-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, July 02, 2001 4:39 PM
To: Dan Hurst
Subject: KIDS
To: Leadership
From: Catherine A. Bolton, Executive Director, PRSA
RE: K.I.D.S.
CC: PRSA Board of Directors
_____________________________________________
As some of you may have already heard, the K.I.D.S. organization informed
the pilot PRSA chapters last month that the K.I.D.S. program was disbanding
because its grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation had not been
renewed. This left KIDS without enough funding to continue to operate.
Since learning of this situation, the chairs of PRSA and the PRSA Foundation
have been working closely with the KIDS board to determine how we could help
preserve the concept of the KIDS program. We immediately made a commitment
to bring the concept back to the Foundation, and began discussions about how
that could be accomplished. We had been in direct communications with the
pilot chapters, but had delayed making a formal announcement to the broader
PRSA family pending KIDS formal public announcement and, we had hoped,
having an action plan for the future that would be more definitive than our
commitment.
Unfortunately, incorrect information about the situation was leaked to the
trade press, resulting in an initial story that was full of inaccurate
information, including that the RWJ Foundation had rescinded its grant.
This was not true; the first grant had been completed and the Foundation's
decision was not to make a renewal grant. We had hoped to clarify all of
the issues with a follow-up story, but our faith was misplaced, since this
story again omitted a number of important facts.
Attached is the letter that we have now submitted to the outlet in question,
PR Week, which, we hope, clarifies all of the issues. We apologize for not
getting the information to you before it appeared in the press -- PR 101, we
know -- but we were working very hard to have all of the details resolved
first. Where we stand right now is that our commitment is very much in
force, we are awaiting information about the final financial status of KIDS
(because given PRSA's current financial situation, we cannot take on any
additional liabilities), and once we have this resolved, we will determine
how best to move forward to ensure that the KIDS concept continues.
Thanks for your continuing support and understanding.
Please share this information with your members should they have questions
regarding K.I.D.S. If I can help in anyway please let me know.
Best Regards,
Catherine A. Bolton,
Executive Director
PRSA
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