8:00 p.m. EST
Participants:
Co-chairs: Jason Nabewaniec, Cliff Thornton, Budd Dickinson, Sanda Everett, Phil, Huckelberry, Craig Thorsen
Secretary: Holly Hart
Treasurer: Jody Grage
Staff: Tamar Yager, Emily Citkowski
Brent McMillan is in the office and can be called on if needed on tonight’s call. Jill Bussiere is away and cannot be on tonight’s call. Cliff had to leave the call about half-way through.
Facilitator: Emily
Abbreviations used:
AC = Accreditation Committee
ANM, ANMC = Annual National Meeting Committee
BAWG = Ballot Access Working Group
BRPP = Bylaws, Rules, Policies and Procedures Committee
BC = Black Caucus
CC = Coordinating Committee
CCC = Coordinated Campaign Committee
CG SC = Campus Greens Steering Committee
ComCom = Communications Committee
DC = Diversity Committee
DIA = Democracy in Action internet service
DRC = Dispute Resolution Committee
FC = Fundraising Committee
FEC = Federal Election Commission
GP = Green Party
IC = International Committee
LC = Lavender Caucus
NPWG = Nominating Process Working Group
NWC = National Women’s Caucus
PEC = Presidential Exploratory Committee
PCSC = Presidential Campaign Support Committee
SC = Steering Committee
SPWG = Strategic Plan Working Group
[Brackets denote editor’s suggested corrections. Some punctuation corrections done with no content change. -ed.]
AGENDA
I. VOTING PAGE/Misc. – Holly
Frank Young for FinCom/ in discussion
GSCC – will go out early January
BRPP Fiscal Policy – in discussion//BRPP is considering revisions
2009 Budget
web/list clean-up//committees to directory//updates
Updates to directory – will be contacting states send names and emails to secretary (dels/alts/obs); committees send updates to directory for committee appointments
II. FINANCE
1 -Phil: Debt liability question. We have no legal counsel of record. In the eventuality GPUS is sued because we haven’t paid a debt, is the liable body the SC, GNC, or combination? We must get a legal counsel of record. Phil is willing to take the list Jill got, confirm individuals are willing to be consulted from time to time, ask for references for someone who might be legal counsel; will also consult David Cobb, who has served in this capacity in the past. Goal is to have something in place by middle of January.
2 – Jody: Overview of financial situation Jody sent a current cash flow report. We are $69K in debt. We need $30K this month to stay on track. Immediate need in about $30K.
Discussion of whether SC should be focusing on fundraising discussion or short term cash-flow and deciding policy on bill payments when cash is short. Jody expressed some frustration in that she has tried to get information about our financial condition to the GNC, but feels there has been a lack of response.
3 – Budd: Short term cash flow problem. Discussion of which bills to prioritize. General agreement that payroll, including taxes and insurance, are the priority. Empower should be next, scale back payment to Palmer House.
Phil recommended we need to figure out a way to come up with quick cash, ca.$2,000; not hitting up the GNC (again). He wants to come up with a compelling message for the end of 2008/beginning of new administration in 2009: the need for GPUS as a serious political alternative, and that the national party needs financial support right now. Imbue GNC with the understanding that financial support is a priority, and take that message back to their state parties. Noted GNC interest in Malik Rahim’s campaign. Jason agreed – message is that GPUS can fill a void left by the former “opposition” party. Emily recommended also using coming donor lists from McKinney and Rahim campaigns.
Phil will draft an appeal. Hopefully, we will have the McKinney and Rahim lists, and can have an appeal out by Friday.
Tamar suggested an “accelerated” donation on the part of some sustainers – SC call sustainers to ask them to consider sending their pledges all at once, or make extra donations. Tamar will send out a list of long-time sustainers to SC.
4 – Tamar: Fundraising Mailing/appeal went out this week; expecting returns to start coming in next week. The same appeal is being sent in flyer form to the GNC via land mail.
5 – 2009 Budget AGREED to move decision on budget proposal to next Sunday’s call.
Jody has sent out the latest iteration of the 2009 budget, background and fundraising narrative. These are proposed to go up on the voting queue. Incorporated feedback from line item notes and background.
Jody asked if SC could support the current budget. Jason noted that the latest version came through at 4 p.m. today, and hadn’t had a chance to see it. Jason feels that fundraising increase projections weren’t convincing in tripling income through phone solicitation and doubling direct mail incomes, when they are going to the same group. We will need to make significant expenditures on finding new donors. Jody noted recent use of Empower tele-fundraising; and a new fundraising donor database. Projections are somewhat optimistic, but not very. Tamar thinks we will know quickly if we aren’t going to make these numbers, feels phone solicitation projections are on target. Phil feels fundraising narrative is a series of well-thought-out, but discrete, pieces. “Messaging” is not mentioned. Concerns raised that there has not been time to review hard to tell what is urgent. This budget is all basic operations, but policy does allow for maintaining basic operations without a budget.
Budd suggested we postpone the budget for another week, after some further work on background. He would also like to see some questions in the fiscal policy resolved to a further extent. Jody asked for concerns to be presented, for alternative language, when needed.
AGREED to move decision on budget proposal to next Sunday’s call.
III. EXECUTIVE SESSION — 10:15 – 11:09 p.m.
Personnel Matters
Jody brought up need to discuss personnel – yearly contracts, etc. Budd proposed that the SC go into executive session for discuss personnel matters.
AGREED to move into executive session. Tamar and Emily left the call.
NEXT CALL: Sunday, December 14, 2008; 8:00 EST