ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Progress
Greater
Philadelphia
Chapter
|
State of the Chapter Address
Things to Know About Your ALS Association Chapter
The beginning of a new fiscal year presents the perfect opportunity to share with our valued constituents the State of the Chapter. You deserve insight on our present condition, where we’re headed, our strengths, threats and goals. You should know how we’re structured and funded, what we’re proud of, and what keeps us up at night. In the spirit of transparency, this is a peek behind the curtain, so to speak, at an extraordinary organization preparing for a challenging and somewhat uncertain future. Fundamentally, we exist to provide care and support to people living with ALS and their families. This we accomplish by surrounding families with a host of direct care services.
 Our Structure for Delivering Care To oversee and deliver the Chapter’s robust patient services program, we employ: Our Chapter Geography   Challenges and Concerns Two factors present a serious challenge to the Chapter’s ability to continue serving patients at the same level to which they have become accustomed and deserve.
1. We have a growing patient population.   Is our name holding us back? Philadelphia is, of course, the largest market in our territory, but generally speaking, the proud residents of cities such as Harrisburg, Allentown, Seaside Heights, Dover and Gettysburg don’t identify whatsoever with Philadelphia. How do we know? They keep telling us. A change of name reflecting the extensive geography we serve may be in our future. But at what cost, and how would we best implement such a massive project?
Will what has gotten us this far get us where we need to go? “Partly” is the only realistic answer. The changing culture of our times, new technologies and the aging out of foundational leaders who shaped this organization calls for new thinking and different approaches.
Is our current funding model sustainable? While the Chapter enjoys a broad base of annual support, we do not have an endowment fund or earned income stream upon which to rely. Essentially, we start each new year all over again hoping to achieve the operating budget from contributed dollars. An expanding patient population expected to live longer suggests the answer to the above question is no. But what can be done? What changes are necessary? Giving and Investing - We Need Both! The adjacent table tells an obvious tale; the overwhelming number of gifts received by the Chapter are less than $1,000, nearly 97%. These small to mid-size level gifts are the very lifeblood of the Chapter, fueling our annual operations. This is a sign of a healthy organization to be sure, but also is fairly limiting. To adequately prepare for our future, we need to also have significant investment.  Ways in Which Almost Anyone Can Help There are ways to invest in the Chapter’s future that won’t impact current cash flow. Ways to Help If You Can Individuals in a position to make a larger investment might consider the following:
· Gifts through an existing Donor Advised Fund (DAF), or establishing a new DAF.
· Establishing a permanent Named Fund to honor or remember a loved one.
· Tax-advantaged gifts of appreciated securities.
· Helping us establish an endowment fund.
· Making a multiple-year pledge.
Through this communication, I hope you have learned something new about The ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter. Since coming here in 2005, I have been continuously humbled and honored to be part of an organization that does so much for so many.
If you have a comment or question, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly at 215-664-4127, or jeff@alsphiladelphia.org. Jeffrey W. Cline Executive Director  |
|
State of the Chapter Address
Things to Know About Your ALS Association Chapter
The beginning of a new fiscal year presents the perfect opportunity to share with our valued constituents the State of the Chapter. You deserve insight on our present condition, where we’re headed, our strengths, threats and goals. You should know how we’re structured and funded, what we’re proud of, and what keeps us up at night. In the spirit of transparency, this is a peek behind the curtain, so to speak, at an extraordinary organization preparing for a challenging and somewhat uncertain future. Fundamentally, we exist to provide care and support to people living with ALS and their families. This we accomplish by surrounding families with a host of direct care services.
Our Structure for Delivering Care To oversee and deliver the Chapter’s robust patient services program, we employ: Our Chapter Geography Challenges and Concerns Two factors present a serious challenge to the Chapter’s ability to continue serving patients at the same level to which they have become accustomed and deserve.
1. We have a growing patient population. Is our name holding us back? Philadelphia is, of course, the largest market in our territory, but generally speaking, the proud residents of cities such as Harrisburg, Allentown, Seaside Heights, Dover and Gettysburg don’t identify whatsoever with Philadelphia. How do we know? They keep telling us. A change of name reflecting the extensive geography we serve may be in our future. But at what cost, and how would we best implement such a massive project?
Will what has gotten us this far get us where we need to go? “Partly” is the only realistic answer. The changing culture of our times, new technologies and the aging out of foundational leaders who shaped this organization calls for new thinking and different approaches.
Is our current funding model sustainable? While the Chapter enjoys a broad base of annual support, we do not have an endowment fund or earned income stream upon which to rely. Essentially, we start each new year all over again hoping to achieve the operating budget from contributed dollars. An expanding patient population expected to live longer suggests the answer to the above question is no. But what can be done? What changes are necessary? Giving and Investing - We Need Both! The adjacent table tells an obvious tale; the overwhelming number of gifts received by the Chapter are less than $1,000, nearly 97%. These small to mid-size level gifts are the very lifeblood of the Chapter, fueling our annual operations. This is a sign of a healthy organization to be sure, but also is fairly limiting. To adequately prepare for our future, we need to also have significant investment. Ways in Which Almost Anyone Can Help There are ways to invest in the Chapter’s future that won’t impact current cash flow. Ways to Help If You Can Individuals in a position to make a larger investment might consider the following:
· Gifts through an existing Donor Advised Fund (DAF), or establishing a new DAF.
· Establishing a permanent Named Fund to honor or remember a loved one.
· Tax-advantaged gifts of appreciated securities.
· Helping us establish an endowment fund.
· Making a multiple-year pledge.
Through this communication, I hope you have learned something new about The ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter. Since coming here in 2005, I have been continuously humbled and honored to be part of an organization that does so much for so many.
If you have a comment or question, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly at 215-664-4127, or jeff@alsphiladelphia.org. Jeffrey W. Cline Executive Director |
