FAIRBANKS YOUTH ADVOCATES
BOARD MEETING
August 15, 2013
5:00-7:00
Call to Order: 5:03
Roll Call: Present: Sarah Finnell, Brad Johnston, Barbara Tyndall, Patrick Endres, Kathryn Birch, Meryem Kugzruk, Marylee Bates, Rodney
Absent: Dave Miller
Opening Prayer: Barb Tyndall opened in prayer.
Sarah moved, Patrick seconded to approve the July minutes. Minutes approved unanimously.
Marylee Bates said that we need to sign a thank you note for Danny Bramer, who has officially resigned from the board. She will bring one to our next meeting.
The board reviewed the latest video for Fairbanks Youth Advocates. There is an audio mark that needs to be edited but board members liked the content. It is around three minutes long and cost $2400. A PSA, cut from the video, will be delivered tomorrow.
The ground breaking went well. The community was well represented by many agencies and departments. Board members said it was memorable and a great event. Patrick pointed out that our goal to bring in community partners and to be known in Fairbanks has come to pass. This was a 2015 goal. We will need to revisit goals eventually and set new ones.
Patrick brought a copy of the blueprints for members to preview. Marylee gave updates on changes and progress to the building.
Brad expressed a concern that we need more than eleven spaces in the future. He said we may need to keep the current shelter open for overflow. We are hiring a resource person to gather information and give us data on the kids. Meryrem asked how we would decide who would come to the shelter when we have so many out there. Marylee said they would be talking to Covenant House on how that happens. There needs to be some criteria set up for those decisions. Rodney said there is a vulnerability index that requires that we help the most vulnerable; not necessarily those who have the best chance for success.
Marylee reported that we have withdrawn our licensing application for First Presbyterian as a shelter. Some of the issues we could address; but many were too difficult. By the time we completed it, our shelter would be open. The staff are working on a newsletter which should be published soon. Alaska Mental Health Trust were asked to come and do training. They requested a letter of interest which will be provided. Marylee is interviewing seven people and hopes to hire several for positions. One employee, who was the 9-12 check-in person, has taken a bus driving job, so that slot is no longer filled. Fred Meyer asked us to apply for a recreation grant up to $15,000. Marylee has asked for appliances from several local businesses. John MacCheyne will give us a $3500 discount off the $18,000 for carpet.
Budget: Brad said problem with budget is that we are in transition. We went from one grant to another. Putting a budget together that doesn’t have to be amended often is difficult. Right now we are focusing on the grant money and requirements to finish The Door. We reviewed Brad’s Treasurer’s Report. There was discussion concerning the new house we recently purchased. Brad said we have funds for operating costs and enough to buy back items we lost due to the higher bid. He provided a narrative to explain specifics to the board. The report is available on our website.
Marylee created a spread sheet to show us Income and Expenses at a glance. She explained that we are getting many donations but this does not provide salaries. Brad said there is thrift shop software to determine value of donated clothing. Rodney provided some expertise about reporting donations. The Rescue Mission goes by weight, not the price of individual items. There was a discussion about what to tell people when they ask about our funding. We used grants to get going, but we need to be donor-funded and that is the message we want to get out. At the present time two more positions are needed for staffing The Door that are not funded. The cost for that is $52,726.00. Brad said we should review and approve a budget by the end of 2013 for 2014. How much do we need to finish our building? We have a new agreement from the city to sign. The amount changed from $720,000 to $847,000. We are required to match 25% of this ($211,000). We can subtract $169,000 for value of the property. Our campaign to raise money should also include our note for $159,500. The buy back includes $18,000 carpet, $15,000 for appliances, $18,250 for cabinets (casework),and $8,000 for landscaping, Dave’s time is also included. Brad explained that trying to raise money to pay down debt is difficult. Folks would rather buy a specific item. Patrick said we need to present our needs in a very specific way to open The Door. It is time to launch a campaign to raise funds. Brad said we could include a total of everything we need and add the fact that we still owe money on the building. In addition, we have unfunded staff positions that we need to cover.
Open the Door Campaign—Brad suggested we launch a capital campaign to get the physical door open. The goal is to bring in donors on a regular basis to support the day-to-day expenses. Marylee suggested we skim off some of the unstipulated money to pay down the debt every quarter. Brad said this also provides a buffer for us. We have in-cash reserve for the buy-back. We need a newsletter and a PSA for radio and TV to launch Open the Door. Patrick made a motion that we move this discussion to a subcommittee; Sarah seconded. Approved unanimously. Patrick asked how long will we advertise and how much do we want to spend? Sarah moved that we allot up to $10,000 to commit toward PSA’s. Meryrem seconded. Approved unanimously. Brad said we now have $10,000 for our advertising budget. Rodney suggested going to TV stations and asking for a value package. It is usually better for non-profits.
Barb is going to put a summary of One Homeless Night plans on the Blog.
We will discuss adding new board members on line. Sarah will initiate a post and we will keep the discussion moving.
Next FYS meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September17 from 5-7.
Meeting adjourned at 7:03.
Respectfully submitted, Barbara Tyndall
Seems accurate- thank you Barb!