Laubach Literacy/Literacy Volunteers of America Merger

On May 21, Laubach Literacy International and Literacy Volunteers of America announced their intention to merge. The boards of each organization signed a Memorandum of Understanding that combines the current operation of LLI and LVA and locates the new literacy organization at Laubach Literacy’s headquarters at 1320 Jamesville Avenue in Syracuse, N.Y. The organization resulting from the merger will be named later this year and will commence operations in 2002. (Click here to view complete article in LitScape).

We welcome your comments. Please submit them to merger@laubach.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will any of the materials I currently use in my Laubach or LVA program become unavailable because of the merger?No, there are no plans to put materials out of print as a result of the merger. In fact, your choices will be broadened over time. The merged LVA/Laubach organization will continue to offer a broad range of materials, including those currently used successfully in programs affiliated with both organizations.

Will my program be compelled to use any particular materials for tutoring and teaching?
No, your program will be encouraged to continue using the materials that best help your students accomplish their learning goals. Your program will have an increased selection of materials through the merged organizations when it wishes to make changes or add new materials.

How will local providers among Laubach Literacy’s and Literacy Volunteers of America’s members be affected by the proposed merger and will they be expected to merge, too?
It is highly unlikely that the new national organization will require local organizations to merge. Both organizations recognize the importance of local decision-making, and merger at the local level will likely be determined by local organizations based on what is best for their communities. Currently, fewer than 100 US communities have both LL and LVA affiliates and 81 local programs maintain dual LL/LVA affiliations. Also, some communities have more than one Laubach-affiliated organization. The number of literacy organizations in a community is typically a function of local need, not competition between literacy organizations.

Will membership requirements change?
There will likely be some modifications to existing membership requirements. However, the intent of the new organization is to be inclusive and to continue to offer membership opportunities for all the organizations presently within both Laubach and LVA.

We are an accredited organization. What happens with that designation once the national organizations merge?
The new organization is committed to a national accreditation process and all existing accredited organizations will be grand-fathered into accredited status in the new organization until the expiration of their original accreditation award. A new accreditation process, developed by a joint task force of the two organizations, will be in place by January 1, 2003.

What will happen to students once the organizations merge?
Students will have an even stronger role in the new organization, as they are assured representation on both the national board and the new domestic program board. There will also be a national student advisory group, which will directly advise the president of the new organization.

What will the new board look like?
The national governing board will have a maximum of 26 members. Initially, the national board will consist of 12 members from LLI, 6 from LVA, and 1 legacy, or lifetime, member from each organization. Each board position will be slated and elected by the current boards of the two founding organizations. With the exception of the legacy members, board members will be elected to staggered terms of 1, 2, or 3 years. The national board will be formed during the summer of 2001 and will in turn designate a President/CEO by October 2001. At least one board member will be a student, and at least one will be from a country outside the U.S. Finally, there will be a domestic program board of 12-18 members that will have responsibility for the domestic operations of the new organization.

How long will the merger process take?
We expect that the new literacy organization will be operational in 2002.

What will be the name of the new organization?
In the merger agreement LLI and LVA agreed to employ a naming/branding consultant to advise on the name of the new organization, the names of its major operating divisions, and possibly logos that will unify the several parts of the new organization. This process is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

Will programs be required to change their names?
At this time neither LL nor LVA requires that local programs change their names to affiliate. It is unlikely that this policy will change. However, we will take the recommendations of the marketing/branding consultant into consideration.

Should we continue with our accreditation and our membership in each organization?
Because the merger is not final and both organizations have agreed to continue operating as separate entities until the process is completed, we recommend that all organizations maintain their full membership/accreditation activities with their respective organizations.

Will Member Benefits from Laubach and/or LVA continue?
Membership Benefits from both organizations will be maintained until a new membership structure is developed. We expect that most current affiliates will find an appropriate membership category within the new, tiered membership model and will maintain their close association with us. All our local organizations will be notified well in advance if any significant changes are being made to membership benefits.

Will there be trainer certification in New Literacy Organization?
The new literacy organization is committed to maintaining the trainer certification system currently in place. A task force on training is going to be established to work on requirements and process.

How will this merger affect local programming and training?
Both organizations honor the programming and instructional training decisions that are made by local communities. We expect that the new organization will continue to have this as a basic premise for associations with local programs.

Will this affect international programming?
The new literacy organization will continue to operate as an international program.

We welcome your comments. Please submit them to : merger@laubach.org