BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
April 18, 2023 Minutes
The Board of Directors of the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund, Inc. meeting was held on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, via video conference.
Board Members In Attendance: Lisa Molock, Vice Chair; John Morris, Treasurer; Marcus Pollock, Secretary; Louis Williams Jr.; Jon Gray
Absent (Board): Larry Simmons, Chair; Lanaye Drake, Catherine Benton-Jones
Staff Members in Attendance: Alysia Lee, President; Bennice Thayer, VP of Finance and Administration; Emily Cory, Executive Assistant to the President and Board Administrator
________ The Meeting was called to order by the Vice Chair, Lisa Molock, at 5:34 p.m.
- Call to Order
Vice Chair Lisa Molock called the meeting to order at 5:34 pm.
Molock welcomed the board of directors and the public to this Baltimore Children and Youth Fund meeting.
Molock reminded attendees that the Baltimore Children & Youth Fund (BCYF) works to create new opportunities for the city’s young people to learn, thrive and succeed.
Molock shared the purpose of the meeting; review the consent agenda, review the NEW grantmaking priorities, and discuss the role of BCYF in addressing youth violence in Baltimore City.
- Community Building→
Molock led the board of directors through a check-in using the question, “What is your favorite annual Baltimore festival?”
- Inspiration→
Molock debuted a new section of board meetings, each featuring a story of BCYF’s impact. Molock shared a recent WJZ story on the Grassroots Fund that centers on Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood and the work that organization does. Play video
- Consent Agenda →
Molock announced that President Lee would guide attendees through the consent agenda, including the meeting minutes from the most recent Board meeting on November 8, 2022.
Lee lead the board of directors through the consent agenda, including; the meeting minutes from 12.6.22; President’s Report; President’s top five; Racial Equity Committee Meeting Minutes; Finance Committee Meeting Minutes; Executive Committee Meeting Minutes; and the Summer Funding Collaborative Grantee List.
Lee turned the meeting back to Molock for a vote.
VOTE to approve: Consent Agenda including previous meeting’s minutes
- Molocked asked if there were any amendments, questions, or comments regarding the consent agenda.
- There were no questions or amendments.
- Molock motioned for a vote.
- Mr. Pollock moved the call.
- Mr. Morris seconded the motion.
- The board of directors voted unanimously to approve the consent agenda and the previous meeting’s minutes at 5:52 pm
The meeting was turned over to John Morris, Treasurer.
Morris introduced the budget modifications, and Bennice Thayer provided additional detail.
VOTE to approve: Budget Updates
- Molock asked if there were any amendments, questions, or comments regarding the budget updates.
- There were no questions or amendments.
- Molock motioned for a vote.
- Mr. Pollock moved the call.
- Mr. Morris seconded the motion.
- The board of directors unanimously approved the budget modifications at 5:59 pm.
Molock thanked everyone for the updates.
- Education→NEW!
Molock reviewed the new BCYF Grant Priorities – Connected Learning: Opportunities for Young People to Engage their Interests and Strengthen/Build Relationships.
Molock invited BCYF President Alysia Lee to explore the new Grant Priorities for BCYF.
Lee presented new priorities and asked if there were any questions or comments.
There were no questions, but multiple attendees offered comments supporting the new priorities.
Lee turned the meeting over to Molock.
- Training→
Molock thanked Lee and the board members for the priorities discussion.
Molock asked Lee to share the BCYF team charter for review.
Lee asked, “What are the indicators that the team is healthy that you’d like us to track?”
- Mr. Pollock answered: “Members of the team remain excited by the prospect of change for the youth.”
- Mr. Morris answered: “Pride in performance.”
- Ms. Molock answered: “Mental check-ins with the team, perhaps before the board meetings? Offering to assist or give advice.”
- Mr. Morris answered: “Ability to gather ad-hoc as issues present themselves.”
Lee asked, “How frequently do we want to stop and check the team’s health?”
- Mr. Pollock answered: “Quarterly check-ins.”
Lee asked, “What do we do as a team when those indicators dip?”
- Mr. Morris answered: “Share and attempt to arrive at a common resolution.”
- Mr. Morris answered: “Opening our networks.”
- Ms. Molock answered: “Reflection.”
Lee asked if there were any questions or comments.
There were no questions or comments.
Lee turned the meeting back to Molock.
- Governance→
Molock thanked everyone.
Molock invited Lee to provide an update on Board Member Recruitment.
Lee presented and asked if there were any questions or comments.
There were no questions or comments, so Lee returned the meeting to Molock.
Molock debuted a new section of the meeting. Molock explained that the board would make space for critical governance-level discussions each month as an opportunity for the Board to examine the work of BCYF and its impact on the community.
Molock introduced the meeting’s governance question; “Incidents of Youth Violence in Baltimore are not caused by or created by one thing–what do you see in Baltimore that is addressing youth violence in an impactful way? What are the strategies and solutions from BCYF?”
The discussion included the following comments and thoughts;
- “Not one way to address youth violence – need to address from a multitude of ways (Teachers, families, community members, mental health professionals).”
- “You can’t support a child without supporting the family.”
- “How can we encourage and teach how to resolve violence?”
- “Teach young folks and family about accountability.”
- “Encouraging mental health support and providing those resources.”
- “Give young people the space to tell their stories on their terms. It’s cathartic and opens up new conversations they might not otherwise be able to explore.”
- “BCYF can be a convener for organizations to address youth violence – go beyond the grantees that we directly fund, and build capacity in those organizations to make a change.”
- “We know WHAT needs to be done; the challenge is building the capacity to do so.”
- “Persistent issue that the power structure still sees it as “problem young people” with organizations that aren’t equipt to support young people. How can the power structure be used to be a part of the solution? HOW can BCYF model that for power structures.”
- “ARI is a vehicle to mobilize youth leadership.”
- “Perhaps regularly convene a youth summit to address many of the problems the power structures deal with on an ad-hoc basis. Pull from ARI and from within our networks.”
- “Identify an ad-hoc committee to discover the “how” and can present to the board.”
- “We know what programming works; young people are in the programs and have community responsibility – we don’t have the capacity and resources (money, time, space) to be consistent. BCYF can bring those things together and build youth-serving networks. “
- “BUILD CAPACITY FOR CONSISTENCY!”
- “Young people don’t care what you know; they just want to know that you care.”
- “More young people as co-creators and planners. Young people at the table every step of the way.”
- “Provide deep, meaningful training to young people.”
- Adjourn
Molock thanked President Lee and Vice President Thayer for their updates.
Molock thanked the board for their work and for joining the meeting.
Molock noted that the next meeting of the BCYF Board of Directors will be June 20, 2023, at 5:30 pm via Zoom.
Molock moved to close the meeting and asked if any were opposed.
None opposed.
Molock adjourned the meeting at 6:36 pm.
