Board of Directors Meeting Agenda February 6, 2019 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Minutes of December 12, 2018 Board meeting Leslie 8:30 – 8:35
Treasurer’s Report Bill 8:35 – 8:40
Investment Report Abby 8:40 – 8:45
Governance Committee Report Kate 8:45 – 8:55 VOTE Council Charter revision VOTE Board nominations
FOPG Goals 2019 Leslie, Gordon 8:55 – 9:15
50th Anniversary Legacy Projects Leslie, Liz 9:15 – 9:55
PR Communications Leslie 9:55 – 10:00
Questions/Comments on Reports Leslie 10:00 – 10:15 Three Parks, Director’s, Development, Communications & Outreach
Liquor on Brewer Plaza Steve 10:15 – 10:25
Other Business Leslie 10:25 – 10:30
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Board of Directors Meetings Events: March 28, 2019 4:00 p.m. (Omni Parker) Annual Meeting, March 28, 2019 5:30 p.m. June 5, 2019 4:00 (UMass Club) Green and White Ball Friday, April 26 October 16, 2019 8:30 a.m. Duckling Day Sunday, May 12 December 11, 2019 8:30 a.m. Making History on the Common Monday June 3 February 5, 2020 8:30 a.m. Board and Council Dinner June 5, 2019 Brewer Plaza Annual Celebration June 20 Summer Party (at Four Seasons) July 17
FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting December 12, 2018
The Board of Directors of the Friends of the Public Garden met at 69 Beacon Street, Boston, on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 at 8:30am.
Members present: Mesdames Achtmeyer, Adam, Anderson, Bordon, Burns, Cox, Enroth, Johnson, Moore, Nessen, O’Keeffe, Quinn, Smith (ex officio), Swanson and Messrs. Burnes, Clendaniel, Mead, Taylor, and Zick.
Members absent: Ms. Corcoran and Mr. Albright.
Ms. Adam, Chair, called the meeting to order at 8:30am.
Executive Session Ms. Adam reported on the status of Ms. Vizza’s review. Broad feedback was collected and she and Ms. Vizza have met to discuss. Information from a professional salary survey was considered and the Friends remains committed to keeping salaries between the 50th and 75th percentile, using data of comparable organizations in the region.
Upon a motion being duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
VOTED: to approve the Executive Director’s salary as proposed.
At this time, Ms. Vizza, Ms. Halpin, Ms. Abell, Mr. Mulcahy and Mr. TenBarge joined the meeting.
Minutes of the October 17, 2018 Board Meeting Upon a motion being duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
VOTED: to approve the minutes of the October 17, 2018 Board Meeting as presented.
Financial Report Mr. Clendaniel referred to the Treasurer’s Report dated December 12, 2018, which was circulated prior to the meeting.
Upon a motion being duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
VOTED: that in accordance with the current policy pertaining to bequests of $10,000 or above, the $50,000 bequest by Anne Brooke will be transferred to Endowment.
In addition, upon a motion being duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
VOTED: to approve the transfer of $700K in funds from the 2018 surplus to temporarily restricted funds to be allocated to 2019 projects.
Ms. Mason reported that the YTD Endowment returns, through November 30, 2018, showed a loss of -1.9% which was favorable to the benchmark of -2.4%. The Friends continues to benefit from a low spending rate of only 4% from Endowment. She also noted that approximately $2M of the $19M in Endowment funds is currently held in cash so there is no need to sell any investments in the current down market.
Mr. Clendaniel highlighted several items in the proposed 2019 Budget, which was also circulated prior to the meeting. He noted the upgrade of Mr. TenBarge’s position and the anticipated hiring of a Parks Care Specialist. The percentage of the budget to be spent directly on parks care is planned to increase from 54% in 2018 to 58% in 2019. Simultaneously, the staff and overhead costs, as a percentage of budget, are planned to decrease from 38% to 35%.
Upon a motion being duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
VOTED: to approve the 2019 budget as presented.
At this time, Mr. Taylor gave further detail on a review of the Friend’s insurance policies, undertaken by Mr. Taylor, Mr. Mead, Mr. Clendaniel, Ms. Vizza, Mr. TenBarge, and an insurance broker. Various policies, including Property Insurance, Liability, Employment Practices, and Cyber Liability coverage will likely be added or increased. The 2018 budget for insurance was $7,700 and the 2019 budget allows for $15,000 which will cover these changes.
Governance Ms. Enroth reported on the review to the Conflict of Interest Policy and the amended Disclosure Statement.
Upon a motion being duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
VOTED: to approve the Conflict of Interest Policy as presented.
Ms. Enroth requested that signed forms be submitted no later than December 31, 2018.
Ms. Enroth also updated the Board on openings on both the Board and the Council and she circulated a (confidential) list of nine potential candidates for the Council.
Upon a motion being duly made and seconded, it was unanimously
VOTED: to approve the list of Council candidates to be further considered by the Governance Committee.
Reports The Mall – the Mall steward will continue until snow and/or cold prohibits his activity The Common – an art project near the Frog Pond that will utilize a stump left by a tree removal is being considered Development – letters to new neighbors have been created and are available for Board members to “add a quick note or message” before they are mailed.
Updates Hempfest – MassCANN has taken a very aggressive tenor in its meetings with the Friends/BPRD and at the City Council. This has not been well received by the City. The Friends will continue to follow up with elected officials and the City to press for a reduction of the permit and/or a venue change.
Ms. Adam reported that the Friends had attended a meeting with the Downtown Residents Association where Commissioner Cook indicated that the Parks Department plans to deny the current application for Hempfest and that he hopes that “the City Legal Department will work to support” this position.
King Memorial – The scale of the proposals continues to be a concern. The Boston Foundation holds the funds for King Boston as well as funds for the Friends. We will need to ensure that these two things are not at cross purposes. It’s strongly felt by the Friends that the Boston Common Master Plan be seen as a necessary and beneficial part of discussion about the memorial.
Bathroom Pilot—The pilot was successful and will operate from April to October 2019. The recent debrief meeting highlighted the need for sturdier fixtures such as door handles and a more exact user counting mechanism, but no other issues.
Shaw 54th – the January 9th Community Conversation is eagerly anticipated and the construction kick off is still planned for June 2019. A VR app is being developed for the 6 months that the sculpture is off site.
Cooperative Agreement – A very productive meeting between the Friends and the Parks grounds crew was held to review the Operations Manual. A Term Sheet is now with the City Legal Department.
Boston Common Master Plan – The interviews for a firm have narrowed the field from 4 to 2. An announcement is planned in the next several weeks. The plan will take a year plus to develop and the project will cost $500K, which will come from the Winthrop Square funds.
Downtown Planning Study – This study is also to be funded from the Winthrop Square project. A BPDA meeting has been held to announce the study and it was noted that the boundaries of the study have been expanded. It is still unknown what impact the study will have on zoning, which is not yet explicitly included in the scope. The Friends anticipates naming a representative to the CAC for this project.
Parks Improvement District Ms. Adam reported on a request from a longtime and generous supporter of the Friends that the concept of a “PID” be considered to help fund the Parks, similar to the one at the Greenway. Differences between the three Parks and the Greenway were discussed, including park usage, neighborhood makeup and diversity, and commercial/residential balance. No plan was recommended at this time to pursue this proposal.
50th Anniversary The goal of identifying and completing “transformational” projects to celebrate the 50th was discussed. The two projects that seem to fit best with the expertise of the Friends, capacities of the Friends/City partnership, and that will attract donors are the renovation of the two child fountains at the Arlington Street entrance to the Garden, and a complete renovation of the Tool Shed/Gardeners Cottage, including adding an orientation space for visitors. Both projects need additional discussion as they are complicated and will require a great deal of funding and planning and cooperation from the City.
There being no other business, Ms. Adam adjourned the meeting at 10:40am.
Respectfully submitted, Catherine Bordon, Secretary Friends of the Public Garden Investment Committee Report For the Board of Directors Meeting, February 6, 2019
Market value of invested funds: $19,290,841 (as of December 31, 2018)
Investment Committee members: Abby Mason and Austin McClintock, co-chairs; Bear Albright; Bill Clendaniel; Art Hodges; Alex Sacerdote; and Hans Vaule
Investment strategy: Invested in a diversified portfolio with a target mix of 78% equities and 22% fixed income and cash All assets are custodied at Fidelity
Spending policy: 4.0% of a trailing 12-quarter average ($744,000 in 2019)
Investment vehicles: Approximately 20 SEC-registered mutual funds (both active and indexed) with a weighted-average average expense ratio of 0.40%
As of December 31, 2018 Q4 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years FoPG* -8.9% -6.8% 5.3% 4.0% 9.1%
Global Stock/Bond 80%/20% -10.4% -7.8% 5.6% 3.8% 8.5%
As of September 30, 2018 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years FoPG* 6.4% 10.2% 7.4% 7.7% Cambridge Associates--Endowments Under $100MM CA Endowment 25th % 6.4% 9.2% 6.2% 6.9%
CA Endowment Median 5.6% 8.7% 5.8% 6.3%
CA Endowment 75th % 4.9% 8.0% 5.2% 5.5%
Boston Foundation Balanced Pool (75%/25%) 6.2% 8.1% 5.4% n/a
Balanced Plus Pool (includes private equity, 8.1% 9.0% 7.0% 6.5% hedge funds, and 10% in fixed income)
* Does not include Clough investment. Includes non-endowment cash at Fidelity until September 2018 when the cash was moved to a separate account.
The global stock/bond benchmark includes the All Country World index (ACWI) and the Bloomberg Barclays Intermediate Government/Credit Bond index in the weights shown. February 6, 2019
FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN
Director’s Report for the February 6, 2019 Board of Directors Meeting
50th Anniversary: Since our last meeting, Chris Cook and I met with Trisha Lyons, Director of Public Facilities, to discuss the Board’s interest in the renovation of the Tool Shed as a 50th anniversary project, with the Friends taking the lead on the work. She said that procurement laws on buildings would prevent a nonprofit from being the lead. Since the meeting, Chris has been inquiring at the Law Department about how we can create a workable arrangement to allow us to be the lead, and Jeff Mullan at Colin’s office (who worked with us on our Winthrop Square agreements) has weighed in on options, who believes that either a sale or lease are viable paths to allow the Friends to renovate the building. Given the complications, we are working with the City to do our due diligence on this.
In discussing the issue internally, another idea has been floated about our legacy projects: to take on renovation of the Central Spine in the Garden, which would include the 2 child fountains and landscape renovations at the Arlington Street entrance we have already identified as legacy projects, plus restore the special path surfacing from Arlington to Charles and renovate the lagoon bridge. I mentioned this to Chris and he suggested that we could use this proposal – if the Board supports the idea – as leverage with the City, and meet with the Mayor to propose it. Say, the Friends cannot do the Tool Shed, but it is in critical need, and we will do the Central Spine if the City takes on the Tool Shed as a high priority project. We will discuss these various approaches at the Board meeting. In your packet are initial, rough cost estimates for each of these project components.
We will be convening two committees, a Planning Committee and a Fundraising Committee. It is proposed for half of the Planning Committee to be composed of Board members, and to include Council members, a Young Friend, a landscape architect on our Horticulture Committee who did the Boylston Street border renovation, a Fenway park advocate who is a leader in the Boston Park Advocates, and staff. This Committee will consider all of the ideas that have been suggested to celebrate 50 years, promote our partnership to a broad public, and expand our community.
Several of us met with Kate Gilbert of Now + There (the organization who brought the art installation Open House to Kenmore Square) to explore the potential to partner on a temporary art installation on the Common. We will also be meeting with art curator Jen Mergel who worked with Emerald Necklace on Fog X Flo two days before the Board meeting, to discuss the prospect of working with her as we consider who would be the best partner for us.
Boston Common Master Plan: As you know, the Parks Department and I (representing the Friends) have chosen Weston & Sampson as the master planning team. Although their contract has not been executed yet, we had a kick-off meeting to get started on planning for the work. There will be a series of internal meetings first before the public process begins – with all the many departments that need to weigh in on the Common’s needs and issues, as well as agencies and users such as the MBTA, MCCA (who manages the garage) the GBCVB (who manages the visitor center), and the Skating Club of Boston – to begin to define goals, objectives and guiding principles for the master plan, which the public process will inform/expand.
-2-
Downtown Planning: We should be hearing soon about our nomination of John Achatz, Common Committee member and long-time real estate lawyer who was involved in the Midtown Cultural District zoning process, to be our representative on the Community Advisory Committee. I have been in communication with BPDA’s project manager about the importance for the Friends to be represented on the CAC.
Shaw Memorial: The government shutdown has impacted the restoration schedule, which the NPS staff will clarify for us after they deal with the huge backlog that awaited their return to work. Our very successful event with our moderated panel on January 9 demonstrated to us the deep interest of the public in the conversation about monuments and about the story of this one in particular. We may rethink the timing of the final event – the Rededication – and hold it in the spring of 2020 rather than fall of 2019, given the work delay and its impact on advance planning for a big celebration. It could be a good Anniversary story – a bookend to our first capital campaign in the 80s.
Pilot Temporary Restrooms, Boston Common: We are planning for our second year of this pilot, to begin earlier in the year, building on lessons learned this year. We had a good debrief meeting (notes in your packet) and will be making improvements, including a sturdier bathroom structure, improving the method for gathering usage counts, and additional signage alerting park visitors to the presence of the bathrooms.
King Memorial: Three of the five proposals for the memorial are being assessed for feasibility by Weston & Sampson, through the Parks Department. Their final decision will come in February or March, and we expect a team to be selected, not their specific design.
Parks/Friends Partnership Plan: We are still on track to complete this and be able to announce it during our 50th year. Bob and I will be having a second working session with Parks grounds staff soon, and I’m setting up a meeting with the City lawyer who is reviewing the Term Sheet with details on our formal relationship.
Citywide Parks Advocacy: CPA and Boston Park Advocates: 57 parks and open space applications were submitted for CPA funds in September, which are being evaluated by the CPA Committee. There have been several public meetings, with a final one on February 11 when projects will be recommended to the Mayor, who then submits them to the City Council for approval.
Boston Park Advocates hopes to have a spring workshop focused on resiliency and the role that greenspaces play, if it can be planned in time.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Vizza Common Committee Report for February 6, 2019 Board Meeting
Park Maintenance and Improvements – The major activity during these dark and wintry months is the continuation of our pruning program. The removal of several failing linden trees that I reported on in December will take place later this winter.
Brewer Fountain lighting: The drawings for the new systems vault required to accommodate the new lighting scheme have reached 90% Construction Documents. Boston Landmarks approval is the next step and slated for Tuesday, March 26. Timing for construction is still in flux and more will be known post Landmarks determination.
UMass Amherst Soils & Temperature Research – A student working with us to determine the effects of shadow on soil temperature, and thus seed germination, completed a bibliography last year and a second student is now researching the role of soil macro-nutrients. We are also looking to conduct actual temperature monitoring in all three parks. Of particular interest will be the Mall, where there are large areas of shadow cast by trees.
Advocacy • Hempfest – In spite of their admitted inability to manage a three day event, MassCann has applied for a three day event permit. Chris Cook has said he will deny the permit. TBD how the City legal department will respond. • 41 La Grange St. – is a 19 story building being proposed Downtown behind the YMCU building, which is part of the Kensington PDA. Project proponent is the St. Francis House and the Archdiocese Planning Office. The proposed building will provide affordable housing units as well as additional housing facilities for St. Francis House clients. Though it casts a sliver of new shadow on October 21 in the morning, the duration is less than two hours and thus not subject to the Shadow Law.
Winthrop Square Funds - The City Council approved the transfer of $28 million to be dedicated to the Boston Common from the proceeds of the Winthrop Square garage sale to Millennium. Of that sum, $5 million will go into a Trust Fund for the maintenance of the Common. The balance of $23 Million will be set aside in a Common Capital Fund in the City’s Surplus Property Disposition Fund. Funding for the Common Master Plan will come out of the latter.
Public Safety – Boston Police’s presence in the Common continues through the winter. This along with weather conditions has had a positive impact on safety issues.
Respectfully submitted, Beatrice Nessen, Common Committee Chair FRIENDS 0F THE PUBLC GARDEN
Report of the Public Garden Committee for the February 6th, 2019 Board of Directors Meeting
Pending final approval, preparations are underway to construct twelve new benches along the Beacon Street Border. These new benches will replace the deteriorating green wood and concrete supported ones that were installed circa 1975.
Cambridge Landscape continues in the process of installing the new “smart” irrigation system and the system should be ready for operation once our warm weather returns.
Norm Helie’s experiment applying freshly shredded leaves in the Garden is proving successful. Leading into the deep freeze over the holidays he had been checking the soil temperature under the new mulch and comparing it with areas not under a mulch “bed”. The new treatment shows consistently higher temperatures. These higher temperatures greatly improve a tree or shrub’s ability to acclimate to colder temperatures that winter brings.
Working with the Horticulture Committee nine new trees will be appropriately planted in the early spring.
In the early Spring, 60 or so new rose bushes will be planted in the four Rose Gardens replacing shrubs that were destroyed by rabbits last summer.
Bob Mulcahy continues to work with Kyle Zick Landscape Architecture to develop an accurate large- scale map of The Garden.
The Tool Shed (proposed to be renamed the Gardner’s Cottage) will be considered as part of the Friends 50th Anniversary legacy project. Liz Vizza and Bob Mulcahy will also examine the landscaping around the two fountains at the Arlington Street Entrance - also a candidate for the 50th.
Respectfully submitted, Barbara W. Moore, Chair
FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN
Report of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee for the February 6, 2019 Board of Directors Meeting
As reported last meeting we are working on the funding for the lighting of the Morison and the Statue Lighting Fund in general.
I am happy to report that we have already received a $100,000 pledge for a matching grant for this project. This is a great start.
We are in the process of exploring a gathering of neighbors in the E/F block (Morison) to reach other possible donors. Bob is working with the contractors to develop construction documents for this project and we hope to do the installation in the spring. With the help of Sarah Hutt we are also exploring possible grants from the Henderson and Browne Funds.
This year we are going to work with the Garden Club of the Back Bay and Marathon Daffodils to place pots of daffodils around all of the Mall statues for the weekend of the Marathon. It should make for great photo ops! After the race the pots will be offered to residents and other park groups by the Garden Club.
We are looking at March 11 as a date to hold a stakeholders meeting for the Kenmore block master plan/design. Weston & Sampson will be guiding this process. Stay tuned for details.
The winter pruning is completed and we are now working on the spring planting list. Norm is recommending the removal of some near-death trees so we will have some opportunities for tree sponsorships for the spring.
Respectfully submitted, Margaret Pokorny, Chair
FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN
DEVELOPMENT REPORT BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING FEBRUARY 6, 2019 Prepared by Mary Halpin
Revenue Report: see enclosed spreadsheet for detail of all 2018 revenue. In brief, the budget for 2018 was $1,551,000 and $2,304,994 (148% of goal) was raised, including an exceptional gift of $250,000 from the Pierce Trust. Without including that gift we raised 133% of goal. We approached 2018 with some concern wondering how we would fare with the new tax law in effect. Reports from other nonprofits were mixed. We received a similar # of donations, but raised more $ through larger average gifts. Our donors hailed from 204 cities and towns; 135 in MA and 69 cities and towns in 26 other states (data available for review). Thank you to all Board members for helping ensure the success of all of our fundraising events and activities this year!
Membership Data: We describe this category of donors as those who respond to our membership mailings, or who donate through our membership page on the website. These are unrestricted annual fund gifts. We received slightly fewer gifts this year, but our average Renewal gift of $622 was higher than in 2017, which was $552. 17% of existing members increased their gifts by the end of 2018, however we are still receiving responses to this mailing.
New members: Our goal for this year was 300 new members. The 249 gifts actually represent 321 people. The new resident outreach mailing the Board helped with in December yielded 5 new members, with gifts totaling $2,177. Two of the 5 are new Leadership Friends with gifts of $1,000. This mailing cost $200 making our cost to raise a dollar only .09. We have access to monthly Banker & Tradesman new resident reports and will continue this type of outreach in 2019.
Lapsed donors: The committee decided to test a custom letter to 227 people who hadn’t donated since 2014 & 2015. We had 16 donors or 7% renew again, which is a very good rate! Expectations are usually very low for this type of mailing. We will incorporate this type of mailing again in 2019.
Donor Retention: our overall retention rate for all types of giving. Average industry retention rate is 45%. We will continue with our stewardship activities like the 2nd thank yous, special receptions, campaign follow up, regular e-news communications, new spring newsletter, new member surveys, and anything else we can do. 2015 2016 2017 2018 40% 57% 61% 59%
New Monthly Giving: In November, we rolled out a new monthly sustaining member program and now have 7. Those 7 people collectively increased their annual giving from $1,975 to $5,538. The committee will focus on increased marketing of this program in 2019.
Tree and Bench Sponsorship Program: We had another very successful year with this program. The goal was $90K and $216,000 was raised through sponsorships. ($213,000 in 2017) This year, we are looking forward to refurbishing the benches along the Beacon Street border and offering them for sponsorship for the first time. We are also fortunate to have NEW tree sponsorship opportunities on the Mall. Please share this with anyone you think may be interested.
Legacy Society: We are glad to have Linda Cox as our Chair of the Legacy Society. In our most recent outreach mailing we added three new members to the Legacy Society. Linda has helped to create an outreach plan for 2019 with an aim to increase membership in this special group.
Shaw 54th and Mall Lighting: We have raised $115,500 to date for the $245,000 budget for Shaw 54th community events and signage. And coincidentally, we have gifts and pledges totaling $115,500 for the $500,000 budget for Mall statue lighting. Please let Margaret know if you know someone who may want to help with the lighting project.
2nd Thank You Project: We are looking for help from Board members with this popular stewardship project. We will run a report on all donors who gave at the end of the year showing which Board member added a note on their letter, and prepare lists for each Board member. We will provide a package of notecards and the lists for Board members to take home from the meeting to write brief thank you notes at your convenience. If you missed note-writing we will provide you with a group of donors who didn’t have a note on their letter to thank.
Green and White Ball: Friday, April 26, 2019 at the Four Seasons We hope many Board members will join us and bring guests (potential new parks supporters) to this event. It’s a great opportunity to introduce new people to the Friends. Our co-Chairs for this year’s Ball are Ashley Harmon, Amanda Pratt, Jessica Schmitz and Lisa Taffe. Sponsorships and tables are available now! The 2018 Green and White Ball raised $657,000 with expenses at only 14%, netting $563,628.
Upcoming Events: Save the dates! Summer Party – Wednesday, July 17 at the Four Seasons Leadership Friends & Legacy Society Reception – Monday, September 16 at the Chilton Club Members Reception – Monday, October 7 at the Ritz Carlton
2019 Foundation Outreach for Making History on the Common We are looking for assistance with reaching out to any of the Foundation trustees below. Cabot Trust: Schrafft Foundation Shoma Aditya Lavinia B. Chase Frank Bradley Joseph M. Corrado Laura Cabot Carrigan Kristen J. McCormack Mary Schneider Enriquez Arthur H. Parker Greenfield Sluder Hendrika Sluder FY 2018 Development Report prepared January 22, 2019 by MH Jan-Dec 2018 Annual Membership 2018 Actual 2017 Actual 2018 Budget % 2018 Goal 2017 Comments Renewals $579,610 $523,034 $510,000 931 1000 946 New $59,458 $66,570 $60,000 249 300 267 Fewer, but larger average, gifts in 2018. Representing increased gifts from Total Membership $639,068 $589,604 $570,000 112% 1180 1300 1213 existing donors. Average renewal in 2018 $622 compared to $552 in 2017.
Other Contributions: Designated Boston Common: Common Canine $18,354 $16,407 $25,000 20 32 Common Support $4,000 2 BH Garden Club $4K total Mitigation $51,666 $110,428 $52,000 3 6 SHAW Endowment $10,000 1 Tony & Susan Morris (not programs) Total Boston Common: $84,020 $126,835 $77,000
Commonwealth Avenue Mall: Mall Support $30,656 $15,235 $10,000 8 7 BPDA grant for Kenmore $15K, Garden Club BB $5K, Mall Statue Lighting $10,000 2 Bequest $0 $23,000 3 Total Mall: $40,656 $38,235 $10,000
Public Garden: Ether Contributions $875 $1,775 5 8 Mitigation $131,606 $177,763 $129,000 5 7 Heritage on the Garden & Kensington Public Garden Support $3,825 $2,050 6 2 White Memorial $900 $1,225 13 11 Total Public Garden: $137,206 $182,813 $129,000
All Parks: Sponsored Benches $100,134 $77,737 $30,000 11 24 Including one Liberty Mall bench ($25K) Sponsored Trees $115,777 $135,570 $60,000 23 35 Total All Parks: $215,911 $213,307 $90,000
Total Designated: $477,793 $561,190 $306,000
Undesignated: Corporate $21,059 $14,023 $6,000 13 14 Emerson College $500; Conventures $2,500; Jcrew $4,977, Amazon, Bloomberg Gifts $310,639 $21,868 $10,000 41 61 Pierce Trust $250K; P. Brooke $50K; PG Tour donations $1,154; tribute gifts Bequests $58,889 $23,000 $0 4 3 From the Estates of Anne Brooke & Morgan Palmer Total Undesignated $390,587 $58,891 $16,000 Total Other Contributions $868,380 $620,081 $322,000 257%
Development Events: Green & White Ball $657,618 $681,000 $600,000 163 150 Includes $25K rec'd in 2017 Summer Party $26,595 $17,680 $25,000 155 140 Cambridge Trust - lead sponsor $7,500 Young Friends $6,900 $2,170 $3,000 195 25 Winter Social at Parker House; fall social at Liberty Hotel; Dec event at Union Total Development Events $691,113 $700,850 $628,000 110% Club
Public Programs: Shaw/54th Programming $65,500 3 From John Winthrop, Salah Foundation, Eastern Bank Char. Foundation Making History Day $10,200 $16,000 3 0 Bos. Cultural Council $1,500; Colonial Society $3,700, Citrin Corp. $5K Duckling Day $25,733 $9,895 $15,000 279 27 Dday Corp sponsors: Unit Realty and Allied Integrated Marketing - Show Dogs Brewer Plaza activities/150 event $5,000 1 0 Stride Rite, Santander Bank, EF, Advent School (Capital One, Tufts Medical 12 15 Steve & Kate's Camp) Brewer 150: Capital One Total Public Programs $106,433 $9,895 $31,000 Total Events & Programs $797,546 $710,745 $659,000 121%
GRAND TOTAL INCOME: $2,304,994 $1,920,430 $1,551,000 148%
Without exceptional $250K grant from Pierce Trust $2,056,123 133%
FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN
COMMUNICATIONS & OUTREACH REPORT BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING FEBRUARY 6, 2019 Prepared by Susan Abell Communications
The hard work, surprises, and subsequent enormous success of A Community Conversation: The Power of Public Monuments and Why They Matter dominated our calendar since the last report. Our new Communications and Outreach Associate, Jan Trousilek, has been hard at work growing our social media, specifically Instagram with wonderful Instastories. He also was instrumental in the graphic design and production of the website and collateral for the Shaw 54th restoration project and Community Conversation event. We have been able to save money using Jan’s skills instead of relying on external providers.
Marketing/promotion E-news, e-blasts, and advocacy Throughout the fall and into January, we worked closely with our partners (NPS, the City and MAAH) on the Shaw 54th project and created the outreach, promotion and publications for the Community Conversation. We created the program book, the banner on the stage, podium sign, and all the posters recognizing the partnership and our sponsors. The Abbot Public Library in Marblehead approached the Friends about helping create an exhibit at the library about the Shaw 54th Memorial restoration project. We were happy to re-configure existing materials to send a poster and handouts about the Friends and the project.
Friends announced, with the City, the choice of Weston & Sampson as the firm to create the Master Plan for Boston Common. The Mayor used the opportunity to re-affirm the $28 million-dollar commitment to the Common resulting from Winthrop Square. The Friends continues to work behind the scenes with KingBoston concerning the proposed MLK Memorial on Boston Common.
The monthly e-news continues to be a robust and growing means of communicating and engaging with our members. Our goal has been to make the articles both diverse in subject area, and an enjoyable read. In each issue we try to focus on the work of the Friends, care of the trees, lawns and sculpture in the three parks, our advocacy on important issues affecting the parks, and articles about our interesting members. We continue to maintain our metrics, with steady growth, a high open rate, a healthy click- through rate and a very low unsubscribe number.
We continue to stress the importance of advocacy, the history of the Friends in fighting for protection of the Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall, and the current activism by the Friends to safeguard these landmark historic parks for the millions of people who use them every year.
Media The Friends has had excellent media coverage for the Community Conversation event as well the Master Plan announcement See details and links to all media coverage at end of the report. Liz was interviewed on Bloomberg Radio and BNN. WGBH Forum filmed the Community Conversation and released the video of the event. The event was covered by the Bay State Banner, Beacon Hill Times, and Commonwealth Magazine. The Mayor’s announcement about the Master Plan for the Common got coverage across the city by the major papers, the Globe, the Herald, Curbed Boston, and other outlets, the Boston Real Estate Times, the Patch and the Sampan. Solomon McCown staff wrote a winter op-ed “Fun in the parks…in the winter!” and it was published in a number of local papers, including Beacon Hill Times, Boston Sun, JP Gazette and the Sampan.
Publications We are in the process of creating the spring print newsletter for the spring renewal campaign. We are creating a similarly forward-focused newsletter for the fall mailing. The Annual Review is in process, and will be in electronic format again this year. Using a combination of both print and electronic formats is the most effective means of communication with our members, and increases our ability to share our message and accomplishments.
Social Media Social media was heavily used to promote the Community Conversation, before, during and after, as well as the Master Plan. We continue to find new ways to integrate our website into our social media posts whenever possible, and to keep directing people back to our website.
Jan created a glossary of social media terms included at the end of the report, to help everyone understand the metrics discussed below.
Twitter Twitter continues to be a great tool for sharing news and engaging with community members directly. Since the December report, we have posted 1% follower growth, up to 4,050. Total organic impressions nearly doubled during this timeframe, up to 44,700 organic impressions from 24,487. Our direct engagements also increased by close to 300, up to 1,050 from about 750. Direct interaction with people increased dramatically, with our received messages metric increasing 58.6%, with 172 mentions received. Replies, retweets, and likes posted a 39.3% increase. Our organic impressions outperformed expectations this reporting period, showing a 230.9% growth with 667.12 organic impressions per tweet.
Our success this reporting period can be attributed to the Community Conversation event, in which our hashtag #monumentsmatter trended on Twitter. Excitement over the Master Plan announcement also contributed to boosted interest in our organization. The tweet about the Master Plan announcement generated a potential reach of over 300,000 people. The Shaw programming announcements and news drew numbers in the 10,000-20,000 impressions range, spiking interest after the Community Conversation event. Elected officials frequently engaged with us during this cycle, enhanced by Shaw Programming and Master Plan announcements. As a result, Twitter consistently proves to be the most effective conduit for sharing Friends news and directly engaging with many community members and elected officials in our scope.
Instagram Instagram has remained our best-performing social media platform, with high engagement rates and consistent performance metrics. We have gained 128 followers since the December 5 report, bringing our total to 4,710, representing a healthy growth of 2.8%. Impressions totaled 86,868, representing further growth, up 25.2% from December. Our average impressions per day are 1,551.21, and we reach 1,215.73 individuals daily with our content. Engagements increased by a huge 480.1%, totaling 7,170 engagements. This is partially due to us generating our first 1,000+ “liked” post, a photo of the Boston Common lit up for the holidays. Our average likes per post are trending upwards as well, with 597.5 average engagements per media, up from ~200-300 last tracking period.
Stories have continued to be a popular and effective way for us to engage with our audience. Consistent with increased use of this feature, story impressions totaled 5,164 for the period, up 86.8%, with our average reach per story at 249 individuals. Our hashtag engagement was strong, with over
11,730 engagements with our branded #FOPG tag. Popular tags for our photos also include #bostonparks #publicparks and #visitboston. The three parks were well represented in our media, with the lighting of the holiday lights causing a surge in our tagged photos. As a result, popular posts on our page consisted of holiday light photos, and beauty shots of the brief snowfall we’ve experienced this season. The interaction with the public during the Shaw Community Conversation proved popular, with users enthusiastic that we were able to share bits of the event on our Instagram stories.
Facebook As of January 30, 2019, we have 2875 fans, a 0.5% growth since the December 5 report. As expected, engagement decreased 98.9%, due to the lack of a surprising World Series viral post noted in the December report. As a result of no longer “going viral,” our key metrics trended down. Impressions decreased by 93.2%, at 18,836 total impressions and an average impression per post rate of 3,762.2. Engagement rate is 205, with 41 engagements per post. Factoring out the month we went viral, these rates are consistent with our Spring 2018 (2,785.3 impressions per post) and Summer 2018 (788.7 impressions per post) numbers. Growth, in this case, remains consistent on a positive upward trend, and we are experiencing better than expected growth in our impressions per post metric. The Young Friends Winter Social posted high engagement rates and page interactions, becoming our most popular page topic, while our stream of Shaw Programming information made up the rest of the most popular posts.
Outreach
A Community Conversation: The Power of Public Monuments and Why They Matter The partnership welcomed over 500 people to this event at Converse Hall in Tremont Temple. Karen Holmes Ward from WCVB5 was the emcee, Derrick Z. Jackson moderated, filling in at the last minute when Beverly Morgan-Welch from the Smithsonian was unable to travel as a result of the shutdown. Our partners from the NPS did attend, but not in uniform or in any official capacity. The evening began with a musical prelude with young musicians from Project STEP. Then the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, HQs and Company marched through the auditorium. Liz, Chris Cook, and Marita Rivero from MAAH, welcomed the crowd. The panelists were Renée Ater, public art scholar, F. Sheffield Hale from the Atlanta History Center and DeRay Mckesson, civil rights activist. The crowd was engaged, and the conversation was lively, provocative and thoughtful. Questions were invited at the end, and everyone moved downstairs for dessert.
Young Friends and the Young at Heart Fundraising Social We added a new event this season, a winter party on a Friday evening at the Union Club. We expanded the invitation to the “young at heart” and it was a great success with over 90 people. Leslie gave a brief talk about the upcoming Community Conversation event. An expanded steering committee helped us bring in a record number of attendees. We are planning an event at Abby Lane on February 21 with Liz scheduled to give an update on the Shaw 54th events and timeline.
Untold Stories of the Public Garden We have an engaged group of guides and decided we did not need to recruit and train a new class. Our co-chairs, Sidney Kenyon and Sherley Smith, will be leading several refresher sessions for the retuning guides this spring. The season will open in May and run through early September.
Video Our video planning is underway, and this year’s focus will be on Boston Common, including the Shaw 54th restoration, the re-imagining the park with the Master Plan, engaging new communities, and mobilizing advocate voices. We have engaged a videographer and hope to recruit some Board and Council members in a brief interview process here at the office in front of a green screen. We want to use the same videographer for the 50th Anniversary video and are hoping some of the interviews can be used in the future.
New Events We are planning to show the movie “Glory” about the creation of the Shaw 54th and their attack on Fort Wagner outside on Boston Common in early August. We hope to invite a Committee member to introduce the movie and provide historical context. This event is part of our year-long program to educate and engage the public about the importance of the monument and to use the restoration as a platform for dialogue about race, freedom, and justice.
Social Media Glossary- A collection of vocabulary to better understand social media reporting metrics and techniques
1. Reach- The total number of people who may see the content. Unique individuals. This does not mean they interact with it in any meaningful way beyond visually/scrolling past. 2. Impressions- The number of times your content is displayed or delivered to a feed across your social media platform of choice. i. Reach vs. Impressions: It can be confusing to differentiate between the two. Remember: Reach is the number of people who may have seen your content, while impressions are the total number of times your content was displayed to people. 3. Engagement Rate- A metric that measures the level of direct engagement a post is receiving from a general audience/target audience. Factors that influence engagement rate include comments, likes, shares, etc. a. Direct Engagement- Depending on the platform, direct engagement means a user has taken an action on your page. i. Facebook: Like, comment, share, becoming a fan, link click, ii. Twitter: Like, retweet, @ mention, direct message, link click, iii. Instagram: Like, comment, direct message, story reply, link click 4. Target Audience- The desired audience an organization or individual wishes to capture with a post. For example, a Young Friends Social announcement would have a target audience of 28- 40-year-old young professionals in the metro Boston area, potentially with connections to or interest in Environmental Conservation causes. 5. “Boosted” Posts- An organization or individual pays a social media service of their choice to enhance the exposure of the selected post to a wider audience. This audience would not typically see the post had it not received a “boost.” On most social media platforms, this is considered a low-risk, wise investment. Instagram Stories- Short, 15 second photos or videos that appear for 24 hours at the top of your followers’ feeds and your page. Great way to directly get information out or give community members “inside” access to an event or project. 6. “Organic” Metrics- Use of the word organic before metrics like reach/impressions means that the organization did not use any outside service or paid promotion to receive interaction. Organic interactions are considered “pure”; the gold standard metric.
Prepared by Jan Trousilek, January, 2019
Friends of the Public Garden Media Solomon McCown & Co. and Friends staff Media Mentions: December 2018 - present
Shaw & Community Conversation Mentions: WGBH- January 9, 2019 “The Power of Public Monuments & Why They Matter”
Bay State Banner- January 17, 2019 “A Community Conversation: The Power of Public Monuments and Why They Matter”
Beacon Hill Times- January 17, 2019 “Panel discussion explores power of public monuments”
Commonwealth Magazine- January 17, 2019 “Shaw 54th: A disruptive work of art”
Bloomberg Radio- January 11, 2019 “Baystate Business”
Boston Neighborhood Network- January 17, 2019 “Neighborhood Network News: 1/17/19”
Dorchester Reporter- January 23, 2019 “Impacts of federal stalemate hit home in city neighborhoods”
WBUR 90.9- January 23, 2019 “Federal shutdown hits home in Boston neighborhoods”
Master Plan Mentions: Boston Herald- January 17, 2019 “Walsh announces Common renovation plan”
Boston Globe- January 18, 2019 “Walsh announces $28 million Boston Common renovation plan”
Boston Real Estate Times- January 18, 2019 “Boston Mayor Walsh launches master plan for Boston Common, commits $28 million”
Curbed Boston- January 18, 2019 “Boston Common renovations to beef up park ahead of 400th anniversary in 2034”
Patch- January 18, 2019 “Boston to invest $28M in a makeover for Boston Common”
Sampan- January 18, 2019 “Mayor Walsh launches master plan for Boston Common”
WSAR TV- January 18, 2019 “The oldest park in the United States is getting a $28m makeover”
Boston Herald- January 22, 2019 “Boston Common worthy of wise investment”
Winter in the Parks Mentions: Boston Sun- January 20, 2019 “Fun in the parks…in the winter!”
Sampan- January 16, 2019-- Attached “Fun in the parks in the winter”
North End Waterfront- January 17, 2019-- Attached “Friends of the Public Garden: Fun in the parks…in the winter!”
KingBoston Mentions: Boston Globe- January 23, 2019 “MLK Jr. Memorial plan runs into questions, delays”
FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN
BREWER PLAZA REPORT BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING February 6, 2019 Prepared by Steve TenBarge
On Thursday, June 20, we will be holding our second annual celebration on the Brewer Plaza (official party name to come later). During a brainstorming session, it was suggested that we try to include beer/wine/hard cider for the event. I have been looking into this possibility and here is what I learned:
Mayor Walsh and Chris Cook are willing to allow the sale of alcohol on the Common. Parks told me that alcohol cannot be sold in the Boston parks currently but they are in the process of trying to change that. The change must include new legislation so it would happen next year at the earliest. Parks did tell me that we may be able to give away alcohol in a controlled manner on the Plaza during our June 20 event. They need to speak with Police Captain Ken Fong to see how he feels about it. Even if Captain Fong is comfortable with our event, the Licensing Board could still reject it. There is precedent for such an event. Two years ago, a road race organizer was allowed to serve beer on the Common to a limited number of event participants under a tent in the early afternoon. My thinking was that if we could get Parks to allow the Friends to serve alcohol on the Plaza on a limited basis during our event, we may put ourselves on the inside track for what inevitably is going to come to the Common.
However, Colin Zick pointed out the following:
PARKS RULES AND REGULATIONS SECTION 1 No person shall, in any public park (including any boundary road thereof), or other public place (including any parkway) under the control of the Parks and Recreation Commission:
(g) Have in his or her possession any intoxicating liquor.
Colin also stated, “We have to be careful – we go after Hempfest because there's unlawful smoking but we want unlawful drinking?”
Once the legality of this issue is settled, one possibility for us could be to partner with a brewery and have a weekly event on the Plaza. Democracy Brewing, a new, worker-owned Brewery at Temple Place, contacted me recently about a partnership. City Councilor Lydia Edwards wrote their bylaws and is currently on their Board. Democracy Brewing is directly across the street from the Plaza so logistical issues would be minimized. The Skating Club of Boston has to re-bid for the Frog Pond programming in 2020 and the space is slated for major construction so they are years away from being a viable partner for something like this.
The Greenway (MassDOT) and The Esplanade Association (DCR) have landlord-tenant arrangements with their beer garden contractors. Both told me that the programming has brought tens of thousands of people to their parks without incident. Of course, the Brewer Plaza area is more challenging, socially, but that should not deter us from trying to provide new programming desired by the public. Pilot Bathroom Program on Boston Common Debrief Meeting December 11, 2018
Attending: representatives from the Frog Pond; Visitor Information Center; Securitas; CPR: Bathroom Pumping Company; Park Rangers; Friends staff (Bob Mulcahy, Liz Vizza) and Board (Valerie Burns)
Schedule Duration of pilot this year was from late July to the end of October. The plan for next season will be to start as early as possible in the spring, April weather permitting.
General Comments on Operations The Securitas representative remarked that the Friends and the Rangers provided good training for their personnel. Everyone agreed that having a security presence during hours of operation was critical to the success of the program. There were very few incidents during the season – one involving a user who was feeling unwell, and another incident of finding ID cards thrown under the trailer.
One issue that the pumping company experiences with these units is disposal by users of items including nip bottles, needles, and beer cans down the toilets. This was not a big issue for this season, but it can happen and impacts the cleaning operation.
Another issue discussed was the durability of the units – including items such as door knobs – which are not constructed for the heavy usage they experienced on the Common. There was discussion about constructing a unit for next year that would be more durable.
Usage Data, Cost per Use The security personnel used hand-held counters to record usage during hours of operation, and it was estimated that there were as many as 500-700 people a day using the facilities. The data reflected a total use of 30,441, which averages to a cost per use of $5.50. The group discussed installation of a counter next year that could accurately record every user of the facility.
Signage Signage letting the public know about the bathrooms was discussed. There was an interest in having a sign near the carousel, indicating more bathrooms available along the Charles Street edge of the park. There was also a suggestion to add a sign at the mid-block crossing of Charles Street, pointing to bathrooms nearby.
Impact on Visitor Center, Frog Pond The pilot bathrooms did not lessen the demand for the bathrooms that already exist on the Common. The Visitor Center bathrooms see enormous use, and are undersized for the number of users who need them. The Master Plan process for the Common will be starting in the near future, and bathrooms will be an important topic to address. Friends of the Public Garden 50th Anniversary Legacy Projects
The following rough costs for potential 50th Anniversary Legacy Project components have been estimated both from our experience with similar projects in the parks and through discussions with landscape architecture and preservation architecture professionals. Architect Wendall Kalsow’s firm worked on portions of the lagoon bridge 25 years ago, and did a visual assessment the Tool Shed for us during our 2013 Capital Needs Assessment.
We will discuss at the Board meeting what the best projects will be for us to pursue, given the complications posed by the Tool Shed and what the best story could be for the Friends.
Landscape Improvements at the Arlington Street Entrance $ 75,000 Restoration of border beds to south and north of main gate Design & Implementation
Two Child Fountains Flanking George Washington $2,250,000 Restoration Design & Implementation $1,250,000 Maintenance Endowment $1,000,000 This is based on our maintenance costs for White ($15,000), Ether ($20,000) and Brewer ($30,000) fountains
Special Path Surfacing of Central Spine Path $ 200,000 Research, design, and construction of colored surfacing along central path. Current surface of rose quartz has proven to be durable but no longer commercially available. Design & Implementation
Restoration of Lagoon Bridge $1,500,000 A 2016 structural assessment by Weston & Sampson found the deck, superstructure and substructure to be in good condition. The railing, which includes the metal detail of the (now faux) suspension cables, has significant corrosion and section loss. The granite cap blocks on the west piers have cracks. The bird netting underneath the bridge needs to be replaced. The light fixtures need to be restored. The bridge would need to be out of service for 4-5 months.
Tool Shed (aka Gardener’s Cottages) $2,500,000 Renovation of existing structure with expansion to include public orientation space, redesign of parking area use, and full landscape restoration on all sides. February 6, 2019 FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN
Governance Committee Report for Board of Directors Meeting, February 6, 2019
BOARD OF DIRECTORS ROTATION, organizational year 2019-2020
Must rotate off Board after serving two 3-year terms: Christine Anderson Claire Corcoran
The Governance Committee recommends the Board approve the following nominations to be voted on by the General Membership at the Annual Meeting on March 28, 2019.
Eligible for re-election to Board for a second 3-year term: Beatrice Nessen, Common, chair
Eligible to return to Board after one year off: Margaret Pokorny, Commonwealth Avenue Mall, chair
The Governance Committee recommends the Board retain the following ex-officio positions for the 2019-2020 organizational year. Garden Club representatives are chosen by their organizations and the General Membership does not vote on these positions.
Ex-Officio, non-voting: Beacon Hill Garden Club – To be determined by the Beacon Hill Garden Club Garden Club of the Back Bay – To be determined by the Garden Club of the Back Bay Council – Jim Hood, co-chair
New Board Nominations (Introductory biographies attached): Alexis Egan Brent Shay Jim Canales Lisa Perkins Tom Waye
VOTE
Respectfully Submitted,
Kate Enroth Governance Committee chair
Leslie Adam, Chair Bill Clendaniel Katherine O’Keeffe Patricia Quinn, vice chair Liz Vizza (ex-officio)
Friends of the Public Garden Board Nominations - Bios
Jim Canales was appointed president and trustee of the Barr Foundation in May 2014. Prior to joining Barr, he was president of The James Irvine Foundation. Jim was the Friends Members Reception speaker in 2017, and has supported the organization since 2014.
He currently serves as a trustee of the Gardner Museum, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and an advisory board member of the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative. Jim is a prior Stanford University trustee and he served as chair of the boards of the College Futures Foundation, KQED Public Broadcasting, the Stanford Alumni Association, and Larkin Street Youth Services, and as vice chair of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. He is also a co-founder and former board chair of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations.
Alexis Egan is a Managing Director at Providence Equity Partners, investing in software and tech-enabled services companies. She is currently on the board of Critical Media, Inc., Anju Software, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and the Board of Overseers of Boston Children’s Hospital. Alexis has been involved with the Friends of the Public Garden since 2010. She currently serves on the Council and twice chaired the Green and White Ball. She lives in the Back Bay with her husband, Chris, and their four young children. Lisa Perkins is the CEO and Founder of the Uwila Warrior clothing brand. Prior to that she was portfolio manager at Adage Capital, and then director of investor relations at HubSpot. She is a recent past chair and current board member of Hill House. A member of the Green and White committee since 2014, and a Friends supporter since 2010, Lisa lives in Beacon Hill with her husband Shep and three children. Brent Shay is a Director at Wells Fargo Capital Finance Group. He was Vice President at Wells Fargo Foothills and previously at the Bank of Boston Trust Representative Office. He is the former President of the Union Boat Club, former member of Williams College’s Board of Trustees and is currently on the board for Camp Dudley in upstate NY. Brent lives on Beacon Street across from the Boston Common. Brent has supported the Friends in the past, and came to the Green and White last year as a guest of one of the co-chairs. Tom Waye is the Chief Operating Officer at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, working at the State House. Tom has 20 years of experience in HR, Finance, Strategic Planning, and Project Management. Recently he has worked in Integration, Change Management and Organizational Design. In addition, he served as the President of the Milton Library Foundation, where he lives. He is also currently a Board Member of the Prospect Hill Charter School and a member of SHRM, NEHRA and The Partnership Alumni. Tom’s son Nathaniel worked last summer at the Swan Boats. FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN
Council Charter As approved by the Board of Directors, February 7, 2018
The purpose of the Council is to support the work of the Friends in protecting, preserving and enhancing the Boston Common, the Public Garden and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall and to help increase the public’s awareness and appreciation of that work. In accordance with Article VIII, section 4, of the Bylaws the Council shall have no governance role but shall be advisory only.
The Council shall be made up of no more than 40 members, including its chair or co-chairs. All potential members shall be nominated by the Governance Committee and approved by a vote of elected by the Board. The Governance committee, after consulting the Council co-chairs, shall then select individuals from the approved nominees to be invited by the Chair of the Friends to join the Council. The Chair of the Friends shall after consulting the Executive Director, nominate the chair or co-chairs of the Council from the elected its members, who shall then be appointed by the Executive Committee. Council members will be drawn from the Members of the Friends; retiring Directors; committee members; community, professional, corporate and foundation leaders; and anyone interested in advancing the mission of the Friends.
The Council shall meet twice a year, and its members shall provide guidance to the Executive Committee and the Board, which may seek its advice, opinions and ideas, either collectively or individually. The chair or co-chairs shall coordinate Council meetings, schedules, agendas, and requests for staff help with the Executive Director. Members of the Council are a source of vitality and creative thinking, informed by experience and community contacts. Members may serve as committee members of the Friends.
The responsibilities of the Council members shall include:
becoming knowledgeable about the projects and programs of the Friends; providing advice and support to the leadership of the Friends; serving as ambassadors for the Friends, actively promoting the mission of the Friends and seeking to promote its visibility and aid the community in understanding its value; providing financial support to the Friends consistent with their individual capacities; attending Council meetings; and attending at least one additional Friends meeting or event each year.
Service as a member of the Council may be a prelude to taking on other responsibilities within the Friends, such as becoming a member of the Board of Directors or a member of a committee, or it may be an opportunity for those who have served in other capacities within the Friends to continue their association with the Friends.
Members of the Council need not have any previous formal relationship with the Friends. Council members shall be Members of the Friends. If there are co-chairs, at least one will normally be a member of the Board. Members will normally be elected appointed to a three-year term unless a shorter term is necessary to accommodate the commitments of an individual or to ensure a regular turnover of members. Members may be re-elected appointed for a second three- year term at the end of which they may not serve again for one year. They may then be re-elected appointed to one or more three-year terms with one year off every six years.
Op-ed: Fun in the Parks in Winter By Liz Vizza, Executive Director, Friends of the Public Garden January 16, 2019
As we head into the heart of winter, many Bostonians tend to stay inside, choosing to stay warm and dry rather than bundle up and face the cold. Yet even while our public green spaces are blanketed in white, winter still brings us opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.
While the other three seasons call for longer walks filled with colorful blooms, rides in the Swan Boats, and pick-up softball games, the winter weather provides us distinctive pleasures. From a beautifully lit Commonwealth Avenue Mall perfect for showing off snowmen to those passing by on foot or by car, to ice skating with family and friends on the Frog Pond followed by a soul-warming cup of hot chocolate, to the many fun events on the Boston Common from the tree and menorah lightings to fireworks on First Night, winters in our parks are something special.
As the advocacy organization and steward of the Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall, the Friends of the Public Garden (the Friends) works to preserve and enhance these public, open spaces no matter the season. We strive to keep these natural havens in our city in great shape for all to enjoy. From planting trees and maintaining lawns, to restoring sculptures and fountains, to enlivening Brewer Fountain Plaza by Park Street, to inviting Boston Public School students for an annual Boston Common history immersion experience and lobbying for more funding so all can benefit from beautiful green space, the Friends works to bring these beloved public spaces to life for the millions of people who visit them every year.
For cities filled with tall buildings, thousands of cars, and acres of concrete, green spaces are invaluable. Here in Boston, 98% of residents live within a ten minute walk to a park— something worth celebrating! In partnership with the City of Boston’s Parks and Recreation Department for over 48 years, the Friends raises and invests over $1 million in private contributions annually on parks care and capital improvements for the Common, Garden, and Mall. Our goal is to ensure these remain healthy spaces that all of Boston can take pride in and enjoy. Our public spaces age, renew, and change with the times, but always provide countless benefits, serving as an important refuge in urban areas. Every neighborhood and community is strengthened by the protection and enhancement of their green spaces.
As we venture into 2019, we invite Bostonians to look at all of our parks holistically—-yes, as green spaces filled with trees and flowers, but also places of community-building and gathering, recreation, historic importance, art and reflection, as well as critical contributors to larger objectives like public health, economic development, tourism, and climate resilience.
So when you’re looking out the window longing for spring, remember that New England winters are meant to be enjoyed. The fun and beauty in Boston’s parks is something that exists year-round--and something definitely worth bundling up for. We hope to see you in the parks this winter!
Friends of the Public Garden: Fun in the Parks…in the Winter! By Liz Vizza, Executive Director, Friends of the Public Garden January 17, 2019
Families enjoy the winter weather and sledding on Boston Common.
As we head into the heart of winter, many Bostonians tend to stay inside, choosing to stay warm and dry rather than bundle up and face the cold. Yet even while our public green spaces are blanketed in white, winter still brings us opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.
While the other three seasons call for longer walks filled with colorful blooms, rides in the Swan Boats, and pick-up softball games, the winter weather provides us distinctive pleasures. From a beautifully lit Commonwealth Avenue Mall perfect for showing off snowmen to those passing by on foot or by car, to ice skating with family and friends on the Frog Pond followed by a soul-warming cup of hot chocolate, to the many fun events on the Boston Common from the tree and menorah lightings to fireworks on First Night, winters in our parks are something special.
As the advocacy organization and steward of the Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall, the Friends of the Public Garden (the Friends) works to preserve and enhance these public, open spaces no matter the season. We strive to keep these natural havens in our city in great shape for all to enjoy. From planting trees and maintaining lawns, to restoring sculptures and fountains, to enlivening Brewer Fountain Plaza by Park Street, to inviting Boston Public School students for an annual Boston Common history immersion experience and lobbying for more funding so all can benefit from beautiful green space, the Friends works to bring these beloved public spaces to life for the millions of people who visit them every year.
For cities filled with tall buildings, thousands of cars, and acres of concrete, green spaces are invaluable. Here in Boston, 98% of residents live within a ten minute walk to a park— something worth celebrating! In partnership with the City of Boston’s Parks and Recreation Department for over 48 years, the Friends raises and invests over $1 million in private contributions annually on parks care and capital improvements for the Common, Garden, and Mall. Our goal is to ensure these remain healthy spaces that all of Boston can take pride in and enjoy. Our public spaces age, renew, and change with the times, but always provide countless benefits, serving as an important refuge in urban areas. Every neighborhood and community is strengthened by the protection and enhancement of their green spaces.
As we venture into 2019, we invite Bostonians to look at all of our parks holistically–yes, as green spaces filled with trees and flowers, but also places of community-building and gathering, recreation, historic importance, art and reflection, as well as critical contributors to larger objectives like public health, economic development, tourism, and climate resilience.
So when you’re looking out the window longing for spring, remember that New England winters are meant to be enjoyed. The fun and beauty in Boston’s parks is something that exists year-round—and something definitely worth bundling up for.
We hope to see you in the parks this winter!
Follow Friends of the Public Garden on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date on events happening in Boston’s parks.
Take a great photo in one of our parks? Use #FOPG to share and be featured on Instagram!