Greetings,
In our last board meeting we had an informal discussion about the proper use of the funds donated by the Don Yochem. As we prepare for our next meeting, here are some considerations:
One board member mentioned the possibility of retiring the loan on 128 10th. I think it can be reasonably stated that having our organization free of long term debt is beneficial to our mission.
I believe it is important for each board member to consider how to use these funds and that we take whatever time is necessary to reach a consensus. The personal representatives of Mr. Yochem stated in a letter to us that the funds should be used to support our programs that primarily benefit children under the age of 17. This gives us a lot of leeway and so we should only proceed when we are all confident that we are acting in the best interests of these children, whether that is constructing buildings, acquiring more property, retiring debt or anything else related to our work.
I would point out that when we built The Door, we chose to build a very energy efficient building, looking to sustainability rather than size and scope. This is an important consideration as we move forward because the need will always be there and we need to have a long term outlook.
Looking forward to a lively discussion on this matter,
Dave