GPUS Steering Committee Minutes – 10 June 2018
SUMMARY FOR DISTRIBUTION TO STATES AND LOCAL CHAPTERS:
1. New Business: ETC Recommendations on Voting Application, SC review
of fundraising emails and moderation of social media
2. Standing Business: Treasurer’s Report, Fundraising Report and
Update on recommendation to hire Fundraising Consultant, Liaison Reports
3. Voting Queue – https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login
In the queue: Position Statement in Opposition to Rising Fascism; 2018
Platform Amendment Proposal – Decriminalization of Sex Work
Received for the queue: Bylaw Amendment – Adopt Weighted Counting for
Ranked Choice Ballots, Green Party Black Caucus; Platform Amendments –
Protecting the Great Lakes – Platform Committee, Fair Taxation –
Nebraska; Insurance Reform – Nebraska; SC Vacancy Election – expedited;
ETC Election – expedited
Online SC Proposals approved since last call and sent to the NC: None
4. Old Business: ANM updates including plenary, Strategic Planning
Retreat update, Updates on pending agenda items
5. Executive Session: None
The full minutes are available at http://gpus.org/committees/steering/minutes/june-10-2018/
The call recording is available at 712-451-0309, 926334#, reference 24
and at https://gpus.org/steering-committee-recordings/
Jody Grage, Secretary
GPUS Steering Committee Minutes – 10 June 2018
AGENDA:
I. CALL SETUP & BACKGROUND – 15 min.
a) Facilitator: Frank Young
b) Roll call – Hillary Kane, Andrea Merida, Jody Grage, Chris Blankenhorn, Tony Ndege, Darlene Elias, Darryl!
Moch (9 pm). Gloria Mattera (9:45 pm)
Observers – David Gerry MA, Tamar Yager VA, Starlene Rankin OR, Michael White WI, Isabella Ticer KS
c) Agenda revision suggestions: Add SC vacancy election and ETC election – expedited – approved
II. NEW BUSINESS – 30 min.
a) ETC Recommendations – determine process for addressing 10 Voting Application Issues sent 11 May
Nothing necessary to change before upcoming SC elections, some already done, some can have short-term workarounds; Chris agreed to flesh out and prioritize the current backlog of tech fixes and incorporate the remaining voting application issues; $4600 remains in the budget line item – some needed for David Doonan’s work which needs to be fit into the prioritized list, suggestion to spend $1k at a time on other software fixes – dependent on income stream; reasonable goal – before 2019 SC elections
b) SC review of fundraising emails – currently Gloria, Hillary, and Andrea – consensus to add Tony
c) SC moderation of social media – Chris – suggestions to add those on SC who want to get posting privileges, discussion of need for parameters, Gloria liaison to MediaCom not on call and they should have input; currently people appointed by Media Com do this but need to increase use of social media and SC could increase input as spokespersons, suggestion to use initials to identify poster; decision to add to next agenda after online discussion and development of parameters
III. STANDING BUSINESS – 40 min.
a) Treasurer’s report – Hillary Kane, 10 min.
including Treasurer’s Reports to the GNC
Total in all accounts $119,548.11 with Reserve Account at $110,160.42 and checking accounts at $7,615.19 and $1,767.50 and an addition $1497 in PayPal – somewhat better financial condition, operating reserves fully funded, $8500 for direct mail coming due, ANM venue bill due soon; SC reminded to get travel and room reservations in ASAP
b) Fundraising report – Gloria and Tamar – 10 min.**
Last Month Income: May 1 – May 31: $28,304.44; This**Month Income to Date: June 1 – June 10: $5,219.74;Income since Last Call:May 27 – June 10: $8,196.74
Eblasts since Last Call (Topic, Income, + Any Commentary):5/28 Memorial Day $35; 5/25 GreenLine $28; 6/6 Trade $205 (Noticing we get more donations when we talk about Trump)
Upcoming Eblast Topics:CaringCents,**Store ReOpening, Sustainers, June GreenLine,**Ballot Access, Rapid Response
Other Projects Underway: Tweeting and FB Posting; Donation pitch once a week, Obtaining Voter List, OnBoarding New Sign-ups weekly, Thank You e-cards to $50+ doors,Finding More Volunteers, especially Writers and De-duplicators,**Managing Volunteer De-duplication and TY Card Teams,**Fundraising Toolkit,**Cleaning DB in NB & Sustainers in Payflow,**CaringCents (roundup)
*Direct Mail Updates: *Through May 31- $13,215.55 from 168 donors with about $500 to enter**and no deposit made yet in June*; *direct mail report from last 5 mailings at
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BNNU0JjqftxP15XWPUQJ6cwqurwgy4ZQJmoi66vsn0E/edit?usp=sharing
Some things to note:
—Mailings that performed well are donors from more than 2 years ago. Both were the first mailing of the year and both were similar in tone/topic.
—Informal analysis – Donors from more than 2 years ago seemed to perform well. Very few donors tagged as being from the specific occupations we chose; need for more formal analysis.
—Had over 1,000 address changes, got back over 500 undeliverables; got changes *changes from **printer for first time since started using NationBuilder, * Starlene imported them into the database – should *result in very few undeliverables, doing so **every mailing will save postage. *
— Last email late so not sending usual direct mail *early in June but probably right after ANM*
Major Donors: List from *Mike and Starlene reviewed by Tamar to note if donation from ANM registration and merch.
Decision on recommendation to hire Fundraising Consultant – Hillary, Gloria
4 applications, 3 interviewed, mapped strengths and weaknesses – sent posts to discuss weaknesses; after responses received there was consensus on Sutton and Associates as most professional based on non-profit experience, technical knowledge/expertise with adequate political knowledge, need to consider frontline communities and diversity, Susan the principal from US and has lived in Canada for a number of years – strategy for long term and immediate focus on writing with copy reviewed by GPUS, emphasis on teaching us how to do fundraising with audit of what we are doing, need for conference call with SC since in-person meeting not possible, consensus decision making and non-office hour contacts will work for them; consensus to move forward in general with negotiations and to have final contract ready for next call; SC requested to review document resent, SC to review Fiscal Policy re: possibility of using salary line item, budget amendment. or special project status and vote online
c) Liaison reports – 20 min. (ANM update later in agenda)
Merch – Chris – new store live with basic bulk ordering option and tabling pack options;
DRC – Darryl! – working on suggestions to make committee more functional especially things that cannot be handled under current configuration
IV. VOTING QUEUE – Jody – 5 min.
(https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login)
In the queue:
a) Position Statement in Opposition to Rising Fascism – discussion through 24 June
b) 2018 Platform Amendment Proposal – Decriminalization of Sex Work – discussion through 24 June
Received for the queue:
a) Bylaw Amendment: Adopt Weighted Counting For Ranked Choice Ballots; Green Party Black Caucus – The SC agreed that Jody would start a thread for SC and Black Caucus to discuss the proposal and that the SC would vote on Andrea’s proposed findings to determine if this proposal goes to the voting queue for discussion beginning 18 June.
b) Platform Amendments – Protecting the Great Lakes – Platform Committee – Floor Manager Tony; Fair Taxation – Nebraska – Floor Manager Andrea, Insurance Reform – Nebraska – Floor Manager Andrea – all discussions begin 18 June
c) SC vacancy election and ETC election – floor manager for both Darryl! – both discussions begin 11 June Online SC Proposals approved since last call and sent to the NC: None
V. OLD BUSINESS – 45 min.
a) ANM updates – 10 min – registrations down this year and donation page set up to compensate for lack of income, fee going up soon; speakers for plenary being assembled, diversity anti-oppression training will be short presentation on Philly training December ’17; no one has stepped up to do – short presentation on Philly training last December being planned – Darryl! will work, Northern Sun has asked to have a table for a fee, Hillary will resend draft agenda, caucus/meeting time(s) needed, SC meeting Friday and Sunday?,
b) Plenary planning by SC – 15 min – no update
c) Strategic Planning Retreats update – Darryl!, Gloria – 10 min – Doodle poll for TH am, FR eve 7pm, Sun – 12 – Jody will do d) Updates on pending agenda items – 10 min
1. Election database Phase II and III update – Hillary – initial demo/test drive on CCC call on 19 June and then on plenary schedule Saturday at ANM
2. Voting page maintenance/Tech issues update – Chris – Chris will flesh out the items on the list and integrate
the prioritization with the ETC voting application items that are not yet fixed
End recording of call at 10:15 pm Eastern
VI. EXECUTIVE SESSION – none
TOTAL TIME: 2 hour 15 minutes
Jody Grage, Secretary