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Urban League's future in doubt

The charity run by Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks takes two of the debt-ridden organization's remaining programs and five staffers.

By JUSTIN GEORGE
Published June 24, 2006

TAMPA - One of Tampa's oldest nonprofit organizations has jettisoned two of its few remaining programs and says its future could be decided within 30 days.

The 84-year-old Tampa-Hillsborough Urban League has transferred a black-on-black crime prevention program and a youth crime prevention intervention program to the charity run by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks.

Five staff members who ran the programs also moved to Derrick Brooks Charities, including the Urban League's acting president Darrell Daniels.

That leaves the Urban League with one remaining staff member and interim board chairwoman W. Lois Davis as its lone leader. She did not return a phone call Friday.

"I am in the best employment situation I've ever been in in quite some time," said Daniels, now director of Derrick Brooks Charities Youth Programs. "I'm totally happy. I'm happy for my staff, myself and my community. I loved the Urban League. ... but this is what's best at this time."

The Urban League has been crippled by about $3.1-million of debt for the last few years after its renovation of the historic Centro Espanol de West Tampa building - the organization's headquarters - went about $2-million over budget. A series of borrowing and financial overextending followed, leading to major staff and program cuts.

The transfer of the two state-funded programs to Derrick Brooks charities occurred in late April after Daniels said he spoke to the Urban League board of trustees, which "felt that it was in the best interest of the Tampa community to operate these programs in a strong, reputable, fiscally sound nonprofit."

After talking to four groups, Daniels settled on moving the programs to Brooks' charity, which took in $405,235 in revenue and spent $198,879, according to its 2004 income tax statement. That is the most recent publicly available statement from www.guidestar.org, which tracks nonprofits. Bonita Pulido, executive director of Derrick Brooks Charities, declined to comment Friday. The black-on-black crime prevention program has a $77,000 budget, while the youth crime program has a $278,000 budget.

The Legislature and the Office of the Attorney General, which funds the two programs, approved the transfer, Daniels said.

That leaves only two programs being run by the Urban League: race-relations training programs funded with $37,000 from the city of Tampa and $97,500 from Hillsborough County.

The Tampa chapter of the Urban League was founded in 1922 to promote social and economic empowerment of black residents and disadvantaged people. In Tampa, it has fought for a hospital for black people and provided job training and housing relocation help for the poor.

"An assessment of the league's future will be made in the next 30 days," an Urban League statement released Friday said.

The Urban League owes both Tampa and Hillsborough County for renovation costs. Officials from both governments said they haven't been informed of the League's future.

"My office hasn't received any further information," Cyndy Miller, Tampa's business and housing development director, said.

--Justin George can be reached at 813 226-3368 or jgeorge@sptimes.com.

[Last modified June 24, 2006, 09:31:31]