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PLAN OF MARYLAND – D.C., INC.
AT 25 YEARS – A STORY OF FORESIGHT AND CHANGE
By: Glenn Flittner, Ph.D.
Today, I am going to look back at
25 years of continuous operation, and to describe how we have come to
our present position as a successful family-led, service-oriented,
not-for-profit organization.
In 1982, several members of the
Montgomery County affiliate of the National Alliance of Mentally Ill
(NAMI) joined together in frustration over the state of disarray amongst
professionals dealing with the mentally ill.
They believed that no one would step forward and provide the kind
of services that parents knew must be provided.
That group set out to draft a corporate charter, and to submit it
to the state of Maryland for approval.
The six founders were: Harold Pilvin, Ernest V. De Moss, Woodrow
E. Dooley, Carol Howe, Gerald Harwood, and Carolyn Harwood.
The charter was granted on August 29, 1985.
We commenced providing services
in the spring of 1986.
Our Corporation’s Charter
In Article II of our charter, the
stated purpose of the Corporation was to
“… To offer advice, counsel,
information, and services to chronically mentally ill and other disabled
persons with respect to the following:
1.
finding suitable housing and
other living arrangements;
2.
meeting routine and special medical and dental needs, including taking
such medication as may be prescribed and in having an adequate supply on
hand;
3.
obtaining counseling services and also other legal and professional
services where the need appears;
4.
qualifying for and being able to participate in all local, state and
federal programs and services that are available, including social
security, SSI payments, medicare, medicaid, foodstamps, day care
programs and vocational rehabilitation programs;
5.
furnishing advice and assistance to parents and other concerned persons
with respect to making financial arrangements for the care of a
chronically mentally ill or other disabled person…”
The founders also stated that to
carry out these purposes, the Corporation
“…shall engage in the following
activities:
1.
Receive voluntary contributions and raise funds to be used exclusively
for the purposes of the Corporation.
2.
Acquire the necessary real estate, plant and equipment.
3.
Establish individual and
community trusts which will take into account the special needs of the
beneficiary for those who wish to leave moneys and other property in
trust for a chronically mentally ill or other disabled person…”
That was our charter in 1985, and
it holds true to this very day.
I believe that the incredible foresight of our founders has given
us the flexibility over a quarter-century to change with the times
without losing sight of our stated mission.
The first years were anxious
times. Our initial financing
came in small grants, voluntary contributions,
and payments for services
rendered.
From the start, our founders had
clearly stated their intent to include special needs trusts as part of
PLAN’s business model.
However, it took nearly 17 years to build that part of our program.
In 1992, Gerald and Carolyn Harwood filed a formal amendment to
Article II of our charter:
“…4. Act as trustee or
co-trustee under a deed, will, declaration of trust or other instrument
in the nature of a trust executed by one of its members when the member
names or designates the corporation as the trustee or co-trustee in the
deed, will, declaration of trust or other instrument in the nature of a
trust, and take and hold real and personal property in trust and
administer the trust in accordance with the terms of the trust
instrument…”
The PLAN Future Fund
In 1993, PLAN established the
Future Fund as an endowment fund designed to:
”…
make sure PLAN will always be there to help our loved ones…”
Under the chairmanship of William
Mead, a small committee began investing cash donations and other in-kind
contributions into two subaccounts, one in memory of the Fred and Sarah
Eva Kolker family, and the other in the name of PLAN of Maryland D.C.,
Inc. In 1998, the Future
Fund’s objectives were re-stated as follows:
1. To provide a growing financial
cushion so PLAN’s clients can be assured of quality services long into
the future;
2. To provide occasional
short-term help to the PLAN operating budget in case of cash flow
shortfalls; and
3. To subsidize PLAN
services for low-income clients.
We have drawn from the Future
Fund a total of $192,000 to offset both cash flow deficiencies and other
needs, as well as to provide the down payment on our business property
in 2009.
Lastly, and most important, the
Future Fund has been the recipient of two significant charitable
remainder contributions, the first in 2004 from the Vera Hall Gillmore
estate for $90,227, and the second in 2009 from the Joseph O. Harrison
Charitable Remainder Trust for $508,467.
That money has given us a solid financial base, and made it
possible for our Board to purchase a business condominium unit..
In 2009, we finally succeeded in fulfilling the terms of our
charter with respect to real business property, albeit 24 years late.
What has changed in 25 years?
Well, quite a bit, in fact.
Our case management service today meets a wide variety of
individual client needs as well as providing frequent referrals to other
qualified vendors. Some of
our early clients faded away as their personal situations have
stabilized, but now they are
returning to participate in the trust program.
PLAN now performs bill paying and
financial management services, especially the planning for care,
budgeting of meager public resources, and enhancing quality of life by
making appropriate distributions from client’s trusts.
Although our fee structure has
had to change over time, the last time we raised membership and case
management hourly fees was on October 1, 2005.
Whereas case management staff and
trust managers first experienced arms-length working relations, they now
perform in an interactive, close working environment.
Social workers have become better informed and more helpful when
it comes to clients’ personal monetary concerns.
Trustees are better informed as to circumstances surrounding a
particular client’s needs.
Placement of a qualified
Certified Financial Planner on our staff has added another dimension to
our service profile. We now
have the internal capability to manage individual trusts more closely,
tailoring market-sensitive investment portfolios and anticipating
distributions according to each client’s specific needs.
Summary and Conclusion
PLAN’s mission has not changed
appreciably in 25 years.
While it has been broadened to include services to other disabled
persons, the intent of our founders was in fact much broader than just
serving the chronically mentally ill.
Our member families still provide substantial personal financial
support, and in fact greatly appreciate what we do, for there are few
public alternatives.
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PLAN
OF MD-DC, INC. 
