by Winifred Downing
President’s Report: Fund Raising
Chris Gray explained the problems of fund-raising in detail. He said that ACB needs to increase and diversify its financial resources, and toward this end, he has been networking with a person who has been very successful in fund-raising to support breast cancer treatment through a Bay Area organization called Support Systems. Laura Oftedahl, long associated with fund-raising efforts of various kinds, has assisted Gray in arriving at a specific plan for approaching raising funds for ACB.
Gray outlined four principles which, he said, should guide ACB in its approach: (1) People and organizations who make the commitment to financially support organizations like ACB are interested in giving to people, rather than to impersonal amorphous organizations. (2) These donors demand results, (3) They want to make a difference, and (4) they need recognition for their efforts. Therefore, we should increase and intensify our annual appeal, rewarding in specific ways major contributors; and we should place greater emphasis on planned giving which might lead to gifts of stock or bequests. Foundations can be approached with requests to fund specific projects like scholarships, pedestrian safety, the job bank, “The Braille Forum,” and ACB Radio. Another kind of involvement Gray identified is the capacity-building grant, which might be sought for some new and long-term goal like hiring a development director to expand the membership and operations of ACB or setting up an extensive information and referral service. To initiate and implement ideas like these, the cooperation and expertise of ACB committees will be important as will monetary expenditures to inaugurate activities.
ACB Web Site
To address the severe problems that have caused the unreliability of the ACB web site, the decision has been made that the organization must have its own server which is presently being configured. A talented student in Kansas (Matt Campbell) has taken on this responsibility and will, after completing that task, get the ACB site up and running and assist affiliates who lost their sites because of the difficulties we experienced. The Braille Authority of North America (BANA) and our affiliates will be contacted by correspondence to explain how and when we anticipate assisting them to restore their material. It will probably be several weeks before these goals can be addressed.
The server costs $6,000 with added expenses for locating and for data transfer based on the gigabytes used.
New Magazine
A new, four-color magazine, intended for the sighted reader, is under discussion as a public relations and fund-raising mechanism. It might be distributed to doctors’ offices, ACB donors, and families of blind persons. The bulk of the expense would be met by advertising.
Other topics connected with the president’s report are addressed in connection with the work of committees and task forces.
ACBES Report
Though two of the thrift stores have closed and the Des Moines store is not yet making money, ACBES’s performance this year far exceeds last year’s performance. By this time a year ago, earnings were approximately $193,000; this year they are $390,000.
Ardis Bazyn, Paul Edwards, Brian Charlson, Dawn Christensen, and Michael Garrett were elected to the ACBES board of directors for terms of varying lengths in accordance with the provisions of the ACB constitution.
ACB Staff Reports
Executive Director Charlie Crawford spoke of staff adjustments made subsequent to the convention and in connection with Anne Fesh’s illness and death and of the plan to hire someone in her place. An intern financed by the Canadian government will work in the ACB office to research and develop a plan for helping affiliates achieve pedestrian safety goals.
The Braille Forum
Editor Penny Reeder told the board that the number of people reading the “Forum” online increases each month. 7,540 people read the magazine on tape, 2,310 in braille, 12,350 in large print, 738 on disk; and in September 200 read it online. Citing the importance of having a single “Forum” issue dedicated to the 2001 convention and the positive feedback from last year’s convention issue, Reeder appealed to the board to approve funding for this year’s issue. Responding to her arguments and to the fact that this is ACB's 40th anniversary, the board voted to approve the necessary funds.
Affiliate and Membership Services
Terry Pacheco reported that the Social Service Providers affiliate wishes to change its name and focus to become Human Services Providers. The group will need to present a new charter for approval by the board of directors. The National Association of Blind Students (NABS) has received 400 names to consider as possible members.
Voting Procedures for the Board of Directors
Donna Seliger, reporting for the Board Election Task Force, said that the group proposed that members of the budget and executive committees be elected separately, no proxy voting be permitted, certain clarifying procedures be adopted, and a voice vote be taken by roll call. There is nothing in parliamentary procedure to prevent the ACB president as chair of the board from voting. The proposal was moved and adopted.
Committee and Task Force Reports
Resource Development Chair, Sandy Sanderson, reported that in Alaska, several ATM machines have been purchased and installed which are serviced by members of the state affiliate with a fee for that accommodation paid by machine users and going to the affiliate. An initial outlay of $12,000 is required for each machine; and care must be exercised in the choice of persons who monitor and service the machines. Locations must be chosen that attract steady patronage, like shopping malls, night clubs, and entertainment areas. Sanderson suggested that the ACB and state affiliates could jointly purchase machines, arrange for servicing them, and divide the proceeds realized. A motion was passed to give further consideration and study to this proposal, and Sanderson indicated that he will be meeting with interested affiliates between now and the mid-year meetings to explore these possibilities further.
Another idea proposed by the committee involves ACB’s sponsorship of a Washington, DC-based celebration and book-signing event to coincide with the publication of “The History of the American Council of the Blind.” This social event could attract Congressmen and senators because it would involve no continuing effort or commitment to any program while providing an opportunity to be involved in a historic occasion. The expenses of the gala would be met largely by voluntary contributions. The board advocated further investigation with a report at the mid-year meeting.
Alan Beatty stated that Lions Clubs are eager to work with ACB if appropriate projects can be identified.
Membership
Pam Shaw reported that ACB has a data base of 48,000 names of members and persons who have contacted the organization for various reasons. A planned approach for sorting, classifying, and contacting these names could result in greatly increased membership. An effort has been launched to restore inactive affiliates, and each person on the membership committee will have responsibility for a given affiliate to track and assist. The committee will work with ACB staff to prepare a membership recruitment commercial on ACB Radio and Gray will appoint a committee to develop a survey aimed at helping affiliates evaluate their membership strategies with attention to be given to youth, the elderly, ethnic minorities, and parents of blind children. More ACB materials will be produced to attract those who speak Spanish.
Budget
Ardis Bazyn reported that two bequests made it possible for the American Council to fund many activities that had been slated for cancellation this year. Actions have been taken to add to the scholarship fund, make grants to affiliates needing help like Louisiana and the recently organized New Mexico affiliate, set aside money to investigate fund-raising opportunities, and address the need for the equipment and labor involved in the reconstruction of the ACB web site. A motion was passed to allow the resource development committee $20,000 to forward its plans for initiating larger and more diversified earnings.
The committee set forth a detailed plan for how expenditures are to be anticipated, justified, and met. These guidelines will be considered by the executive committee and presented to the board at the February meeting. While expenses must be carefully considered and monitored, care must also be taken not to so restrict the president that he cannot take necessary action when required to do so.
Convention
LeRoy Saunders reported that some 1,500 persons were in attendance in one capacity or another at the Des Moines convention. The convention center proved to be extremely cooperative, often exceeding our expectations and showing flexibility concerning both time and expenses.
Public Relations Committee
Chair, Ralph Sanders, and chair of the board of publications, Kathleen Megivern, addressed the board concerning certain diverse perceptions about the board of publications’ role with respect to press releases and other activities of the public relations committee. An effort to determine the responsibilities of the two groups will be made either before, or in connection with, the February board session by a committee appointed by Gray and including members of the public relations committee, the board of publications, appropriate staff persons, and representatives from the board of directors. The goal is to ensure accurate and timely release of publicity concerning the American Council of the Blind.
Guide Dog Users
Debbie Grubb reported that GDUI members are grateful to Paul Edwards for including one of their members on the convention committee to represent their specific needs. GDUI has arrived at the consensus that a cleaner and more attractive relief area would result if someone can be paid to survey the area regularly several times each day and clean up as necessary. In the past, guide dog users made a voluntary offering (recommended to be $10), and this money was given as a gratuity to the person who checked the area, though it was not done on any established schedule. 50 percent of GDUI members made this contribution, but it must be remembered that many of those attending the convention and using the dog relief areas were not GDUI members and did not, consequently, contribute to this fund.
GDUI recommends that a $15 contribution be requested from guide dog users who attend the conventions in the future and that the need for members and guide dog users to make such a contribution be publicized in “The Braille Forum” rather than through “Pawtracks.” There are companies that will take on cleanup responsibilities and even build guide dog relief areas as necessary, but arrangements of this sort can cost up to $6,000. Aside from the gratuity extended in the past, hotels have accepted the expense of the relief area, and it is uncertain how much of the cost they should be expected to assume.
The committee also recommended that a guide dog user be present whenever a convention site is being considered. To keep down the expense of that proposal, it is hoped that someone on the convention site committee can function in both capacities. The committee will continue its deliberations and report at the February board meeting with specific recommendations for the Houston and Pittsburgh conventions.
Employment Task Force
Mitch Pomerantz reported that a time slot will be sought at the Houston convention to consider issues relating to the continuing low employment rate for blind and visually impaired people. Pomerantz said that the special problems of people with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), dissemination of training materials, and actual training opportunities will be considered; and consistent articles in “The Braille Forum” will help focus attention on the entire issue and ACB’s effort to address it. It was suggested that Randolph-Sheppard vendors, private entrepreneurs, and persons involved in retail sales be included on the committee to broaden its scope.
Logo Committee
Following upon a review of various suggestions and recommendations concerning size and colors, the board moved that the logo committee, which was created at the post-convention board meeting and is chaired by Jerry Annunzio, submit three drawings of logos of distinctly different sizes and designs to the February meeting that have been prepared by professional companies skilled in logo design, not by anyone’s best friend.
Raised line diagrams should be produced for those who cannot see the drawings. Pro bono work done by a university may be investigated as a possible source for the drawings.
Endorsement Committee
Oral Miller reported that the policies set forth at the post-convention board meeting in July were adopted and a motion passed to have the president appoint a group of board members to ensure that the criteria adopted are enforced. Having completed its work, the task force was dissolved.
Affiliate Dues
The decision to raise the dues for individual members and the cap on the number of members for which an affiliate must pay are two different issues according to the thinking of some board members so the matter will be discussed with affiliate presidents at the mid-year presidents meeting, February 16-18, 2002 in Houston, Texas.
Education Task Force
A task force on the education of blind children and youth will be established to identify goals to be sought in light of the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), anticipated within the next two years, and ways of reaching those goals.