2024-03-09T13:07:58-07:00 2023-12-31 990 2023-01-01 521071448 FOOTHILLS FORUM FOOT 7036153720 PO Box 153 Washington VA 22747 Stephen Vick Treasurer 7036153720 2024-03-09 Stephen Vick 999009999 1 1 11 1 AAL2 2023 2023-04-26 12:10:37Z Andrew Alexander PO 153 Washington VA 22747 313163 0 X foothills-forum.org X 2016 VA Foothills Forum provides its community with in-depth, locally focused journalism that is fair, fact-based, and nonpartisan. Its news reporting, distributed through local media, increases community awareness and civic engagement. 14 14 3 16 0 0 239999 298168 0 0 -72 7468 0 0 239927 305636 14680 12000 0 0 53650 77856 0 0 39607 121187 134859 189517 224715 50410 80921 305000 385007 3722 2808 301278 382199 Foothills Forum is a community-supported nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the residents of Rappahannock County, Virginia, through the creation and dissemination of deeply researched, well-sourced independent local journalism. Since 2014, Foothills Forum has earned -- through the production of its original, authoritative reporting and its distribution through the respected, century-old weekly broadsheet Rappahannock News and through virtual and social media platforms -- substantial backing throughout its rural county in the Virginia Piedmont. 0 0 169100 12000 0 Hired its first full-time journalist and a part-time veteran editor to ensure comprehensive, high-quality news coverage of events and developments affecting Rappahannock County, Virginia, and surrounding communities. These hires were made possible by increased financial support from the community. Donations also cover the cost of a part-time executive director, three freelance reporters, local photography, and informational graphics to accompany news stories. In 2023, Foothills Forum won 16 awards for journalistic excellence in the annual Virginia Press Association statewide competition. In addition, Foothills helps underwrite (with the Rappahannock News) a daily newsletter that features four stories of local interest. The newsletter is emailed free to more than 1,320 local subscribers. 150 0 0 Continued to expand and co-sponsor a countywide "Storytelling Contest". There was no contest in 2023 due to a need to reschedule from December 2023 to April 2024. As in past years, a record number of local high school and middle school students (from public and private schools) are expected to submit entries (written, digital, musical, artistic, etc.) telling stories about themselves and their community. Also as in past years, Foothills is planning to raise funds to distribute as prizes to student winners. 200 0 0 Co-sponsored, with Virginia Humanities and the University of Virginia's Karsh Institute of Democracy, the first-ever "Virginia Local News Summit" in Richmond that brought together journalists, funders and thought leaders to address the growing local news crisis caused by the accelerating loss of fact-based community news outlets. As an outgrowth of that event, Foothills is engaged with local and regional funders to seek sustained financial support for existing news outlets. Foothills is also working with sister news outlets in surrounding counties to collaborate on news coverage as a way of stretching limited resources to ensure that our communities remain reliably informed. 0 0 0 Looking ahead, Foothills Forum is actively engaged in efforts to ensure the continuation of fact-based journalism in its immediate community, surrounding counties and throughout the state of Virginia. Long-established community newspapers face unprecedented financial challenges. They are disappearing at an accelerated pace; nationally, it is estimated that two fact-based community newspapers are going out of business every week. 0 0 0 169450 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 14 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 14 14 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 VA X X Stephen Vick 7036153720 PO Box 153 Washington VA 22747 Emily A Oaks Executive Director 30 0 X 35417 0 0 Andrew H McLeod Executive Director 20 0 X X 20833 0 0 Andrew Alexander Board Chairman 5 0 X 0 0 0 Stephen Brooks Vice-Chair 5 0 X 0 0 0 Edward Timeplerlake Secretary 5 0 X 0 0 0 Stephen R Vick Treasurer 5 0 X 0 0 0 Jay Ward Brown Director 5 0 X 0 0 0 Lynn Dolnick Director 5 0 X 0 0 0 John Jacquemin Director 5 0 X 0 0 0 Sheila Gresinger Director 5 0 X X 0 0 0 Cindy Griffin Director 5 0 X 0 0 0 Lawrence Myers Director 5 0 X 0 0 0 Berni Olson Director 5 0 X 0 0 0 Al Regnery Director 5 0 X 0 0 0 A W Smith Director 5 0 X 0 0 0 Tac Taceloskey Director 5 0 X 0 0 0 Paula Wolferseder-Yabar Director 5 0 X 0 0 0 56250 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 298168 0 298168 0 7356 7356 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7639 0 7527 0 112 0 112 112 0 0 0 0 305636 7468 0 0 12000 12000 0 0 0 0 0 0 56249 30958 8437 16854 0 0 0 0 12650 12650 0 0 0 0 0 0 3655 2376 731 548 5302 3269 1191 842 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1684 0 843 841 20522 0 0 20522 1517 0 1517 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4800 4800 0 0 107 107 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5600 3684 1916 0 Writing, Photographs, Videos and Graphics 63935 63935 0 0 Report for America Journalist Support 24172 24172 0 0 Community Outreach and Engagement 7006 7006 0 0 Meetings 4342 4116 226 0 1174 484 690 0 224715 169450 15658 39607 121165 113145 60090 60412 35150 5050 400 3621 88195 202779 305000 385007 3722 2808 3722 2808 X 286978 364827 14300 17372 301278 382199 305000 385007 80921 0 0 0 0 0 X 0 0 0 X 92331 203678 219762 239999 298167 1053937 92331 203678 219762 239999 298167 1053937 446994 606943 22 2 1258 -72 7468 8678 1062615 0.57118 0.69536 X 92331 203678 219762 239999 298263 1054033 92331 203678 219762 239999 298263 1054033 0 0 28665 102450 107600 151000 138000 527715 28665 102450 107600 151000 138000 527715 526318 22 1 23 -72 7373 7347 0 0 22 1 23 -72 7373 7347 0 0 0 0 92353 203679 219785 239927 305636 1061380 0.49588 0.49988 0.00692 0 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 1 Rappahanock Media PO Box 59 Washington VA 22747 544055374 12000 Support for a daily newsletter for residence of Rappahannock County and subscribers of the weekly newspaper. 0 1 Schedule I, Part I, Line 2 The amount and purpose of all grants are presented to and approved by the Board of Directors prior to being distributed. In addition, Foothills Forum is made aware of the content in the newsletter prior to being published and reviews the content that is published. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Andrew H McLeod Executive Director 35417 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 35417 0 0 0 Form 990, Part VI, Section A, Line 2 The Board Chair and Treasurer are in-laws related through marriage. The wives of the two Officers are sisters. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11b The 990 is prepared by the Treasurer. A draft of the Form 990 is distributed to and reviewed with members of the Executive Committee of the Board and any revisions are made. The revised draft is then distributed to all members of the Board of Directors. This draft was presented, reviewed and approved at the March 2024 meeting of the Board of Directors. Any revisions noted in the Board meeting are made prior to submission to the IRS. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 12c The Conflict of Interest Policy is reviewed annually at a meeting of the Board of Directors. At that meeting all Board members are required to return a signed copy of the policy confirming their understanding and that they are in compliance, and state any conflicts they might have. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 15 There was a new Executive Director hired in May of 2023. The salary of that Executive Director was reviewed by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. The proposed salary was determined by reviewing salaries of Executive Directors in comparable organizations in the area. The proposed salary was also approved by the Board of Directors prior to being offered to the candidate. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 All governing documents are made available on the organization's website and are also made available upon written request. This includes the minutes of all meetings of the Board. In addition, all meetings of the Board of Directors are open to the public.