December 9, 2018

GPUS Steering Committee Minutes – 9 December 2018

SUMMARY FOR DISTRIBUTION TO STATES AND LOCAL CHAPTERS:

1. New Business: Welcome to incoming at-large SC member Justin Beth; Liaison revisions

2. Standing Business: Treasurer’s Report (Treasurer’s Reports to the GNC available at https://gpus.org/treasurers-reports/); Fundraising Report; Fundraising Consultant update, Liaison reports

3. Voting Queue – https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login

Received for the queue – 2019 Budget Proposal

In the queue: 2018 Platform Amendments – Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Civil Rights and Equal Rights; Resolution in Opposition to Rising Fascism

Online SC Proposals approved since last call and sent to the NC: None

4. Old Business: Strategic Planning meeting, 2018 ANM financial report update; Apportionment Tabulation Committee membership; Green Uprising contribution to GPUS

For future agendas: Freshdesk update, ETC Report, Tech – voting page/ETC and misc. maintenance

5. Executive Session: Personnel

The full minutes are available at http://gpus.org/committees/steering/minutes/December-09-2018/.
The call recording is available at 712-451-0309, 926334#, reference 36 and https://gpus.org/steering-committee-recordings/ 

Jody Grage, Secretary


GPUS Steering Committee Minutes – 9 December 2018

AGENDA:
I. CALL SETUP & BACKGROUND – 15 min

a) Facilitator: David Gerry
b) Roll call- Margaret Flowers, Hillary Kane, Andrea Merida, Jody Grage, Anita Rios,Justin Beth, Tony Ndege, Gloria Mattera, Violet Zitola (joined at 9:30 pm Eastern)
Observers – Tamar Yager VA, Tommie James NC
c) Agenda revision suggestions – Old Business: Green Uprising – approved; Proposal to Improve the Functionality of the Accreditation Committee old business – not 2/3 approval – vote: Justin Yes, Margaret No, Gloria Yes, Andrea No, Tony No, Anita Yes, Jody Yes, Hillary Yes; from 28 October call – Tony’s proposal tabled to next call and Violet’s proposal tabled to next call if she wishes

II. NEW BUSINESS – 15 minutes

a) Welcome to incoming at-large SC member Justin Beth – focusing on strategic planning and 2020
b) Liaison revisions – reassignments to be discussed online

III. STANDING BUSINESS – 40 min

a) Treasurer’s report – Hillary Kane – 10 min.
Treasurer’s Reports to the GNC available at https://gpus.org/treasurers-reports/

Total in all accounts: $103,340.47, Savings/Reserves $97,038.92. Checking $6,301.55

relatively low checking account balance but Red Sun Press paid, money is coming in, and we have no urgent accounts receivable; phone bill eliminated by redirecting calls to NationBuilder
FEC report late because of special election schedule

b) Fundraising report – Gloria – 10 min.
November income down from October; still no total for last direct mail, working with those returned and deleting address; FunCom is training a couple new writing volunteers and having regular calls. View report as PDF.

Fundraising Consultant update – Hillary, Gloria
very good call with principle of the consulting firm, still have 48 contracted hours so can ask for more than original scope of work from Jennifer our chief contact. Case Study will include why give to GP, etc., appendix with info on creating data dashboard with metrics on what needs to be tracked and training for use of monthly/quarterly data; plan needed to use contract balance for retainer to access their expertise; Susan Sutton the principal also offered to check in once a month pro bono; specifics for staff budget to be determined – management? writing? – need job descriptions; need best practices for fund raising letter

d) Liaison reports – suggest one per SC member – 20 min
ANM – Margaret – moving ahead with 2020 including website; some 2019 review items still to do – GPAX – Tony – no report
Anita – Diversity – meetings are being restarted
Andrea – no IC update
Gloria – see FunCom above-

IV. VOTING QUEUE – Jody – 5 min.
(https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login)

Received for the queue: 2019 Budget Proposal – Andrea

In the queue – 2018 Platform Amendments – Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Civil Rights and Equal Rights; Resolution in Opposition to Rising Fascism

Online SC Proposals approved since last call and sent to the NC: None

V. OLD BUSINESS – 60 min

a) Strategic Planning meeting #1 report – Gloria and Margaret – 15 min
Minutes have been sent, mission statement needed, important to have individualized metrics for each state

b) 2018 ANM financial report update – 5 min – no update

c) Apportionment Tabulation Committee vacancy – 5 min
One elected member had withdrawn from the Green Party necessitating appointment by SC to fill the vacancy – current members are Tim Runkle PA (Hillary), Adam Davis UT (Andrea), Guy Benitendi CO (Andrea); James Lane NY (Gloria), Sid Smith VA (Gloria); Jody Grage (Jody) – names to be suggested for appointment to the ATC on next call

d) Green Uprising contribution to GPUS – Margaret – 5 min
up to $15k contribution permitted from non corporate/union PAC, would need to establish FEC approval and would require NC approval – see Fiscal Policy; discussion of bearing on the GP policy of not taking corporate money; Violet will discuss with GU including if GU accepts corporate money; could be considered only if funds are needed and/or for special project

e) Proposal to Improve the Functionality of the Accreditation Committee – Anita/Justin – 30 min
A previous vote be reopened when a previously absent voter joins the call.

For future agenda: Freshdesk update, ETC Report, Tech – voting page/ETC and misc. maintenance

VI. EXECUTIVE SESSION – 20 min

Budget discussion – personnel – No decisions made.

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 35 min

Jody Grage, Secretary