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VALUE Opens
New Office
and Gets Non-Profit Status
(Posted May, 2001)
Beginning in September 2000, VALUE has gradually shifted its administrative work to a new office in Chester, Pennsylvania. For the three years before that, most of our office work (record keeping, mailings, etc.) was done by the non-profit organization, Learning Partnerships, based in East Brunswick, New Jersey.
Starting last September, VALUE set up a new office in space donated by the Literacy Council of Delaware County, in Chester, Pennsylvania (just west of Philadelphia). This new office is being run by Marty Finsterbusch, an adult learner who was appointed VALUE’s Executive Director last year. Marty is a long-time learner leader who was a Literacy Leader Fellow at the National Institute for Literacy last year.
So far Marty has been using donated equipment and volunteer help to set up the new office. Top priorities are setting up a new computerized bookkeeping system and membership database. We also need to raise funds to cover the costs of office operations and salaries. This is going on while we are planning for the national Adult Learner Leadership Institute, to be held in Columbus, Ohio in July. (See the announcement on our web site.)
Marty has also been working with a lawyer to acquire a non-profit status for VALUE. Until now, funding for VALUE has gone through the non-profit organization, Learning Partnerships. However, Learning Partnerships is now closing down and is donating its non-profit status to VALUE. We are now working with our lawyer to finalize this shift. Then VALUE will be able to set up its own accounts and raise money entirely in its own name.
VALUE has recently mailed out our annual "April Showers Bring May Flowers" appeal. (See the flyer on our web site.) We are asking for volunteer help and funding to support our new office.
These are major steps in VALUE’s history: a new office, a paid staff, an adult learner as Executive Director, and our own non-profit status. We need the support of all VALUE members and others who believe in adult learner leaderships. With your help, we can set a strong foundation for this unique organization.
For more information or to help, contact Marty Finsterbusch at 610-876-4811 or finstertm@netscape.net.
Revised 5/4/01