Assistance League® of Klamath Basin

Assistance League of Klamath Basin has a vision that "essential needs are met in our communities and families flourish." At the organization's inception in 1986, the founding leaders realized that there was a large segment of our student population whose clothing needs were not being met. To that end, a carefully thought out program was designed to begin addressing those needs. Over the years, in the spirit of continuous improvement, the program has been refined into what it is today - an efficient, well-funded and highly supported system of providing those "essential needs" to the entire Klamath County, OR and Tulelake in N. California. To continue refining and growing our efforts, we recognize that it is necessary to set goals that help us focus on what is important. The current four goals in the 2024- 2027 strategic plan are:
1. Resource Development - Assistance League of Klamath Basin will increase activities toward the cultivation of donors.
2. Marketing/Communications - Increase public visibility by 10% (at least one additional publication, press release, or article per year provided to the public).
3. Membership - Attain and retain a membership of 80 over three years and increase member service hours by 10% over 3 years.
4. Philanthropic - Establish demonstrable quantitative and qualitative outputs for all outreach projects.

Specific strategies for moving forward include:
1. Resource Development: Overall, sustain or increase net revenue from fundraising activities by conducting major events annually, publishing a donor newsletter annually, implementing general promotion campaigns to increase awareness of and support for the Assistance League, and by applying for grant funds. Realize a surplus of at least 50% of total receipts for each event or activity for the benefit of philanthropic programs.
2. Public Relations: Community awareness that this chapter is the leading non-profit dedicated to providing new clothing to students K-12 in need in the Klamath County. The ALKB continues to initiate new programs allowing it to reach more children, including children in foster care and Klamath Basin students in the McKinney Vento Homeless Student Program under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. This program focuses on under-resourced students experiencing homelessness and poverty, where certificates are issued to the Oregon State Department of Human Services. The Assistance League provides human interest pieces and pictures to local media detailing the chapters programs, accomplishments, and strategic partnerships, sponsors and supporters.
3. Member volunteers are key to the delivery of our program services. Therefore our goal is to attain and retain a membership of over 80 during the next three years and to increase service hours by 10% during the same period. To that end, we continually recruit, train and mentor new members and provide clear communications.

We have an enthusiastic and talented group of volunteers numbering about 75 members. Our leadership board is comprised of well-educated members with diverse talents. There is no paid staff. Therefore, aside from administrative expenses related to owning a building and minimal operating costs, all our fundraising goes directly to our philanthropic programs. We have developed strong relationships with the local media, including newsprint and radio, to further our message. Of great importance the ALKB collaborates with the local Fred Meyer store to distribute clothing to under-resourced children. The latter company has been instrumental in making our Operation School Bell [the clothing distribution program] a huge success by hosting in-store shopping nights for K-6 students and ensuring the clothing certificates issued to older students are used according to guidelines. Our chapter website is easy to navigate, is updated regularly, and is available as an effective resource and public relations vehicle. All these efforts strengthen our ability to improve the lives of those in need in our community.

Since 1986 our relatively small chapter, with careful management and enhanced fundraising, has been able to move from clothing 350 students per year in grades K-6 to serving grades K-12 and over 1700 students per year in 21 separate schools and organizations while also increasing our high school graduation clothing gifts to all 11 high schools in the basin and increasing the number of recipients from 2 to 3 in each school.

The National Assistance League was founded over 100 years ago and today is a strong presence in many states with a total membership of some 21,000 volunteers in 120 chapters. The national umbrella provides education in all aspects of on-going nonprofit management to keep chapters within financial, ethical and legal guidelines. Therefore our chapter is regulated in the best sense of that description as we do our best to abide by all nonprofit rules. Also, as required by our umbrella organization, the chapter engages a CPA to perform a yearly review and report of the chapter's finance records. We have never received a letter stating that our records did not conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP).

While we receive invaluable community-wide recognition for our contributions, we will continually strive to improve our ability to serve our unique population in the Klamath Basin.