Reaching-Out Community Services, Inc.

7708 New Utrecht Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11214-1014

I recently received an appeal from Reaching-Out Community Services of Brooklyn addressed to the Special Endowment. It begins: “I am writing on behalf of Reaching-Out Community Services, a food pantry and community service organization located in Brooklyn, NY, dedicated to serving 16 neighboring southwest Brooklyn communities, the 5 boroughs. We offer food and a wide array of support services to area needy.” [I think that the mention of the 5 boroughs is out of place. Brooklyn is only one of the 5 boroughs of Greater New York.] It appears that they have written to us because the name of the Special Endowment is on a list of foundations.

The providing of emergency food to the needy is an activity that the Fund may not support, based on charter section 6F5: “No contributions are to 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.” Looking over the list of additional social services, I do not see any mention of job training or other activities that would be permanent provisions.

I recommend that the Fund categorize this organization as “ineligible” for contributions from both endowments. (Section 6F5 applies to both endowments.)

Respectfully submitted,

Robert McClenon

14 December 2014