October 2025

Posted on August 8, 2025 by ffa-editor

Agenda

Approve consent agenda

Grants:

Report- Friends Homes Greensboro NC

June 2025 Annual Meeting

Posted on April 7, 2025 by ffa-editor

Agenda

Welcome- Jim

Meeting with Grantee Partners – The current environment 60 min Susan

Annual Meeting 30-45 min Lisa/Jim:

Appointment of new members
Minute of appreciation– Jim Whitely
Board composition grid
Dates for 2025-26 meetings -please add to your calendars now!
Board contact list
Board self-evaluation (return by email)
Trustee disclosure form (return by email)
Appointment of officers, committees, classes
Revision of bylaws
Current Financial Position – Budget-Actual, QB Activity Report, QB Trial Balance 5 min- Eric

Business meeting

Approve minutes (April) 5 min- Jim
Executive Director’s Report 10 min- Susan
Grants brief discussion: 20- 30 min Susan:
- Report from Center in the Park + Budget-read only
- Proposal from Twilight Wish -decision
- JFCS Monmouth proposal + budget – decision
- ARTZ Phila + QVS proposal- interest- Fall
- JFCS + Abramson proposal revisited
- Yoga for Seniors – interest?
- Kindersmile event -interest?
Strategic priorities in a challenging environment- objectives for 2025-6- see Executive Director report
- Grant list 2024-5 focus areas

April 2025

Posted on March 1, 2025 by ffa-editor

Agenda

1. Welcome

2. Approve minutes

3. Executive Director report

Read about things funders can do in this climate by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. TBP Meet the Moment commitment Also, my summary of conversations with grantee partners.

4. Governance board candidates, retreat plan Lisa

5. Finance no meeting, brief summary Eric

6. Gift acceptance policy draft– for approval. Sample web page https://friendsfiduciary.org/horizons-at-gsfs/

7. Grants:

Grant worksheet Spring 2025

Grants grid

Q&A

A. Returning-Quaker

Friends Village, The Hickman, Friends Home Kennett- Unrestricted GOS funds $15,000 each (recommended and approved February meeting). I asked each to write one page on how they used last year’s funds and what might be supported in the coming year. Similarly I asked Pendle Hill and FSA for brief report/requests.

The Hickman

Friends Village

Friends Home Kennett

FSA Leadership & Interns

Friends House Retirement & budget & report

Pendle Hill

Ujima

I conferred with Pendle Hill and QVS and expressed doubt that FFA would fund a second year of both Pendle Hill and a Fellow there, and that instead Pendle Hill increase it’s request to include part of the cost of a program assistant. I also advised that a letter including what they did last year and plan to do in the coming year would suffice.

Friendsview has elected to defer this cycle; they are experiencing administrative transitions and uncertainty in working with immigrants.

B. Returning- Non-Quaker

Center in the Park, Kindersmile and Witness to Innocence were told that this would be their sabbatical year.

Rise & Rise report

Jewish Family Service & Abramson – following sabbatical year

Lutheran Settlement House & budget -returning (was on Fall cycle)

C. New Quaker

Faith Journeys of Our Elders (Fredonia Meeting minute fiscal sponsor)

D. New-Non-Quaker

Mercy Care

Jewish Relief Organization-applied Spring 2024, denied

Starve Poverty & supplemental

NJAAW-applied last year, needed seasoning

E . Reports only:

Friendsview Retirement- waiting until Fall

Kindersmile

Center in the Park – due 4/30

Witness to Innocence + budget

QVS – due May–PH summary on Lucas

February 2025

Posted on October 25, 2024 by ffa-editor

Agenda February 2025

Mimi Blackwell presentation 30 min.
Jim Welcome
Approve minutes
Susan Executtive Director report
Business
1. Approve minutes
2. Susan’s annual review- Executive Session
3. Governance: Recruiting new board members, succession of officers
4. Finance: report on finances, meeting with JPM, budget v actual, balance sheet
5. Board objective setting for year
6. Plan for May meetings -dates, strategic thinking, grantee partners, etc
Continued discernment on grant making:

Priorities- as I understand them

Quaker organizations- founded by, Quaker board, Quaker identified, values-based
Direct service to aging individuals over funding staff which provide secondary gain to residents or capital projects
Small, community-based organizations – under $1M budget, board represents population, program input from community
Support change not maintenance
New/creative solutions to identified problem – in some way a new approach
- Replicable
Variety in types of issues addressed

Review of questions from May retreat

How long to fund organizations? Different Q/non-Q?
Right balance of new and returning
What do you want to know from orgs that got general operating support-reporting?
If continue GOS, how much $
Should we reach into NYC and State? Or focus on NJ/ Eastern PA.
Where do multi-generational spiritual deepening programs fit?
Ideas for deepening relationships with grantee partners without adding burden on them?
How do we learn what Quakers need?
Conversation with NYYM about bylaws, needs?
How might we be called to support grantee partners losing Federal Funding or who have DEI programs?

Read only:

Lutheran Settlement House final report

ARTZ Philadelphia final report + budget + lessons learned

New Community final report

October 2024

Posted on April 26, 2024 by ffa-editor

Agenda

President welcome & report on Ziegler meeting

Approve May Minutes*

Director’s Report

Finance

—Profit & Loss “Activity Report”

—Trial Balance

—Budget for approval*

–Accept audit* & 990PF*

Governance

–February meeting

–New members needed

Grants*

Grant worksheet Fall 2024

Grant grid (all grants)

Q&A

Returning Quaker

—New York Yearly Meeting

—New England Yearly Meeting

Returning Non-Quaker

—Bright Side Manor + Satisfaction survey report

—Habitat N. Ocean

—Interfaith Caregivers + budget (new)

—JFS Atlantic

—SOWN/Connectedly + revised budget

—Trinitas (back after 1 year)

–Center for Hope Hospice – no new proposal but waiting

New Quaker

—Chandler Hall (back after 8 years)

—Friends Homes NC + budget

New Non-Quaker

—Caldwell University

—Kings Bay JCC

—Livewell

–NJAAW +NJSCA + budget

—Senior Community Services + promo

—Springpoint Senior Living + letter

–Center for Hope Hospice -deferred from April and last October

* denotes decision needed

May 2024 Annual Meeting

Posted on April 24, 2024 by ffa-editor

Location: Newtown Friends Meeting, 219 Court St, Newtown PA. 10 am – 3 pm

Agenda

Education session: What are the questions we need to be asking ourselves and each other to guide our grantmaking discernment? Guest: Lucy Vandenberg from CNJG and the Schumann Foundation, previously Fund for NJ among other positions.

Please read the notes from the February meeting and be prepared to share your top 4-5 responses to the prompt.

Lunch will be provided.

Board Annual Meeting

Executive Director Report

–Iron Mt.

–Midyear conversations

—Request from Friends LifeCare

Expense reimbursement

–Appointment of members to terms and committees

–Appointment of officers

–Candidates

—Officer job descriptions

–Approval of 2024-25 dates

—Bylaws and handbook changes

—–Number needed for bylaws change

—–Remove annual report to NYYM

—Executive Director job description

—Conflict of Interest disclosure

—Board self-evaluation

–Added Tyler to bank account

Approve minutes from April

April 2024

Posted on February 5, 2024 by ffa-editor

Agenda

Executive Director’s Report

Grants:

Worksheet 2024 grant requests pdf

worksheet in excel

Q&A

Hickman Q&A

Pendle Hill Q&A

Returning Quaker

Barclay Friends- (no new request) report + budget

FSA report + FSA application

FSA-Kendal Corp AIT program discussion/not for decision

Friends Home Kennett reapplication + use of funds +attachment

Friends House Retirement Community reapplication

Friendsview Retirement Community reapplication

Friends Village report + reapplication

The Hickman reapplication + budget

QVS reapplication

Pendle Hill reapplication

Ujima reapplication

Returning Non-Quaker

Center for Modern Aging (PSRC) reapplication

Center in the Park reapplication + budget; program budget

JFCS Phila reapplication

Kindersmile reapplication+ budget

Rise reapplication

Snipes Farm reapplication+ report

Witness to Innocence reapplication + budget

New (all non-Quaker)

CARIE application

Center for Hope Hospice reapplication

Harvest Family reapplication

Jewish Relief Agency reapplication

Finance Committee – Eric

Governance Committee – Lisa

Plan for May meeting

Feedback on shortened reports/applications/process

Approve February Minutes

February 2024

Posted on December 14, 2023 by ffa-editor

Agenda 2.24

Welcome- Jim 5

Education Session: Looking Back, Looking Forward – Susan 90 -120 min.

Following the strategic session last May and in anticipation of doing more work this May, we want to use the extra time available in February for some deeper, relaxed discussion. During the lifespan of FFA, the world has rapidly changed around us, including the field of philanthropy and aging services. Our dedication to continuing revelation has led us from a focus on Quaker lifecare communities to services for at-home Friends to those leading and living in underserved communities. We have also implemented several trust-based practices toward building strong relationships with our grantee partners. Where do we want to go next? This discussion will help Susan focus her work and guide our strategic planning in May.

Please review the grants FFA has made over the past 2 years. Here is a list of the grants made in 2022-3. (more details on them are on the website under the meetings when they were considered). Select 2 that stand out as a success to you, that you are proud of — why? Pick 2 that didn’t excite you — why? If it is helpful, I added columns for the following questions: Do they reflect the FFA mission? Are they innovative? Impactful? Replicable? Do they serve partners and under-served populations that might not get other funding? Are there gaps between what we are doing and what we want to do? Which of these elements are important to you going forward? How does this inform us about our priorities? We will start the session with sharing responses.

We will also talk about the queries Susan listed in her report.

Business Meeting

Approve minutes October 2023 Jim

2. ED report 2.24 – Susan

—ED report 12.23 sent in December

3. Executive Session re Susan – Jim

—ED job description

–Susan’s priorities for 2024

4. Finance -Eric

—Budget for year for APPROVAL approved

—P&L and Balance

–Proposal re Friends Fiduciary – that the Friends Fiduciary account be used to fund the NYYM grant, which is true to original intent, begins to spend income, and releases funds at JPM for more granting.

5. Governance- Lisa

—Officer Job descriptions update- draft

—Meeting dates for 2024