Junior League of Baltimore Annual Report / 2008~2009

Grow With Us
From the President & Director
mission ⁄ The Junior League of Baltimore, Incorporated
is an organization of women committed to promoting
voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and
improving communities through the effective action and
leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively
educational and charitable. ⁄ reaching out ⁄ The Junior
League of Baltimore, Incorporated reaches out to women
of all races, religions, and national origins who demonstrate
an interest in and commitment to voluntarism. ⁄ vision ⁄
Empowering women to build a better Baltimore. ⁄ values ⁄
The Junior League of Baltimore values: the power of
voluntarism; the diverse community in which we live; the
talents, commitment, and contribution of our members;
and our history of community impact and involvement.
President’s Letter
Led by her desire to create social change for the good of
the City of Baltimore, Mary Goodwillie, along with a group of
friends, founded the Junior League of Baltimore on April 22,
1912. Since that time our members have created change
throughout our city and at the same time turned members
into civic leaders. I think Mary would be proud of how far
we have come as an organization since 1912 and how we
continue to impact lives – lives of our members and lives
of those who benefit from our community programs and
the positive change we have helped to bring into many
neighborhoods within Baltimore City. Most notably would
be our impact in the neighborhood of Govans, our home.
With the construction phase of the Building Opportunities
Campaign behind us we are finally settled into our new
Headquarters and Wise Penny shop which will allow us to
further impact the lives of our Govans neighbors. The Wise
Penny is home to our Women’s Internship Program and
also offers the community an affordable place to shop for
clothing and housewares. Our Headquarters space offers
the community a place to hold meetings and for our own
members to provide community outreach.
Our growing presence in the Govans neighborhood was
just one way in which we experienced growth this past
league year. As you read this annual report you will hear
some of the amazing experiences, accomplishments and
celebrations that paint the picture of our 2008-2009 year.
With our strategic plan to guide us into the future,
partnered with our deep and rich history, each of us
spent time in various ways planning for our future and our
100th Year Celebration! We spent the year focused on
what we will look like as an organization in 2012; this future
planning is the legacy we all leave behind. Our members,
our staff, our Community Resource Board and our community
partners all played a role in our future planning that
propels us forward to meet our strategic vision, “a group of
dedicated and invested women headquartered in Govans
who are recognized and respected for collectively making
a positive impact in Baltimore through volunteerism and
civic leadership.”
Looking back on the 2008-2009 league year I am reminded
of the passion and dedication that each of us brings to this
organization. Each of us brings a unique and special treasure
with us when we join the Junior League and over time that
unique and special treasure that we brought grows, changes
and evolves. It is your treasure that allows the League to
continue to grow and flourish; it is your treasure that will take
us into our centennial year and beyond.
I thank each of our volunteers, our Community
Resource Board, our Community Partners, our donors
and of course our Headquarters and Wise Penny staff
for their belief in our mission and support lent to help us
achieve our mission.
Sincerely,
Heidi J. Bowen, President 2008-2009
Junior League of Baltimore, Incorporated Director
Shelly Terranova with 2008-2009 President Heidi Bowen.
Director’s Letter
This past year, the Junior League of Baltimore embraced our
organization’s opportunities for growth. Building on the
new community and funding partners forged in our recent
years, along with a larger new member class, we challenged
ourselves to expand our impact with these resources.
At the heart of our capacity for growth is our membership,
both its size and its strength, tempered by each member’s
individual commitment and dedication. Our success against
our mission is measured in our ability to expand the leadership
capacity of each member and their individual outcomes
carrying out their annual jlb placement to lead the organization
and better their community.
We know that our organization’s success, whether it is
in community programming or fundraising, lies in our ability
to attract and retain lifelong volunteers. These are the
women that will not only lead our organization effectively,
but will also carry forth their learned skills in the community.
This year, we focused on growing our membership, both in
size and in individual member satisfaction. Much time was
spent researching and preparing strategies and recommendations
for improving the volunteer experience, which will
be implemented in the next fiscal year.
As we carry forward the growth of this past year, we are
hopeful for the exciting opportunities ahead as we occupy
our new home – our renovated Wise Penny and its expansion
to create our own administrative headquarters, training
facility, and community center. We thank our members,
partners, and donors who have supported us through the
many recent changes that have allowed for our growth.
Shelly Terranova, Director