Boston Adult Literacy Fund (BALF)

Joanne Appleton Arnaud
3 School Street
Boston, MA 02108
balf@balf.net
www.balf.net

Year Incorporated

1988

Vision and/or Mission

BALF opens access to basic education to Greater Boston adults to enable them to achieve their goals as parents, workers, citizens, and community leaders. Literacy is essential for economic independence and is key to the solution of many social problems. BALF works with adults in Belmont, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville and Watertown.

History

The Urban Literacy Network (now defunct) issued a national Request for Proposal to cities. Each city was asked to survey the most pressing "missing piece" in its service delivery system. Boston literacy practitioners wrote a proposal for an organization to raise private funds and public awareness for adult literacy - this was to be BALF.

Founding Leaders

A collaboration of ten individuals representing the public/private sectors wrote the initial proposal and oversaw the early stages of organization until our first board and Community Advisory Council were in place. They included representatives from a local community college, the Mayor's Office for Literacy, the Boston Public Library, the Boston Housing Authority, and the Boston Private Industry Council as well as several local business people, literacy providers, and adult learners.

Early Successes

By the end of the second year of existence, the Fund had:

Awarded $100,000 in grants and $15,000 in scholarships.

Initiated free fundraising/grantwriting workshops for community-based literacy groups.

Launched three annual fundraising events: the Business Spelling Bee, the Auction for Literacy, and the BALF Annual Book Sale.

Started to build, through fundraising efforts and advocacy activities, a more active constituency for public support of adult literacy.

Early Challenges

The initial period of organizing took far longer than anyone expected.

We had many philosophic challenges to mull over, such as, how to provide an operational definition of the learner-centered, participatory community-based literacy organization that we would fund and how to structure our own organization to accomplish this.

Turning Point

Because we don't pursue pubic funds, we truly live from one year to the next. At one point the first board president said, "You mean we now have to start all over?" after we gave out our money in grants and scholarships. And we did; and do - although we do manage to eke out some funds to put in an Endowment Fund. About 1993, our fundraising efforts had reached the point where our very existence was no longer in doubt.

Current Size

Community Advisory Council (consisting of 10-12 literacy providers and adult learners) advises the board. Some 15-20 community-based literacy programs are supported by grants and about 75 receive technical assistance.

Staff of four.

$350,000 budget (plus a special $1 million/year, four-year ESOL project).

Well located and historic but small office space donated by a local newspaper.

Recent Accomplishments

Consolidated a pilot program, African-American Men Persistence Project which encourages African-American men to enter literacy programs and persist until they achieve high school credentials.

Launched a pro bono identity/ad campaign highlighting the need for literacy.

Worked with the City and private funders to fund and develop the ESOL project mentioned above, English for New Bostonians.

Provided scholarships to 145 learners by 2001.

Raised and allocated over $2 million to expand and improve literacy efforts in Greater Boston.

Conducted a Student-to-Student program, where adult learners visit middle schools to convince children to remain in school.

Next Steps - Managerial

Enhance staff size, space, and funding base.

Next Steps - Programmatic

Launch the new ESOL project.

Develop a Master Mentor List of literacy practitioners and learners who have skills they are willing to share with other literacy organizations.

Get to the point where BALF can do less fundraising and more technical assistance and advocacy.

Advice to Other Coalitions

One important thing is to hold out for more staff. We started with two when we had no programs, no special events, no donors, and we still have just four. Another point is to consider the pro's and con's of any special event one launches carefully, because the dratted thing takes on a life of its own and is very hard to "kill" once it is established.

Last Updated

May 2001