Tomball Legacy Fund elects officers, approves financial report; members ask about restricted donations

The Tomball Legacy Fund voted to approve a new slate of officers and to accept its financial report at a meeting where members also pressed staff for details on restricted donations and project closeouts.

The board approved the proposed slate of officers: Lori Flynn as president, John Ford as vice president, Rand Barth as treasurer, Lisa Covington as secretary, Dane Dunigan, Paul Garcia and Megan Maggio as directors, with Brad Slaughter named assistant treasurer. A motion to approve the slate was seconded and "motion carried unanimously," the meeting record shows. The fund also approved minutes from its June 17, 2024, meeting and a special meeting on Oct. 21, 2024, and then voted to accept the Tomball Legacy Fund financial report.

Board members questioned wording and dates on the report and asked for more detail about restricted contributions. A member noted that the fund’s reporting period runs April 1 through March 31 and asked whether a date displayed at the bottom of the packet should read "'25" rather than "2024." A staff member confirmed the April 1–March 31 reporting period and agreed to correct the date formatting on the report.

A board member asked whether the fund actively solicits donations or waits for contributions to be offered; the member cited the statue for Dr. Graham as an example of fundraising that was routed through the Legacy Fund. Jessica, a staff member, said she could provide a list of who made contributions. Jessica also indicated the number of donors was not precisely specified in the meeting but estimated as "probably 10, 15 people."

Members discussed how restricted donations are handled. Staff explained that many donations are restricted to a specific purpose and remain designated for that purpose; funds committed to projects (for example, Matheson Park) are not transferred out of the Legacy Fund until a project reaches final financial closeout. The Matheson Park allocation was described as tied to a CenterPoint Energy Foundation gift and required a nonprofit-to-nonprofit process before transfer. The board was told that if a restricted purpose ends, the Legacy Fund board determines repurposing in consultation with counsel.

As follow-up, staff agreed to provide the requested contributor list and to correct the date formatting on the financial report packet. No amendments to policy or funding allocations were made during the meeting, and all motions reported in the minutes were approved without recorded opposition.

The Legacy Fund adjourned at 5:55 p.m.; a special presentation and the City Council meeting followed.