Year 2 by the Numbers

From our President

Last year when Footwork & Frolick published our first Impact Statement, I decided to write an introduction to help contextualize the metrics we were sharing with our audience, adding some personal commentary and a note of gratitude for an incredible introductory year as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. I believe reflection is a powerful tool, and as an organization with a mission rooted in connection (with the past, with our region, with each other) this feels like an important opportunity to share some bigger-picture thoughts.

Collaboration is historically accurate

Rather than just scribbling something at 11pm and hitting “publish” like I did last year, I reached out to other F&F members to ask for their feedback. And I’m so glad I did: their perspectives on 2025 were different from mine, shaped by their personal experiences in and outside the organization. It was a great reminder that even if we are all dedicated to the same mission, there is diversity in how we envision bringing that mission to life.

In that spirit, for 2026 we want to lean more into the experiences you are looking for! Please share your thoughts through our community feedback survey and help shape our future programming priorities. After all, this mission belongs to you too. We want to know your vision.

Frolicking is a team sport

Each member of F&F brings a unique perspective to our shared passion for historical activities, but we all share one important view: our community - from first-time attendees to faithful volunteers to new members (welcome Lauren G.!) - are what make Footwork & Frolick. You are what keeps us going, through late nights and heavy lifting and weather emergencies. You are what fills our spaces with joy and connection and laughter. So thank you.

Thank you for emailing us and telling us that your partner (who only begrudgingly came to the ball) was coming back because they had so much fun.

Thank you for engaging with silly videos that connect our past to our present with so, so many giggles.

Thank you for inviting us into your spaces and making magic with us.

And thank you for coming back. Thank you for becoming people whose names and faces we know and are excited to see. Thank you for making F&F into a community.

Special thanks to everyone who has sent us photos this year.

Our 2025 report

Below you will find our summary of key metrics: engagement, non-profit partnerships, financial & volunteer support, and organizational output. You can also download a copy of the report as a pdf here.

More than ever, I believe in the importance of creating opportunities for us to connect to the past, to explore how the New Englanders of prior centuries navigated the world around them, and to protect opportunities for community-building and for whimsy. And yet no matter how much I believe in the importance of joy, it wouldn’t be possible without a ballroom (or tearoom, or croquet court) full of people determined to be whimsical.

And so I hope you’ll join us again in 2026! Our schedule of events for winter and spring is live now, and tickets are on sale for all events through March.

See you there,

Lauren