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Finance Committee Notes: November 8,
2004 Notes by Bill Meyers 1. Budget facilitated by Jo Chamberlain The budget needs to be submitted for voting on November 15th, 2004. All discussion is with reference to a spreadsheet titled "2005 proposed budget-draft6.xls" A. Operating Budget: The raise for the Political Director is already included on spreadsheet. An explanation was needed of what Net Revenue meant as broken down. It was requested that Revenue and Expense be totaled and then netted, rather than netted as they were. Also re Revenue Sharing, it needs to be broken out in addition to being netted. It was suggested that another column should be added to annualize the Monthly Total column. Generally, the questions and comments were about readability, not about the numbers themselves. Agreed that an additional tab (or even 2) would be placed on the spreadsheet to clarify these issues. Other changes will be made as needed for clarification. B. Committees Page: Several committees were given $1000 in Tier 1; it was suggested this was too high for committees that had no or smaller budgets in the past. Figures are open to change. It was suggested that Tier 1 should be bare bones; most line items should be zero or close to that. Question of what the money we are using for these projections? There is $4488 annually left from the Operating Budget. So the Tier 1 as written is considerably greater than that. But $4488 is supposed to be the zero-out point (by putting in reserve) before any Committee expenses are allowed. Is there money on the first page that also appears on the second page? No. Suggested adding a Tier Zero (0) with all committees at zero, to make it more clear there is no guaranteed money beyond the basic operating budget. Committees should still have to submit proposals if money does become available for them due to good fundraising results. It was suggested we present only the operating budget, and only create a committee budget if surplus becomes available. This was opposed as politically infeasible. Agreement to create the Tier Zero with $0 budgets for all committees. Concern was expressed about leaving other tiers as is. Proposal: $4488 is moved to reserve so operating budget zeroed out. Tier Zero will be $0 budgets for all committees. Concerns were expressed that Tier Zero should be called Tier 1; they stood aside. Consensus. Proposal: Wording on top of committee spreadsheet proposed to be: "All committee allocations are dependent upon income exceeding the minimum operating budget. As the funds below become available the Steering Committee will consider the recommendations provided by the Finance Committee and the Fundraising Committee. All committees and caucuses listed below will need to provide the Finance Committee and Fundraising Committee with proposals for funding; they in turn will forward recommendations to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will submit a revised budget proposal to the National Committee for approval before moneys are dispersed. " 2. Fiscal Policy (GPUS Rules and Procedures) facilitated by Jake. Edits were submitted by Jody and Greg. Greg's suggestions (besides typos): Income paragraph. Sunset clause and following sentence? Consensus to eliminate the following sentences: "This limit is subject to a sunset clause at the first meeting of the Green Party following the 2008 elections. The National Committee must vote to continue this policy, or the limit will revert to the levels in effect prior to this policy." Tax deductibility sentence? Proposed and agreed to leave this sentence out: "Contributions are not tax-deductible." Copies of bank statements to be made available to National Committee upon request? (Instead of Steering Committee). (suggested also add reconciliations). (suggested account numbers be removed first). Proposal: Copies of the weekly Treasurer's report will be made available to members of the National Committee upon request. Consensus. Revenue sharing, first sentence to be changed to: Once per calendar year, state parties are encouraged to make available to GPUS their donor lists for the purpose of fundraising for the GPUS. Interim budgeting: add personnel costs (first in list) and Web site maintenance (with comm.). Consensus. So it reads: "Interim budget: Until a budget is approved, funds may only be spent for administrative expenses for the Green Party, including but not limited to personnel costs, literature costs, post office box, communications (postage, phones, and Web site maintenance) and expenses associated with Green Party meetings or an Green Party sponsored nominating convention. "Minor expenditures not included in budget ..." add: The National Committee must be informed by email from the Treasurer of such an expenditure within one week. Consensus. Increase $200 limitation to $1000 per month. Consensus. Travel assistance: state parties rather than states for delegate assistance. Consensus. So it reads: "responsibility for travel assistance for delegates and committee members rests with the state parties that those individuals represent ..." Laverne's fundraising email suggestions (November 6, 9:09 EST email: GPUS Fundraising Policy draft 2). 5 bullet points and note to be discussed are: "1 * The GPUS Fundraising Committee shall provide each Treasurer the requisite financial forms to carry out their duties either in hardcopy or electronic format. 2 * The GPUS Fundraising Committee shall provide any accredited caucus, committee or the Office Holders Network, statements reflecting all monies deposited and spent on a monthly basis. 3 * The GPUS Fundraising Committee will provide training sessions on financial planning to it's caucuses, committees and the Office Holders Network. 4 * Each accredited caucus, committee and Office Holder Network will create a working budget for each fundraising event. 5 * Each accredited caucus, committee and Office Holder Network will create a yearly fundraising plan and provide a copy of same to the GPUS Fundraising Committee. NOTE: Think that all donor pages should be linked to each other and have selection "boxes" for the direction of funds and to assist in the tracking and record keeping of donations made to the approved caucuses, committees and Office Holders Network." Comments were: Point 1. No concerns. Point 2: accounting, should be in Finance, not Fundraising. 3rd bullet: Can we provide financial planning? Change to fundraising and add state parties? Make at annual convention? Consensus on: "At least once a year the GPUS Fundraising Committee will provide training sessions on fundraising to its caucuses, committees, officeholders network and state parties." A similar sentence for financial planning should be created to go somewhere else (not in Fundraising Policy). Note at bottom re Web page (donation pages for various caucuses and committees). Will not be in Fiscal Policy. Emily reported we should be able to do this kind of thing soon. Discussion about how to do this without detracting from general fund donations. Discussion of freedom (or not) to expend funds so raised. Groups (Caucuses, Green Officeholders Network) that have written finance/fundraising clauses in their affiliation agreements will have them superseded by fundraising and fiscal policies. "All funds raised by caucuses, committees, or Green Officeholders Network will be held in a restricted fund to be expended subject to the rest of the fiscal policies relating to budgeting and expenditures." We did not reach points 4 or 5. To be continued a week from today (November 15, 2004) at 7:30 PM EST.
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