Governor Bangerter ALERT Foundation records, 1986-1991.

This series contains the organizational papers, minutes, and financial records of the ALERT Foundation, a corporation established as part of Governor Bangerter's plan to reform education. On December 18, 1985, Governor Bangerter declared a "State of Alert" in Utah education. In May of the following year the ALERT (Agenda for Leadership in Educational Resources for Tomorrow) Foundation was incorporated as a non-profit corporation. The foundation was:

organized to receive and maintain a fund or funds of real or personal property or both for the following specific uses and purposes:

(1) To study problems and needs in education.

(2) Managing growth in education.

(3) Improving the quality of education.

(4) Studying, managing and planning the inter-relationship of education and economic development.

(5) Studying the inter-relationship of higher education institutions and public and higher education institutions and activities. (Incorporation articles, p. 2)

Governor Bangerter and hiswife were established as president and vice-president, respectively of the foundation. Michael Leavitt was named chairman. Delpha Baird was later hired as coordinator. The incorporation records are included in the series as are the minutes of the executive committee which was active from September 1986 to February 1987.

The Foundation established three objectives: 1) to educate public opinion to support increased taxes and positive changes in the educational system. 2) to mobilize the public to urge state legislators to support a comprehensive package of legislation providing for basic educational reforms and increased taxes. 3) to lobby state legislators to vote for that legislation. To achieve these objectives, the Foundation organized an advertising campaign. The purpose of the campaign was "to alert the public to the impending crisis facing Utah education." The group sought enlistments from individuals; that is, individuals were encouraged to endorse the ALERT philosophy, contacttheir legislators, and make a donation to the ALERT Foundation. The objectives and strategy are detailed in the series. Recruiting included media advertising and the hiring of marketing firms to do mass mailings and telemarketing. The Foundation also had a fund raising dinner, orientation sessions, public meetings, and a speaker's bureau. Financial records, including ledgers, invoices, and billing statements document the expenditure of funds on this campaign as well as deposits of donations generated by the campaign. The series also includes copies of the newspaper clippings generated, the printed materials produced, and audiovisual materials created.

The administrative records of the Foundation also form part of the series and include bank statements, furniture rental, tax information, accounting services, and workers compensation records. The executive committee last met in February 1987 and closed the office. The bank account was eventually closed in May 1989 and the bulk mailingpermit lapsed for non-use in November of that year. The corporation was involuntarily dissolved for failure to file an annual report in July 1989. Correspondence with the IRS regarding tax filings continued into 1991.