ANNUAL BENEFIT REPORT
Date: 08-02-2021
Term covered July 1st, 2020, through June 30, 2021
Submitted by Benefit Officer
Douglas George Towne
Chair and Chief Executive Officer
Requirements under the bylaws dated 02-14-2020
Section 1. Annual Benefit Report. The Board of Directors shall prepare or cause to prepare, a social purpose annual benefit report to shareholders required under s. 607.512. The report shall address the following matters:
(A) Whether the social purpose corporation in all material respects acted in accordance with its public benefit purpose and describe the specific public benefits that were served during the period covered by the report.
(B) Any circumstances that hindered the pursuit of such purposes.
(C) Whether the directors and officers complied with Part II, Social Purpose Corporations statutes set forth in Section 607. 501 et seq.
(D) Whether the social purpose corporation or its directors or officers failed to comply with paragraph (A) or §. 607.507(1) or §. 607.509(1), including a description of the ways in which the social purpose corporation or its directors or officers failed to comply.
Section 2. Delivery and Posting of Annual Benefit Report. The Corporation shall deliver the annual benefit report to each shareholder within one hundred twenty (120) days of the close of the Corporations fiscal year. Additionally, the Corporation shall post the most recent annual benefit report to the public portion of its website and retain copies of such reports on the web site for at least three years.
Access Ready Strategic Social Purpose Corporation bylaw requirements
ARTICLE II – ELECTION OF PROFIT SOCIAL PURPOSE CORPORATION
Section 1. Social Purpose Corporation. The corporation elects to be a social purpose corporation in accordance with s. 607.503, F.S.
Section 2. Business Purpose and Public Benefit. The business purpose and public benefit(s) for which the Corporation is organized are:
(A) To develop financial resources able to fund its specific social purpose strategies.
(B) Providing low-income or underserved individuals with disabilities or communities with beneficial products or services through the development and promotion of information technology that meets accessibility standards allowing the use of such technologies by people with the widest range of disabilities possible.
(C) Promoting economic opportunity for individuals with disabilities or communities beyond the creation of jobs in the normal course of business by contracting for services to be performed by a nonprofit organization that creates employment and business opportunities for people with the widest range of disabilities possible.
(D) Protecting or restoring the environment by expanding the reach of information technology through accessibility thereby allowing people with disabilities to take advantage of home-based employment and business opportunities providing the resulting effect of lowering the individuals carbon footprint.
(E) Improving human health by expanding the accessibility of information technologies utilized in the healthcare industry thereby providing people with the widest range of disabilities access to healthcare services at the same level as the general population.
(F) Promoting the accessibility of the arts, sciences, business, government, nonprofit, and/or the advancement of knowledge by promoting a policy of accessible information technology across these and other disciplines in order to provide people with the widest range of disabilities possible access to goods, services, employment, civic, social and economic engagement at the same level as the general population.
(G) Increasing the flow of capital to entities that have as their stated purpose the provision of a benefit to society or the environment by funding educational and advocacy activities which promote a policy supporting accessible information technology benefiting people with the widest range of disabilities possible.
(H) Funding programs that identify issues, provide education about those issues and identify best practices and goods or services designed to provide accessibility to people with the widest range of disabilities possible.
Report Sections
(A) Whether the social purpose corporation in all material respects acted in accordance with its public benefit purpose and describe the specific public benefits that were served during the period covered by the report.
(A) Report – The corporation did comply in all ways to the requirements of this section to the extent possible given the circumstances imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Specifically, the corporation:
1. Provided consulting services in relation to accessible voting for people with disabilities and contracted with its 501(C)3 parent corporation to provide support related to these activities.
To this end it formed a Community Partnership through its parent company Access Ready Inc with four other disability rights organizations related to advocacy efforts in the state of Maryland. Access Ready joined with:
The Image Center for People with Disabilities of Maryland,
The National Association of the Deaf,
The National Council on Independent Living, and
The National Federation of the Blind.
The advocacy effort is challenging the states intent where accessible elections are concerned.
Further it contracted its management and lead election consulting to a disability owned business.
2. Further it provided consulting services to entities providing alternative format document services to people with disabilities.
Further it contracted its management and lead alternative format consulting to a disability owned business.
3. Further it contracted with its 501(C)3 parent corporation to create, manage and publish a Daily news wire service called Access Ready Monitor. A monthly online newsletter called Access Ready Reporter. And a Quarterly magazine called Access Ready People to specifically inform the public and subscribers of disability and accessibility related news, events and people effected by and effecting accessibility in the digital space.
Further it created sponsorship partnerships with:
Content Curation sponsored by Micro Assist
Circulation sponsored by eReleases.
Further it contracted its management and lead publication services to a disability owned business.
4. Further it began the development of resources that provide technologies designed to serve the needs of people with disabilities
Specifically, this includes consulting and sales relationships with:
Gordon*Howard Associates, Inc., (Passtime GPS)
This relationship was put on hold because of business related effects directly caused by the pandemic’s interruption of the supply chain.
Further it contracted its management and lead provider development to a disability owned business.
5. Further it launched accessreadylearning.com to deliver disability related and other online education services to subscribers to this service.
Further it contracted its management and learning provider development to a disability owned business.
6. Further it began developing a call center work from home recruiting, screening, equipping, training and placement program with a national partner.
Further it contracted its management and security provider development to a disability owned business.
7. Further it provided consulting services to a Devoted Health LLC a Medicare/Medicaid insurance carrier to specifically improve their services to their members with disabilities.
Further it contracted its management and lead healthcare communications and program consulting to a disability owned business.
(B) Any circumstances that hindered the pursuit of such purposes.
(B) Report – The progress was slowed by the parent companies 501(C)3 legal process which was not resolved in its favor until April of 2020.
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed progress, however in the long run the need for everyone to live, work, play and learn from home will work to the advantage of Access Ready’s mission and social purpose.
Otherwise, it was only hindered by the normal restrictions related to its being a new business.
(C) Whether the directors and officers complied with Part II, Social Purpose Corporations statutes set forth in Section 607. 501 et seq.
(C) Report – The directors and officers did comply with Part II, Social Purpose Corporations statutes set forth in Section 607. 501 et seq.
(D) Whether the social purpose corporation or its directors or officers failed to comply with paragraph (A) or §. 607.507(1) or §. 607.509(1), including a description of the ways in which the social purpose corporation or its directors or officers failed to comply.
(D) Report – The social purpose corporation or its directors or officers did not fail to comply with paragraph (A) or §. 607.507(1) or §. 607.509(1).
Access Ready Strategic Social Benefit Report 09-03-2020Download
Access Ready Strategic Social Purpose Corporation
Date 09-03-2020
Term covered March 2019 through June 30, 2020
Submitted by Benefit Officer
Douglas George Towne
Chair and Chief Executive Officer
Requirements under the bylaws dated 02-14-2020
Section 1. Annual Benefit Report. The Board of Directors shall prepare or cause to prepare, a social purpose annual benefit report to shareholders required under s. 607.512. The report shall address the following matters:
(A) Whether the social purpose corporation in all material respects acted in accordance with its public benefit purpose and describe the specific public benefits that were served during the period covered by the report.
(B) Any circumstances that hindered the pursuit of such purposes.
(C) Whether the directors and officers complied with Part II, Social Purpose Corporations statutes set forth in Section 607. 501 et seq.
(D) Whether the social purpose corporation or its directors or officers failed to comply with paragraph (A) or §. 607.507(1) or §. 607.509(1), including a description of the ways in which the social purpose corporation or its directors or officers failed to comply.
Section 2. Delivery and Posting of Annual Benefit Report. The Corporation shall deliver the annual benefit report to each shareholder within one hundred twenty (120) days of the close of the Corporations fiscal year. Additionally, the Corporation shall post the most recent annual benefit report to the public portion of its website and retain copies of such reports on the web site for at least three years.
Access Ready Strategic Social Purpose Corporation bylaw requirements
ARTICLE II – ELECTION OF PROFIT SOCIAL PURPOSE CORPORATION
Section 1. Social Purpose Corporation. The corporation elects to be a social purpose corporation in accordance with s. 607.503, F.S.
Section 2. Business Purpose and Public Benefit. The business purpose and public benefit(s) for which the Corporation is organized are:
(A) To develop financial resources able to fund its specific social purpose strategies.
(B) Providing low-income or underserved individuals with disabilities or communities with beneficial products or services through the development and promotion of information technology that meets accessibility standards allowing the use of such technologies by people with the widest range of disabilities possible.
(C) Promoting economic opportunity for individuals with disabilities or communities beyond the creation of jobs in the normal course of business by contracting for services to be performed by a nonprofit organization that creates employment and business opportunities for people with the widest range of disabilities possible.
(D) Protecting or restoring the environment by expanding the reach of information technology through accessibility thereby allowing people with disabilities to take advantage of home-based employment and business opportunities providing the resulting effect of lowering the individuals carbon footprint.
(E) Improving human health by expanding the accessibility of information technologies utilized in the healthcare industry thereby providing people with the widest range of disabilities access to healthcare services at the same level as the general population.
(F) Promoting the accessibility of the arts, sciences, business, government, nonprofit, and/or the advancement of knowledge by promoting a policy of accessible information technology across these and other disciplines in order to provide people with the widest range of disabilities possible access to goods, services, employment, civic, social and economic engagement at the same level as the general population.
(G) Increasing the flow of capital to entities that have as their stated purpose the provision of a benefit to society or the environment by funding educational and advocacy activities which promote a policy supporting accessible information technology benefiting people with the widest range of disabilities possible.
(H) Funding programs that identify issues, provide education about those issues and identify best practices and goods or services designed to provide accessibility to people with the widest range of disabilities possible.
Report Sections
(A) Whether the social purpose corporation in all material respects acted in accordance with its public benefit purpose and describe the specific public benefits that were served during the period covered by the report.
(A) Report – The corporation did comply in all ways to the requirements of this section to the extent possible as a new entity.
Specifically, the corporation:
1. Provided consulting services in relation to accessible voting for people with disabilities and contracted with its 501(C)3 parent corporation to provide support related to these activities.
Further it contracted its management and lead election consulting to a disability owned business.
2. Further it provided consulting services to entities providing alternative format document services to people with disabilities.
Further it contracted its management and lead alternative format consulting to a disability owned business.
3. Further it contracted with its 501(C)3 parent corporation to create, manage and publish a weekly and monthly news wire and online newsletter specifically informing the public and subscribers of disability and accessibility related news and events. Further it contracted its management and lead publication services to a disability owned business.
4. Further it began the development of resources that provide technologies designed to serve the needs of people with disabilities
Further it contracted its management and lead provider development to a disability owned business.
(B) Any circumstances that hindered the pursuit of such purposes.
(B) Report – The progress was slowed by the parent companies 501(C)3 legal process which was not resolved in its favor until April of 2020.
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed progress, however in the long run the need for everyone to live, work, play and learn from home will work to the advantage of Access Ready’s mission and social purpose.
Otherwise it was only hindered by the normal restrictions related to its being a new business.
(C) Whether the directors and officers complied with Part II, Social Purpose Corporations statutes set forth in Section 607. 501 et seq.
(C) Report – The directors and officers did comply with Part II, Social Purpose Corporations statutes set forth in Section 607. 501 et seq.
(D) Whether the social purpose corporation or its directors or officers failed to comply with paragraph (A) or §. 607.507(1) or §. 607.509(1), including a description of the ways in which the social purpose corporation or its directors or officers failed to comply.
(D) Report – The social purpose corporation or its directors or officers did not fail to comply with paragraph (A) or §. 607.507(1) or §. 607.509(1).