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FRIENDS FOR LIFE FOUNDATION IS THE NON-PROFIT ARM OF THE PHI PHI OMEGA CHAPTER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INC.

Summer 2016

FFL FUNDRAISER TURNS HEADS! AKA Day at Dillard’s raises money and awareness for Foundation

Friends For Life Foundation, the 501(c)3 affiliated with

the Phi Phi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha

Sorority, Inc., held a fundraiser on Saturday, June 18

– and the event generated more than $3,700 in profit

for the Foundation’s operating fund.

“Hats off to Foundation President Anita Helton and

Vice President Sondra Anderson for spearheading

this event,” said FFL CEO Charmagne Helton. “Their

hard work – and the work of so many others – helped

generate much needed income for FFL operations.”

The event, titled “AKA Day at Dillard’s,” was held at

Perimeter Mall and featured a fashion show, two DJs,

raffles, food and fun. FFL supporters spent more than

$37,000 shopping – and ten percent of those

proceeds were gifted back to the Foundation by

Dillard’s.

“It was the perfect kind of fundraiser,” said VP Sondra

Anderson. “Low risk, high reward.”

FFL members served as models during a fashion

show filled with with pink and green outfits (and black

and white, too) to help get you ready for Boule – or

just ready to look great! CEO Charmagne Helton

served as emcee for the fashion show.

FFL members also worked a tent and passed out

information about FFL to shoppers during the event.

“It was wonderful to see so many sorors attending the

event,” President Anita Helton said. “We appreciate

all the support!”

Vanessa J. Payne is ready for a tea with her hat, gloves and fan.

Kea Westmoreland strikes a pose on the runway.

FRIENDS FOR LIFE FOUNDATION NEWS SUMMER 2016

1 | P a g e

More Highlights from FFL Fundraiser and Fashion Show

Linda Crowley works the

runway.

Sondra Anderson struts in pink.

Shevawn Broxton Young uses her selfie stick to get all the models before they hit the runway.

Donna Johnson shows off her one-shoulder summer chic dress.

Traci McDuffie rocks casual cuteness.

Charmagne Helton with DJ Yvonne

Models walking the runway in AKA Day at Dillard’s fashion show

Deidre Cherry takes

the runway.


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More Highlights from FFL Fundraiser and Fashion Show Models for the fashion show included: Sondra Anderson,

Deidre Cherry, Linda Crowley, Anita Helton, Donna

Johnson, Tracie McDuffie, Vanessa Payne, Tangela

Simmons, Kim Slaughter, Kea Westmoreland and

Shevawn Broxton Young. And Linda Crowley won

one of the outfits she modeled! Event attendees

had the opportunity to win prizes, too.

“It was such a wonderful and fun event,” President

Helton said. “We are looking forward to doing a

similar event again and hopefully raising more funds

for our Foundation.”

The Friends For Life Foundation awards thousands

of dollars in grants and scholarships each year. The

Foundation does not charge its members dues. The

funds in the Foundation’s operating account are

used to pay FFL’s taxes, insurances and operating

expenses, including facility rentals, supplies, banking

fees, etc.

Donna Johnson is chairman of FFL Fundraising Committee. Her co-chairmen are Theresa Fisher and Nathalie

Fleming. A second shopping event fundraiser is tentatively scheduled for December, pending Board of

Directors and general body approval.

Congratulations to the Winners of

Raffle Items from Dillard’s!

Nina Swain-Johnson $150 in sunglasses Farrah Fields $250 in luggage Patrice Dawkins-Jackson $150 in ladies accessories Rosilyn Taylor $200 in Kate Spade

Kim Slaughter, pretty in pink. Shevawn Broxton Young,

gorgeous in green. Tangela Simmons shows

off a pink evening gown.


3 | P a g e

FFL Looks to the Future President Anita Helton Shares Plans

Recently, Friends For Life Foundation (FFL) completed an incredibly

successful fundraising event in partnership with Dillard’s department

store! It was arguably the most exciting fundraising event held in the

history of Friends For Life Foundation geared toward operations. The

event created a lot of buzz at the Foundation, as well as in the

community.

The following week, the Foundation held its Mid-Year Planning

Session where we began educating our Board and informing our

members regarding the awesome responsibility of being a non-profit,

501(c)3 organization! Consultant Jasper Tanner brought a

compelling amount of information to us on this topic, and advanced

our course for future prosperity as a Foundation. Armed with more

knowledge around 501(c)3s, we turned our attention to setting

“S.M.A.R.T” (Specific, Motivating, Attainable, Relevant, & Trackable)

goals for implementing our 2015 FFL Strategic Plan. Consultant Robert Brown partnered with Strategic

Implementation Committee Chairman Vanessa Henley in an interactive exercise where FFL committees will

begin to lead efforts for achieving our dreams.

Moving forward, Friends For Life plans to develop our own website and enhance our marketing efforts for telling

our story in the community. We look to develop meaningful partnerships in the for-profit, as well as the non-

profit space, and continue our fundraising efforts at FFL, our number one goal as a Foundation.

Further on the horizon, Friends For Life will be recruiting strong, enthusiastic Board members, and fostering

policies that align with our strategic direction. We look to continue educating our members, promoting the

highest ethical standards, and advancing financial stewardship.

If you have an interest in serving on the Foundation, please let us know your interest and where you’d like to

plug in. We look forward to working with you toward a diverse and inclusive Board for Friends For Life

Foundation!

Anita B Helton, MBA


4 | P a g e

Upcoming Events Mark your calendars for the upcoming Friends For Life events!

July August

No Meetings No Meetings

*Planning for fundraiser(s); distribute

scholarship funds.

*Approve Heart of Giving grants; continue

fundraising

September October

9/7 FFL Board Meeting – Conference

Call

10/27 FFL Board Meeting – In Person

(Budget)

9/11 3rd Quarter – FFL General Body

Meeting

*Board approves 2017 budget

November December

11/7 Heart of Giving Luncheon 12/3 Breakfast with Santa

11/17 FFL Board Meeting – Conference

Call

12/4** Shopping Event Fundraiser (pending

approval)

*Fundraising 12/11 4th Quarter – FFL General Body

Meeting

*Approval of 2017 Budget by General Body;

Submit End of Year Compliance Report to

PPO President/FFL CEO

Fall Fundraiser: We NEED You! Friends For Life is planning another shopping fundraiser for this fall. We need you help to make it a

success. Can you help us market the event, including inviting shoppers? Can you help work the event?

Whatever your time and talent, Friends For Life needs you! Please contact Donna Johnson, FFL

Fundraising Committee Chairman at [email protected] to help.

mailto:[email protected]


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Highlights from Mid-Year Planning Session On Saturday, June 25th, the Friends For Life

Foundation (FFL) held its 2016 Mid-Year

Planning Session at Zion Missionary Baptist

Church. During the planning session, FFL

members heard from two dynamic speakers

about non-profit operations and strategic goal

setting.

Jasper Tanner, the husband of Wanda Tanner,

spoke to FFL members about building a strong

non-profit organization based on his work as a

non-profit consultant. His workshop focused on

several areas including:

Operational success factors

Improving program impact

Resource development

FFL members also learned that by effectively using our

individual skills, talents, and resources, we can increase our

impact as an organization. Finally, Mr. Tanner stressed the

importance of creating diverse revenue streams and

measurable and impactful programs.

Following Mr. Tanner's presentation, Robert Brown, a strategic

planning consultant, helped FFL members build a strategic

fundraising plan for the remainder of the year. Members

enthusiastically discussed our fundraising motivation, set

specific fundraising goals, and established key milestones for

our December fundraiser(s). Committee chairmen from

marketing to fundraising discussed areas for collaboration to

ensure the success of our December fundraiser(s).

As a follow-up to the Mid-Year Planning Session, FFL

Committee Chairs and members will meet to finish the

fundraising plan, plan for the remaining FFL events, and

prepare to reach our fundraising goals!


6 | P a g e

Get Involved! One of the best ways to get

engaged is to get involved! Find a

Friends For Life Committee where

you can use your unique talents!

Bylaws Committee Chairman: Vanessa J. Payne

Reviews and recommends revisions to existing FFL bylaws and standing rules as appropriate.

Works with FFL President and legal counsel, if appropriate, to ensure bylaws as amended meet any required guidelines established by state/local law and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Executive Committee Chairman: Anita Helton

With the exception of amending Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, Executive Committee has all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the intervals between meetings of the Board.

Subject to the direction and control of the full FFL Board.

Note: Per FFL Bylaws, the Executive Board and the Executive Committee are NOT the same body. The Executive Committee is made up of the FFL CEO, FFL President, FFL Vice President, FFL Treasurer, FFL Financial Secretary, FFL Secretary, FFL Parliamentarian and FFL Board Liaison.

Finance Committee Chairman: Zelphia Hawkins

Presents a budget in November for the upcoming year.

Reviews all fundraising budgets.

Reviews current finance and accounting procedures to ensure effective operations.

Fundraising Committee Chairman: Donna Johnson; Co-Chairmen: Theresa Fisher and Nathalie Fleming

Reviews the fundraising events from the previous years to determine profitability. Recommends changes as appropriate.

Plans, organizes, creates a budget, and executes a fundraising event.

Chairman serves on Phi Phi Omega Ways & Means Committee.

Governance Chairman: Sondra Anderson

Oversees FFL annual planning session and any required Board training, including orientation sessions, as appropriate.

Ensures FFL operations are in compliance with all federal, state and local laws and processes, as well as compliant with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. guidelines for Foundation operations.

Reviews operating procedures and processes; recommends any appropriate changes to the FFL Bylaws Committee.

Works closely with the Strategic Plan Implementation Committee to ensure effective operations.

Grants Fund Development Chairman: Phyllis Finley; Co-Chairman: Mary Ann Rosemond

Researches and applies for grants that will benefit the Foundation’s programs.

Follows up with grant recipients to see how grants were used and provides documentation to the FFL Chairman and/or co-chairman serves as a member of Phi Phi Omega’s Community Donations Committee/Heart of Giving sub-committee.

Reviews Pearl Investment Initiative Applications for eligibility and submits to Phi Phi Omega Community Donation chairman.

Presents a summary of all grant requests, along with recommendations to the FFL President and Board for approval.


7 | P a g e

Marketing & Public Relations Co-Chairmen: Kim Ford and Traci McDuffie

Prepares marketing materials for FFL website: donate button, levels of giving, sponsorships, slideshow of activities, etc. Works with both Phi Phi Omega and FFL Technology Committees on implementation.

Creates plan to market FFL events and fundraisers.

Creates a brochure or other marketing materials to give to potential donors.

Nominating Members: Nathalie Fleming, Carole Henley and Henrietta Snow

Solicits FFL members to serve on the FFL Board of Directors.

Prepares a slate of candidates for open positions to be voted on at the first quarter FFL meeting of the year.

Develops ballots.

Programs and Services Chairman: Kim Slaughter

Reviews and recommends community service programming specifically for FFL.

If approved, plans and executes FFL community service activities.

Reviews applicable areas for FFL bylaws and standing rules; recommends changes as appropriate.

Marketing & Public Relations Co-Chairmen: Henrietta Snow and Lena Pigrom

Committee chairman and/or co-chairman serves as a member of Phi Phi Omega Community Donations and Scholarship Committee.

Prepares and mails letters to institutions of all scholarship awardees.

Reviews and recommends updates, changes to applications and/or awards process, if appropriate.

Strategic Plan Implementation Chairman: Vanessa Henley

Continues to review objectives outlined in strategic plan; recommend process or procedure changes as appropriate.

Recommends bylaw changes to FFL Bylaws Committee, as appropriate.

Technology Chairman: Natasha Ptomey

Researches the cost of a website to host Friends For Life Foundation Information for both the public and private entity.

Receives meeting agenda and committee reports prior to Executive Board meetings; compiles and distributes as a single document to FFL Board members and committee chairman, if appropriate, via email prior to meetings.

Unless and until a separate website is established, works with Phi Phi Omega Technology Committee Chairman to manage and upload information to the FFL page(s) on the website, as appropriate.

Works closely with the Fundraising Committee and the Marketing Committee to ensure appropriate publicity of events and capitalization on donation opportunities.


8 | P a g e

Meet the 2016 Friends For Life Board of Directors

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Charmagne Helton President Anita Helton Vice President Sondra Anderson Secretary Vera Atkinson Treasurer Zelphia Hawkins Financial Secretary Constance Cromartie Board Liaison Phyllis Finley Board Member Nathalie Fleming Board Member Carolyn Walker Henderson Board Member Vanessa Henley Board Member Patria Mitchell Board Member Sonya Stallings

The Friends For Life Foundation Board of Directors is comprised of professional women with broad and diverse

backgrounds in varying fields of business, industry, education, and human services. Together, their collective

strength yields the knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively lead the Foundation in achieving its mission: To

support quality of life improvements for the disadvantaged by assisting individuals and organizations in our

community to enhance education, the family, health, economic

Charmagne Helton, CEO Occupation: Director of Communications

The CEO is responsible for shaping discussion,

providing direction, and ensuring that Friends for

Life Foundation’s policies support the organization’s

mission and vision. She shall be responsible for

setting the Foundation’s fundraising plan and

appointing a Parliamentarian from the Foundation

Board of Directors and appointing committee

chairs. The CEO will serve as an ex-officio member

of all committees except the Nominating

Committee. The President of Phi Omega Chapter

automatically serves as CEO of the Foundation.

Anita Helton, President Occupation: Financial Planner

The President is responsible for convening

regularly scheduled Board meetings and presiding

at each meeting. She is responsible for all day-to-

day operations including, but not limited to, filing all

documentation with federal agencies required to

keep the organization compliant with 501(c )3

guidelines. The President serves as an ex-officio

member of all committees, except the Nominating

Committee and is responsible for implementing the

direction of the CEO. In order to serve as President

of the Foundation, she must have attended a

minimum of half the Board meetings in the year

prior to the election, and must have been on the

Foundation Board for a minimum of one year.

Sondra Anderson, Vice President Occupation: Elementary Educator

The Vice President is responsible for all duties and

exercise all powers of the President when the

President is otherwise unable to act. The Vice

President chairs the Governance Committee, and

performs other duties as prescribed by the Board of

Directors.


9 | P a g e

Vera Atkinson, Secretary Occupation: Retired Education Administrator

The Secretary is responsible for keeping records of

Board actions, including taking minutes at both

Executive Board and general body meetings,

sending correspondence, and maintaining

corporate records. She is responsible for notifying

the general body of upcoming Executive Board

and/or general body meetings, distributing and

posting meeting minutes from meetings of the

Executive Board and/or general body.

Zelphia Hawkins, Treasurer Occupation: Director of Global Business

Services

The Treasurer is responsible for all funds of the

Foundation. She keeps and maintains adequate

and correct accounts of Friends For Life

Foundation, Inc.’s properties and business

transactions, makes a report at each meeting and

disburses funds of the Foundation with proper

vouchers for such disbursements. She serves as

chair of the finance committee, prepares the annual

budget, and participates in fundraising plans and

grant writing.

Constance Cromartie, Financial Secretary Occupation: Licensed Professional

Counselor/Entrepreneur

The Financial Secretary is responsible for receiving

and recording all funds of the Foundation. She

provides receipts for all income received, maintains

financial records for the Foundation, submits all

funds received to the Treasurer, and serves on the

Finance Committee.

Phyllis Finley, Board Liaison Occupation: Marketing/Diversity & Inclusion

Executive

The Board Liaison serves as member-at- large and

represents the Foundation’s general membership at

the Foundation Board meetings. She shall make

reports quarterly to the general membership of both

the general bodies of the Foundation and Phi Phi

Omega.

Carolyn Walker Henderson, Director Occupation: Retired Director of Software

Systems Engineering

Vanessa Henley, Director Occupation: Human Resources Executive

Director

Nathalie Fleming, Director Occupation: Sr. Compliance Background

Specialist

Patria Mitchell, Director Occupation: Project Manager

Kim Slaughter, Director Occupation: Human Resources Executive

Sonya Stallings, Director Occupation: Sr. Sales Account Executive

The Friends for Life Directors are responsible for

administering the affairs of the Foundation, which

includes: formulating and carrying out its programs

and policies; exercising authority over the

management, acquisition and disposition of the

property of The Foundation; approving the annual

budget; employing staff; executing additional

powers and duties as are consistent with the

Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation and the laws of the

State of Georgia applying to the Foundation.

ffl fundraiser turns heads! - amazon web services · friends for life foundation is the non-profit...

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