Operating Guidelines
The Fox Cities Project Promise
Poverty Coalition
ARTICLE I: Name
The name of this coalition
shall be The Fox Cities Project Promise Poverty Coalition.
ARTICLE II: Purpose
Mission: To engage our community in the elimination of
poverty
Purpose:
Project Promise will
work to eliminate poverty by building awareness of the causes and conditions of
poverty in the Fox Cities, by educating the community about the impact and
complexity of poverty, and by facilitating collaborative action. Project
Promise will be a cooperative effort of providers, supporters of social
services, businesses, community members and all others who seek to advocate for
the needs of people living in poverty in the Fox Cities. It is not itself
a provider or funder of direct services to the poor. Project Promise will
work to accomplish its goal by using the following three strategies: Information
& Analysis, Awareness & Education, and Action & Impact.
Project Promise
poverty definition: In economic
terms, poverty can be defined as a lack of income or resources to meet the
basic needs of life. More broadly, it can be seen as a lack of
opportunities, access, assets, or means to meet physical needs, participate
fully in the life of oneÕs community, or strive to fulfill oneÕs potential and
sense of purpose.
ARTICLE III:
Membership
Membership
in the coalition shall be open to organizations, businesses and individuals
that support the mission to engage our community in the elimination of poverty.
Dues
and other requirements of membership shall be set by the Steering Committee.
Members
will have voting privileges at all meetings of the members. Each member
organization shall register with the secretary and designate its single voting
representative, who shall cast its vote on all matters coming before the
membership.
ARTICLE IV: Meetings
The members shall meet at
least quarterly.
An annual meeting of
the members shall be held for the purpose of selecting officers and for the transaction
of such other business as may come before the meeting.
Special meetings of the
members may be called by the chairperson, the Steering Committee, or not less
than one-tenth of the members having voting rights.
Notice of any meeting
of members shall be delivered to each member at least three days before the
date of such meeting. In case of a special meeting, the purposes for which the
meeting is called shall be stated in the notice.
ARTICLE V: Steering
Committee
The affairs of the coalition
shall be governed by Steering Committee members. The Steering Committee shall
meet monthly and may provide the time and place for holding regular meetings
without other notice. Special meetings of the Steering Committee may be
called by the chairperson or any two officers. Notice of any special
meeting of the committee shall be given at least two days previous to the
meeting date.
1. Composition of
the Steering Committee
The Steering Committee
shall consist of no less than five (5) and no more than 15 members. Members of the Steering Committee shall
be elected at the annual meeting of the members and shall serve three-year
terms beginning at the annual meeting in which the members are elected. Terms
of members shall be staggered so that approximately one-third are elected each
year.
Members of the Steering
Committee may be re-elected for not more than three consecutive full
terms. If a member does not complete his or her term the Chairperson(s)
may appoint a replacement member to serve the remainder of that personÕs term.
2. Quorum:
The majority of the
committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any
meeting of the Steering Committee.
3. Duties of the Steering
Committee
The Steering Committee
is responsible for the overall policy and direction of the Poverty
Coalition. Some responsibilities may be delegated to the membership at
large.
ARTICLE VI: Officers
1. Officers
The officers of the
coalition shall be a chairperson or co-chairpersons, a vice-chairperson, a
secretary and a treasurer elected by the Membership. The immediate past
chairperson shall also be an officer. The Membership may also elect or appoint
such other officers as it shall deem desirable, such officers to have the
authority and perform the duties prescribed, from time to time, by the Steering
Committee.
2. Election of
Officers
The officers shall be
elected to serve two-year terms by the membership at the regular annual
meeting. Each officer shall hold office until his/her successor has been duly
elected and qualified. New offices may be created at any meeting of the Steering
Committee and filled by a vote of the membership.
Any officers elected or
appointed by the members may be removed by the Steering Committee whenever, in
its judgment, the best interests of the coalition would be served.
3. Duties of
Officers
The officers shall have
such powers and shall perform such duties as may be specified in resolutions or
other directives of the Steering Committee. In the absence of such
specifications, each officer shall have the powers and authority and shall
perform and discharge the duties of officers of the same title serving in
non-profit organizations having the same or similar general purposes and
objectives as this coalition.
ARTICLE VII:
Committees
Nominating Committee: A
nominating committee shall be appointed by the Chairperson(s). It is the duty
of this committee to prepare a slate for elections of officers and Steering
Committee members.
Other committees as
deemed appropriate to carry out the mission of the coalition.
ARTICLE VIII:
Financial Transactions
All checks, drafts or
orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness
issued in the name of the coalition, shall be signed by such officer or
officers or agent or agents of the coalition, and in such manner as shall from
time to time be determined by resolution of the Steering Committee. In the
absence of such determination, such instruments shall be signed by the
treasurer or the Chairperson(s) of the coalition.
All funds of the coalition
shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the coalition in such
bank, trust companies, or other depositories as the Steering Committee may
select.
ARTICLE IX: Books
and Records
The Coalition shall
keep correct and complete books and records of account, and shall also keep
minutes of the proceedings of meetings of its members, Steering Committee,
committees having and exercising any of the authority of the Steering Committee,
and shall keep a record giving the names and addresses of the members entitled
to vote. All books and records of the coalition may be inspected by any
members, or his agent or attorney, for any proper purpose at any reasonable
time.
ARTICLE X: Fiscal
Year
The fiscal year of the coalition
shall begin on the 1st day of January in each year and end at midnight on the
31st day of December of that year.
ARTICLE XI:
Indemnification of Directors and Officers
(a.) Each person who
was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in
any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative (Òproceeding"), by reason of the fact that he or she, is or
was a member or officer of Fox Valley Project Promise Poverty Coalition, shall
be indemnified and held harmless by the coalition to the fullest extent
authorized by Wisconsin corporation law (Chapter 181, Wisconsin Statutes) as
the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but in case of any such amendment
only to the extent that such amendment permits the coalition to provide broader
indemnification rights than the law permitted prior to such amendment) against
all expenses, liability and loss (including attorney's fees, judgments, fines,
excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement)
reasonably incurred or suffered by such person in connection therewith; provided,
however, that the coalition shall indemnify any such person seeking
indemnity in connection with an action, suit of proceeding (or part thereof)
initiated by such person only if such action, suit or proceeding (or part
thereof) was authorized by the board of directors. The right to indemnification
shall include the right to be paid by the coalition expenses incurred in
defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided,
however, that the payment of such expenses incurred by a member or officer
in his or her capacity as a member or officer in advance of the final
disposition of such proceeding shall be made only upon delivery to the
coalition of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such member or officer, to
repay all amounts so advanced if it should be determined ultimately that such
member or officer is not entitled to be indemnified under this article or
otherwise.
(b) The rights
conferred on any person by paragraph (a) shall not be exclusive of any other
right which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute or
otherwise.
(c) The coalition may
maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any members against
any such expense, liability or loss under the Wisconsin corporation law
(Chapter 181, Wisconsin Statutes).
ARTICLE XII.
Amendment of Operating Guidelines
These guidelines may be
altered, amended, or repealed, and new guidelines may be adopted by two-thirds
vote of the members present at any regular or special meeting if at least 30
days' written notice is given of intention to alter, amend or repeal or to
adopt guidelines at such meeting.
ARTICLE XIII.
Non-Discrimination
The coalition is
inclusive of everyone in the community.
These Operating
Guidelines were approved at a regular meeting of the Fox Valley Project Promise
Poverty Coalition, by a majority vote with a quorum being present on March 12,
2008.
Jennifer Wanke, Co-Chairperson
Debra
Cronmiller, Treasurer