Greater Baltimore Urban League placed on immediate probation

By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO
kmcneir@afro.com

The Greater Baltimore Urban League (GBUL) has been placed on immediate probation, according to an Aug. 15 letter recently obtained by the AFRO. 

The communication was sent to the GBUL leadership from the National Urban League office and signed by Herman L. Lessard Jr., senior vice president of affiliate services for the National Urban League (NUL). 

The correspondence states that the initial probation period will be 90 days, but it could be extended. During that time leadership for the GBUL will have an opportunity to submit a recovery plan. If that plan is not accepted, a determination could be made to begin disaffiliation proceedings.

The letter alleged numerous violations which have been identified by the national office and allegedly committed by the GBUL leadership. 

While the NUL indicated that more violations may be identified after an investigation, the following 11 alleged violations were listed in the Aug. 15 letter: 

1. The Board has failed to hold regular meetings on an ongoing basis.
2. The Board is out of compliance, as many of its Board members are beyond the term limits mandated by the National Urban League.
3. The Board has failed to provide financial or other meaningful and measurable support necessary to ensure the stability of the Baltimore Urban League.
4. The Board has comingled restricted, and un-restricted funds, a clear violation of non- profit operating protocols, accounting practices, and fiscal responsibility standards.
5. The Board has failed to renew its Solicitation Charitable Agreement with the State of Maryland. Thus, as a result, the Baltimore Urban League is out of compliance with state law.
6. The Board has failed to initiate, conduct, and complete timely audits of the Baltimore Urban League’s operations for previous years, thus placing the Baltimore Urban League at great risk with both public and private funders.
7. We have also determined that there are recent, substantial financial obligations that have not been resolved and further, have not been disclosed in any financial statements, performance reviews or compliance reports. This is a material violation of the Terms of Affiliation Agreement and places the future of the Baltimore Urban League at great risk.
8. The CEO position has been unstable; currently, there is no CEO for the second time in two years.
9. The Board has failed to develop a working relationship with previous CEOs, despite having selected them in a manner consistent with the principle that the CEO manages the Urban League Affiliate while the Board provides oversight and guidance.
10. These acts of neglect and failure of oversight by the Board of Directors of the Baltimore Urban League place the Baltimore Urban League at great risk and have hindered its ability to provide services to the community of Baltimore, which remains in great need.
11. The Board has also stubbornly failed to comply with the recommendations outlined in a report prepared by the Department of Affiliate Services following a recent site visit. This visit revealed a number of issues, yet there has been no follow-up, no follow- through, no updates, and no action taken by the Baltimore Urban League.

The National Urban League, founded in 1910, “is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment, equality and social justice,” according to its website.

The Greater Baltimore Urban League traces its roots back to 1924. 

For more than 100 years, it has been one of the NUL’s local affiliates, assisting the NUL in fulfilling its mission through direct service delivery, advocacy, referrals, community capacity building, information dissemination and technical assistance. 

The AFRO reached out to multiple board members to inquire about the “ongoing and persistent violations” cited in the letter but at press time, our calls had not been returned. 

Stay tuned for updates to this report.