[Imc-finance] FW: IMC NETWORK - RAISING AND SPENDING MONEY, IMC-FINANCE, GLOBAL
GRANTS
Sheri Herndon
sheri at indymedia.org
Mon, 02 Jul 2001 10:11:06 -0700
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#7
----------
From: Sascha Meinrath <meinrath@urbana.indymedia.org>
Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 11:28:51 -0600
Subject: Re: IMC NETWORK - RAISING AND SPENDING MONEY, IMC-FINANCE, GLOBAL
GRANTS
Hi Sheri et al.,
One of my big mantras here at the Urbana-Champaign IMC is "sustainability"
-- both locally and for the movement as a whole. I'm 100% in favor of
seriously working on IMC finances and fundraising and would like to help out
with the effort. One quick question that I have is whether the global IMC
has a treasurer (Or someone who fulfills the role of such)?
A couple ways that the Urbana-Champaign IMC can help with this effort: 1.
I'm not sure how global's finances are handled, but I've just finished
upgrading the UCIMC's accounts to Quickbooks, and it's made keeping track of
things much, MUCH easier. One possibility would be to create "class
accounts" for different global focus areas/local IMCs and begin dispersing
funding based on who/how it was raised. I'm may be preaching to the choir
(for all I know you're a group of professional accountants), but I'd be
willing to help with the effort. 2. The UCIMC is now a 501(c)(3)
[non-profit] corporation -- this means that people can deduct donations made
to us on their taxes. One possibility would be to use the UCIMC as a fiscal
sponsor for the global network. This would help immeasurably for both
grants and individual donations. The only difference would be that people
would donate directly to the UCIMC and the UCIMC would earmark these
donations for the global network. 3. We set up a paypal account on our own
website -- it hasn't brought in many donations, but it also doesn't cost us
anything either, so I'm all for it. I hope that this would be different for
the global IMC, but most of our donations have been sent in the old
snail-mail way. I like the idea of having one paypal account for the entire
network where people could choose how they want their donations to be spent.
The problem we had may be due to a reluctance to highlight this donate
feature on our website -- which would point to the need to actively pursue
donors for this option. If folks want to see how ours looks go to
http://urbana.indymedia.org/active/news/donate.php3 4. We've been raising a
good deal of money for a local IMC (>$2000/month), and have developed a
fairly extensive fundraising plan that we've put into effect, a long-range
"business plan," and a transition plan that we hope will maintain the
UCIMC's income sources and diversify where our funding comes from. We've
also recently begun applying for grants to fund various aspects of the
UCIMC. I'd be happy to share any of this information that would be helpful
for folks.
As for ways to start dispersing money, we began with the same problem at the
UCIMC. Our solution was to create a multiple-level process for spending
depending on the nature of the expense. Our treasurer is empowered to pay
the mission-critical bills (rent, utilities, networking costs, etc.). The
treasurer can also pay small out of pocket expenses up to $100 -- this
ensures that we don't have to spend our time discussing and approving every
small expenditure. However, the treasurer is also part of the UCIMC's
fundraising working group (one of seven currently at the UCIMC). Each
working group has its own budget and each decides how to spend it. This
structure makes sure both that the treasurer is working with a group of
interested members instead of unilaterally (e.g. the treasurer keeps the
fundraising committee informed about expenses paid) and that each segment of
the UCIMC is empowered to spend money as they deem most important. Finally,
the UCIMC has a steering committee. One can think of this group as the
"hub" of the organization where each working group has two "spokes" and all
members are encouraged to attend. The steering committee makes decisions
about expenses that affect more than one area of the UCIMC (e.g. when we
decided to network the UCIMC with ethernet, audio, and video wiring). We've
defined quorum for decisions as each working group having at least one spoke
at the meeting, which ensures that at least one representative from each
area of the UCIMC has input into these decisions. We've found this process
to work incredibly well for everyone concerned and it would be fairly easy
to mirror at the global level.
8. what about setting up the IMC foundation rather than different imcs
getting nonprofit status? money funnels through this org that is
responsible to the global spokescouncil?
While I think the Global IMC should definitely apply for non-profit status,
I also think it is in each local IMC's best interest to also be their own
organization. I'm a big believer in decentralization of authority and would
hate to see a Pacifica-type situation occur years down the line. I think
that if each Pacifica station were its own entity, their network wouldn't
have run into the trouble it's faced recently.
3. SCHOLARSHIPS/STIPENDS
I like this idea a lot -- but perhaps that's because I'm also a PhD student?
4. IMC GLOBAL GRANTWRITING GROUP
I'd be interested in any templates Seattle or others have, and can make
information we've created available also. One thing I would like to see is
our grantwriters paid for their activities. We've been thinking a lot about
this locally, but to me it makes sense to give grantwriters a commission of
the grants they raise (perhaps with a cutoff for those larger grants). This
would cost the network nothing up front and would encourage grantwriting.
Thanks for reading,
--Sascha Meinrath
Urbana-Champaign IMC
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#7<BR>
<BR>
----------<BR>
<B>From: </B>Sascha Meinrath <meinrath@urbana.indymedia.org><BR>
<B>Date: </B>Mon, 25 Jun 2001 11:28:51 -0600<BR>
<B>Subject: </B>Re: IMC NETWORK - RAISING AND SPENDING MONEY, IMC-FINANCE, =
GLOBAL GRANTS<BR>
<BR>
Hi Sheri et al.,<BR>
<BR>
One of my big mantras here at the Urbana-Champaign IMC is "sustainabil=
ity" -- both locally and for the movement as a whole. I'm 100% in=
favor of seriously working on IMC finances and fundraising and would like t=
o help out with the effort. One quick question that I have is whether =
the global IMC has a treasurer (Or someone who fulfills the role of such)? &=
nbsp;<BR>
<BR>
A couple ways that the Urbana-Champaign IMC can help with this effort: &nbs=
p;1. I'm not sure how global's finances are handled, but I've just fin=
ished upgrading the UCIMC's accounts to Quickbooks, and it's made keeping tr=
ack of things much, MUCH easier. One possibility would be to create &q=
uot;class accounts" for different global focus areas/local IMCs and beg=
in dispersing funding based on who/how it was raised. I'm may be preac=
hing to the choir (for all I know you're a group of professional accountants=
), but I'd be willing to help with the effort. 2. The UCIMC is n=
ow a 501(c)(3) [non-profit] corporation -- this means that people can deduct=
donations made to us on their taxes. One possibility would be to use =
the UCIMC as a fiscal sponsor for the global network. This would help =
immeasurably for both grants and individual donations. The only differ=
ence would be that people would donate directly to the UCIMC and the UCIMC w=
ould earmark these donations for the global network. 3. We set up a pa=
ypal account on our own website -- it hasn't brought in many donations, but =
it also doesn't cost us anything either, so I'm all for it. I hope tha=
t this would be different for the global IMC, but most of our donations have=
been sent in the old snail-mail way. I like the idea of having one pa=
ypal account for the entire network where people could choose how they want =
their donations to be spent. The problem we had may be due to a reluct=
ance to highlight this donate feature on our website -- which would point to=
the need to actively pursue donors for this option. If folks want to =
see how ours looks go to http://urbana.indymedia.org/active/news/donate.php3=
4. We've been raising a good deal of money for a local IMC (>$2000=
/month), and have developed a fairly extensive fundraising plan that we've p=
ut into effect, a long-range "business plan," and a transition pla=
n that we hope will maintain the UCIMC's income sources and diversify where =
our funding comes from. We've also recently begun applying for grants =
to fund various aspects of the UCIMC. I'd be happy to share any of thi=
s information that would be helpful for folks.<BR>
<BR>
As for ways to start dispersing money, we began with the same problem at th=
e UCIMC. Our solution was to create a multiple-level process for spend=
ing depending on the nature of the expense. Our treasurer is empowered=
to pay the mission-critical bills (rent, utilities, networking costs, etc.)=
. The treasurer can also pay small out of pocket expenses up to $100 -=
- this ensures that we don't have to spend our time discussing and approving=
every small expenditure. However, the treasurer is also part of the U=
CIMC's fundraising working group (one of seven currently at the UCIMC). &nbs=
p;Each working group has its own budget and each decides how to spend it. &n=
bsp;This structure makes sure both that the treasurer is working with a grou=
p of interested members instead of unilaterally (e.g. the treasurer keeps th=
e fundraising committee informed about expenses paid) and that each segment =
of the UCIMC is empowered to spend money as they deem most important. =
Finally, the UCIMC has a steering committee. One can think of this gro=
up as the "hub" of the organization where each working group has t=
wo "spokes" and all members are encouraged to attend. The st=
eering committee makes decisions about expenses that affect more than one ar=
ea of the UCIMC (e.g. when we decided to network the UCIMC with ethernet, au=
dio, and video wiring). We've defined quorum for decisions as each wor=
king group having at least one spoke at the meeting, which ensures that at l=
east one representative from each area of the UCIMC has input into these dec=
isions. We've found this process to work incredibly well for everyone =
concerned and it would be fairly easy to mirror at the global level.<BR>
<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE>8. what about setting up the IMC foundation rather than d=
ifferent imcs<BR>
getting nonprofit status? money funnels through this org that is<BR>
responsible to the global spokescouncil?<BR>
</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
While I think the Global IMC should definitely apply for non-profit status,=
I also think it is in each local IMC's best interest to also be their own o=
rganization. I'm a big believer in decentralization of authority and w=
ould hate to see a Pacifica-type situation occur years down the line. =
I think that if each Pacifica station were its own entity, their network wou=
ldn't have run into the trouble it's faced recently.<BR>
<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE>3. SCHOLARSHIPS/STIPENDS<BR>
</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
I like this idea a lot -- but perhaps that's because I'm also a PhD student=
?<BR>
<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE>4. IMC GLOBAL GRANTWRITING GROUP<BR>
</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
I'd be interested in any templates Seattle or others have, and can make inf=
ormation we've created available also. One thing I would like to see i=
s our grantwriters paid for their activities. We've been thinking a lo=
t about this locally, but to me it makes sense to give grantwriters a commis=
sion of the grants they raise (perhaps with a cutoff for those larger grants=
). This would cost the network nothing up front and would encourage gr=
antwriting.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for reading,<BR>
<BR>
--Sascha Meinrath<BR>
Urbana-Champaign IMC <BR>
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