Midwest Association of Housing Cooperative. Board Candidates

Transcription

1 Midwest Assciatin f Husing Cperative Bard Candidates

2 Our Missin Statement T supprt and champin the cause f quality husing thrugh educatin, legislative actins, partnership, and advcacy fr husing cperatives. Legal Requirements fr Bards f Directrs Many peple wnder why rganizatins are structured t include bards. The answers are bth practical and legal. A bard prvides ne part f a system f checks and balances. An rganizatin annunces its intentin t be verseen by an independent bdy when it incrprates. In essence, the bard "wns" the rganizatin and can be held legally accuntable fr all rganizatinal actins. The bard is respnsible fr develping plicy and prviding directin t the executive directr and/r ffice manager. As the gverning bdy, the bard ensures that the rganizatin is acting within the parameters set by the articles f incrpratin and the bylaws. The plicies develped by the bard are as legally binding as the articles and bylaws. Bard members ften carry extra insurance purchased thrugh the rganizatin t prtect them frm unfreseen legal prblems. What Skills Des Yur Bard Need? The jbs f a nnprfit bard f directrs include: Prviding lng-term planning assistance and prgram versight, and develping rganizatinal plicy Mnitring the fiscal and legal health f the rganizatin Raising funds Assisting with marketing and public relatins Selecting and evaluating the Staff. Develping persnnel plicies

3 Bards f Directrs' Respnsibilities MAHC Bard f directrs has a number f respnsibilities t the rganizatin they serve. These respnsibilities may include the fllwing. Visin and Planning. The bard wrks with the executive directr and/r ffice manager, and pssibly ther staff, t create a visin and missin fr the rganizatin, as well as setting a plan fr its future. Plans are reviewed regularly and altered when needed. Develpment f Plicy. A majr task f the bard is the develpment f rganizatinal plicy. With plicy in place, the staff is free t pursue the gals f the rganizatin and t prvide service t its Members. Supervisin f the Executive Directrand/r Office Manager. Mst bards search fr, hire, and evaluate the executive f the rganizatin. Beynd thse tasks, it is the jb f the bard t supprt the executive directr and/r ffice manager in her/his wrk fr the rganizatin. Funding Leadership. Organizatins may assume it is the jb f the executive directr and/r ffice manager t raise funds. It is actually the jint task f the bard and the executive t raise the funds necessary t supprt the rganizatin. Financial Oversight. Respnsibility fr budget versight balances the respnsibility f raising funds. Bards ffer an impartial bdy that can review the rganizatin's expenditures and incme frm mnth t mnth, as well as presiding ver annual audits. Self-Assessment. Bards need t cnduct self-critiques t determine their effectiveness. A yearly review f activities and functins is useful. Planning and Implementing Public Relatins. As cmmunity members, the bard is the ideal bdy t create and carry ut a strategy fr ensuring that the rganizatin is visible t and is viewed favrably by the cmmunity it serves. Fulfilling all f these respnsibilities is a time-cnsuming prcess. Bard members must nt nly have a cmmitment t the rganizatinal values and gals, but must als have the time and energy necessary t effectively lead the rganizatin. An active, well fcused bard can help ensure the success and lng-term stability f the MAHC rganizatin.

4 A sample list f an individual bard member's respnsibilities fllws: Attend regularly scheduled bard meetings Review minutes and stay well-infrmed regarding the rganizatin's fiscal and prgram wrk Participate in setting verall plicy and prgram versight Participate in the perfrmance evaluatin f the executive directr and/r ffice manager Participate actively n at least ne cmmittee f the rganizatin Actively raise funds fr the rganizatin by direct cntact with current and prspective dnrs, including persnal friends and clleagues, with assistance frm staff Actively participate, nce a year, in an annual planning retreat Cntribute annually frm persnal resurces t the extent f capacity Speak n behalf f MAHC t the cmmunity Avid cnflicts f interests Being a bard member means mre than just shwing up at meetings; it invlves being well- infrmed and asking difficult questins, participating in planning and plicy making, ensuring a sund financial fting, and mnitring and evaluating the management and gvernance f the rganizatin Meeting Dates July September 13 14, 2019 Nvember 9, 2019 February

5 Histry f MAHC First Meetings 1963 Cadillac Htel, Detrit, Michigan 13 r 14 peple frm that many Cperatives met t be heard. Many cperatives had nt reached endrsement stage but had many unanswered questins. Decided n frmal rganizatin, but established Newsletter with D's and Dn t's f running the day-t-day peratin within the husing cperative. First Cnference 1963, Cb Hall, Detrit, Michigan. Tw meetings held and the suggestin fr a frmal rganizatin came frth -- MAHC --the Michigan Assciatin f Husing Cperatives. Overwhelming respnse by cperatrs t create a frmal rganizatin t represent peple. MAHC the early years In early 1964, the Fundatin fr Cperative Husing, FCH, became invlved in the Michigan Assciatin f Husing Cperatives. The Michigan Assciatin had little difficulty securing and maintaining a membership since FCH wuld build Assciatin dues directly int new cperative's initial budgets. The first few years were dminated by FCH invlvement; in 1971 the situatin was changed thrugh the effrts f varius c-p bards. An active campaign resulted in the majrity f the bard becming husing cperatrs. MAHC Changes its name In 1973, the Assciatin bradened its scpe and changed its name t the Midwest Assciatin f Husing Cperatives when Eden Green Cperative frm Chicag, Illinis jined the rganizatin. The Bard f Directrs f the Midwest Assciatin f Husing cperatrs was made up f 15 husing cperatrs r 12 husing cperatives with 3 prfessinal r individual psitins. MAHC as a leader in educatin and resurce center In April 1974, MAHC leaders' went t Washingtn, D.C. t take part in the Natinal Cnference On Cperative Husing, which was develped by the U.S. Department f Husing and Urban Develpment (HUD), and the Natinal Assciatin f Husing-Cperatives (NAHC), and the Organizatin fr Applied Science in Sciety (OASIS). The meeting encuraged all prgrams in cperative husing t present a slate f current prblems fr pssible prblem slving and slutin. Fr three years f Frd Fundatin funding fr the develpment f MAHC as an educatin and resurce center fr husing cperatives.

6 With the assistance f the Frd Fundatin, HUD supplemented the first-year funding n a cntract basis. T accmplish the wrk called fr in the cntract, MAHC established task frces: handbk, discunt purchasing, training, and management evaluatin. The grups met regularly and cmpleted the prjects cntracted fr n schedule. Frm this year f wrk develped: First draft f the handbk. A reprt n items and services which culd be used in a centralized purchasing system. A curse in financial management fr cperatives. A curse in evaluating the management f a cperative. A curse n understanding management cntracts. In 1975, the Assciatin had held mini-seminars in Ohi and Indiana fr purpses f assisting thse husing cperatives with their prblems. MAHC has published a quarterly Newsletter since Frm the President I urge every Bard Member t assist the thers whenever necessary r pssible. Part f yur respnsibilities t this rganizatin is t teach and mentr the value f team wrk. Just because yu may nt be assigned t a cmmittee yu shuld try t attend as many cmmittee meetings as pssible as the directin and wrk f MAHC is dne at the cmmittee meetings. All Bard Members will write at least ne article fr the newsletter. As always, I am available by telephne and at every Bard Meeting. I lk frward t cnversing with any member requiring my attentin.