1 BETHANY HOUSE ACADEMY 2013 STRATEGIC ...

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1 BETHANY HOUSE ACADEMY 2013 STRATEGIC PLAN I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. History and Present Situation Bethany House Academy (BHA) was founded in 1962 in the Northview Heights housing project in the City of Pittsburgh as an after school program for children and youth. In 1963, a pre-school was started in the St. Clair Village project. In 2010 St. Clair Village was demolished by the City of Pittsburgh and the pre-school was moved to Northview Heights. Keith Murphy has served as Executive Director since 1993. BHA is organized as a subsidiary to United Methodist Church Union and works closely with that organization. BHA was approved by IRS as a Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2007. BNA at Northview Heights is noted as a shelter from the drug abuse which pervades the community with the accompanying problems of crime, gangs, low academic performance and delinquency. The community demographics of Northview Heights represent challenges on many levels based on the ranking compiled by the University for Social and Urban Research (2002) of the 90 neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh. The study showed Northview Heights to rank #1 in poverty, #3 in male unemployment, #4 in female headed households and #8 in population without a high school degree. In spite of these odds, BHA continues to work to produce confident and competent citizens from this chaotic background. The mission of BHA is to prepare children, youth and adults of Northview Heights academically, socially, economically and spiritually for lifelong learning, achievement, health and prosperity. Current programs at Northview Heights include a daily pre-school for 25 children, an after school program for 30 children and youth, a summer program for children and youth of all ages, and opportunities for cultural diversity through field trips to venues offering a variety of social and cultural settings. Special programming at a new location in McKeesport exposes youth and young men to African arts and to an African “Rites of Passage” experience, including travel to Africa for selected participants. McKeesport activities are funded by a special grants from the Heinz Endowments and the United Methodist Board of Global Missions. Included in all of the BHA activities is the P.O.W.E.R. program (Positive Outcomes With Excuses Removed). BHA has received consistent support from the United Methodist Board of Missions and from Church Union trust funds, although both have declined significantly in recent years because of less favorable economic conditions in Western Pennsylvania. Other regular support has come from local churches, individuals, and small fundraising activities and grants. Support from all of these unrestricted sources is now expected at $130,000. New fundraising efforts will significantly increase it by the end of the year to the budgeted amount of $200,000. In addition a grant of $80,000 is being received from the Heinz Endowments which is restricted to the “Rites of Passage” program. Extensive volunteer support is received from four churches, providing meals for the children, supplies and work groups in addition to generous financial contributions. Program accomplishments for 2012 were marked by: 100% of pre-school students completing the program, 90% of children properly immunized, 70% of school children on honor roll, and many of the children and youth qualifying for the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program.

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B. Future Needs/Plans BHA intends to continue with its current basic programs, with emphases on culturally appropriate African-centered instruction or other specialties as identified by certain major grant providers. The goal is to have sufficient unrestricted financial resources to conduct quality programs and offer reasonable compensation for the program staff. A development consultant has been retained with the help of a special grant to develop a fundraising program. Many of the following items are her recommendations. The principal parts of BHA’s future plans are: 

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“Reinvent” the image of BHA through program changes or modifications which will place additional emphasis on drug and pregnancy problems and the advantages of academic education, computer literacy, independent employment, Christian values and community leadership. Hire a Director of Development and a Development Associate to develop and oversee a welldocumented fundraising plan. This will allow the Executive Director to focus on other administrative duties. The Director of Development will eventually assume the duties of the current development consultant. Seek a Pre-school/After School Director who can effectively manage both programs and qualify for any accreditation requirements. This will relieve the Executive Director of day-to-day supervisory responsibilities for these programs. Pay competitive salaries to staff, including travel and expense reimbursement. Establish a fundraising program to target foundations, corporations, individuals, local churches and United Methodist agencies and to plan special fund raising activities. The Fabulous 5000 program begun in 2011 will be incorporated into the larger plan. Careful records of requests and results will be kept. Continue to search for new Board members with useful talents, with emphasis on keeping an appropriate racial balance. Maintain and/or upgrade the computer and audio-visual equipment. Improve and maintain the building and office in good condition. Investigate the use of space in Church of Our Saviour on adjacent property as an opportunity for expansion. Bring the BHA story to the community by utilizing publicity opportunities available through the United Methodist Church. The reorganized and expanded Board of Directors will take responsibility for: fundraising assistance, strategic planning, budget preparation and oversight, website maintenance, program oversight, building maintenance, personnel policies and evaluation, coordination of volunteers, and food supply management.

3 II BACKGROUND/HISTORY A. Services and Programs Bethany House Academy (BHA) was founded in 1962 in the Northview Heights housing project in the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a ministry of the United Methodist Church. The following year it expanded to also serve the St. Clair Village project. The program was housed in an existing residential building in Northview Heights, and in a Pittsburgh Housing Authority building in St. Clair Village. Northview Heights has operated continuously since its founding, and St. Clair Village operated from its founding until the city demolished the project in 2010, forcing its closure. The focus at Northview Heights was primarily on an after school learning and recreation program for children and youth of all ages. At St. Clair Village, a pre-school was operated until the project was closed, after which it was relocated to Northview Heights. A summer program is also provided for all ages. BHA has enjoyed an enviable reputation in the community and in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Keith Murphy became Executive Director in 1993 and began to build the programs which have distinguished the organization in recent years. As a first step toward a satellite operation in another community, African culture programs, funded by special grants, were begun in 2010 in the City of McKeesport. B. Legal Status and Organization BHA has been a subsidiary organization to United Methodist Church Union, a separately incorporated mission organization which is part of Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. (The United Methodist Church is organized globally into geographic “annual conferences.”) In a move toward partial independence, BHA was itself incorporated in 2005, adopting its own by-laws. BHA then proceeded to obtain its own Section 501(c)(3) non-profit status approval, which was granted in 2007, to facilitate fundraising. BHA is a “member” of Church Union, as reflected in the 2005 by-laws. New by-laws were approved by BHA in 2011 which strengthen BHA in its goal toward becoming an independent agency, but allow its continued strong affiliation with Church Union. Approval of the new by-laws by Church Union is expected following resolution of some organizational issues. BHA has been and will continue to be closely allied with Church Union, which provides accounting, insurance, payroll and miscellaneous administrative services as well as funding from its trusts, and, when needed, informal short term loans to bridge funding gaps. The two boards share budgets and other financial and administrative information to strengthen this alliance. The leadership of BHA is mainly vested in the Executive Director, who functions as the on-site program leader as well as the administrative head, working in cooperation with the president of Church Union. The BHA Board of Directors supports the Executive Director in financial and administrative matters and assists with fundraising. The BHA Board elects its own members annually, subject to approval by the Church Union Board of Directors.

4 Until recently, fund raising had chiefly been the responsibility of the Executive Director. In late 2012 a special personal grant was made which enabled BHA to retain a development consultant, who is preparing a plan to greatly increase fundraising and help supplement the Executive Director’s past efforts. An additional personal grant was made in 2013 and we expect both grants to continue into 2014. C. Supporting Organizations Financial support has been received from the United Methodist Church through several pathways, including grants and donations by individuals and supporting churches. Other support comes from corporate, public and foundation grants. Most of the United Methodist grant support has come from two major sources. Board of Mission funds administered by the Western Pennsylvania Conference provide annual support which must be applied for and reallocated each year. Those funds have been significantly reduced in the last 10 years because of changes in Conference mission priorities and because of the depressed state of the world economy. Church Union provides support through the Neihbaum and Jolly trust funds. This funding level has also declined recently because of general economic conditions. These funding sources, along with corporate, government and foundation grants, have resulted in the following history of major contributions:         

1993-2012 1993-2012 1993-1997 1999-2004 2006-2007 2006-2007 2009-2010 2010-2012 2010-2013

Conference Board of Missions, over $1,500,000 Church Union trust funds, over $700,000 Healthy Start grants for POWER program, over $300,000 Alcoa grant to address literacy issues, $177,000 21st Century Learning Grant for K-2 math and reading, $72,000 Pittsburgh Partnership grant for work experience with youth, $58,000 Pittsburgh Foundation grant for gardening and fitness, $60,500 Heinz Endowments grant for art education, $75,000 Heinz Endowments grant for African culture “Rites of Passage,” $230,000

In addition to financial support, BHA depends heavily on program and volunteer support from several area churches. These same churches also provide significant financial contributions. Current chief contributors include:    

Ingomar United Methodist Church – serving dinner three nights weekly, bringing youth to help with homework and recreation, and providing parties, field trips and financial support. Sewickley United Methodist Church – serving dinner one night a week, organizing parties and field trips, and providing gifts for the children. Franklin United Methodist Church – summer work trips for building and grounds maintenance and significant financial contributions. Heritage Park United Methodist Church – food and financial support for the pre-school, after school and summer programs.

5 D. Environment and Demographics BHA was established to minister in two of the City of Pittsburgh housing projects most noted for extreme poverty, unemployment, and drug use, with the accompanying destructive behaviors of pervasive crime, gang rule, low/poor academic performance and delinquency. This led to the city’s decision to tear down the St. Clair Village project, but Northview Heights continues with all its poverty related issues/symptoms, and BHA continues to work with the children and youth and their families to produce confident, competent and responsible citizens despite their chaotic background. To illustrate the severe degradation of the Northview Heights community, data are presented from a 2002 study of 90 Pittsburgh neighborhoods conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Center for Social and Urban Research. The rankings for Northview Heights compared to the other 89 city neighborhoods and supporting demographic statistics are:     

Portion of children living in poverty – 75.2% (Rank #1) Overall poverty rate – 70.1% (Rank #1) Adult (16+) male unemployment rate – 42.3% (Rank #3) Female headed households – 90.3% (Rank #4) Portion of population with less than a high school degree – 34.5% (Rank #8)

As an example of the crime situation, the community still mourns the killing of five year old Jaylon Johnson-Floyd, shot in his home by an intruder in 2009. The murder is still unsolved. BHA is expanding to serve the City of McKeesport, a suburb of Pittsburgh with its own set of crime and drug related problems. An after-school and weekend program has been initiated to immerse children and youth in activities related to African culture.

6 III CURRENT PROGRAMS/NEEDS A. Mission statement The mission of Bethany House Academy is to prepare children, youth and adults of Northview Heights academically, socially, economically and spiritually for lifelong learning, achievement, health and prosperity. B. Core Values The following core values will guide BHA’s internal conduct, the relationships with the children and youth whom it serves and its interactions with the community and other key stakeholders:        

Respect: Have respect for oneself and others, regardless of background, gender or race. Truth: Be truthful, open and honest in all our interactions and relationships. Personal Responsibility: Take ownership for our actions, be accountable for our commitments to others, to God and to ourselves. Courage: Have the courage to dream big and the perseverance to make those dreams a reality. Lifelong Learning: Encourage curiosity, continuous leaning and lifelong personal growth. Individual Potential: Seek out and nurture the unique talents and potential in every individual. Service: Put the needs of others before our own, serve others before self. Love: Show the love of Christ in all that we do and say.

C. Mission Focus The three areas of focus for BHA, in order of priority are:   

Primary: Children from pre-school through middle school age living in impoverished areas of Allegheny County Secondary: High school age youth living in impoverished areas of Allegheny County Tertiary: Adults and families of the children and youth whom we serve and the surrounding community at large

Needs to be met and problems to be solved in each focus area are: Primary  Poverty  Community violence  Drug and substance abuse  Low academic achievement  Lack of direction/focus/plan  Need for after school supervision  Nutritional and hygiene support  Need for pre-school program  Need for moral and spiritual guidance

7 Secondary  Poverty  Community violence  Drug and substance abuse  Teenage pregnancy  Lack of employment opportunities  Lack of direction/focus/plan  Low academic achievement  Need for moral and spiritual guidance Tertiary  GED programs  Job training and access to internships/summer jobs  Computer literacy training  Family support services  English as second language Key stakeholders are:     

Staff Board of Directors Local churches Parents of children/youth Community focus groups

Other stakeholders are:      

Parents and others in surrounding communities Community advisory groups Alumni/alumnae of program Volunteer groups Committed individuals Contracted service providers

D. Programs and Services Pre-school: A daily pre-school is open with a capacity of 25 students, ages 3-5. It is a morally and spiritually centered program focused on building academic skills, promoting family values and strengthening individual discipline. The program is culturally relevant, helping the children take pride in their African-American heritage. It promotes child oriented socialization and the development of critical thinking skills. Breakfast and lunch are provided for the children. After School: A daily after school program is offered at Northview Heights for about 30 children and youth who participate regularly and up to 50 who may be involved in one or more of the available activities. Older youth in the community serve as aides to the regular staff. Participants receive academic enrichment from the staff. They engage in social and recreational activities and receive help with homework, aided by volunteers from supporting churches. Many cultural opportunities are offered,

8 including computer literacy training in two iMac labs, photography instruction, entrepreneur training, character development instruction, African gardening, and arts and crafts projects. The program is culturally relevant for the African-American community and morally and spiritually centered. A hot dinner is offered most evenings, prepared by one of the supporting churches. Summer Program: BHA is open during the day for an eight week period in the summer for children and youth of all ages. Program offerings are similar to the after school program. In addition the children work in the vegetable garden, participate in personal fitness programs, and go on off-site trips to zoos, cultural events, carnivals, amusement parks, and other venues that provide opportunities outside of the local community setting. African Culture Program: Groups of children (ages 7-12), youth and young men (ages 13-21) meet regularly in a newly acquired building in McKeesport to engage in programs based on African cultural traditions. The focus of these activities is a morally and spiritually centered program rooted in the traditional African “Rites of Passage.” Some of the participants make a journey to Ghana as part of their participation. Diversity Exchange Opportunities: In collaboration with key supporting churches, children travel to suburban neighborhoods to participate in a variety of opportunities, including Christmas parties, attendance at stage shows and field trips. These expose the children to different economic, social and cultural settings, and often result in important cross-cultural friendships. Other Youth and Adult Opportunities: BHA works with neighborhood youth and adults to assist with helpful opportunities such as business internships and scholarships. The computer equipment is available for those wishing to improve their skills. Some of these neighbors are also served with employment opportunities as part of the BHA staff. Family Outreach: BHA staff work closely with the families of the children and youth in the programs on social, educational and economic needs. P.O.W.E.R. Program: The POWER Program (Positive Outcomes With Excuses Removed) pervades all of the programming at BHA for all ages. Focus is on the seven C’s: Confidence, Competence, Consciousness, Conduct, Character, Commitment and Courage. The program was begun in 1993 with the arrival of Executive Director Keith Murphy, and continues to provide positive outcomes relating to academia, propriety, respect and individual responsibility. Program Accomplishments in 2012:     

All of the enrolled pre-school students completed the program and graduated. 90% of the children were current on all immunizations. 70% of school children were on the honor roll. 23 of the 33 children and youth enrolled in the 2012 after school program achieved a GPA of 2.5 or more, the standard for the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program ($10,000 per year). All of the enrolled children and youth met the 85% attendance rate required by Pittsburgh Promise.

9 E. Service Delivery The primary focus of BHA services will be the campus in Northview Heights. Any new programming will be developed and piloted from this facility. Staff will work out of this facility as their primary location. There are limited African culture programs being conducted in a building located in McKeesport. This is the first step toward offering selected programs in other impoverished areas in Allegheny County, so that other needy children and youth can be impacted in a cost effective manner. F. Key Differentiators    

BHA’s programs are designed to be culturally relevant and are rooted in African-centered cultural traditions. The focus is on building academic skills and developing critical thinking skills in the children and youth who are served. BHA is a faith based organization, where the focus is on fostering moral and spiritual values among children, youth and their families. A state-of-the-art computer facility is available for learning and recreational uses by program participants of all ages.

G. Current Staff Positions The core of the BHA program consists of the pre-school, after school activities and the summer program at Northview Heights. The permanent full and part time positions which support those parts of the program are:         

Executive Director Pre-school Director After School Director Pre-school teachers (3) Pre-school assistant Computer Coordinator Activities Coordinator Arts and Crafts Coordinator Youth Counselor

Hours worked vary from full-time to minimal part-time, depending on need. In some cases a single person may fill more than one part time position. Temporary positions at McKeesport are funded by a major Heinz Endowments grant and a smaller grant by Conference Board of Missions. These additional positions are:   

Program Instructor Education Instructor Rites of Passage youth assistants

10 H. Current Financial Support BHA has been limited by insufficient financial resources for the last six years, caused first by decreasing support from the United Methodist Church and later compounded by the economic collapse in 2008. The organization was forced to look for more support from public grant agencies at a time when many of those agencies were closely holding their funds and reluctant to support programs new to them. A summary of the proposed 2013 income budget is given below: Northview Heights, All Programs United Methodist Church support  Board of Missions  Conference fundraisers  Church Union trust funds  Local church contributions Individual support  Direct and United Way contributions Foundation and corporate support  Educational Improvement Grant  Other grants  TOTAL Northview Heights

18,000 4,300 25,000 30,000 37,700 15,000 70,000 (to be developed) 200,000 (130,000 from secure sources)

McKeesport, African Culture Programs United Methodist Board of Missions Heinz Endowments grant TOTAL McKeesport TOTAL BUDGET

12,500 80,000 92,500 292,500

The Heinz Endowments grant is in its third year. It is specifically directed to the Rites of Passage program. There is a potential deficit in the proposed income budget which must be made up from additional grants or other funding efforts. BHA’s development consultant has initiated a number of new fundraising activities which are summarized in Part IV G, “Fundraising and Publicity.” The BHA Board is committed to a balanced budget and closely monitors the monthly revenues and expenses and provides guidance to the Executive Director.

11 IV FUTURE PROGRAMS/NEEDS A. BHA Plans – Next Five Years BHA intends to continue to offer pre-school, after school and summer programs for the children and youth of Northview Heights. Special African cultural programs will continue at both Northview Heights and McKeesport. These programs will continue to make the children and youth of these violent, impoverished areas into proud citizens, sustained with strong academic, moral and spiritual foundations. Activities will continue to be guided by the P.O.W.E.R. Program and focus on academic excellence, computer literacy, African arts and culture, moral instruction, photography, gardening, cultural diversity and recreational opportunities. The BHA Board is searching for some initiatives which will “reinvent” BHA to distinguish it from other pre-school and after school programs. In addition to the continuing agenda described above, new or modified programs will be considered to place more emphasis on:       

Avoiding teenage pregnancy Avoiding drugs Advantages of a high school or college education Computer literacy Employment that will enable independent living outside of public housing Christian values Community involvement and leadership

Assistance will be sought in marketing these additional features to the Northview Heights community and to the Greater Pittsburgh region. The possibility of more fully involving the families of the students in the program will be considered. BHA has been under-funded for several years. As a result many operations have been carried out with marginal resources and have not fully attained their expectations. Goals for the future are focused on improving the quality of existing services through more effective fundraising and increased and/or better quality staffing. Most of the activity will continue to focus on Northview Heights, with maintenance or expansion of the McKeesport program as funding permits. In addition to the programming modifications discussed above, the principal changes envisioned for BHA administration and services over the next five years are:        

Increased and more stable funding New staff positions focused on fund raising Competitive and reasonable staff salaries. Better trained staff in certain key positions Better upkeep of building and equipment Broader public image among United Methodists and others Increased space for pre-school and after school programs Increased Board of Directors assistance in administrative affairs and fund raising

12 B. Financial Needs A comparison of the current expense budget with future needs is summarized in the following table: Gen. Budget 2013 Salaries & benefits Administration Program Building maintenance Total

Heinz Endow. 2013

Total 2013

Future Needs

Future Budget

124,800

34,200

159,000

100,000

259,000

37,900

6,800

44,700

4,000

48,700

14,300

47,500

61,800

6,000

67,800

23,000

4,000

27,000

2,000

29,000

200,000

92,500

292,500

112,000

404,500

The 2013 budget is summarized by categories, which are shown separately as general budget and Heinz Endowments figures and then as totals for 2013. Future needs are proposed which would result in an increase of $112,000 to a “future” budget of $404,500. “Future” would be 2014 at the earliest, but could be delayed to 2015, depending on how rapidly the recommended changes can be enacted. The future additions will finance the staff requirements described in the following section and provide for higher quality management, programming and building maintenance. C. Staff Requirements The following changes in staffing and/or salaries are recommended: 

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A new part time position, Director of Development, will be responsible for developing and implementing an annual giving program, including publicity, solicitation of individual and organizational givers, staging of fund raising events, and preparation of grant applications. This function will gradually replace the services of the current development consultant who has led much of the fundraising activity. A new part time position, Development Associate, will manage the giving data base as well as other office management duties. Sufficient funding will be provided for a new Pre-School/After School Director position to allow qualified management of these operations without the direct supervision of the Executive Director. This will allow the Executive Director to focus on overall program goals. Salaries for staff members will be increased to reflect adequate compensation for their responsibilities. All of these people have been chronically underpaid and some have served for extensive periods on a volunteer basis. The Executive Director in particular has not received all of his budgeted salary for several years. Many of these people have served BHA for many years, are experts in their particular roles, and are dedicated to the success of the BHA mission. The Executive Director and other staff will be properly compensated for the costs of travel and purchased supplies.

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If the Heinz Endowments grant is not continued into 2014 and beyond, specialized positions of the Rites of Passage and other African culture programs will be incorporated into other BHA programming and staffing to the extent allowed by available funding. Continued use of the McKeesport location is envisioned.

Many of the above recommendations are contained in the “Development Audit Report” prepared in December 2012 by BHA’s development consultant. D. Board of Directors Support A number of new members have been added to the Board of Directors in March 2013. They bring expertise in a number of disciplines that should be useful to the organization. The Board is preparing to assume a greater role in administrative and financial affairs through establishment of the following standing committees:           

Development – Establish a fundraising plan, including personal and public contacts and special events. Work closely with fundraising staff and involve Board members in the process. Strategic Planning – Update the Mission Statement and Strategic Plan. Review and update bylaws as necessary. Communicate with the Church Union Board as necessary. Finance – Work with staff to develop and monitor the annual budget and make regular status reports to the Board. Recommend procedural guidelines to the Board. Website – Maintain and update the website, including calendar of events and volunteer opportunities. Nominating – Prepare priorities for Board composition and develop a recommended list of candidates for election. Recommend candidates for officers and for various committee positions. Help new Board members become acclimated to the BHA organization. Program – Assist with new program development and evaluate existing programs. Facility – Oversee and maintain compliance with safety and building code requirements, keep equipment in serviceable condition, and monitor maintenance and repair activities and expenses. Personnel – Prepare and maintain personnel policies and job descriptions and conduct annual reviews of staff performance. Volunteer Coordinator – Work with staff and Board to coordinate volunteers who assist at BHA. Food - Assist with providing and storing food for the various programs. Executive – This committee is comprised of the Board officers and may meet to prepare material for consideration by the full Board or to make decisions that should not or cannot be brought to the full Board.

E. Programs Traditional pre-school, after school and summer programs will be continued at BHA, but exact emphases may change from year to year as specialized grants are received or discontinued from year to year. Changes which may be anticipated are: 

The computer training and literacy program will be kept current with equipment updates as necessary.

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Staff attendance at meetings and technical assistance training events will be encouraged to the extent that they will result in best practice teaching methods for more relevant programming. The Rites of Passage program specifically funded by the Heinz Endowments grant could be modified if the present grant is not renewed. Efforts will be made to continue the essentials of the program with the use of general budget funds.

Additional program changes may occur as the ideas regarding “reinventing” BHA with new emphases are considered. F. Facilities Service offerings depend heavily on the size and condition of the facilities to house the programs. Future changes include:    

Increased oversight will be given to the maintenance and state of repair of the Northview Heights building and equipment. Increased costs for maintenance and cleaning labor and supplies are required. Office equipment will be upgraded. Computer equipment will be upgraded to keep it current with changes in technology. Cooperative use of space in the Church of Our Saviour on an adjoining property is being considered for program expansion. Such an expansion may require BHA or Church Union to invest in some physical modifications to the church facility.

The BHA building and grounds at Northview Heights are owned by Church Union, who takes responsibility for major capital improvements. BHA takes responsibility for normal upkeep and maintenance. G. Fundraising and Publicity Fundraising is the most important component of the BHA strategic plan. Consistent unrestricted financial support (not earmarked for specific programs) is required to enable BHA’s general programs to prosper and general operating expenses to be met. A number of small annual grants, along with giving by local churches and individuals, have provided a funding core for basic needs, but this support has been inadequate for the envisioned program. Large grants, such as the Heinz Endowments, provide funding for special programs, such as “Rites of Passage,” but do not solve the shortfall of dollars for the general program. A concentrated effort to increase unrestricted funding will be necessary to attain future programming goals. BHA’s development consultant, has recommended a comprehensive fundraising program which includes income from foundations, corporations, individuals, churches, other United Methodist organizations and special fund raising events. The following activities have been initiated or are planned: 

For 2013 and 2014 all fundraising activities will be managed initially by the current development consultant. That function will eventually be transferred to the new Director of Development position. A part time Development Associate will be added to assist the effort when financial support allows.

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Preliminary applications for funding have been made to 25 area foundations. There have been two responses with potential for significant grants. A marketing effort will begin in 2014 to brand BHA and differentiate it from other agencies providing similar services. A list of prospects for substantial giving will be developed and distributed among Board members to make contacts. Responses will be recorded and measured against established performance goals. A giving request letter will be prepared and sent to a large pool of available names. Specialized approaches will be tailored to specific contacts. All donations or grants will be properly recorded and acknowledged. A fund raising effort entitled “Fabulous 5000” was begun in 2011 with mailings to about 400 churches. The goal was to commit 5000 United Methodists to gifts of $100 annually. This program will be incorporated into the fundraising plans. A golf outing has been scheduled for September 23, 2013. This is expected to be a major income source. The Finance Committee of the Board will play a major role in fundraising management. The publicity team at Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference will be enlisted to assist with publicity as appropriate.