Agenda for AAUW NC 2009 Summer Meeting

If you have questions or comments, please contact Millie Hoffler-Foushee or Karla Atkinson (see contacts page).

It was agreed that $250 would be given to a member of each branch for the above purpose.

The procedure for applying for the Grant of $250:

• Download a Reimbursement Form from www.aauwnc.org/ documents. (Look below the Finance Section for Reimbursement Form and a “word” or “PDF” option).
• Print it off.
• Fill out the form using the section under “other” to ask for the grant.
•  Send it to Mary Fran Schickedantz (address on the form) and include a copy of a receipt for which the reimbursement will be applied.
•  Mary Fran will send a check to the person applying.

If there are any questions, please contact Mary Fran (see contacts).

AAUW has used tens of thousands of comments from members over the several year process of getting us to the brink of a new organization, and (this being AAUW), there are hundreds of pages about the process on www.aauw.org. If you’re looking for the “Cliff’s Notes” version to get  yourself or your branch members up to speed on the changes, I’d like to recommend a document by Sandy Kirkpatrick, a member of the AAUW Bylaws Committee and the parliamentarian for AAUW CA. Here is the link:

•  Highlights of proposed AAUW bylaws

It has links to additional details.

We’ll have time to discuss these issues at the AAUW NC convention next month, and I’d be glad to volunteer to set up conference calls to talk about this further with those who won’t get to Wrightsville Beach.  Contact me at nancy.shoemaker@aauwnc.org or 919-773-1340.

If you have questions about your totals, please contact Mary Fran Schickedantz (see contacts).

AAUW NC Contributions for Calendar Year 2008

This scavenger hunt encourages branch members to work in teams to probe the nooks and crannies of the two web sites — learning what’s available and sharing that information with each other. If you’re already up to speed on the websites, you can take this challenge as an individual - but do check with other branch members to see if they’d like to be on your team and learn from you. Even if you’re not online, you can help your team if you can provide some context on AAUW concepts — share what you know to help newer and more tech-savvy members make connections among the various AAUW programs.

More information

• The list of questions. [Not an entry form, but this may be easier to print and share as you form your team.]
• Full details and a link to the entry form.

This program has been in the works for several months, and the plan is to have it in place by May 1. However, it is a PILOT program, and branch participation is voluntary. Since North Carolina has “opted in” (i.e. given the Association the information they need to send state dues to AAUW NC), branches in North Carolina may choose to participate.

I am a treasurer in two branches and will work with those branch presidents (who make the final “opt in” decision) to get those branches to be part of the program. Should your branch also participate? Here’s my advice:

1. Is your branch treasurer (or a co-treasurer) comfortable using the online Member Services Database to report and track payments?
   • NO? stop here. Do NOT opt in to the MPP (yet), but schedule some time to train someone on your finance team in the use of the MSD.
   • YES? Continue
2. Would some of your members appreciate being able to pay their AAUW dues (national, state, and branch) online with a credit card?
   • YES? The opt in will provide this functionality.  Do consider the MPP.
   • NO? Continue.
3. Does the treasurer want the ability to pay state and national dues electronically?
   • YES? With the MPP, the treasurer can report renewals and make a payment with a (branch) credit/debit card. Do consider the MPP.
   • NO? If you opt in, you will still be able to forward dues to AAUW with a check (and, indeed, forward dues to AAUW and AAUW NC with just one check).

So, if you answer “Yes” to question 1 and “Yes” to either question 2 or 3, take the time to look at the MPP more carefully. There is a detailed briefing on this (see #17 at http://aauw.org/member_center/briefings) and watch for mailings to branch presidents about this.

Notes to branch treasurers:

• If you opt in, some of the processes that you are using now for reporting dues will change slightly, but for the most part this will expand your options and streamline your work.
• If you opt in, there will be a delay (as much as a month) before branch member dues are deposited in the branch account. Hopefully you maintain a large enough minimum balance that this won’t be a problem, but it may be a consideration for some of you.
• If you don’t opt in because you aren’t yet comfortable with the MSD, please let Mary Fran or me know (see contacts) and we can find a way to get you (or another member of the branch who might want to pick up this piece of the treasurer’s job) the necessary training.
• If you do opt in, know that I, as a branch treasurer and as someone who’s been on the national committee that’s been asked to review the application, will be with you every step of the way. If you have a problem, let me know, and we’ll get it straightened out!

• You manage the family’s finances, balancing the checkbook and ensuring that the cash flow covers expenses in different categories
• You can balance a detailed view with the “big picture” — basing an overview (which is all many people need) on the underlying facts (which some people will ask for)
• You care about the fiscal health of AAUW of North Carolina and its ability to use its resources wisely to promote equity for women and girls across the state

Does all that resonate? Or do you know someone  else who fits that description?

Why do we ask? Because the AAUW NC nominating committee has been unable to find a candidate for the position of treasurer for 2009-2011. We believe that there is someone in our 1000 members who will be an excellent candidate, but our recruiting has not found her (or him) yet. We have avoided cajoling and twisting arms to get someone who’s not enthusiastic to say “yes” against her better judgment. Yes, everyone is busy and has other priorities — but AAUW NC does, obviously, need someone to handle its finances and this may be your opportunity to show your support (and that of your branch) to ensure AAUW NC is able to continue providing the key link between the wealth of information at AAUW with the grass roots in NC.

What does the job entail?

• Making deposits and writing checks for the organization
  • This may get easier for 2009-2010 for those branches that participate in a new program from the Association that will allow AAUW to deposit the branch dues directly into the state account.
• Keeping the books in a way that makes it possible to produce both detailed reports (of interest to committee chairs responsible for particular budget lines) and summaries (to tell all the members how the board is using the state funds)
  • For at least the past 10 years, AAUW NC has used Quicken to manage this data. Note that this is a consumer-level money management program that is designed to be familiar to people migrating from paper-based checkbook registers. A similar program you already know would be fine, but if you’re not using such a program this can be an excellent opportunity to learn a skill that will help you in your personal life.
  • Quicken is not a very expensive program, and AAUW NC can provide a copy and support for someone who is just learning to manage accounts with a software program.
• Participating as a member of the board and the executive committee, particularly in financial discussions (preparation of the annual budget, discussion of funding special projects that may require drawing from the reserve)
  • There are three face-to-face board meetings each year.
  • Most of the work of the executive committee is done by conference call.
• Supporting an annual review of the organization’s finances.
  • This typically consists of providing documentation on the checks and deposits along with the overview and detailed reports. It is not a full “audit.”

Good news about the job

• The AAUW NC annual income is on the order of $15,000. This means that the organization does not need to file a full tax return,  just the “e-postcard” (IRS 990-N) that documents the nonprofit status.
• AAUW NC has assets of more than $25,000, and its income has covered expenses for the last six fiscal years. This means there no work involved in juggling when to pay bills, and the organization has the ability to fund special projects when a case is made for a particular project. On the other hand, the assets aren’t large enough that we’ve needed a complicated investment plan — the reserve is simply kept in a certificate of deposit.
• Those assets are all in bank accounts, and the organization has no liabilities.That means preparing the balance sheet is quite simple, and the organization uses “cash based” accounting, just as almost all of you do in your personal accounts.
• Many members of the AAUW NC board find great satisfaction in the connections and friendships they make with other members of the board. Extending your AAUW community from the branch level to include others from across the state can add enormous value to your membership.

Want to learn more?

• Contact nominating@aauwnc.org or call 866-525-2155, and someone will call you back to answer any questions.
• If you’re ready to apply, you’ll find the nomination form (as well as various financial reports) at www.aauwnc.org/documents

First, she gave highlights of a booklet produced by AAUW Fremont (CA): From Near Disbandment to Success: The Fremont AAUW Story.

Learn how Fremont, California AAUW devised and implemented a business model to reverse the trend of declining membership. Within two years of applying their model, branch membership increased from 77 to 162.

AAUW NC purchased a copy that you can borrow from Sheila (see contacts) or you can send for your own copy. $20 includes cost of shipping and handling. Make check payable to Fremont AAUW and mail to PO Box 8254, Fremont, CA 94537-8254. Please include your name, branch, address, phone number & e-mail.

Then she covered the highlights of the AAUW Membership VP Toolkit. That was sent in late summer to all branch Membeship VPs and includes the 2008 Leadership DVD and accompanying CD of resources. It also includes a special membership vp CD of resources. The documents and information are, of course, almost all on www.aauw.org, but if you’d like to see their arrangement as presented to the memership vps, they’ve been uploaded to the AAUW NC member center. Start at this table of contents page (login as you would to view the AAUW NC branch state rosters).

Here are the slides:

Again, if you have questions, please contact Sheila (contacts)

• www.aauw.org member center - forms, officer resources, governance information, member-only publications, …
• www.aauw.org Member Services Database (the MSD) - online records access where you can update your record, check your branch roster, make a donation, contact officers, …
• www.aauwnc.org member center - branch/state officer directory, member-only resources
• www.aauwnc.org login to add content — add your messages to this site

The business card-sized handout also included the web addresses and the toll-free numbers for both AAUW and AAUW NC. Conntact Connie Gamble Ochse or Nancy Shoemaker (contact info) if you want more cards to hand out in your branch.

• A version of the card that you can print, cut out and save
• More information about using member-only web resources

NOTE: If you do write the user name/password on the card (rather than using it as just a reminder of the web addresses and the options) you may want to keep it in a secure place (i.e. not in a wallet that might be lost).