Good Shepherd Mediation Program

5356 Chew Avenue

Philadelphia, PA. 19138

The Good Shepherd Mediation Program (or Mediation Center) (GSMP) is a mediation program that was originated in 1984. It is the only community mediation center in greater Philadelphia. Its mission is to encourage peace, reconciliation, and social justice through the use of mediation and other constructive conflict resolution procedures. The types of issues that it deals with include community, family, small claims, landlord-tenant, employment, and other types of issues. The program also has violence prevention and juvenile justice initiatives for people arrested for the first time.

Information provided by GSMP states:

Mediation is a process for resolving disputes with the help of a trained, objective third party called a mediator. Without offering advice or making decisions for the parties, the mediator facilitates the communication session, encourages peacemaking and writes the agreement if one is reached. Mediation is voluntary, informal, easily scheduled, confidential, and inexpensive.

GSMP has a roster of more than 40 volunteer mediators, but is not a large organization financially. Its total expenses in the year ending 30 June 2011 were $467,300, of which $449,000 or 96% were for program services, $1,800 for management and general, and $16,500 for fundraising. Income was $461,600, of which $45,500 was from fundraising, $117,000 was from contributions from individuals and foundations, $167,200 was from government contracts, $112,400 was from program service fees, and the remainder was investment income.

This committee considers the GSMP to be a small but impressive organization. It has an Internal Revenue Service status of 501(c)(3). Bylaw 3D1 states: “Contributions may be made from the General Endowment or Special Endowment for: cooperation between and among potentially hostile groups.” The GSMP is working to reduce conflict typically between small groups, such as families, or within small groups such as families. In my opinion, the small-scale nature of the conflicts that are being resolved does not run afoul of Bylaw 3F5, which prohibits contributions for the “relief of individual suffering”. The full text of paragraph 6F5 of the charter (which the bylaws summarize) states that contributions may not be made: “for the relief of individual suffering, either directly or through charitable organizations, except insofar as such relief is incidental to some permanent provision for an entire group.” The resolution of conflict is a permanent provision improving the state of the group of persons who were previously in conflict. I recommend that the Board categorize the GSMP as “eligible and currently nominated” from both endowments.

Respectfully submitted,

Robert McClenon

16 June 2012