SpeakOut announces plan to be debt free by April

Last month SpeakOut, the LGBT speaker's bureau, was on the brink of collapse. Faced with declining revenues, IRS debt, the resignation of more than half of the organization's board members and decreased demand for SpeakOut's services, co-chair Bernadette Smith put forward a motion to dissolve the organization. News of Smith's motion brought longtime supporters and former volunteers out of the woodwork, and on Nov. 14, the night of the board meeting to vote on dissolution, they convinced the board to vote to allow the organization to continue. On Dec. 17, the SpeakOut board announced a plan to try to get the organization back on its feet, including an effort to eliminate the organization's $5000 debt to the IRS and to Boston Neighborhood Network, which aired the SpeakOut TV public access show, by March 31.

Don Frattaroli, former co-chair and current chair of the board following Smith's departure, said the board will focus on three key areas to restore the organization's footing. One component will be fundraising, with an emphasis on identifying grant opportunities and potential major donors and reaching out to current supporters.

Another area of focus will be recruiting new board members, both those who will manage the organization's day-to-day affairs as well as those who will serve on an advisory board, supporting the organization and providing guidance but taking a less active role in managing SpeakOut. Frattaroli said the board hopes to find new members who bring diversity, name recognition, and financial support to SpeakOut.

The third prong of the plan is speaker trainings, which teach people how to tell their personal story about being LGBT to an audience. Frattaroli said the trainings, for which participants pay a fee, are a major source of revenue for the organization, and other organizations like Greater Boston PFLAG, the Boston Alliance of Gay and Lesbian Youth (BAGLY) and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) of Boston use SpeakOut to train their speakers. The next training takes place Feb. 9 and 10, and while the training brings in much-needed revenue, Frattaroli said SpeakOut plans to put much greater emphasis on using the trainings to recruit potential volunteer speakers for SpeakOut.

"We want to make sure, now that we've got these energized people ... we want to take that energy and instantly add that into the organization. So we're thinking of ways to get those people doing engagements," said Frattaroli.

One concern voiced at the November board meeting was that SpeakOut's revenues had declined to the point where the organization was in danger of running out of money to support its day-to-day operations, including a salary for its administrative director, Jaclyn Jones. Since that meeting Frattaroli said SpeakOut supporters have raised enough money to head off any danger of running out of funds for basic operations.

"Right now because of the donations we've gotten, because of the heavy engagement season we're in, we're not at any risk of shortfall of operational funds," said Frattaroli.

He said over the long term the organization will work to be more strategic about finances, setting monthly goals for fundraising and detailed plans for spending. The board plans to step up fundraising to offset the periods each year, particularly the summer, when revenue from speaking engagements decreases. Frattaroli also said SpeakOut plans to expand its speaking engagements beyond its current base of high schools, adding more middle school and corporate clients.

Frattaroli said SpeakOut was in discussions with two organizations, one in the corporate sector and the other in the non-profit, about partnering to help SpeakOut get back on its feet. He declined to name them, saying the details of the partnerships had not yet been finalized.

Frattaroli said he is confident SpeakOut can get back on track.

"I'd say [I'm] very confident. As I mentioned we're still very early in this implementation plan and immediate action plan, and I think we've come a great distance so far in the donations we've received, in the conversations with the different organizations we've had right now," he said.