Summer Writing Camps ($93,920) Ghosts & Projectors ($42,697) Management & Operations ($185,402)
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Education Programs
Writers in the Schools Our Writers in the Schools (WITS) program is designed to foster creativity, communication, and self-discovery. Working in 3rd–12th grade classrooms and juvenile detention centers throughout the Treasure Valley, The Cabin’s professional teaching-writers—poets, novelists, playwrights, and journalists—lead creative writing, reading, and discussion projects.
WITS by the Numbers 32 classrooms and 21 unique residencies 16 different locations
1 juvenile detention center 9 public schools 1 Montessori school 3 international schools 2 alternative high schools
773 students participated in the program 14 teaching-writers employed by The Cabin 300+ hours of teaching-writer instruction time The Cabin partnered with ArTPack– a local nonprofit that supplies students with backpacks full of art supplies—that, at the end of a residency, students take home to keep–for two residencies in two different Title I elementary school classrooms to bring art and writing to students in underserved communities 4
Education Programs
Summer Writing Camps The Cabin’s Summer Writing Camps help kids cultivate a lifelong love of writing through fun, week-long literary adventures. Campers explore community spaces as they build tools to creatively express themselves.
Summer Writing Camps by the Numbers 8 weeks of 5-day, 3-hour long Summer Writing Camps 308 individual campers, with a maximum of 10 students per camp 32 unique camps in 8 genres, including collaborations with Zoo Boise and the World Center for Birds of Prey 12 teaching-writers employed by The Cabin $1,700 awarded in camp scholarships “Thank you for making writing fun for both of my kids. They loved it! I also admired their confidence in reading their own writing — presenting is not easy but you prepared them for success! Can't wait for them to do another camp! Thank you! Summer Camp Parent
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Public Programs
Readings & Conversations We welcomed 4,801 community attendees to our Readings & Conversations series, featuring bestselling writers, Pulitzer Prize winning-journalists, and a three-time US Poet Laureate. Additionally, two of these authors—Joy Harjo and Ruth Ozeki— visited a pair of high school libraries and engaged 101 students on the topics of craft, creativity, and the writing life.
Ghosts & Projectors Our refreshed Ghosts & Projectors series entertained 298 local readers and writers across an evening of literary trivia, a Belated Book Launch for a trio of local authors—Kim Cross, Samantha Silva, and Emily Pittinos—who unfortunately had books published during the pandemic, and a night at the Old State Penitentiary with debut novelist Nana Kwame AdjeiBrenyah, author of Chain Gang All Stars.
Writers in the Attic Writers in the Attic, our in-house publication contest for emerging authors, saw 205 writers submitting 287 pieces for consideration in the anthology on the theme, Three. Selections for Three were procured by Daniel Stewart, a Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of the Erskine J. Poetry Prize from Smartish Pace.
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Public Programs
Free Drop-in Writing Workshops The Cabin’s free and open writing workshop, held on the first and third Tuesday of each month, welcomes writers of all backgrounds and skill levels to participate in unique prompts designed to inspire and support a network of local writers. This year, more than 150 drop-in attendees came to 23 workshops.
Six-week Writing Workshops All workshops take place at The Cabin in Boise, Idaho, and range from single-evening workshops to six-week intensives. All of our six-week workshops are capped at twelve students, so writers receive individualized guidance from the teachingwriter and fellow workshoppers. In the past nine months, 241 workshop attendees participated in 10 workshops with more than $3,000 offered in scholarship assistance.
Read Freely Project Since 2021, The Cabin has partnered with local bookstore Rediscovered Books to highlight and distribute recent books that are diverse, well-written, and yet vulnerable to censorship in our current social climate. This year, we collected $8,230 in donations from 113 individuals which directly supplemented the purchase of the selected books for distribution. 7
Your generosity fuels our passion Our programs are made possible by your support. Thank you.
Donors *Giving level of $500 or more.
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Bobbi Hansberger* Karyl Hayden* Jennifer Stevens* Ellie Rodgers and Kurt Holzer* Jill Johnson* Arnold Silva and Denise Mills* A J and Susie Balukoff* Peggy Runcorn* Linda & Tom Dixon* Carol Lynn MacGregor, PhD* Eileen L Barber* Linda Perez & Roger Malinowski* Tom and Teresa Killingsworth* Connie Weaver* Linda and Steve Kahn* Thomas and Ashley Ahlquist* Steven Cole* Paul Emery* Julie Manning* Linda Cadwell* Sally and Bob Long* Robert Law* Victoria Goltry* Danielle Strollo* Brenna Fallon* Will and Patty Northrop* Kay Hardy and Gregory Kaslo* Marcia Benton* David Munger* Yvonne McCoy* Elizabeth Greene* Suzanne Allen* Paul and Stephani Hilding* Staci Darmody* Stefanie Fry* Jane Watkins* Lisa Derig* Sarah Griffin* Marshall and Leslie Garrett* Kathryn Hendricksen* Anette Elg* Kelly Lodge* Sydney Fidler* Chris Abend* Jerry Ulfers* Bessie Katsilometes* John B and Delores L Fery Fund* Paige Shafer and Bill Coffey* Anne Hay* Marilyn Beck* Pat and Gary Machacek* Ann Peterson* Diane Schwarz* Julie Gendler* Mikel Ward* Dana and Dana Zuckerman* Denise Bittner* Laura Gibson* Thomas Beauchaine* Barbara McTigue* Nancy Budge*
Lindsay Clarke Youngwerth* Patricia McClung* Jennifer DeBoer* Michael Spink and JoAnn Butler* Alan and Royanne Minskoff* Mary Monroe* Rita Rodriguez* Beth Malasky* Nancy Spittle* Gay Whitesides* Nancy and John Werdel* Noreen Womack* Dorothy Snowball* Caren DeAngelis* Michael Stoddard* Steve Frinsko* Jennifer Sampson* Ilana Rubel* Kara Cadwallader* Stacy Pearson* Barbara Doll* Debra Leithauser* Nick Miller and Cathy Silak* Terri Garabedian* Sandra Andersen* Bob and Kathy Kustra* Rhiana Menen* Dawn Tubbs* Laura Bond* Stephanie Youngerman* Susan Parrish* Paula Miller* Melanie Meza* Jamie Brennan Kim Hoppie Julie Gendler LaRae Archibald Hollis Brookover Gwen Dry Robina Holmes Laurel Fritz Amy Jones Barb Scott Rebecca Wood Susan McMillan Donna Ehrenreich Irv Littman Kathryn A Scott Mary Jane Bagwell Anne Woodhouse Dagmar Rapp Amelia Carter Jeremy Parkinson Megan Griffin Bonnie Sharp Molly Mannschreck Jill Costello Susan May Mary Hindson Aimee Nishitani Andy and Paul Remeis
Dan Morrow Vivian Klein Noreen Womack Robin Baumgartner Scout O'Gara Joanna Madden Janelle Hofeditz Suzanne Knibbe Betsy Montgomery Lisa Growette Bostaph Cynthia Brandt Louis Katz Katherine Mathews Judith W. Collins Caitlin Kinahan Timothy Snyder Emily Quinn Kristen Denker Emily Lavelle Daniel Hume Linda Hummel Eloise Cronin Christine Avey Kirsten Deutsch Julie Ouchley Debbie Johnson Jennifer Vasconcellos Kacy Berliner Babette Munting Cheyenne House Tracey Greenwood Anita Ralstin Michelle Brack Clarissa Cutler-Evans Kelly Harwood Jerry Sturgill Benjamin Burdick Sharon Hanson William Eisinger Jacquelyn Wilson Jennifer DeBoer Peggy Runcorn Margaret Rosenthal Carol Craighill Andrew Lobner Judith Steele Sandra Beebe Kent Mommsen Kathy Bradley Jill Johnson Laura Stento Rebecca Vestal Richard Duke Jessica McFarlane Elizabeth Clovis Mary Lowry Katharine Herstein Wendy and Wayne Rancourt Michelle Taylor Bonnie Schroeder Lindsy Glick
Sue Reents Mikel Ward Amy Wilkerson Mary Ann Reuter MEGHAN MALLEA Antoinette Cavanaugh Paula Miller Bonnie Shuster Michelle Esplin Barbara McTigue Patricia McCarthy Cathryn Chase-Mason Anne Olden Vicki Kreimeyer Peg Dougherty Heidi Lewis Marcelle Morris Jennifer Sampson Ilana Rubel Dolly Higgins Mara Hargroder paul cunningham Carolyn Levingston Paul Hilding Keith Feldman Linda Dixon Barbara Doll Caile Spear Julie Weston Mark Baradziej Don Essig Stephen Dill Shannon Koeplin Lauren Lavelle Kathleen Jennings Caren DeAngelis Bron Roberts Coline McConnel Chris Miller Paige Shafer Marilyn Stave Alice Hennessey Shaylee Healy Bridget Vaughan Tyler Bevis Tawni Rising Marla Covey Harrison Berry Catie Wardwell Heidi Freeney Nick Cofod Merilee Marsh Donald Zancanella Stephen Frinsko kelly amos Michael Daniels Rae Lloyd-Lever Judith Marsh Karen Baerlocher Carol Allen Kathleen Sutherland
Darla Christiansen Lynn and Mark Hofflund Denise Bittner JoAnne Minnick Lynne Mccrea Britt Udesen Kitana Inthisane Thomas Traylor Michal Yadlin Margaret Scott CarolAllen Tracy B Sidell Paul Remeis karen Simonds Thomas Boatner Lara Van Hulzen Cheryl Lawson Ed Frost Michele Miles Susan Gibson Cathy Rogers Ed Cryer Stephanie Miller Martha McFarland Maria Essig Ellen Jones Susan Whiting Mary Clagett Smith Kathryn Ferriell Heather Getzloff Laura Bond Gertrude Arnold Amanda Regan Leo Matthews Tiffany Hitesman Gail Chaloupka Anastasia Barker Jinx McAllister David Wilkins Mary Ann Newcomer Michael Paul Partricia Hazard Meghan Jankowski Rachael Hansen Nancy Cole Kelli Yeowell Jennifer Hull Joel Hickman Phyllis Brown Joan Henderson Eve Chandler Chelsea D'Addabbo Sue Rembowski Jane DeChambeau Beth Cochrane Jean Findley Stephanie Lenhart Carrie Kirkpatrick Lauren McLean Julia Bailey Brenna Fallon Mary Davis Claire Boyd Linda Hendricks Bruce Cadwell Michael Kohntopp David Poole Darwin Roy Julie McCandless Diana Benedick Carol Beaver Nancy Oppenheimer Gabrielle Renwick
Janet Schlicht Carolyn Coiner Jeremy Boyd kristin Bothwell RACHEL SMITH Paul Werner Melissa Winberg Kathy Yamamoto Sally Goodell Oberlindacher Carolyn Wolfe Jocelyn Robertson Kirstin Delp Gretchen Hurlbutt Karen Benning Debbie Arstein Barbara Pond Heidi Boyce Jonathan Oppenheimer Linda Beebe Nicole Force Gail Baccheschi Cathryn Downs Bennae Stanfield Christine Haener edith pacillo Janet Jackson Karen Robison Kristin Gnojewski Carol Casler Billie Weinstein Linda Paul Susan Rench Lila Havens Susan Cornwett Annelisa Keithley Eric Wallace & Kathy McGowan Ann Carlson Catherine Rakow Jane Kornfield Carol Cronin Kriz Stephen Asher Jan Alden Wanda Firman Michal Lloyd Brandon Bolyard Ann James Lisa Doering Martha Cline Margaret Henbest Dianne Bevis Suzanne Janzen Carol Anderson Tani Nelson Kim Cadwell Dunja Subasic Deb Johnson Kathleen Blackburn Susan Mommsen Jessica Duvall Rene Basinski Michelle Dega Marguerite Lawrence Terri Schorzman Marcie Kowalczyk Thomas Baerwald Carolyn Fletcher Sharla Ng Amie Bruggeman JoAnn Koozer Aletha Lundblad Rory O’Connor Danielle Alexander Margaret Mulhern
Barbara Kline Karin Aiello Beth Bogue Mary DeWalt Dana Lee Lisa Armstrong Jeffrey Wilhelm Victoria Swerdloff Amy War Erin Logan Debra Ewan Lorain Banducci Martha Stacy Susan Denison Elizabeth Hall Jonelle Warnock Carroll Sims Susan Collinge Cindy & Mark Eubank Will Northrop Bruce Ballenger Debbie Wachtell Dorothy Snowball Ellie Rodgers Jacque Eastman James John Cruzen Kate Sutherland Kay Hardy Laurie Corrick Mark Geston Martha Lane Skip Oppenheimer Stacy Pearson Sydney Fidler Tony Doerr Molly Mettler George Harad David Chehey Martha Hays Betsy L Ross Sharlene Green Elizabeth Bridges Susan Merry George Dean Maj-le Bridges Cynthia Gray Samsara Inc Jennifer Dreckman Eric Cullen Chris Volk Deborah Lowman Katherine Devlin Megan Starich Linda Kline Joan Christensen Sue Claire Hebert Michele Koehl Ingrid Brudenell Amy Baruch Eileen Mundorff Stacey Stewart David Scott Julie Manning Vicki Lord Martha Payne Beth Malasky Mary E Frischmuth JeNelle McEwan Pamela Holton Douglas Thomas Margaret Meide Louise Poole Colin Poole
Kathryn Elzinga Laurie Cavey Kristi Vaterlaus Shelley Zimmer Martie Rowen Sue Schiele Nancy Kobe Cheryl Richardson Pamrla Nishitani Martha Agler Kelly Miller-Pluckebaum Connie Sech Fledderjohann Elsa Lee Katherine Paden Jennifer Kirkland Cynthia Moseley Amy Rustad Kacee OConnor John OConnor Amanda Ashley Carolyn Eiriksson Mary Nahas Kaycie Roberts Lisa Elorrieta Sheila Grisham Patti Lough Jay Krajic Elizabeth Dudley Andrea Bretz Jenny Schenk Cindy Snyder Caroline Sobota Kaydeen Burkett Jennifer Bpyd Trinjia Dell'Aglio Stephanie May Cathy Clarkson Holly Anderson Amy Taylor Julie Wright Nancy Werdel John Werdel Mary E McMurtrie Courtney Savin Amy Brown Tracy Sidell Patricia Young Cheryl Van De Grift-Edson Bob Bushnell Janice Peterson Melody Monbleau James Giuffre Gregory Taylor Cynthia Hand Leslie Atkins Paula Perry Rejane Kocemba Shelly Costa Erin Kohler Ruth Schneider Christine Munson Heidi Burpee Kerry Bruce Dawn Blancaflor Becky Gibson Camille Oldenburg Marilyn Beck Heather Dermott Elizabeth Franklin Maggie Bude Dorothy Read Elizabeth Barnes Janet Roscoe
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Elizabeth Barnes Janet Roscoe Karen Antram Jenn Mallette Jessica Burke Howard Olivier Pam Helfrich Rosemarie Van Pembroke Mary McGee Barbara Olic-Hamilton Susan Barnes Mara Bateman Melissa Delaney Bobbie Moritz Sandra Friedly Bonita Wohlers Tera Schladensky Cary Baerlocher Patricia Northrop Karen Kelley Peter Wachtell Harold Eastman Philippe Masser Gregory Kaslo Tom Corrick Thomas Dixon Marijke Geston Douglas Peterson Gay Whitesides Pat Knibbe Esther Oppenheimer Mark Pearson Clark Fidler Shauna Doerr Don Kemper Bev Harad Marney Ellis Malika Nota Josephine Jones Janet Mills Erin McCarthy Linda Bequette Ellen Cole Sarah Griffin Darwin & Charlotte Roy Adrienne Lane-Martin Bonita Vestal Katherine Jones Margaret Chase Edna Shochat Sherry Swearngin Julie Collins Sue Norton Gayle Moore Chris Jackson Laurie Roberts
Susan Stacy Joshua Stewart Brigitta Panther Sandra Cruise Sarah Beukelman Leah Hannum James Henken Dawn Tubbs Erica Larson Dana Zuckerman Anne Elmore Mat Runcorn Stephani Hilding A J Balukoff GeofStanley Gina Borud Marne Elmore Jennifer Montalbano Michele Conway Johanna Kalb Annabel Hindman Louise Bird Eileen Oldag Ann Ford Margaret Koger Jim Baxter Thelma Stubbs Lori Gray Ruth Ann Smith Maria Eschen Rita Rodriguez Amanda Fehrer Jeff Crouch Maylene Cavazos Rosa Urrutia Catherine Wardwell Suki Molina Ann Campbell Katherine Haute Marlene Mussler-Wright Jody Bullard Kathy Huckins Joyce Melchert Viki Smith Janie Modie Kelci Lucier John McGown Meagan Conry Georgia Marshall Amy Duque Becky Verity Kimberly Helderman James Werntz Laura Johnston Jean Bender Louise Maley
Toni Ansotegui Kerry Cooke Mary Getchell Cynthia Woods Kroger Eric Oliver Dianne Ryan Linda Verrill Julie Ridgeway Linda Henrikson Linda Reed Shaun Hammersmark Jaime Finch Marilyn Altman Merrill Bading Cynthia Eubank A Brooke Lewis Jan M Flynn Katharine Ward Andrea Remeis James Wolf Rebecca Petersen Angel Leal Erin Gatfield Margaret Griffith Lauren Scott Deb Eisinger Anne Gordon Lisa Uhlmann Deborah Nelson Susie Crandlemire Elizabeth Gutting Jan Flynn Kelli Jenkins Mary Newcomer Louise Karther Karey Neal Barbara McNeil Nicholas Cofod Valeri Kiesig Tom Simpson Lacey Rammellobrien Jane Lloyd Deb Eisinger Katherine Schultz Sara Wilson Tara Hunt Robert McAndrew Jaclyn Evans Christopher Ricci Brian Jackson Seth Platts Barbara Silus Jenna Furman Susan C Philley Sarah Becker
Grantors Morrison Center Endowment Foundation Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation First Interstate Bank & Foundation Idaho Commission on the Arts National Endowment for the Arts
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Joshua Dollins Ashley Rowe Amanda Yoder Eric Wallace Loisann Openshaw Dawn Stahlberg Jody & Rick Ochoa Meredith Frinsko Carol Gramann Annette Bottaro-Walklet Ute Orgassa Alan Lastufka Gregory Hahn Jem Wierenga Charlotte Rains Heidi Renk Kierra Hansen Thomas Page Amy Atkinson Wendy Hoovel Jennifer Villalobos Rachel Bondurant Cadey Hull Teresa Weber Lisa Bosworth Kara Lindberg Monica Robinson Jennifer Bills Cyndi King Katie Schulze Mary J Wonter-Schuller Christine Gutierrez Annie Meyer Michael Riser Sabrina Gary Lindy Freensn Pam Nagel Elyse Thorpe Joel Mata Hanna Huff Breanna Hinkle Daniel Rodriguez Anna Rostock Allison Eagans Hayden Mazzarelli Allison Adams Keri Johnson Kimberly Ptacek Kelsie Mhoon Tyson Stublar Tanner Rudd Elizabeth Greene Elizabeth Congdon Richard Mattoon
Sponsors Academy of American Poets WESTAF Idaho Community Foundation JR Simplot Company Foundation Idaho Power Foundation
Idaho Humanities Council Amazon Literary Partnership Idaho Humanities Council Whittenberger Foundation Zions Bank
Boise State University St. Luke's Select Health Idaho Society of Clinical Oncology Boise Public Library Ball Ventures Ahlquist
Thank you for your dedication to The Cabin and our mission to celebrate the literary arts in Idaho.
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