Boulder Food Rescue
Board Meeting
February 14th, 2012
Members present:
Hana Dansky
Becky Higbee
Caleb Phillips
Adopting an anti-discrimination policy
Will incorporate the sentence included in our grants into our bylaws
Operations coordinator
Moot point
Progress on advisory board - schedule first meeting?
Chris - Community Outreach
Luther Green - Education
Rhonda - Science
Shari - Nutrition
Neshama Abraham - Public Relations
Meeting agenda:
How do we improve what happens to the food after we deliver it?
Meetings individually with advisory board would be valuable
Possible meeting in mid-March
Library? FUM?
Restricted attendance (interns as observers)
Switch bank account to checking so we can get checks/debit card?
Can’t make purchases at McGuckins and not be charged tax unless we have a debit card or checks
$5/mo, $60/year to have a checking account
Becky: Spendy, but there is also an over-activity fee on savings accounts (>5 transactions a month?)
Consensus: Will do a trial with checking and see if it simplifies our account
Hana will set it up
Will re-evaluate in two months
Bylaws: More aggressive transportation section. Take to 75%!?
Revise wording to involve “current scheduleâ€
Caleb: we were conservative initially, but currently our schedule is 96% bike
Schedule at 90%, exceptions due to severe weather, strongly encourage pro-bike
All board meetings must have beer available
New Board members/Continuity/Long term stuff
Gayle, Jenny, interns, others?
Caleb: both Nora and Helen are at 80% for joining the board, assuming they can leave for the summer, both are extremely capable
and if given responsibility, believes they will step up to the plate
Can envision a board of Helen, Nora, Hana, Jenny, Gayle in six months
Possibly Shari?
Gayle and Jenny would need to start showing up to more meetings
Hana: having more stable people on the board are better, our interns are totally capable, could make this the
INVST 2nd year project by creating a new project within BFR. Sole project is incredibly time consuming.
Boulder Food Rescue
Board Meeting
Thursday, March 8th, 2012
Members present:
Caleb, Hana, Nora, Becky
Meeting begins at Twisted Pine at 20:07
1. Hana approves/disapproves of bylaws--> yes, she does!
2. Welcome our new board member
1. Apple pie for Nora! Presented with the apple pie dance, performed by Caleb and Hana
1. Policy for “vetting recipients”
1. Caleb: this is complicated, but here are three simple things we can do:
1. Conflict of interest policy: BFR can’t donate to ourselves
1. e.g. donating to EN (where a board member lives) would be a conflict of interest
2. Solution already in our bylaws
1. Only donate food to nonprofits (already in our bylaws)
1. Differentiates Stained Tablecloth from Chysalis
2. Problem #1: Food Not Bombs isn’t a nonprofit
1. Could say we’re cooking for BOHO (a 501[c]3)
1. Problem #2: donations to protests (e.g., SunCor) are also conflicting
1. Could add an exception for “educational outreach”
2. Still feels wishy-washy
1. Volunteers cannot take food /during/ their pickup
1. All agreed this should be adopted
1. (Neediest organizations are saturated before donating to less needy)
1. Difficult to define and prioritize
2. Bylaws state “hungry, homeless, and at-risk populations”
3. +allowing for logistics ---we don’t want to make our volunteers do painful long schleps
1. All agreed
1. Nora: how to do we keep the door open to potentially donating to non-nonprofit coops?
2. Caleb: we aren’t protected from liability via the Good Sam Act if we donate to non-nonprofits
3. Hana: other than the nonprofit status , there wouldn’t be any appreciable difference between Chrysalis and the EN coop
4. Caleb: we’re using the IRS to vet potential nonprofits, which isn’t perfect; rules should be specific that “scheduled” drops should abide by the new rules, unscheduled/emergency pickups could potentially go to other places
5. Hana: BFR can’t legally serve food, so the “educational outreach” would be legally suspect. 4th rule is good.
6. Becky: We’re underserving BSH and EFAA
7. Caleb: bylaws actually state “distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)3”
1. How about: “we will endeavor to saturate the neediest organizations before donating to those categorized as less needy”
1. Nora: we should have conversations with BSH and EFAA before committing to this
2. Caleb: we should amend our food ethics policy to clarify how we will handle conflict of interests
1. Schedule advisory board meeting
1. Soon, anytime after March 19th
2. INVST event on the 22nd
3. Caleb will do a Doodle schedule
1. Discuss grant collaboration with the Bridge House
1. Caleb: in collaboration on nutritional research with Shari, Shari has proposed having a central kitchen downtown where all food will go, be prepped/cooked, and distributed from there (Community Table to start?)
1. Wants to go to Bridge House executive director for approval
2. Six grant opportunities available per Shari
1. Nora: has she delineated any structural organization? Would this be its own nonprofit?
1. Luther Green would be a potential ally
2. Preserving Community + BFR + Bridge House
3. Who will run the organization?
1. Becky: Any idea of budget? We’d need to be very specific in delegating responsibilities...this would be a massive undertaking
2. Caleb: it’ll be important that BFR maintain its identity in this collaboration
3. All board members agreed to discussing the collaboration further with Shari
1. Meeting adjourned at 21:09
Boulder Food Rescue
Board Meeting
Thursday, April 10th, 2012
Members present:
Caleb, Hana, Nora, Becky
Meeting began at 6:44pm at Laughing Goat
1. Helen
Why she came to the meeting:
1. To see everyone
2. To learn how to do the rescue log
3. To express her interest in being on BFR board
Spent the last few months thinking about her decision
BFR at the top of her priorities list
“I want to wrap BFR in a blanket, put in on my back, and nurture it”
Caleb: we are looking for people with similar ethics, and people willing to do the work,
and Helen meets those two criterion heartily
Vote for Helen being on board: all in favor
2. Board meeting edit to bylwas concerning non-board members participating
Suggestions:
Becky: non-board members can be present, but can only speak if pre-approved by the board
Caleb: non-board members can suggest agenda items before the meeting, and are allowed to be present if one of their items is pertinent
Hana: it shouldn’t be advertised that non-board members can come, but if an agenda item pertains to them, they are welcome (given the prior stipulations)
A vote was held, and all were in favor for the following change to bylaws: “Any active volunteer may come to a meeting speak concerning an item pre-approved by the board, but they may only be present during that agenda item.”
3. Community Cycles collaboration follow-up to BFR-CC meeting
Have increased to weekly POTP
Want us present for Bike to Work Day
Alexi is disheartened by the lack of media interest
New tasks:
Recruit POTP BFR volunteers
Increase social media promotions
Increase press releases
“Clips of Faith” for BFR
Clara has filmed Bill for BFR
4. Bridge House collaboration
Isabel is the new Executive Director of Bridge House
Prioritizing back-to-work programs, and is re-defining Community Table as an outlet for the back-to-work program
Potential collaboration for a grant concerning a central kitchen
Food would come in and be prepped, frozen, and distributed immediately for multiple organizations
BFR would potentially put back-to-work folks in the “volunteer” pool
Bridge House would be solely responsible for the for-pay aspect of the program
Nora: ethical problems with back-to-work programs: some people don’t want to re-assimilate, don’t want to work, and the de-emphasis of providing food is problematic
Caleb: next meeting between BFR and Bridge House is in May
5. Potential new board members
Potential candidates: Bill, Elliott, Jenny, Gayle, Rhonda
Bill could potentially replace Becky, and Elliott to replace Caleb (pending continued involvement)
Will speak to Bill regarding his interest
6. Summertime absences
Becky: leaving mid-June (13th), but may be effectively gone by mid-June
Caleb: Becky’s brother’s wedding on June 16th, MobiSys conference at the end of June, maybe a week-long backpacking trip
Helen: leaves May 17th for Guatemala until July 17th-ish, and then leaves for summer for INVST, will be back August 7th
Nora: leaves last days of June until August 15th
Hana: leaving after Microbreweries until May 10th, will be gone in June (to Alaska!)
Find out Bill’s schedule, and coordinate Hana’s return with Nora’s departure
7. Funding priorities
Having one paid staff member
Half- or full-time
“Logistical coordinator”
Hana would be willing to do that
Central kitchen
Should be solely grant funded
(Nora: we could bring operational costs down if we got sponsored by a bike company)
Fancier bikes/trailers
Cargo bikes/Bakfiets
(Caleb is setting up a meeting with Lin and Kyle for funding/financing coordination)
Refrigerators or drop-freezers that would live at the recipients
Community garage with a BFR keycode
Meeting adjourned at 7:50pm
Boulder Food Rescue
Board Meeting
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
Members present:
Caleb, Hana, Nora, Becky, Helen
Meeting began at 6:17pm at Caleb and Becky's house
1. Recipient categorization
-currently using A, B, C, D to describe recipient's need, where A=hungry, homeless, and at-risk populations, B=low-income, C=education and outreach, and D=other, i.e., preventing the food from going in the dumpster
-co-ops are B/C (B on paper, C in practice); no other recipient fits in this category, but after debate between the board members it was decided no not assign them a new category
-other possible system: food insecure and secure according to the USDA categories? [Nora]
-use of the ABCD categorization was approved by all five board members and will be incorporated into the bylaws
2. Finances
A. Appoint finances committee
-Lin: financial coordinator
-Kyle: fundraising coordinator
-finance committee approved by all five board members
B. Approve budget
-Changes:
~employee to ½ time for ½ year, $15,000 to $7,500
~bike maintenance, $4,000 to $2,000
~fees/dues, $600 to $200
~admin, $600 to $100
~equipment rental, $1,600 to $200
~no change to clothing
~facility rental, $2,000 to $500
~no change to fundraising
~no change to safety
~no change to bins
~other, $1,800 to $100
-New Expenses Total: $15,600
-New Revenues Total: $15,600
~Grants, $5,000
~Donations, $10,000
~Merchandise, $600
-New budget approved by all five board members
3. Board turnover/preparation
-Becky leaving June 11th, Bill will join board in July, will come to June board meeting
-DFR will be his primary role, Caleb to take over Becky's tasks
4. Advisory board meeting preparation
-Caleb will send out Doodle
-agenda items on Google docs
~topics: media and finances
Meeting adjourned at 7:32pm
Boulder Food Rescue
Board Meeting
June 8th, 2012
Southside Walnut Cafe
Board members present: Nora, Becky, Caleb, Bill
Meeting began 10:57pm
Board turnover – Amend bylaws to allow for overlap between
replacing/replaced members
Allow full speaking/voting rights for up to two months of overlap
In case of tie vote, outgoing board member's vote is not counted
3 in favor (Helen and Hana to approve ex post facto)
Revise board section of bylaws: term limits, specifically specify
unpaid, remove list of members? Rules for non-voting members of board?
Advisory board: expand to 6 or 7 members? Term limits?
Expand to 6, approved x4
Someone at university could be 7th
Organizational structure
Several small committeeså
Press, fundraising, networking, education, nutrition, community outreach
Don't necessarily have to have a pickup
Could be spearheaded by the advisory board membership
Networking/Fundraising “Extended family†, “foundation supporter†, of BFR
Denver Food Rescue
Move toward “Front Range Food Rescue†?
Umbrella organization, with fundraising would be earmarked for a
particular region
Add a column to the accounting form to mark DFR expenses/revenues
Meeting adjourned 12:04pm
Boulder Food Rescue
Board Meeting
July 12th, 2012
Boulder Creek Path
Board members present: Nora, Hana, Caleb, Bill, Elliot, Helen
Meeting began 2:49pm
* Approve bylaws/changes from last board meeting - all approve
* Welcome Elliot (and Bill)
* Hire/Start paying Hana? -> Become nonvoting member.
Decision: hire Hana as executive director. Will become nonvoting member at next meeting.
Nora/Elliot: Need to write a job description, what should this include?
* Review budget implications, set rules for maximum payout on this budget item
Caleb: fixed threshold below which not-to-pay?
Elliot: fixed percentage of capital that can be paid as salary? 50%? Approve.
Decision: fixed percentage of current cash balance available to pay out: 50%
* Amount/When/How? - 30k/year salary, half-time beginning in August, paid on 1st
of next month for current month's work. First month paid, advance 50%? All approve
Bill: do we have to pay employment taxes? Elliot to investigate.
* How many people/whom should have access to bank account? Everyone is a hassle.
Discussion: pros & cons.
Helen: Exec. director and 2 others?
Caleb: Optional for board members, must have at least some number? Required for exec. director?
Decision: optional for board members (but at least one), required for Executive Director.
* Rob Harsh on Advisory Board?
Elliot: We (Caleb & I) like him.
All approve.
Meeting adjourned 4:00pm
Boulder Food Rescue
Board Meeting
August 16, 8:00pm
Location: Co-op
Board members present: Elliott, Caleb, Bill, Helen, Nora
Meeting begins 8:51pm, Adjourned 9:47
Agenda Items for August Meeting:
1. Approve bylaws/changes from last board meeting
1. Nora approves
1. Delegation/Roles & responsibilities
1. Caleb describes assignments per Hana & Caleb’s discussion
2. Elliott concerned about nazi position
3. Discussion about nazi responsibilities - no one wants it
4. Bill: breakup responsibilities: contactor versus punisher?
1. Willing to be contactor.
1. Advertising/motivating volunteers
2. Everyone is comfortable with assignments, which are not a contract, but somethign to work with
3. Hana is awesome but stupid for not being here
1. Housecleaning issues w/Caleb’s departure... :-(
1. Elliott: Caleb -> Hana FTW!
1. Leave of absence
1. Isn’t in bylaws. 3 months total. Starts at beginning of term.
Boulder Food Rescue
Board Meeting
September 27th, 8pm
Location: Unnamed Co-op
Board members present: Bill, Nora, Helen, Hana, Elliott
Meeting begins 8:15pm, Adjourned 10:02pm
Agenda Items for Meeting:
1. New Board Member?
1. Min 3 max 5 at this point, but since Hana is non-voting we can have another.
2. Pros:
1. having an odd number would make voting more equitable
2. grant-givers like more grants
3. workload spread out wider
Potential Board Members?
1. Discussion about what both bring to table, we don’t want to “pick†one over the other.
2. Offer Kyle position, Xavier a coordinator position (w/ special active responsibilities as such)
1. Votes: All approve.
1. Hana will approach both
1. Discussion of having Coordinators+Interns meetings 30 min. before weekly vols. meeting
1. Matching Contributions from Bank of America from Caleb’s cuz (part of larger discussion re: corporate sponsorships?)?
1. Previously on agenda...
2. Bill: take $ from whoever, just don’t advertise for everyone (if BofA gives us $200k to start food rescue around the country we might accept it)
3. Nora: rejecting the $ is a more powerful statement than anything we could do with the $
4. Group discusison: do we need the money? can this program continue with our current budgets?
5. Hana: It’s not just about numbers. It’s about being a group driven by our morals.
6. Votes: All deny the $30
1. Dude (Roger at Food Cowboy) who wants to collaborate with charging grocery stores for money
1. None of us are aware enough to dicuss this fully.
2. Table it for this month, we will all read the documents again and reconvene next month.
1. Advertisements on Trailers: Do we do it All Approve? If so, for who? Can we create a set of guidelines that help establish moral bounds for who we advertise for?
1. Helen: Yes
2. Nora: Yes, judge on a case-by-case basis
3. Elliott: Yes, judge on a case-by-case basis
4. Hana: Don’t like it at all, afraid of having trailers as billboards
5. Bill: Don’t want a wall of advertising, black & white ads?
6. Should we do a google doc and each of us add 2-5 orga that we want to advertise for us and vote on it at the next board meeting. (9:33pm)
1. Nora will create google doc, we all will vote on the google doc and for those who are not unanimous we will email about it and decide accordingly.
2. We will consider the details (finalizing list of advertisers, prices of adspace) of the advertising at next board meeting (aiming at mid-October)
1. BFR “Headquarters,†Workload gap, Should we revisit roles and responsibilities? Intern roles and responsibilities will develop after a little bit as well... (9:42pm)
1. Hana: because Hana, Helen, and Nora (and volunteers) live here, they embody the workload
2. Bill: I appreciate the calls saying “hey I want you to do thisâ€
3. Nora & Helen: we have to learn ourselves how to seek out volunteers who want more responsibility and utilise them
4. Hana: Create a tabling committee? And for covering shifts, encourage a group of volunteers to take ownership of the SNCS.
5. Bill: make the robot text people who are interested in covering shifts contact them
1. Set up a Coordinator Meeting in the near future and bringing in the interns and Xavier & Kyle into (9:56pm)
1. Category D Recipients (Bill)
1. It sometime happens that there is no cat. A-C home for the food.
1. We should commit ourselves to giving it away or not using it ourselves. Conflict of interest.
1. Getting a fridge space to store things in the interim
2. We will reconvene on this next week.
We will set meeting for mid-October.
Agenda items for next meeting:
Advertisement votes
Food Cowboy Rodger follow up
Category D Recipients
Umbrella organization for lots of food rescue organizations
Boulder Food Rescue
Board Meeting
October 25th, 2012 at 6pm
Location: Elliott’s House (2224 Nicholl St.)