1/15/24* Leadership Team Meeting Minutes
*Approved: 3/10/2024
Key action items bolded and underlined.
Meeting convened: 6: 32 pm
General: Review minutes of 11/24/23 meeting. Minutes approved.
Attendance: Janet Mckeehan-Medina (Co-Chair); Katherine Lazarus (Co-Chair); Sam Fenner (Managing Director); Monte Mann (Treasurer); Millie Eidson (Secretary); Dick Matheson (Board Member); Julie Hay (Board Member): Jane Nevins (Board Member); Jon Fenner (Comms); Gloria Cooksey (Fundraising); Skip Keith (member)
Comms: Jon
- Google Ads, 10K/mo for free, value $12K, spikes on clicks and impressions
- Membership: 13 new members in 2024; 370 participating, 31 contributing for 2023
- Donor page: More clarity for options, multiple options, can show specific campaigns
MSR: Suzanne
Update
Funding: Jane
- $3000 VT Council of the Arts grant came in before Christmas; save receipts and track participation for using money, will be necessary for final report submitted by Sept. 1; give them credit and use logos on materials.
- Nov. Giving Tuesday: one contributing member and separate donation so slow.
Strategic Plan: Julie
- Switch from yearly updated plan that is tactical for that year to one that holds for 3-5 years with an operating plan for each year
- Exploratory questions to review and determine priority, timing, who will work on them; These will be emailed to LT for their reaction through Google Survey form:
1. Explore how an Advisory Board would be beneficial to BWW, or does it overlap with LT and create needless layer of bureaucracy.
2. (To support enhancing BWW Vision) – What are the growth aspirations for (a) How many workshops or new workshops should be started per year; (b) How many Master Classes/Retreats should be held per year; (c) What kind of annual membership (growth per year) do we aspire to?
3. Evaluate both role of Executive Director (ED) and whether ED (and any other roles) should be paid roles. (If yes, would need to assess compensation level, implications to hire/evaluate person(s) in role, how to fund etc.). Need to research and plan for all the withholding, tax reports, and more required when we have paid employees. Lots more rules, laws, etc. relate to employees.
4. Are we currently engaging diverse groups of writers: individuals who are incarcerated, disabled, representing BIPOC voices, women, LGBTQ, young writers? And, if not (or if we don’t have good measurement), what are the most effective way(s) to do that?
Finance: Monte
- Financial snapshot as of 12/31/23
- Gain: $18,363 income; $8642 expenses; $9721 net gain
- 2 CDs at Vermont Federal Credit Union, value about $40K
- Sources of net income (after fees taken out): 42% donations; 19% MSR; 16% grant; 9% interest; 5% fundraisers; 4% master class; 4% sales
- End of year balance: $50K
- For full-blown balance sheet more detail of income and expenses by type can be provided
- Can be a nonprofit and still have a net gain each year
- We should examine whether we’d like to prioritize certain income categories to work on for increases
- Should consider size of reserve that sets aside a certain proportion of funds; look at examples from other similar organizations; should it be the amount of annual expenses that are set aside and not spent (unless emergency), or twice the amount of annual expenses
- Do we have enough people to offer more classes to meet needs of increasing membership size?
- Should we change the amount that we can reimburse teachers of master classes? How many people attend them?
- Avoid submission fees—they’re too much (especially if feedback is not provided for the submission) but MSR is not charging for submission, only for providing a manuscript review (via Submittable); Halloween small submission fee was specifically for a fundraiser and part of it was given back as cash prizes for the winners (generated some new members).
Managing Director: Sam
- Interpreter/translator is offering Spanish translation for website or master classes which are recorded; consider as part of grant and/or strategic plan, expand diversity, consider French as well; Sam will check back with him; is it better to translate after rather than real-time? Does it raise expectations for offering workshops in other languages? There are some services that can do automated translations live.
- Volunteers: membership requires 18 years of age. Volunteering doesn’t require membership. Don’t advertise this, but we’ve been approached by high schoolers because many need community service.
- Roles: social media. Work with Sunny to post. One was interested in joining funding team. Help with website?
- Require parental permission or supervision (parent accompany student during tasks)? This might increase membership and reduce legal risk.
- Are there liability issues, especially across state lines? Is it less risky for remote (Zoom) activities? Monte: Ask insurer as we renew policy.
- Any labor laws that we need to follow even if not an internship?
- Do school districts provide guidance to the students about options and requirements? Many different schools so likely different rules.
- Are there concerns about whether some of our content is inappropriate for that age group?
- Supervision can take a lot of time. Clarify that this is not an internship in regards to expectations.
- Pilot first narrowly with one individual and one task.
- Local writing group wants to collaborate; they use a shared physical space in south end of Burlington (Soda Plant); open genre, prompt at beginning, provide feedback
- Find out their membership size (they’re hoping perhaps their membership would grow)
- Would they require membership (paid?) in their group for our members to participate
- Consider cosponsoring events so don’t have to adjust policies of either group
- Or offer to absorb them into BWW? Hosts would get qualified under BWW rules.
- Would BWW need to help pay for space?
- Don’t necessary require BWW membership? Some groups don’t want to deal with Eventbrite and other BWW requirements.
- Annual meeting planning
- Budget will be ready at end of April
- Consider April 21(Poets meet 3-5) or 28 (when Fundraising group meets)
- Meet April 21, 6:00 to start?
- Info on master classes on website now? Qualifications of teacher, application process, fees and reimbursement; Sam will work on it.
- New secretary: no later than annual meeting: Sam will recruit.
