About Us

History of the Monitors Club Foundation¹
Monitor Earl P. Scott - September 14, 2006

In 1998, the Monitors Club organized a Task Force to examine the feasibility of establishing a "separately" managed foundation. On August 29, 1998, then President-Elect Tim Baylor and the nine-member Task Force, announced that "We have formed a foundation and are now a tax exempt organization...Our task is to design an organizational structure inclusive of the foundation entity so that we can accomplish the mission of the Monitors."

During its early years, the Monitors Foundation fulfilled its mission of providing financial support to African American youth and community-based organizations, but its support was modest. In 1998, the Foundation's main fundraising events were the Cereal Bowl, the Colors of Christmas, and the Tennis Party, all of which generated small returns. In accord with its mission, the Foundation designated the funds mainly for the Jean Covington Memorial Scholarship Fund that assisted collage-bound African American students.

In response to the need for additional funds to have a substantial impact on African American youth in the local community, the Monitors Club agreed to designate 10 percent of members' dues to the Monitors Club Foundation. This meant that approximately $50.00 per member per month would be allocated to the Foundation. Still, the consensus was that the Foundations fundraising efforts were modest. In the summer of 1999, this would begin to change. President Tim Baylor announced that the Monitors Club Foundation would host the first Monitors Club Golf Tournament followed by a social function (i.e., dinner). The Annual Golf Tournament has since become the Foundation's most successful fundraiser event.

Besides launching the Annual Golf Tournament, the Monitors Club Foundation experienced several events that year that signaled major achievements in its organizational and legal status. First, President Baylor announced that the Foundation had adopted an organizational structure to conduct its affairs. A Charter Board of Directors replaced the Task Force. Second, members talked of "synthesizing of the Club and the Foundation [that] will lift all of us to new levels of effectiveness" rather than the separate operations of the two entities. Third, on the legal side, Monitor "Simpson indicated that he had received formal approval from the Internal Revenue Service of the Monitors Foundation's application for tax-exempt status." At this point, the Foundation was solidly in place with a structure, mission, and purpose.

By 2001, expectations were high, but the Foundation continued to experience growing pains. In reality, its main fundraisers were simply not generating enough money to develop a substantial fund to promote the educational advancement of African American youth and community development that it had envisioned.

Between 2002 and mid-2004, a new Foundation Board of Directors, under the leadership of Monitor LeRoy Cody, initiated a number of structural changes and programmatic initiatives that dramatically altered the fortunes of, and expectations for, the Monitors Club Foundation. While historical records are scarce for these years, the key observation is that the Cody administration was uncommonly productive. The following list summarizes some of the achievements of the Foundation during that period (not in order of importance):

• Monitor Leroy Cody was elected Chair of the Foundation Board who structured the Board and scheduled regular Board Meetings (May 4, 2001 was the first official meeting of the new Board of Directors);
• The Foundation had received an official announcement of its "reinstatement" as a 501 c (3) not-for-profits status;
• All Monitors Club fundraising activities and its Investment Account were turned over the Monitors Foundation to manage and to establish an awards and scholarship fund;
• The Foundation had approved a policy for receiving, evaluating and awarding funds for awards, scholarships and grant requests; and,
• The Foundation had organized its most successful fundraising event, the Annual Golf Tournament under the leadership of Monitor Bill Wells.

A number of Monitors and Board members contributed to these achievements. The Monitors who guided the Foundation during this period of restructuring and of reinstating its 501 c 930 not-for-profit status were Monitors LeRoy Cody and Robert Holder. These leaders and other committed Club and Board members were extremely generous with their time, talent, and money. Clearly, 2001 to 2004 was the most progressive period in the brief history of the Monitors Foundation.

During the following two years, the Foundation struggled to fulfill its mission, because its awards fund was too small and its fundraising efforts remained modest. But this was about to change: Monitor Beck Horton challenged the Club and the Foundation to get off their duffs and raise the required funds. He said, "If you are going to provide educational opportunities for African American youth in our community, you ought to do it right". He declared further, "if the Club and Foundation raised $50, 000 toward a scholarship fund, he would match it." The challenge caused the Club and the Foundation to rise to the occasion and put forth their best abilities.

Monitors members employed a number of fund-raising strategies, requiring members to wear many hats and to contribute their time, effort, and money to help reach our goal. On Friday, December 3, 2004, Monitor Earl Scott, incoming Chairman of The Monitors Foundation Board of Directors, announced that the Foundation has received a check from Monitor Beckwith and Gwen Horton for $50, 000.

The momentum generated by the Horton contribution continues to this day. Indeed, this year (2006) was a very successful year, much better than last, a year we declared outstanding. Relying mainly on our Annual Golf Tournament, we increased the total amount of the Monitors Foundation Fund to nearly $194, 000. We are making substantial progress toward our goal of raising $1 million.

From the growth of the Fund, the Foundation allocates three types of awards: a) the Gwen and Beck Horton Scholarship Award to college bound African American males, b) the Pre-Secondary Student Award to help ensure that young African American males complete high school rather than being incarcerated, and c) the Community-based Organization Award to organizations whose mission is similar to that of the Monitors Foundation.

In addition to our contribution to the Katrina recovery effort, last year the Foundation awarded four, one thousand dollar scholarships to graduating seniors at North Community High School. Assuming that they make adequate academic progress, we are committed to providing this support until they complete their college degrees. We anticipate allocating an additional $6000.00 in awards to qualified African American males for the 2005-06 academic year.

For more information regarding the Annual Golf Tournament, planned fundraising events and Foundation Awards, or if you would like to donate to one of our awards, please go to the "Fundraisers" and "Awards" pages of this site.

¹The Monitors Club's initiative to establish the Monitors Club Foundation with 501 c (3) not-for-profit status began less than a decade ago to raise and disburse funds for grants and scholarships to promote educational and community development. This preliminary history of the Monitors Club Foundation is limited to the period from 1998 to 2005. It reflects the available Monitors Club and Foundation minutes and is subject to errors of omissions. Please address comments and corrections to the author.

Monitors Club and Foundation:
5115 Excelsior Boulevard #381
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
(612) 338-6068
escott@umn.edu