Special Funds and Initiatives

In addition to the annual base fee of $10, residents can donate additional funds to support a variety of special projects and initiatives at the Board of Directors’ discretion. 

The majority of the additional contributions are dedicated to three funds that have been in place for several years.  These funds memorialize the extraordinary neighborhood efforts and interests of former BHNA officers and board members. These funds are: 

Carol Bellamy Neighborhood Beautification Trust Fund 

Carol Bellamy, a native Floridan, moved to Betton Hills from Fort Lauderdale in 1974.  She quickly became enamored with the natural and planted beauty and friendliness of the neighborhood.  She joined the BHNA board, serving as president in the early 1980s.  She then went on to be a city commissioner and mayor in 1983-1984.  In 1991, she died at 49 after an extended illness.  The Carol Bellamy Memorial Rose Garden in Chittenden Park was dedicated shortly after her death.  

This fund supports neighborhood beautification and conservation projects.  The fund has been used for Arbor Day plantings, to help fund the McCord Park sculptures, to maintain the Betton Hills markers throughout the neighborhood and to provide park benches, tables, recycling bins and plants for traffic islands. We have used this fund to set up and maintain bluebird and wood duck nest boxes in McCord Park as well as the bat house, which now houses over 175 mosquito-eating Brazilian freetail bats! 

Bill and Marge Mansfield Fund for Young Writers 

Bill Mansfield came to Tallahassee in 1965, serving as Bureau Chief for the Miami Herald.  He was a firm believer in the Sunshine Law and the public’s right to know how our government conducts business.  Bill was the Editorial Page Editor for the Democrat in the 1980’s and 90’s.  He wrote and spoke publicly on education, the environment, integration, and many other issues of local interest.   

After his retirement in 1995, and until his death in 2000, Bill devoted his time and talents to volunteering his services to a number of worthy causes, one of which was the BHNA.  Bill was our newsletter editor and a respected voice, along with his wife Marge, on our Board of Directors.  Bill would be the first to say that Marge contributed a great deal to his success.  She was a fine thinker, didn’t hesitate to voice her opinions, and had a great desire to see each person in our society treated fairly.   

Bill was a working journalist for much of his life and was committed to helping new journalists “find their voice.” The Bill and Marge Mansfield Writer’s Fund supports Leon High School students with writing talent and a commitment to journalism. The award winners are usually students who have worked on the student newspaper or yearbook. They are selected by the journalism teachers. 

Jack Robertson Partners for Excellence School Fund 

Jack Robertson served as BHNA president in the early 1990s.  He was a strong voice in representing the interests of the neighborhood to city government elected officials and staff.  Jack actively engaged in controversial projects such as the Blair Stone Road extension and the McCord drainage project.  His first love, however, was public education, particularly supporting our neighborhood schools.  He readily joined in the Partners for Excellence program with Leon County Schools and worked diligently to encourage neighbors to mentor at our schools. 

This fund supports our partnership with the neighborhood schools, Kate Sullivan Elementary, Cobb Middle, and Leon High. Each year, we donate funds to meet a variety of needs. The principals and other key administrative staff are consulted by the BHNA board members to determine what our donations will fund. Over the years, our contributions have funded special programs or activities in STEM, music, reading, field trips to community facilities, outdoor gardening on the campus, special projects proposed by teachers, the installation of a school sign for better communication with students as well as the neighborhood, and tokens of appreciation for “jobs well done.” The schools always appreciate and acknowledge our donations.