Press Statement – ABC/BCYF In Response to Councilman Zeke Cohen’s Letter It was a great opportunity to meet with the Mayor’s Office, the City’s legal and finance leaders along with Councilman Cohen at the 9:00 a.m. meeting today, January 9, 2020, that Associated Black Charities (ABC) had requested several weeks ago to talk about some of the challenges and next steps for the Baltimore City Youth Fund (BCYF). We were happy that we were able to answer several questions in line with our usual monthly reporting to the Mayor and City Council President’s Office. The Youth Fund is one of a kind in the country; it is a bold and innovative initiative built on the values of participatory grantmaking and equity. And at the same time, the traditional demands for accountability, documentation, and verification remain an expectation for ABC in its role of disseminating the funds. We are pleased to report that there are only three (3) grantees out of the original 83 grantees who have not received their full Year One disbursement. We have been working with them for multiple months to resolve their financial documentation issues; we provided them with a financial technical assistance advisor, and we will continue to work with them toward resolution of these issues. Year One for grantees ended September 30, 2019 and October 31, 2019; final reports were submitted 30-60 days post the ending of the grant cycle. We are excited about the next steps of working with the grantees who have completed their financial close out to finalize their program design, metrics and budget for Year Two. Similar to many best practice organizations, lessons learned in Year One provide guidance and direction for Year Two. We expect this work to begin next week; we have a team ready to work with the grantees to complete this process. We plan to work expeditiously with the grantees to move them into Year Two funding while also ensuring that they meet the continued City and State compliance requirements. This will occur on a rolling basis over the next 30 days until each grantee has gone through the process and received their initial Year Two funding. We are mindful of the urgency of the funds being needed to meet the needs of our children and youth and equally mindful of the expectation from citizens about accountability and due diligence. ABC is honored to have had the opportunity to serve in this role that has supported grantees in providing some phenomenal services to children and youth in Year One. We expect the same for Year Two. 2 Hamill Road * Suite 272 North Quadrangle * Baltimore, Maryland 21210 (410) 659-0000 * (410) 659-5121 - Fax