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¶ … American Academy of Poets

584 Broadway

Jane Breitenbach

1201 Winterwood Boulevard

Dear Ms. Breitenbach:

Every since the inception of National Poetry Month in 1998, the American Academy of Poets has enjoyed a friendly, mutually beneficial relationship with the downtown YMCA here in New York City. We have greatly appreciated this relationship over the years, and the support of the YMCA has come to mean a lot to us. We hope it has been meaningful for the YMCA, as well.

As you know, the downtown YMCA has allowed the American Academy of Poets to use their facilities to hold a poetry reading each year since 1998. As a non-profit organization, the YMCA has been kind enough to let us use the facilities for the reduced rate of $1,000 for the evening each year. We have had a mutual understanding with the YMCA since this time that $1,000 would be the standing charge, and we have come to depend on that for our annual budget planning.

This year, however, there was a mis-communication between us and the billing department at the YMCA. I am not sure how this misunderstanding came about, but after our annual poetry reading, we received a bill for $5,000 for the use of the facilities from your organization. We understand that this is the standard rate the YMCA charges for the use of its facilities, but since we have been billed $1,000 for the past 14 years, and this change was made to the billing with no advanced notification to us, it has thrown our annual budget into a crisis that we could not have anticipated.

I have personally spoken with Ryan Nichols, who is the events coordinator at the downtown YMCA, about this matter, and he referred me to Sue Harrington, who is his supervisor. She was unable to help me resolve this issue. I understand that she is a new employee at your organization, and perhaps her predecessor did not let her know of the downtown YMCA's standing arrangement with us regarding the fee for the annual poetry reading. Ms. Harrington told me she had nothing on record indicating the American Academy of Poets should be given a reduced rate for the use of the facilities. Therefore, she was unwilling to adjust the bill, and insisted the $5,000 charge stand. She also sent us an email confirming this charge.

As you know, Ms. Breitenbach, the American Academy of Poets works on a limited budget, as does your organization. Being billed such a large sum when we were not expecting it and did not account for it in our annual budget is going to cause us some serious financial hardships this coming year if the issue is not corrected. We will have to cut back on most of our planned programs for the year to pay this bill, and will not be able to award our annual scholarship unless we find a generous donor to pick up the slack in the budget this unexpected price increase to use your facilities has left us.

Further, we will not be able to use your facilities to hold our annual poetry reading in the future if the charge to do so will be $5,000 from now on. Unless the old price is reinstated, we will be forced to look for other facilities for next year. Since our two organizations have enjoyed a close and supportive relationship over the years, I would hate to see this happen. We have enjoyed the use of your facilities, as have our members. It is convenient to where most of our members live and work, the space is an ideal size for our needs, and the acoustics are wonderful.

I am aware that the downtown YMCA has benefited from our relationship, as well. Your organization has received numerous news items on the poetry reading that has provided the downtown YMCA with lots of good publicity over the years. Further, many of our members have been impressed with your facilities when seeing them for the first time and have subsequently become members and encouraged their family and friends to do so, as well.

Though you and I have not met personally, I have always found our telephone conversations regarding the annual poetry reading to be pleasant and professional. You have been with the downtown YMCA for many years, and have worked with the Academy of American Poets numerous times regarding our annual poetry reading, so I know you are aware of our standing financial arrangement regarding the use of the facilities.