RSSBelow is the proposal that we discussed. All of you can read through it and you can find the notes from the meeting after the proposal.
This proposal will be up for discussion for 1 month. the next meeting is May 6 at 5:30pm. Potluck at 5:00pm.
Meeting notes from April 1, 2009
People Present: Dave, Liz, Susan, Marilyn, Fahiym, Susan B., Kammaleathahh, Miriam
Purpose: Discussion of proposal to reorganize HIVE as a 50l(c)3 nonprofit organization
Next meeting: Wednesday, April 8 at 5:30pm
PLEASE READ AND COMMENT
Reorganization Proposal
Proposal: Reorganize the HIVE as a 501(c)3 nonprofit. This will include developing a board of directors and creating two part-time paid staff positions.
Goals
Re-organizing the HIVE as a traditional 501(c)3 will make lines of responsibility and accountability clear. By creating a board through a deliberative and consultative process, we can bring new voices into the HIVE community who represent a variety of communities and efforts in the area. The original organizing effort had hoped this would happen organically, but it has not materialized. The part-time staff positions will provide clear, central points of information and motivation for the various requirements of operating the HIVE. The end goal of a well organized and vibrant institution in Greensboro that serves as a platform for a spectrum of cultural, social, and political organizing can best be met with this more traditional structure. The 501(c)3 model will remove the burden of some basic organizational obstacles that have manifested within our efforts in the last year.
Board
A smaller advisory panel will be tasked with developing the initial board. Members of the advisory panel will not be eligible to serve as an initial board member, but will be eligible to serve on the board at a later date. The board will be made up of representatives from the partner organizations, local neighborhood residents, and interested members of the larger Greensboro community. The board will meet regularly to receive a report from the staff on the current state and activities of the HIVE. They will provide oversight and strategic planning for the future growth of the HIVE.
Staff
There will be two part-time staff positions created. They will be 20-hour a week positions paid the “living” wage set by the Raise the Wage campaign. The salary cost for these two positions for a 48-week year comes to 18,854.40.
The general manager will be tasked with maintaining the finances of the HIVE, overseeing building maintenance, partner communication, updating the website, and serving as a “spokesperson” for the HIVE. They will be required to maintain regular weekly office hours.
The event coordinator will be responsible for assisting groups hosting events at the HIVE as well as identifying and programming original events. The event coordinator will be responsible for announcing the event calendar to local media outlets and distributing physical calendars around Greensboro.
Funding
The HIVE finished its first full year of operation in 2008. The total cost of running the HIVE for one full year was just slightly over $20,000. Our income during last year totaled $21,403. There were approximately $3,200 in donations. Re-organizing as a 501(c)3 will give potential donors the incentive of a tax deduction for donations to the HIVE. The HIVE has never applied for a grant of any substantial size or for general operating costs, nor have we carried out an organized fund raising campaign. Having this designation will also allow us to access a wider range of grants.
Conclusion
The HIVE began life as a radical collective experiment. For a full year a core group of organizers worked through a consensus decision making process that resulted in a flexible, progressive, & radical Vision Statement that continues, despite some organizational issues, to underlie our efforts at The HIVE. This new structure should not be seen as a “defeat” for that earlier collective process, but rather a recognition that the work required to maintain The HIVE and grow it to meet new needs and new communities is greater than what that process is able to handle at this time. the benefits of the 501(c)3 structure outweigh the negatives in relation to our needs and can thus be seen as an opportunity to grow The HIVE in new and more functional directions.
Meeting Notes
Discussion of small amount of people present
Timing of meeting. We may need to switch the meeting time again for people. Wednesday at 5:30 was previously voiced as a good time, but may no longer be.
Proposal
Organizing committee is basically nonexistent. We have to get serious about fundraising, and have a core group at all times. We should formalize a board of directors that is representative of the community, and develop The HIve as a community instiution with memory and stability.
Some Concerns raised
- We may become locked into grants/funders criteria.
- Does this kind of structure provide the kind of flexibility we want as a collectively run space in accordance with the original vision statement?
- What is the role of people being paid at the HIVE?
- Will people feel like they can come into the leadership roles?
Discussion
- Lots of grants exist specifically geared towards radical collectives/organizations. With this status we can get tax deductible donations and have more incentive to organize fundraising events.
- We need to better document events here to build HIVE memory.
- A nonprofit structure can still allow us to run the space collectively. We can run the HIVE horizontally. Create an advisory panel that meet on a regular basis, not paid, but provide oversight and direction.
- 2x/year or on quarterly basis hold Community Meetings.
- Possibly open board meetings.
- We want communities represented. We don’t want voices left out. We need to reach out to a variety of people as we work on this.
- There will need to be a process of creating bylaws. Ideas thrown out for possible simple process: 1) organize board, 2) create bylaws committee, 3) take back to board for review
- Contact Donna Newton from Nonprofit Consortium for guidance on creating nonprofit. Other community resources for consultation? Marilyn has experience going through the filing process.
- Lines of Accountability: the culture of the board should reflect that “we are accountable to those we serve”.
- Transparency: open board meetings as often as possible.
- Number of hours for staff people: 20 hours goes by quickly. 10 hours is too little.
- The HIVE is a valuable resource for people and many of us have come to depend on it.
