Annual Report | 2010-2011 1 Mission The Junior League of Baton Rouge, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. Vision The Junior League of Baton Rouge, Inc. will enhance the quality of life in the Baton Rouge community in the areas of health, education and cultural development. This annual report reflects the June 2010-May 2011 Fiscal Year of the Junior League of Baton Rouge 2 | Junior League of Baton Rouge Annual Report 2010-2011 100% Percentage of Junior League members who serve the community and have a positive impact on the lives of our residents. Table of Contents A Message from Our President 4 Favorite Recipes Press Award 5 History of the Junior League of Baton Rouge 6 Board and Executive Management 8 Sustaining Member Report 9 Diversity 10 Training 12 Membership Service Awards 13 Hollydays 14 River Road Recipes 18 Triple Crown 20 Allocation of Funds/Balance Sheet 22 Securing Our Future 24 Return on Investment 26 Community Assistance Fund 30 9523 Fenway Avenue | Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809 | JuniorLeagueBR.org 3 When I considered themes for my 2 million copies in print, River Road Recipes year as president of this wonderful has generated millions of dollars in revenue. organization, I wanted to pay homage to To date, we have been able to give back more what Junior League is really all about: women than $3 million to the greater Baton Rouge who care, who strive to keep learning and community. growing and who are committed to making this world a better place. I wanted each and every Hollydays raised more than $418,000 and the one of our now nearly 2,000 members to know Triple Crown Event raised $21,000 in just its second year. While the community sees the glit- ter and fun of these events, I know the behind- A Message from Julie Dickinson the-scenes story. Without your hard work, your President, Junior League of Baton Rouge dedication and your teamwork, these events simply wouldn’t be possible. In 2010-2011, we also began strengthening our grant writing how valued you are. That’s how 2010-2011 capabilities. With additional training and came to be “Wild About You.” volunteers, we were able to increase the number of grants we received and set a course for future I can’t help but be wild about the things we growth. These are the engines that make it pos- accomplished together. sible for us to do the work that’s at the heart of the Junior League of Baton Rouge: support for One of our proudest moments must be community projects and organizations. earning the Association of Junior Leagues International’s Diversity and Inclusion Award Throughout this year, you could see league for our “top-to-bottom approach to diversity members working side-by-side in their red and cultural inclusion.” With the help of Dr. t-shirts on more than 15 community projects. Katrice Albert, our board and the Diversity and Our members gave more than 47,100 hours Cultural Inclusion Committee, we developed to community projects from the Cinderella interactive training, enhanced our operations Project to Junior Master Gardners to the Little and made diversity and inclusion a core value of Bookshelf. Watching you touch the lives of the this organization. men, women and children of our community was a privilege I will never forget. We didn’t stop there. River Road Recipes was in the spotlight also, earning the first FRP Our Opening Doors for Autism (ODA) project Lifetime Achievement Award, given by the pub- is just one story, but it captures much of what lisher to a group that demonstrates outstanding the Junior League does. The Baton Rouge sales success, longevity, multiple titles, multiple Autism Speaker Series has brought renowned awards and ongoing marketing efforts. With experts to Baton Rouge to help educate families 4 | Junior League of Baton Rouge Annual Report 2010-2011 The Junior League of Baton Rouge Receives the and healthcare professionals. The response Favorite Recipes Press Lifetime Achievement since we started the project several years ago Award from the Association of Junior Leagues has been overwhelming. Blue Cross Blue Shield International, Inc. of Louisiana applauded our work this year with a $20,000 grant. The project also earned an Enlightenment Award from the Family Road The Junior League of Baton Rouge received the Lifetime of Greater Baton Rouge. It’s exciting to think Achievement Award for their River Road Recipes cookbook series about what ODA might become in another 10 at AJLI’s annual conference in Philadelphia on May 14, 2011. or 20 years. This was the first year in which the Favorite Recipes Press (FRP) Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed. The purpose of the It says something about the power of JLBR award is to enhance awareness and recognition of the success of that we continue to be one of the only leagues Junior League cookbooks and the contributions provided to their in the country that is growing in membership. communities. 2010-2011 saw our largest provisional class Recipients are selected based upon outstanding sales success, ever. Nearly 200 women stepped up to volun- longevity, multiple titles, multiple awards and ongoing marketing teer their time and talents to help JLBR live its efforts. Based on the success and impact of the River Road mission of developing the potential of women, Recipes series, Favorite Recipes Press (FRP) awarded The promoting volunteerism and improving the Junior League of Baton Rouge with this prestigious award. community. We received a $1000 cash prize along with free attendance at the AJLI Cookbook University seminar in Nashville. The Junior I am honored and grateful to have served League of Baton Rouge has been in the cookbook business for as your president. I thank each of you, and over 52 years and produced four cookbooks, all of which have especially my leadership team, for your hard won awards. The first three titles are Walter S. McIlhenny Hall of work, your unwillingness to compromise on Fame winners representing sales of over 100,000 copies each. In the things that are truly important and your total, the League has over 2 million copies in print. Through the ability to come together and create change in sales of these books, our League has given over $3 million to our our community. I am, in fact, wild about you. community. The New York Times writes “If there were community cookbook awards, the Oscar for best performance would go hands down to RIVER ROAD RECIPES.” Thank you to the many members that have worked with River Road Recipes over the years and our membership for your ongoing support to our community. Receiving the FRP Lifetime Achievement Award pictured from left to right: 2011-2012 JLBR President Anita Bankston, 2010-2011 JLBR President Julie Dickinson, FRP Vice President Roger Conner, 2011-2012 JLBR President- Elect Leslie Campbell, and AJLI Vice President & JLBR Sustaining Member Jan Breen. 5 History of the Junior League of Baton Rouge In 1932, a group of 25 young women met at the home of Nita Sims Breazeale and organized the The Junior League of Baton Rouge, Inc. Today, we are the 14th largest league out of 293 leagues around the world. For the past 79 years, the Junior League of Baton Rouge has developed the potential of women, promoted volunteerism and improved the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. The Junior League of Baton Rouge has been involved in over 160 community projects since founded, and has contributed over $6 million back to the Greater Baton Rouge area. Annually, we impact more than 203,000 lives through our community projects and partnerships. The Junior League of Baton Rouge, Inc.• is a nonprofit organization of over 1900 women. Our organization is a member of the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) which was founded in 1901 and is comprised of 296 organizations in four countries with a mem- bership over 193,000. The Junior League of Baton Rouge, Inc. has been instrumental in founding and funding many of Baton Rouge’s institutions, including: • Louisiana Arts and Science Museum • Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation • Volunteers in Public Schools • Adopt-A-School • Magnolia Mound Kitchen • East Baton Rouge Parish Library Information Service • Volunteer! Baton Rouge • Parenting Center, currently Family Services of Greater Baton Rouge • Playmakers • Peer Helpers • Excellence in Teaching, from which the Academic Distinction Fund was modeled • Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge 6 | Junior League of Baton Rouge Annual Report 2010-2011 History of the Junior League of Baton Rouge Our membership geographic area includes East Baton Rouge, Ascension, Iberville, Livingston, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana parishes. 93.5% of our members live in East Baton Rouge Parish and 7.5% reside in outlying parishes. West Feliciana East Baton Rouge West Baton Livingston Rouge Iberville Ascension 577 192 1151 Active members Provisional members Sustaining members this year this year this year 7 Junior League of Baton Rouge Board and Executive Management 2010 - 2011 Community Advisory Board Mr. Scott Berg Mr. David Boneno Mr. Marvin Borgmeyer Dr. Jack L. Breaux Congressman Bill Cassidy Mr. Darian Chustz Mrs. Mary Beth Chevalier Mr. Jay Dardenne Mrs. Mary Durusau Mrs. BeBe Facundus 2010-2011 Board of Directors and Executive Management Mr. Derek Gordon Seated left to right: Nicole Gould, Financial Vice President; Julie Dickinson, President; Anita Bankston, President-Elect; Tish O’ Connor, Chief Financial Officer; Maria Davis, Executive Ms.