Ann Bailey didn’t learn of Darts on a job post board or through LinkedIn. She was introduced to the nonprofit, which provides social services for older adults, at a time when she needed support the most.
“I was wandering around Apple Valley looking for answers to drop from the sky,” she said. It was 2002 and her father’s Alzheimer’s disease was getting to a point of concern.
“I walked into the Apple Valley Senior Center, word-vomited what was on my mind and (a worker) said, ‘Have you called Darts?’” Having grown up in Manitowoc, Wis., Bailey had never heard of the West St. Paul organization.
Darts, which was founded in 1974, helps people 55 and older live independently by offering services like housework, outdoor chores, home repairs, technology guidance, caregiving resources, connections and transportation.
“I called Darts and from that moment on, I had a caregiver coach who checked in with me,” Bailey said. “As we were making big decisions for my dad and as we hit those big milestones, Darts was there with their expertise to help us.”
After experiencing firsthand what Darts could do for her family, Bailey became a financial donor and in 2010, she joined the board of directors.
“I was able to balance caring for my dad and working a high-powered job because Darts was able to support us,” said Bailey, who at the time was working for Target in IT.
On June 1, 2015 — exactly 10 years ago — Bailey was appointed president of Darts.
In her first year as president, Darts served just over 1,000 people. Last year, Darts served nearly 2,200 individuals, gave more than 8,500 rides and tallied over 9,000 volunteer hours.
Under her tutelage, the nonprofit expanded its services to all of Dakota County and now includes southern Washington County and southern Ramsey County.
“Communities are at their best when all ages can thrive,” Bailey wrote in an opinion piece for the Minnesota Star Tribune last summer. “So why does the topic of aging often make us uncomfortable?”
Nearly 1 in 5 Minnesotans are 65 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Twenty years from now, Minnesota is expected to hit the peak “retirement- to working-age ratio,” with nearly two retirement-age adults for every five working-age Minnesotans, according to Minnesota Compass, a statewide data resource led by Wilder Research.
This demographic shift will have widespread impact, creating an even bigger need for organizations like Darts.
A month from now, Bailey will leave her beloved post. “It’s been an absolute privilege,” she said of her time with the organization.
Ann Bailey Q&A
Darts President Ann Bailey at the nonprofit’s offices in West St. Paul on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Bailey will retire on July 1 after 10 years as president of the aging social services organization. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
Ahead of her departure, Bailey spoke with the Pioneer Press about her time at the helm of Darts, one of Dakota County’s most vital organizations. This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Q: What has set you apart in this role?
A: Anyone who’s ever talked to me has understood the conviction in my heart and in my brain that says: Every community needs a Darts.
We all need an organization that’s very community-focused and locally-resourced that’s there to help people age successfully — whatever that looks like for them.
Q: What surprised you about the job?
A: The part that I underestimated is that only about 20% of our funding comes from people paying a portion of the fee for their services. The rest comes from a city, a county, the federal government, a foundation or a private donor. I did not know how much those would shift.
We would put together a budget, and then we’d get an email from somebody saying, “Oh by the way, this is the last year that we will be able to support.” Sometimes it was $3,000, which is impactful but not hard to fill, and then sometimes it was $200,000.
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Q: Do you have concerns about leaving?
A: One of my biggest concerns about leaving now is the state of the financials, particularly at the federal level.
About 20% of the funds we have come from federal sources, so we’re sitting on pins and needles a bit. Nothing has been canceled yet, but we are trying to anticipate what might be.
Q: How did the job change during your tenure?
A: What we are doing at Darts has evolved, which was always the spirit of Darts, even prior to me being here. I think one of our strengths is that we listen to the community at the broadest level.
We are looking at data with our county partners and our city partners. We are looking at client survey data. We are talking to people at events to hear what the needs are and we evolve our services. That made the job change.
Q: Can you give me an example of how the services evolved?
A: We’ve always been focused on transportation, even before my time here. When we forecasted where we would be headed, we thought the home services, particularly the cleaning services, would be the point of most growth.
I didn’t count on the fact that the labor market would change so dramatically that we couldn’t hire people to grow that service.
What did end up growing was the caregiver services. The growth of those services makes sense because boomers have older parents they are caring for and now the oldest of the boomers are getting to a point where maybe someone is caregiving for them.
Q: How did the job change you?
A: My default setting is operational. I like thinking about the big picture and how to make it happen. I think I matured over time to know that I have great leaders around me and they will get it done.
I could spend a little more time helping us paint the picture of where we could go and then letting my team take that and run with it.
Q: Why is now the right time to leave?
A: I’ve had the same leadership team for years. I look at the leadership team here and they are strong and steady. They will be able to help the next person to sit in this chair learn the parts of the job they don’t know.
They have a lot of good, deep expertise and they are building great teams. It felt like this was a good time to break away.
Q: What are you most proud of?
A: What comes to my mind first is the team that we have and their resiliency.
It’s a unique feeling in this office that they care about each other as people, immensely. When we have a new person join, they are very supportive. When someone leaves, we celebrate the things they did for us while they were here.
That stands out to me because that caliber of team is what enables us to try new ideas and embrace new things.
Q: Can you give me an example of a new idea you implemented?
A: We’ve done programs to help reach the Spanish-speaking community and now a couple times a month we host “Café y Conversaciones.”
It’s a group of 12 to 18 people who usually come, but we provide services to about 130 Spanish-speaking clients. Our team really leaned into it though, even though we only have a couple fluent Spanish speakers on staff. At the rate I’m going, I’ll be fluent in 100 years, but they are really proud of me.
Programs like that help create community and a sense of trust, then suddenly the clients are asking for other resources and more help.
Q: What advice do you have for people in nonprofit work?
A: Creating a peer network was really important to me. Mentors, donors, board members are not necessarily the people that I want to expose everything to, so having that peer network is really critical.
Another piece of advice is to use whatever mechanism you have to be out in the community. In our case, we’re engaged in several chambers of commerce and I sit on the board of the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging. By being out in the community, you’ll hear firsthand the impact the work is making and that validation can lift you up on a low day.
Lastly, remember the “why” behind your being here.
Q: What will you miss the most?
A: It’s easy to say the people, and it’s true. Right now, I’m looking around my desk at the pieces and parts I’ve accumulated over 10 years.
The relationships, the community … I know that won’t disappear, but it’s been a privilege to be able to stand up in front of a crowd and say, “Here’s who I am representing.”
I’m going to miss the label next to my name and being able to represent an organization that I believe in so deeply.
Q: Why have you chosen retirement?
A: COVID offered us reminders that life is finite. My husband is 65, I’m 63. It’s time to move forward and see what a life that doesn’t focus on a paycheck looks like.
We’ll still be very engaged with the community and I will try my best to keep my hand in aging services from an advocacy standpoint, just without the structure of an employer around me.
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Q: What does that look like?
A: I think it will be volunteering. There are opportunities where I could volunteer with Darts, like at the Breathing Space.
The Breathing Space is a group respite for folks with memory loss who are partnered up with volunteers and they spend about four hours doing activities and being engaged. This gives their primary caregiver a four-hour window to do what they need to do to recharge themselves.
I also think I need to give the organization some space. I wouldn’t want my predecessor hanging around, even if it was for a good purpose.
Q: Advice for your successor?
A: I want them to chart their own path. A lot of times people say, “Who will fill your shoes?” I don’t want them to fill it. I want them to pick up the pair next to mine and walk their own path.
The new person will see things that weren’t on my radar. That’s the advantage of a new mind and a new voice.
Q: What is next for you?
A: I have a garden that I will tend to a little bit better. We have a couple trips planned, so we’ll be going on adventures periodically and I’m looking forward to being able to spend more time with my husband and my family.
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