YWCA USA NCB Meeting
Feb 20 - 21, 2010
New Orleans, Louisiana
The board began with a general discussion about the fact that the YWCA USA is out of compliance with the World YWCA standard that requires 25% of the national board to be young women under 30. Currently approx 10% of the NCB is women under 30. The recommendation with the most support was to ask each region to send three representatives including one woman under 35 and that we should propose to the World YWCA that the standard be 35 and under.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Minutes from the November meeting accepted.
CEO REPORT
Advocacy
Lorraine Cole, CEO, reported that she had participated in three days on Capitol Hill since the November NCB meeting to fight against the Stupak Amendment to the Health Insurance Reform Legislation. Lorraine also reported that she has become a co-chair of the CEDAW Task Force.
The legal process to secure some of our down payment on condo purchase was initiated and is on-going and a new leased space has been secured with move in scheduled in April.
Annual Campaign – Year End Campaign
The proceeds from the annual direct mail campaign (end of November through Feb 1st) exceeded our $50,000 goals by $21,942. Ketchum will be contracted with to help build our annual campaign capacity. It was noted that NCB Members did not receive this mailing and a list of donors in the past five years was used.
Virtual Annual Meeting Plans
Various options were considered for the Virtual Annual Meeting that will take place on April 29th from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
We have the capacity for an unlimited number of participants. Participants -will need computer with sound capability. Votes will be primarily by proxy with some real time voting and and participants will be able to ask questions via computer . The option selected came in approximately $2,000 under budget. The 40th Anniversary of the adoption of the One Imperative will be included as part of the annual meeting.
The NCB will meet virtually immediately following the Annual Meeting to take care of required votes and business.
Federal Authorization Efforts
A survey of associations came up with five top issues for federal funding and on of them was transitional housing. The President included $18 million in his budget for transitional housing
EXECUTIVE SESSION
The NCB went into Executive Session to discuss occupancy issues related to our efforts to recover all or a portion of the down payment (just over $600,000) on the office condo and our newly leased space located at 2025 M Street (9,059 sq ft three blocks from our current location.)
Capitol Hill Day in December
The YWCA USA received a $10,000 grant from Planned Parenthood to support bringing people to DC in December to work to make sure that women’s reproductive rights were not undermined in the health insurance reform legislation. Azuri Ruiz and Carol Coppens were two NCB members who participated in this effort.
Treasurer’s Report
Carrie Anderson, CFO provided the overview of the November 30, 2009 financial statement Janet Marcotte provided a report from the Finance Committee in preparation for the NCB Retreat in June including concern about the practice of taking lump sum distribution from net assets in addition to the 5% or 4% spending policy adopted by the NCB . It was also noted that that there was a disagreement with management about whether or not funds previously authorized by the NCB to be used for operating expenses should be actually used this fiscal year.
Committee Reports
Executive Committee
NCB Branding and Compliance Motion
It was moved that the motion passed at the November NCB meeting stating that an NCB member from an association that was not in compliance with the corporate identity standard would be immediately dismissed from the NCB be rescinded. This motion passed unanimously. The new motion stated that an NCB member from an association that was not in compliance with the corporate identity standard would be referred to the NCB Executive Committee. Deb Stock, NCB Chair, stated that the Exec Committee would engage in a conversation with the NCB member involved to encourage compliance.
The reversal of this policy was in response to a letter from the attorney for the Pacific Region who pointed out that the November motion was illegal, that the YWCA USA corporate counsel had previously provided this advice to the NCB Exec Committee in January 2009, and that the NCB could not impose additional requirements for representatives from regions not included in the YWCAUSA bylaws.
Gender Neutral Exception
The petition from the YWCA Silicon Valley to be granted a gender neutral exception was recommended and the motion was passed unanimously.
Finance Committee
As of Nov 30, 2009 Financial Statement, we are showing a gain of $205,678 in operating and non operating matters. A $62,000 bequest prior to Nov 1st when our policy goes back to the 80/20 split between endowment and operations from the 100 % for operations established to help cover expenses related to our 150th Anniversary. Our current sources of revenue are as follows: Investment 95%; Contributions 3%; Leadership Center 1%. Our net assets are
$11 million better than one year ago----primarily due to increase in value of investments
AMDC
The report from the Asset Management and Development Committee was made by Betsy Moseley who participated by phone. Betsy reported that our endowment is recovering---the decline was steep but the recovery is outperforming the market. The economic outlook remains mixed.
The Leadership Development Center lease expires in about 18 months------if we don’t have it occupied our costs would be approx $25,000 per month for security ----- so this expense would be $300,000 rather than the current $220,000 in income which counts for public support. We can project a $500,000 annual net swing if the LDC is not leased.
The AMDC was asked by Lorraine and Deb asked AMDC to consider raising the distribution from 4% to 5%. This change would add $516,585 in 2011 and $463,777 in 2012 and would allow the national office to build the budget to address fundamental problems. The AMDC supported this request and the NCB agreed to raise the distribution to 5% for FY 2011 and 2012. It was noted that our goal needed to be to fund 50% of our operating expenses from investments and raise the balance from other sources.
The NCB approved the annual year end unrestricted allocation to the NCB designated net asset fund balance in the amount $44,806,783----our unrestricted net assets at the end of FY09.
Assessment of the Operating Model
Azuri Ruiz and Eileen Mershart have been asked to co-chair a task force to assess the YWCAUSA Operating Model. Four additional people will be added to this task force: A plan will be presented at the June NCB Retreat.
Federal Appropriations/Authorization Plan
Anita Estelle, consultant on federal appropriations/authorization, is focusing on five issues as a result of a survey of associations:
Low income and emergency transitional housing (facilities improvement
Domestic Violence
Early Childhood Education
Engagement of girls in education – weak at the national level
Poverty and food and nutrition
Note from Janet: I continue to question this effort from the national office which is not designed to bring any additional funding directly to the YWCA.
Comprehensive Development Plan
Kristina Carlson and Stephanie Micas provided a development plan for the NCB that included the following highlights:
Highlights of the Ketchum Fund Development Plan:
Hire two people immediately
Major gifts Director who could rise to the level of Director of Development
Research Staff Person
Foundation and Federal Funds
Reconnecting with Donors
Annual Fund: Outsource it and do online giving
The online strategy for annual campaign is for donor cultivation and would not actually raise much money.
Note from Janet: This report was boiler plate at best. No organization should have to have to pay a consultant to tell them these things.
Regional Reports
The YWCA Philadelphia appealed the recommendation from the Mid-Atlantic Region for their involuntary disaffiliation. The NCB supported the recommendation of the Mid-Atlantic Region.
World YWCA
The NCB discussed the cost of approximately $30,000 to send delegates to the YWCA World Council which would be in the 2011 budget. This cost has previously been paid for by a special purpose fund. The YWCA USA annual dues to the World YWCA is approximately $250,000----one third of all the dues to the World YWCA. The YWCA USA has not been successful in getting a reduction in our dues which is based on a membership formula. The YWCA USA is currently behind on our payment of dues.
Executive Session
The NCB went into Executive Session to discuss personnel matters.
International Relations Committee
A letter from Internal Relations Committee applauding the decision to take the lead on efforts to secured the passage of CEDAW was received.
Delegates to the World Council were recommended and accepted by the NCB----including a delegate recommended by the Pacific Region.
Governance
The Governance Committee announced that Special Elections Nominations are due March 5, and that Interest Forms for NCB members interested in serving as an officer have been distributed.
Executive Session
The NCB went into Executive Session to consider whether or not to offer a new contract to the CEO of the YWCA USA.