Cover Letter from the Friends of the Goodnow Library to the Trustees of the Goodnow Library
To: The Trustees of the Goodnow Library
From: The Friends of the Goodnow Library, Inc.
February 9, 2021
Your letter to the officers of the Friends of the Goodnow Library, Inc., dated January 20, 2021, raised a number of issues that needed to be reviewed by our legal counsel, who is a nonprofit attorney. We initially sought out legal advice to ensure that we were interpreting all of our 501(c)(3) obligations correctly, and we have asked our attorney to share her legal opinion so that you can see what our obligations have been and continue to be, regardless of our relationship with the Library. Based on our interactions with the Trustees during the past two years, including the recent public statement following the severing our the relationship with the Friends, it has appeared that the Trustees believe (i) the Trustees, as an elected body, are superior to the Friends and exercise control over the Friends; and (ii) the Friends raise money and merely serve as a conduit for these funds to the Library for use by the Library Director at her sole discretion. Both of these premises have been and continue to be incorrect, as explained in the attached legal opinion.
Pursuant to our charter, it is still our mission to support the Library, and we intend to continue this effort. We will continue to act as a fiduciary for the funds donated to us and will dispense them as we see fit. We have and will continue to be transparent with our donors as we navigate the aftermath of the Trustee’s unilateral decision.
cc: Henry Hayes, Town Manager
Jonathan Silverstein, Town Counsel
Janie Dretler, Chairman, Select Board
Dan Carty, Library Liaison, Select Board
Esme Green, Library Di
To: The Trustees of the Goodnow Library
From: The Friends of the Goodnow Library, Inc.
February 9, 2021
Your letter to the officers of the Friends of the Goodnow Library, Inc., dated January 20, 2021, raised a number of issues that needed to be reviewed by our legal counsel, who is a nonprofit attorney. We initially sought out legal advice to ensure that we were interpreting all of our 501(c)(3) obligations correctly, and we have asked our attorney to share her legal opinion so that you can see what our obligations have been and continue to be, regardless of our relationship with the Library. Based on our interactions with the Trustees during the past two years, including the recent public statement following the severing our the relationship with the Friends, it has appeared that the Trustees believe (i) the Trustees, as an elected body, are superior to the Friends and exercise control over the Friends; and (ii) the Friends raise money and merely serve as a conduit for these funds to the Library for use by the Library Director at her sole discretion. Both of these premises have been and continue to be incorrect, as explained in the attached legal opinion.
Pursuant to our charter, it is still our mission to support the Library, and we intend to continue this effort. We will continue to act as a fiduciary for the funds donated to us and will dispense them as we see fit. We have and will continue to be transparent with our donors as we navigate the aftermath of the Trustee’s unilateral decision.
cc: Henry Hayes, Town Manager
Jonathan Silverstein, Town Counsel
Janie Dretler, Chairman, Select Board
Dan Carty, Library Liaison, Select Board
Esme Green, Library Di