BEBA Board Meeting
Notes, August 27, 2000
Present: Raymond
Castellino, President, Christie Barrack and Dorothy Adler.
Sandra Castellino was
also present to give a financial report and make recommendations. She took the
notes since Marla Van Stein, the secretary, was not able to attend.
Ray called the
meeting to order and gave out the agenda. He mentioned it was changed from the
agenda proposed for this meeting at the previous meeting because he felt there
was not enough time to do what was on the current agenda plus include a
discussion of the Los Olivos Clinic.
The minutes for the last meeting were passed out. There
were no additions or corrections.
Prop 10 update. Today BEBA received a letter from Pat
Wheatley at the Children and Families First Commission saying BEBA was not
being asked to continue the application process. A copy of the letter is
enclosed. Discussion ensued about why. The consensus was that the Commission
was going for programs that reached a large number of people and that our
clients didn't meet their requirements for a targeted group. Dorothy mentioned
that she thought a lot of money would be channeled to very poor families in the
North County. Dorothy suggested that someone call Pat Wheatley and Naomi
Schwartz and ask them for leads for other grantors. Later she volunteered to do
this. Ray said he felt that either he or Sandra should do this. [Ray did call
Pat Wheatley the next day.]
Dorothy commented
that she was glad we had gone through the grant process. That this was just a
beginning.
Financial report
and Sandra's job descriptions and pay scale. Board members brought to the meeting a packet that they had
received after the last board meeting. It is appended. Basically it outlined
Sandra's job descriptions and payment as contract labor on three different pay
scales ($15/hr for clinic coordinator; $20 for BEBA administrative director;
$25 as bookkeeper). Sandra gave a gist of the proposal verbally. Christie asked
how the figures were arrived at. Sandra explained she had done a salary search
through the Non-profit Support Center database for S California non-profits and
by calling all the non-profit counseling organizations in town. For
bookkeeping, additionally, she is familiar with pay scales knowing friends who
are bookkeepers. She explained that most of the figures in the salary search
were for salaried employees and since she was working contract, the pay was
higher per hour. She gave examples of how other non-profits do bookkeeping,
ranging from sending it out to a specialist organization to having volunteers.
Dorothy asked if Sandra thought BEBA could find someone with the same skills as
Sandra to do the various jobs, that is, was the pay adequate. Sandra said she
didn't think she was overcharging and was willing to work for that.
Sandra showed the
board the list (attached) of bills due, income expected showing that BEBA
didn't have money to pay all its bills. She recommended that all other bills be
paid, then money owed to Sandra or the Castellinos be paid as it comes it.
Christie said she thought BEBA was fortunate that Sandra was willing to work
for payment in the future. Then Christie moved, Dorothy seconded and the
board passed a motion that BEBA approve paying Sandra the three different rates
for 3 different job descriptions and that Sandra continue to do these jobs.
Sandra went over the
list of bills due and money in the account. She noted that some items the board
has agreed to pay for have not been calculated since there was never any money
to pay them. These include phone and space and printing cost for the
Castellinos. She said she would like to get these on paper but had been
focusing on Prop 10, bringing the books and record keeping up to date and now
needed to focus on taxes and a fundraising letter. Dorothy asked how much she
thought the amount might be. Sandra guessed at $2000. Dorothy asked what the
difference was between BEBA's bills and its funds. Sandra said it would be
about $4000. This does not include money for a new laptop which BEBA needs for
working at Anacapa. BEBA could use a PC or a MAC laptop if anyone knows one or more that someone
would be willing to donate. They have to be able to run Office 97 (PC) or
Office 98 (MAC).
Taxes Sandra said that the taxes for 1998 needed to
be amended and the 1999 taxes filed. She said she was planning to file for an
extension since the 1998 taxes would need to be amended before doing the 1999
taxes. The report is due May 15, extension is for 3 months after that. Sandra
proposed that she amend the taxes for 1998 and do the taxes for 1999 using the
Christensen and Drake 1998 taxes as a guideline, consulting with the IRS when
necessary. She said she was confident she could do it, having done her own taxes
for 30 years and worked as a tax preparer. She recommended that if the board
wanted an accountant to look at it, that BEBA find someone to look it over
after she did it pro bono. Part of the reasoning for this is that she charges
much less than an accountant and was willing to wait for payment. BEBA's tax
bill from an accountant for 1997 was $800. For 1998 it was $500. Ray mentioned
he had a friend who might be willing to do that. Christie said she thought that
it was preferable to run it by an accountant by didn't think BEBA needed to
require that. She said Sandra would have a vested interest in the results. Dorothy
moved, Christie seconded and the board passed a motion that Sandra do the taxes
and if possible run them by an accountant before filing them.
Sandra brought up the
proposal in the packet that had been handed out last month that the BEBA board
define what decisions it should make, leaving the rest to the executive
director so that every little decision didn't have to be run by the board. The
suggestions were to bring to the board any decision that
1. Was a new direction for
the organization (e.g. Moving to a larger space, sponsoring a separate clinic
or other organization)
2. Was potentially
controversial
3. Was over a certain amount
of money, to be decided by the board.
Sandra pointed out
that according to these guidelines, both the LO Clinic and the application for
Prop 10 should have been brought to the board well before they were started.
Discussion ensued.
Ray wanted to allow for phone, fax or email approval for certain expenses. It
was clarified that in looking for an amount not to go over, we were primarily
discussing capital expenditures such as computers or major expenses such as
preparing a large grant proposal. Ray mentioned the possibility doing phone
conferences. Sandra said that is very costly even if you have 3 way calling if
more than 3 people are on the line.
Ray moved and
Dorothy seconded and the board passed a motion that all decisions that are
either new directions or potentially controversial decisions should be brought
to the board at an in-person meeting and that expenditures over $750 should be
run by the board members either at a board meeting or individually or
collectively by phone, email or fax.
Sandra showed the
board the list of items in the packet that she had asked the board to look at.
Some were reminders that the board had already approved payment for items not
yet paid for. Some were requests. She noted that according to the motion just
passed, these decisions could be made by the BEBA staff. She and Christie noted
that it wasn't clear if Debby wanted to invoice BEBA for Tina's bookkeeping.
Fundraisers Dorothy asked for guidelines on what
activities BEBA would absolutely not want to be involved with for fundraising.
Ray said cold calls, anything serving alcohol or where there was smoking.
Dorothy mentioned
several major events that organizations do to raise money. The Birth Resource Center
has an annual American Doll event. Another organization invited a celebrity to
an event at someone's home.
Discussion ensued
about having teas, desserts and inviting potential donors. Christie said that
the presentation could be short since people were coming expecting to donate.
Dorothy said she has a friend who might host one, that her house is going
through remodeling. Christie said she didn't think it was appropriate for her
to host one in the valley since people from Santa Barbara wouldn't want to
drive there but she could help with something organized in Santa Barbara.
Dorothy made several
suggestions about donor letters. She said that a handwritten note at the bottom
of a form letter, especially from someone you know, is very helpful. When she
gets something like that, she is even more likely to donate. Sandra and Ray
suggested we start with people who are familiar with BEBA, have donated to it
or that one of the board members knows personally.
Discussion about
babies not having any money but grandparents do, "Grandparents for BEBA."
Christie mentioned
that grantors often want to encourage collaboration and she could see BEBA
collaborating with Debby's non-profit.
Ray said he had asked
Debby to resign from the BEBA board due to a conflict of interest. He read
Debby's letter of resignation and expressed appreciation. He said Debby has
been on the board since its inception, is highly competent to do the work, that
he was grateful for her contribution and sorry that it was working out that she
is stepping down. Dorothy also expressed appreciation for all that Debby had
contributed. Christie moved, Dorothy seconded and the board passed a motion
to accept Debby's resignation.
Ray said he was going
to be looking for new board members. He mentioned Isaac Dornbush, who works in
accounting, as someone he was hoping would agree to join the board. Dorothy
asked what other boards he is on. Ray said the Dyslexic Board.
Christie asked for
feedback about her being on the BEBA board since she is also going to be on the
board of the non-profit Debby is creating. Dorothy, Ray and Sandra all said
that we welcomed her contribution. Dorothy asked if she would help raise money
for BEBA and Christie said yes.
The next meeting
was set for 7-9 p.m. Thursday, June 1st. Dorothy cannot come June 8th. A
focus of the next meeting is to be getting the board's guidance on working out
financial arrangements with the LO clinic.
Ray updated the board
on the SB clinic. BEBA staff are seeing 7-10 families a week. All are working
as volunteers. He and Wendy have been seeing some of the original families
whose children are now 5 or 6.
He mentioned one
girl, almost 6, whose mom says, when she walks in a room, everyone looks
around. She makes easy contact with adults. She writes complete sentences.
He talked about a boy
who was hospitalized as an infant for months with botulism. He is a bout 5.
During his play at a recent BEBA follow-up session, he was constantly
challenging himself in healthy ways. With a barrel, first he crawled through
it, then went through it many different ways, then got on it, first lying on
it, then sitting, then standing on it, a tunnel that was moving and required
great balance to keep on top. He also made quality contact with his mom.
Christie, Dorothy and
Sandra are all planning to attend a class on fund-raising May 3rd.
They talked about brainstorming after that.
Dorothy said that
George Thurlow, publisher of the Independent, would accept any compelling
stories. She mentioned the Sunday Newspress which highlights a non-profit each
week. She suggested using the picture of Ray and a baby on the Castellino's
brochure and writing the copy plus asking to proof the copy if they edit it.
The meeting was
adjourned
Respectfully
submitted,
Sandra Castellino