Annual Meeting

Introduction

Agenda

BLF Financial Statements for Fiscal Year 2022

BLF Grant Cycle History 2006-2022

Elections of Board Trustees

List of Organizations Applying for 2023 Grants (spreadsheet format)

Message from Board of Trustees regarding determination of 2023 funding recommendations

Meeting materials in downloadable PDF documents

YouTube Video

Introduction

The BLF story. Founded more than 30 years ago by members of the Co-op Bookstore to honor Bill Long, we follow the principles that Bill championed: participatory democracy and local impact. Our members, board, and the organizations and causes we support are all part of the Oberlin community.

The BLF reach. This year 19 organizations submitted 21 project requests totaling just over $70,000! During this year's annual meeting (held for the first time in several years as an in-person event) the membership will discuss the applications and then vote to fund the requests.

The BLF approach. All of our grants go to meet the needs of the Oberlin community. Our organization has no employees and few expenses. Our application process is as simple as possible. With a donation of $10 or more ($5 for students), anyone can become a member of BLF.

The BLF Annual Meeting. During the Annual Meeting members will conduct the Foundation business - review the activities of BLF since the last annual meeting, hear financial details, say goodbye and thanks to outgoing trustees and elect new board trustees. Then members will hear from representatives of the non-profit causes about their organizations and missions related to their grant applications, after which the members will vote on how to distribute grant funding! The event will begin at 6:30 pm with a social reception. The business portion of the meeting begins promptly at 7:00 pm.  Details from the meeting will be posted on this website.

Join us or renew! It’s easy to do. Go to our Documents page, download the Donation & Membership Form  and return it with your contribution, or contribute through PayPal. (link button below).

The Annual Meeting will also be livestreamed on YouTube for those who want to see the meeting but cannot attend the in-person event. Link to livestream of BILL LONG FOUNDATION ANNUAL MEETING 2023.

Help us spread the word about BLF. Ask your friends to become members, too!

Bill Long Foundation Annual Membership Meeting Agenda
Meeting materials in downloadable PDF documents

Kendal Heiser Auditorium - April 19, 2023
6:30PM Social Half-Hour - 7:00PM Membership Meeting
Meeting livestreamed on YouTube at https://tinyurl.com/BLF2023livestream

1. 6:30PM – Social Half-Hour - Time to snack and to talk and meet with Grant Applicant Organizations

2. 7:00PM – Call to Order/Welcome

3. Review of 2022 BLF Annual Membership Meeting Minutes - Dick Baznik

                Motion/Vote to approve

4. President’s Report - John Memmott

5. Treasurer’s Report - Michael Reynolds (Assistant Treasurer)

2022 Financial Documents and Report
Motion/Vote to accept Treasurer's Report

6. Nomination & Election of Board Trustees –Dick Baznik

Thanks to Richard Baznik, Carol Lasser, Evyn Lundy, and John Memmott for their service on the board.

Trustees continuing in their 3-year terms: Brandon County, Liv Hanson, Peter Jensen, Michael Reynolds, Julia Robinson, and Brittnei Sherrod

Trustee seeking new 3-year term: Jill Sawyer

Nominations by the BLF Nominations Committee for open Trustee positions (3-year terms): Stephanie Mata Granados, Kathleen Jackson, Del Mason, and Sandra Miller

Discussion of Slate and Motion/Vote to approve

7. Report on Tools & Training Program – Liv Hanson

8. Update on last year's Community Land Trust $30,000 BLF Funding - Liz Burgess

9. 5-10 minute stretch

10. Causes - Brandon County & Carol Lasser

- 2-minute presentations by grant applicants
- 1-2 brief questions per organization
- Motion(s) and vote(s) to approve or amend Board recommended awards

Final Motion and Vote by membership to accept overall funding of all projects

11. Other Business

12. Adjournment

Links

Annual Meeting Information: https://www.blfoberlin.org/annual-meeting

Meeting livestreamed on YouTube at https://tinyurl.com/BLF2023livestream

Grant Process Information: https://www.blfoberlin.org/grants

Membership Information and Donations: https://www.blfoberlin.org/donating-membership

Online Passthrough Donation Form: https://bit.ly/BLFpassthru2023 

Bill Long Foundation Website Homepage: https://blfoberlin.org

Bill Long Foundation Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BillLongFoundation

Bill Long Foundation Mailing Address: P.O. Box 0141, Oberlin, OH 44074

Bill Long Foundation Email Address: blfoberlin@gmail.com

Election for Board Trustees

Slate for presentation to the BLF members:

Trustees leaving with strong warm appreciation for outstanding service: Richard Baznik, Carol Lasser, Evyn Lundy, and John Memmott.

Trustees continuing in their three-year terms: Brandon County, Liv Hanson, Peter Jensen, Michael Reynolds, Julia Robinson, Brittnei Sherrod.

Trustee continuing and seeking a new three-year term: Jill Sawyer (writer and Oberlin businesswoman)

Nominations for open board seats (three-year terms):

·   Stephanie Mata Granados (Oberlin College student)

·   Kathleen Jackson (Executive Director of FAVA)

·   Del Mason (retired Oberlin pediatrician)

·   Sandra Miller (semiretired Oberlin businesswoman)

2023 BLF Grants Funding Proposals
Organization, amount requested, short description of project, link to their online resources

Common Ground - Cindy Nord Center for Renewal

Requesting $5,000

Healthy snacks for summer campers & garden play area

https://commongroundcenter.org

Community Action to Save Strays (CATSS)

Requesting $2,500

Assistance for care of cats in stressed need homes

https://www.catssoberlin.org

Credo Music

Requesting $4,000

4 scholarships for local students attending summer Credo Festival

https://www.credomusic.org

Firelands Association for Visual Arts (FAVA)

Requesting $2,000

Scholarships for Education Programming & Fall-o-ween artist/pumpkins

https://www.favagallery.org

Girls Electronic Arts Retreat (GEAR)

Requesting $1,600

Consumable supplies and equipment for June camp activities

https://www.girlselectronicartsretreat.org

Lorain County Imagination Library

Requesting $3,000

Book fees for Oberlin children enrolled in Lorain County Imagination Library

https://www.peoplewhocare.org/lcil

Mad* Factory

Requesting $2,500

General operating support

https://www.madfactory.org

Ninde Scholars Program

Requesting $1,600

High School student expenses (food) during summer program

https://www.oberlin.edu/bcsl/programs/ninde-scholars

Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra (NOYO)

Requesting $2,880

Financial aid for musicians to participate in reduced-price instrumental lessons

https://www.noyo.org

Oberlin Chalk Walk

Requesting $850

High quality pastel chalk for use by Chalk Walk participants

https://www.facebook.com/events/1122156985163161/?ref=newsfeed

Oberlin Community Services - Emergency Services Support

Requesting $8,000

Support for direct emergency assistance

https://www.oberlincommunityservices.org/what-we-do

Oberlin Community Services - Juneteenth Community Picnic

Requesting $4,700

Juneteenth community picnic food and beverages

https://www.oberlincommunityservices.org/community

Oberlin Community Mural Project

Requesting $1,000

Expenses incurred during painting of mural on Main St.?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/oberlin/albums/72157719771375182/

Oberlin Community Music School

Requesting $1,600

Scholarships for students attending summer camp music lessons

https://www.oberlin.edu/community-music-school

Oberlin HS Interact Club BackPack Program

Requesting $3,000

Supplying needy students with backpacks of food for weekends

https://oberlincityschools.wordpress.com/2022/04/05/ocsd-receives-temporary-relief-funding%EF%BF%BC/

Oberlin Weekday Community Meals (OWCM)

Requesting $10,000

Operating expenses

https://www.facebook.com/ObieHotMeals/

OberlinKids Community Collaborative - Equal Access PreSchool

Requesting $5,000

Scholarships for high-quality preschool program attendance

https://www.oberlinkids.org

OberlinKids Community Collaborative - Family Engagement

Requesting $5,000

Provide monthly Family Engagement Literacy and Learning Kits

https://www.oberlinkids.org

Providing Oberlin With Efficiency Responsibly (POWER)

Requesting $2,500

Home repair materials & labor for weatherization, safety, & conservation

https://www.poweroberlin.org

Road to Hope - Margeau House

Requesting $1,600

Purchasing stove, vacuum cleaners, miscellaneous household items

https://road-to-hope.org

Ruby N. Jones Community Scholarship Fund

Requesting $2,000

Higher education college scholarship support for Oberlin students in need

https://www.msrubyscholarship.org

If you would like to add to the BLF grant funding for a specific cause or causes that are of special significance to you please complete the online passthrough donation form:
https://bit.ly/BLFpassthru2023 

The Bill Long Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization under the regulations of the Internal Revenue Service.

Message from Bill Long Foundation Board of Trustees regarding how Trustees determined their 2023 funding recommendations:

1. The Bill Long Foundation (BLF) is a membership-powered community foundation that gives grants to support projects and activities in Oberlin that address basic human needs or enrich cultural life. Membership in the foundation is open to all. Members elect volunteer trustees who manage all operations and award grants based on the vote of members attending the annual meeting.

2. The trustees reviewed all grant applications for completeness and considered to what extent each application aligns with the BLF mission statement. In most years there are a few applications that are incomplete or do not align with our mission statement, with the result that they do not make the final cut; that was true again this year.

3. The trustees considered the BLF’s financial situation (primarily our investments with Lesjak Planning and BLF members’ donations, as well as current market trends and our financial advisor’s advice) in order to determine how much total money to recommend be awarded at this year’s annual meeting. This year (following a significant decline in the markets and our investments) we came up with a total amount of around $48,000 based on the following considerations:

·       We started with a 6% annual draw (a fiscally sustainable amount recommended by our financial advisor--based on our portfolio and market trends) from our March ‘23 investments total of $308,936, making for a starting amount of $18,536 available this year for grants.

·       To that investment withdrawal, we added our March ‘23 checking account balance of $31,549 (primarily unrestricted donations from BLF members), making for a total of $50,085.

·       From that total of $50,085 we held back 3.6% (approximately $2,000) for operating expenses in the coming year (insurance, PO Box, Bill Long’s model train support, etc.), making for a final total of $48,288 as the board’s recommended upper limit on grant awards in 2023.

4. The trustees determined how to divide the recommended total (this year $48,288) among the qualifying grant applications (this year 21 applications requesting a total of $70,330). Our decisions were guided primarily by three factors:

·       To what extent was the proposed project beneficial to Oberlin residents.

·       The relative sizes of the applicant organizations and the resources available to them from other sources.

·       The extent to which the project focuses on high priority community needs.

A final note: The trustees have made these funding recommendations with careful consideration for the immediate needs of Oberlin residents, as well as for the longer-term financial stability of the Bill Long Foundation so it can continue to serve Oberlin residents.

Meeting materials in downloadable
PDF documents on Documents webpage

Agenda
2022 Annual Meeting Minutes
Treasurer's Reports
2023 Board of Trustees Election Slate
2023 Grants Proposal Spreadsheet
Board Grant Funding Recommendation Explanation

If you would like to add to the BLF grant funding for a specific cause or causes that are of special significance to you please complete the online passthrough donation form:
https://bit.ly/BLFpassthru2023 

The Bill Long Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization under the regulations of the Internal Revenue Service.