IFA Educational Foundation Looks to the Future: Franchising Community Fund Campaign Focuses on Far Horizon.

International Franchise Association Educational Foundation Chair Sid Feltenstein outlined plans for the foundation and detailed progress on the Franchising Community Fund campaign.

This a critical time in our development," Chairman and CEO of Yorkshire Global Restaurants (A&W and Long John Silver's Restaurants) and IFA Foundation Chair Sid Feltenstein told the association's board of directors recently, "for the foundation has built a solid, though modest, reputation for quality programs in its 17-year history. It now needs the help of everyone concerned about franchising to ensure that it maximizes its potential. That is precisely why we have launched The Franchising Community Fund campaign."

A number of IFA members have made major gifts to the endowment campaign, with a total of $1,382,500 pledged toward the goal of $2.5 million.

"I am tremendously optimistic about our ability to do even more in the future to complement the work of IFA and strengthen franchising throughout the world," Feltenstein continued.

Some of the major steps already accomplished by the foundation include comprehensive surveys of franchising that have taught the franchising community a lot about this form of business organization and provided ammunition for those advocating on its behalf; the foundation's professional training and certification program in franchising has bolstered the knowledge and expertise of people in the franchise business and; the foundation now offers a full library of franchising resources available via catalogue or Web site for franchisors, franchisees and suppliers eager to expand their businesses.

Plans of the foundation, Feltenstein said, include expanding its operations and assuring the organization's continuation for the next generation of franchise businesspeople.

Among the new initiatives the foundation's board will be overseeing and which the campaign will fund include:

* An Investor Education Program that will provide those interested in acquiring a franchise, a basis for analyzing an investment, the safeguards available, as well as what's involved when getting into franchising and providing a solid basis for evaluating the business potential and the possible risks involved.

* A joint program with IFA, the Franchise Compliance Program to codify and disseminate "Best Practices" for responsible franchisors, including governing laws and regulations, training of sales executives, advertising, and promotion and franchise relations.

* "The creation of the Center for Franchise Research and Education, expanding its ability to examine the trends and options involved in such issues as royalty payment structures, exclusive territories, contract terms and time commitments, direct financing and the efficacy of co-op advertising, all of which have a potential impact on the bottom line of members.

* "The creation of a Franchising Entrepreneurial Institute to explore ways that franchising can attract, train, and retain the people it needs to ensure that franchising continues to have access to a pool of workers, as well as be able to attract and train a sufficient number of managers. The program will be launched with a generous startup grant of $200,000 from the PepsiCo Foundation, focusing on the need to attract and train minority and urban youth to careers in franchising. Other funding partners are being sought.

* "The expansion of the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives to promote the highest professional standards and excellence in franchising. It will grow the body of knowledge and curriculum for teaching franchise methods, standards and best practices to franchise executives; it will create a diverse network of educational course providers; and it will create a "CFE Fellowship Program" to provide a network for sharing and exchanging information and best practices.

Feltenstein acknowledged the members of the campaign committee and encouraged them to continue contacting IFA members and potential donors. It is anticipated that when IFA meets for its annual convention in Las Vegas in February, all IFA members will have been contacted and invited to participate in the fundraising effort.

Feltenstein chairs the committee. Vicechairs are Ron Harrison, CFE (vice president, Community Affairs, PepsiCo), and Jim Peterson, CFE (chairman, Bojangles' Restaurants); other committee members are: Jim Amos, CFE (president/CEO, Mail Boxes Etc.), Steve Greenbaum, CFE (president/CEO, PostNet), Dick Rennick, CFE (CEO, American Leak Detection), Lawrence 'Doc' Cohen, CFE (president, DOC & Associates), Nikki Sells (Express Personnel Services), Mark Ehrlich (president, EMGI Worldwide), Lois Marshall (president, The Marshall Group), Gary Charlwood, CFE (chairman/CEO, Uniglobe Travel), and Jeff Williams, CFE (senior vice president, Meineke Discount Muffler Shops).

"It is only through our collective efforts that we will ensure the success of our campaign to establish a $5 million endowment fund for education and research to strengthen our industry and our professionalism and, indeed, to safeguard the future of franchising," Feltenstein challenged.

Franchising Community Fund Campaign donors will be recognized throughout the campaign in publications and at IFA events, and on stage at a campaign celebration at the 2001 IFA Annual Convention, February 24-27, in Las Vegas. For more information about the campaign or the IFA Educational Foundation, contact John Reynolds or Bill Epke at 202-628-8000.