Bylaws Committee
Clearinghouse Committee
Coordinating Committee
Finance Committee
Media Committee
Platform Committee
Campaigns & Candidates Working Group (no annual report or work plan submitted)
Green Issues Working Group (no annual report or work plan submitted)
Grassroots Organizing Working Group (no annual report or work plan submitted)
Bylaws Committee FY2012-2013 Annual Report and FY2013-2014 Work Plan
FY2013-2014 Annual Report - Summarize your work plan and budget for the 2012-2013 Fiscal Year and what parts of your work plan were accomplished or expect to be accomplished and budget items that were used or are expected to be used by the end of the Fiscal Year. For current FY work plan and budget items that will not be accomplished and spent by the end of the FY, provide a brief explanation for each.
Parts of work plan accomplished:
Proposal to establish SGA - yes, presented to San Francisco General Assembly, May 2012
Proposal to revise how Coordinating Committee is elected, yes - presented to San Francisco General Assembly, May 2012
Review where existing bylaws reflect the practices from early to mid 1990s when the GPCA only met in person at state meetings and didn't utilize emails and teleconferences like it does today, and update the bylaws to reflect current practice - yes, presented to San Francisco General Assembly, May 2012
Review existing bylaws for ambiguity and/or lack of clarity - yes, presented to San Francisco General Assembly, May 2012
Create more anchor links in the current bylaws on the web site - yes
Parts of work plan not accomplished:
Review the question of numbering vs. lettering for different GPCA rules documents - did not occur
Digitize and posting copies of GPCA Bylaws from 1991 and 1992 to the GPCA web site - did not occur
FY2013-2014 Work Plan: Describe the activities and events that are expected to be accomplished in the upcoming Fiscal Year. For each item requiring GPCA funding, provide the funding request and explain how the funding request was calculated.
The work plan will consist of
- Digitize and post copies of GPCA Bylaws from 1991 and 1992 to the GPCA web site
- Review the question of numbering vs. lettering for different GPCA rules documents
- Review question of Working Group membership; request General Assembly discussion time at June General Assembly and/or Winter 2013/2014 General Assembly.
Traditionally, GPCA Bylaws have been read that attending a Working Group meeting has meant attending a face-to-face meeting of the Working Group, occurring at a GPCA General Assembly or Gathering, not participating in a working group teleconference. This is because the bylaws were written in the 1990s when that is when Working Groups mostly met. Teleconferences were not common in the party's earlier years.
But today they are, and there is no clarity about whether they qualify and if so, in what quantity is necessary? This is particularly important given that Working Groups may have budget allocations and make recommendations on hiring independent contractors and staff. In addition to recognizing that much working group business gets done by teleconferences, there also needs to be protection against people using the ease of simply calling into a teleconference, to be able to stack a working group teleconference and vote when it involves allocating party resources.
This agenda item, to last not more than 20 minutes, with a short presentation, would be there to receive initial input from members on whether participation in teleconferences should qualify, in what quantity and whether there are any other criteria to be considered.
Clearinghouse Committee FY2012-2013 Annual Report and FY 2013-2014 Work Plan
FY2012-2013 Annual Report - Summarize your work plan and budget for the 2012-2013 Fiscal Year and what parts of your work plan were accomplished or expect to be accomplished and budget items that were used or are expected to be used by the end of the Fiscal Year. For current FY work plan and budget items that will not be accomplished and spent by the end of the FY, provide a brief explanation for each.
- The Clearinghouse Committee successfully identified and established a physical GPCA clearinghouse in Sacramento, that would store and ship merchandise and materials and take responsibility for responding to phone calls to the GPCA's official statewide contact voice mail, beginning in October 2012. The $700 allocated for this purpose in the FY2012-2013 budget went to pay for the use of that space. The Clearinghouse Committee also successfully consolidated and inventoried existing GPCA merchandise held by individuals at remote sites into the Sacramento clearinghouse.
However the goal of a formal MOU to govern these operations has not yet been realized.
- The Clearinghouse Committee worked with the Finance Committee to successfully establish a new GPCA PO Box to Sacramento and establish for routing correspondence and checks with the GPCA Treasurer. If so, establish a GPCA PO Box in Sacramento, served by the clearinghouse personnel. The GPCA web site has been updated to reflect the new PO Box. The Clearinghouse Committee has worked with the GPCA Liaison to the Secretary of State to ensure that office has the correct contact information for the GPCA.
- The Clearinghouse Committee successfully worked with GPCA IT to develop a new GPCA merchandise page on the GPCA Nationbuilder site.
- The Clearinghouse Committee successfully sold the remaining inventory of GPCA t-shirts. However an anticipated poll among party members to choose a new design for the next party t-shirt failed for a lack of technical expertise to create such a polling page on Nationbuilder. An IT member surfaced late in the FY who has these skills, but too late for when the project was intended. Thus the merchandising allocation (and any income from it) did not materialize in FY2012-2013.
- As there was no pressing need, the Clearinghouse Committee did not explore adding individual mailboxes on the state voice mail system for GPCA staff, press officers, spokespersons.
FY2013-2014 Work Plan - Describe the activities and events that are expected to be accomplished in the upcoming Fiscal Year. For each item requiring GPCA funding, provide the funding request and explain how the funding request was calculated.
- Respond to Incoming Communication
Read/listen to all incoming communications and answers, ignores or forwards it to the county contacts, Co-Chairs, CC or committees, as appropriate.
Voicemail online, check daily (Voicemail and some return phone calls, costs approximately $50/month, or $600/yr)
Check Email daily
Check Postal Mail 3-4 times a week
(PO Box: The PO Box is $60 year. It was established on February, 4, 2013 so it will need to be renewed in January 2014 for another year at $60.)
Keeps county/local contact current.
Keeps track that incoming potential volunteers are being contacted by their county council.
Maintains database of incoming new contact addresses to facilitate later tracking, followup and fundraising.
Reports monthly on number of emails, voicemails, and postal mail that came in to CH Com.
- Merchandise ($1500)
Develop new merchandise - tshirts, hats, tote bags, buttons, bookmarks. Continue to incorporate eco-friendly, pro-labor principles in choice of vendors and content of product ($1500)
Fulfill and invoice orders.
Obtaining a seller's permit and charging sales tax on our new online store.
Keep track of merchandise inventory on and off-site and places orders, as needed.
Coordinate with Web Master to facilitate Online Merchandise Orders.
Maintains data base of transactions.
Report monthly on number and value items sold, money collected, and outstanding liabilities.
- Party Resources ($250)
Print, distribute state party brochure
- General Office Maintenance ($1600)
Reorder merchandise
Purchase mailing supplies,
Purchase postage ($400).
Maintain inventory merchandise
Maintains and documents petty cash supply. Reports monthly on use.
(Clearinghouse: A monthly payment of $100 goes towards renting storage and operational clearinghouse space in Sacramento.)
Coordinating Committee FY2012-2013 Annual Report and FY 2013-2014 Work Plan
FY2012-2013 Annual Report - Summarize your work plan and budget for the 2012-2013 Fiscal Year and what parts of your work plan were accomplished or expect to be accomplished and budget items that were used or are expected to be used by the end of the Fiscal Year. For current FY work plan and budget items that will not be accomplished and spent by the end of the FY, provide a brief explanation for each.
- The Clearinghouse Committee successfully identified and established a physical GPCA clearinghouse in Sacramento, that would store and ship merchandise and materials and take responsibility for responding to phone calls to the GPCA's official statewide contact voice mail, beginning in October 2012. The $700 allocated for this purpose in the FY2012-2013 budget went to pay for the use of that space. The Clearinghouse Committee also successfully consolidated and inventoried existing GPCA merchandise held by individuals at remote sites into the Sacramento clearinghouse.
However the goal of a formal MOU to govern these operations has not yet been realized.
- The Clearinghouse Committee worked with the Finance Committee to successfully establish a new GPCA PO Box to Sacramento and establish for routing correspondence and checks with the GPCA Treasurer. If so, establish a GPCA PO Box in Sacramento, served by the clearinghouse personnel. The GPCA web site has been updated to reflect the new PO Box. The Clearinghouse Committee has worked with the GPCA Liaison to the Secretary of State to ensure that office has the correct contact information for the GPCA.
- The Clearinghouse Committee successfully worked with GPCA IT to develop a new GPCA merchandise page on the GPCA Nationbuilder site.
- The Clearinghouse Committee successfully sold the remaining inventory of GPCA t-shirts. However an anticipated poll among party members to choose a new design for the next party t-shirt failed for a lack of technical expertise to create such a polling page on Nationbuilder. An IT member surfaced late in the FY who has these skills, but too late for when the project was intended. Thus the merchandising allocation (and any income from it) did not materialize in FY2012-2013.
- As there was no pressing need, the Clearinghouse Committee did not explore adding individual mailboxes on the state voice mail system for GPCA staff, press officers, spokespersons.
FY2013-2014 Work Plan - Describe the activities and events that are expected to be accomplished in the upcoming Fiscal Year. For each item requiring GPCA funding, provide the funding request and explain how the funding request was calculated.
- Respond to Incoming Communication
Read/listen to all incoming communications and answers, ignores or forwards it to the county contacts, Co-Chairs, CC or committees, as appropriate.
Voicemail online, check daily (Voicemail and some return phone calls, costs approximately $50/month, or $600/yr)
Check Email daily
Check Postal Mail 3-4 times a week
(PO Box: The PO Box is $60 year. It was established on February, 4, 2013 so it will need to be renewed in January 2014 for another year at $60.)
Keeps county/local contact current.
Keeps track that incoming potential volunteers are being contacted by their county council.
Maintains database of incoming new contact addresses to facilitate later tracking, followup and fundraising.
Reports monthly on number of emails, voicemails, and postal mail that came in to CH Com.
- Merchandise ($1500)
Develop new merchandise - tshirts, hats, tote bags, buttons, bookmarks. Continue to incorporate eco-friendly, pro-labor principles in choice of vendors and content of product ($1500)
Fulfill and invoice orders.
Obtaining a seller's permit and charging sales tax on our new online store.
Keep track of merchandise inventory on and off-site and places orders, as needed.
Coordinate with Web Master to facilitate Online Merchandise Orders.
Maintains data base of transactions.
Report monthly on number and value items sold, money collected, and outstanding liabilities.
- Party Resources ($250)
Print, distribute state party brochure
- General Office Maintenance ($1600)
Reorder merchandise
Purchase mailing supplies,
Purchase postage ($400).
Maintain inventory merchandise
Maintains and documents petty cash supply. Reports monthly on use.
(Clearinghouse: A monthly payment of $100 goes towards renting storage and operational clearinghouse space in Sacramento.)
Finance Committee FY2012-2013 Annual Report and FY 2013-2014 Work Plan
FY2012-2013 Annual Report - Summarize your work plan and budget for the 2012-2013 Fiscal Year and what parts of your work plan were accomplished or expect to be accomplished and budget items that were used or are expected to be used by the end of the Fiscal Year. For current FY work plan and budget items that will not be accomplished and spent by the end of the FY, provide a brief explanation for each.
The following is the FY 2012-13 budget request work plan which was not followed because several things did not happen as planned:
- no fundraiser candidate was hired for the position;
- no fundraising letters were sent out in the first 9 months of the fiscal year because the committee was understaffed and no fundraiser was hired.
$71,087.50 Income
$52,753.00 Expenses
----------------
$18,334.50 Net Profit
Overview of May 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013
Projected income = $75,062
Projected expenses = $53,575
Projected net = $21,488
Assumptions
Hiring a fundraiser to work 15 hours per week.
Direct mail expenses are 70 cents per piece.
Resolication success rate is 5%.
Resolicitation average contribution is $33.
Prospect success rate is 2%.
Prospect average contribution is $30.
Average event contribution is $15.
Average online contribution is $10.
Net tshirt income is $5/tshirt.
Net bumper sticker income is $1/bumper sticker.
Net button income is $.50/button.
GPCA pays someone $1,500/month for fundraising work.
Hire fundraiser to work 15 hours per week.
The fundraiser shall:
(1) Draft all solicitations in conjunction with the finance committee.
(2) Recruit, train and mobilize fundraising volunteers who are willing to make fundraising phone calls.
(3) Make 200 fundraising calls per month.
(4) Organize GPCA fundraising events in conjunction with the General Assembly hosts.
(5) Recruit GPCA house party hosts. Mobilize and train them.
(6) Design and promote creative online fundraising campaigns on the GPCA website and social network pages.
(7) Work with Clearinghouse Committee to design, create and sell merchandise.
Resolicitation mailings
Tactics
(1) Write and send quarterly donor re-solicitation letters.
(2) If possible, target ask amounts to highest previous gift and personalize letters.
Prospect mailings
Tactics
(1) Write and send quarterly donor prospect letter to 5,000 prospects.
(2) Build prospect pool from new registered Greens, Greens who have given to our candidates and Green Party volunteers.
Personal solicitations
Tactics
(1) Conduct phone and in-person meetings with all major donors.
(2) Re-solicit all major donors by phone or in-person.
(3) Ask all major donors to identify new major donor prospects.
(4) Conduct phone and in-person meetings with GPCA Greens who can help identify new major donor prospects.
(5) Develop “Why donate?” flyer for major donors.
Fundraising events
Tactics
(1) Establish annual Northern CA fundraising event for GPCA during General Assembly weekend
(2) Establish annual Southern CA fundraising event for GPCA during General Assembly weekend
(3) Create annual house party program during the week of Earth Day
Online fundraising
Tactics
(1) Develop quarterly email solicitations.
(2) Develop online fundraising web pages.
(3) Design and publish online fundraising campaigns on GPCA social networks.
Merchandising
Tactics
(1) Design and sell GPCA button.
(2) Design and sell GPCA sticker.
(3) Design and sell GPCA t-shirt.
3. Work Plan: Describe the activities and events that are expected to be accomplished in the upcoming Fiscal Year -- currently July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 For each item requiring GPCA funding, provide the funding request and explain how the funding request was calculated.
The Finance Committee hopes to do more advertising and outreach to identify more qualified candidates for the fundraiser position so that someone can be hired near the beginning of the next fiscal year. We also expect to have developed a mailing list for resolicitation and prospect mailings so we can begin regular fundraising mailings in the next fiscal year.
See section 2 above for details of previous fiscal year plan which was not accomplished because a fundraiser was not hired. it is expected that with further outreach a suitable candidate can be found so that the position can be filled soon after the start of the 2013-2014 fiscal year and that will enable us to attain the results contemplated in the last budget.
It is expected that once a fundraiser is hired we will start quarterly mailings for resolicitations and new prospects that will be in line with the projections of the last budget.
Information Technology Committee FY2013-2014 Annual Report and Work Plan:
2. Summarize your work plan and budget for the 2012-2013 Fiscal Yea and what parts of your work plan were accomplished or expect to be accomplished and budget items that were used or are expected to be used by the end of the Fiscal Year. For current FY work plan and budget items that will not be accomplished and spent by the end of the FY2012-2013, provide a brief explanation for each.
However, many ongoing tasks such as web site and email list maintenance were performed during this year, as well as the long-awaited the adaptation of the GPUS voting page code to create a GPCA version used by the Standing General Assembly
3. Work Plan: Describe the activities and events that are expected to be accomplished in the upcoming Fiscal Year. For each item requiring GPCA funding, provide the funding request and explain how the funding request was calculated.
- Contract with independent contractor Godmoma's Forge (www.godmomasforge.com, Thomas Leavitt) to host
www.cagreens.org; work with him when service issues arise ($660); establish separate backup capability, where development work can be done
- Create email lists as needed by GPCA committees, working groups and county organizations.
- Provide access to county parties on cagreens.org to update their sites, where they are hosted on cagreens.org
- Provide technical support for the Standing General Assembly voting page
- Expand the types of content types in the GPCA's Drupal CMS to provide greater flexibility and function
- Develop capability to implement the security and access provisions in the GPCA Information Technology Protocol (
http://www.cagreens.org/it-protocol), including to create a plan for segmenting cagreens.org to allow counties, committees, working groups to post to their own sections, but not the rest of the site.
- Gain admin access to wiki.cagreens.org and begin process of providing for its use by GPCA committees, working groups and county organizations
- Contract on an as-needed basis to provide technical consulting/ services that can not be performed by the Information Technology Committee ($500)
- Contract with Nationbuilder ($2211.60) and provide technical support for GPCA use of Nationbuilder, which the GPCA uses as a voter registration (and other contact) data base, for mass email blasts, to take registrations at events, to sell merchandise and other such functions)
4. Budget Proposals: Provide a summary of budget proposals by separate line items including a summary name for the budget line and the amount being requested. Each proposed budget line item should be explained in the Work Plan so that the Budget Committee and Finance Committee members can understand how the activity or event relates to the responsibilities of the SC/WG/Delegation and how the budget request was calculated.
Budget lines for Nationbuilder previously listed under Finance for IT-related expenses are going to be moved to an IT budget line starting in FY2013-2014, in order to reflect the new Standing Committee status of the IT Committee as of January 2013. IT-related expenses approved in the final FY2012-2013 budget (
http://www.cagreens.org/finance/internal/budget_fy2012-2013.pdf) were Nationbuilder ($3,318), Server Hosting ($770) and Server Backup ($280), for a total of $4,368.
The FY2013-2014 draft budget utilizes a 20% discount option from Nationbuilder and the fact that the party no longer contracts for a backup server to reduce the amount requested, even while adding a new budget line for technical consulting.
(CMS) website for cagreens.org. This initial expenditure was considered sufficient to start the CMS, but not to implement all of the features and functions needed by the GPCA.
However, since FY2011-2012, then there have been no funds spent to
expand these capabilities. Instead, owing to financial constraints,
the attempt has been made to do all this work in-house, with some
success, but still with the limitations of relying upon volunteers
with limited time.
Total requested: $3621.60
Hosting of cagreens.org: $660 ($55/month) to Godmoma's Forge
Technical consulting: $750
Nationbuilder: $2211.60
This amount for Nationbuilder assumes the GPCA take advantage of the
20% discount Nationbuilder offers for paying for 12 months at once,
with the 12 month period starting in August 2013. This is because the
GPCA made a payment in March 2013 for the six months between February
2013 and July 2013, taking advantage of the 10% discount Nationbuilder
offers for paying six months at once. Thus the next 12 month period
would begin in August 2013.
If this approach is approved to pay for 12 months at once, the GPCA
would save a total of $523.60 in FY2013-2014 (11 months at 20%
discount, one month at 10% discount)
The one month plan the GPCA utilizes is $228 ($79.00 for NationBuilder
political edition: medium plan, $149.00 for Email addon list size up
to 25,000), which is $2,736 for the year.
Taking the 20% discount for 11 months would be a discount from
$2508.00 to $2006.40, plus the $22.80 the GPCA is already saving in
July with the 10% discount, for the annual savings of $523.60
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5. When paid staff are part of a work plan and budget proposals, for
each position also submit (a) a detailed project description; (b) a
proposed job description (including activities, preferred
qualifications and compensation description); and (c) a description of
the job application process.
Not applicable.
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6. A calendar for at least one year -- including the Fiscal Year --
that summarizes the activities and events described in the work plan
and deadlines involved in the planning and organization process for
those activities and events (dates may be approximate, as applicable).
Most work is ongoing as needed; larger projects such as developing new
content types and implementation of the IT Security Protocol occur on
a time available basis when ongoing work isn't being addressed.
Media Committee FY2013-2014 Work Plan:
A. Research, write, solicit, edit and distribute press releases, advisories, op-eds, letters, articles, social networking sites, blog posts and press kits for media outlets in California.
a. press releases will usually be written or edited by the GPCA Press Secretary or members of the Media Committee
b. draft releases may also be submitted to the Media Committee by any registered Green; such a release will then be subjected to our Committee's editing and/or approval process: press releases require 2 persons to approve the release before dissemination. Current authorized approvers are Lisa Taylor, Mike Feinstein, Sanda Everette, Starlene Rankin, Pamela Spevack, and Alex Walker, and any GPCA spokesperson, which includes Laura Wells, Feinstein, Derek Iversen.
c. any registered Green may seek the advice of the Media Committee on where to place an op-ed/article written about any given issue; these are not subject to approval unless the op-ed/article claims to explicitly speak for the GPCA
d. press releases submitted by Media Committee members shall be posted to our Committee's list serve for editing/approval
e. press releases submitted by registered Greens not active in the Media Committee shall be submitted to a Media Committee Co-Coordinator and/or Press Secretary
f. the Media Committee may also solicit press releases/op-eds/articles by requesting that a Green "issue expert", official, or candidate write a draft
g. distribution of press releases via fax and/or email; this duty will typically be performed by our Press Secretary, but media committee members and local GP media contacts are welcome to assist with distribution and add contacts to our distribution list.
B. Promote Green blogs.
C. Post thoughts on the news of the day/week/month on the cagreens.org home page. Use a Twitter and Facebook account for the Green Party of California for microblogging, posting at least three times each week.
D. Build relationships with editors and reporters through phone and personal contact with our spokespeople, media committee members, press secretary and local media contacts
E. Organize press conferences and media events as needed
F. Provide resources, training and support to local GP media contacts and candidates; this may include advising local Green candidates about media relations by phone and/or in person; participating in candidate training workshops; providing media lists to candidates and local Green Party chapters
G. Maintain effective Media Committee organization; conduct quarterly (at least) conference calls; post press releases and articles on the web site at cagreens.org.
H. Produce a monthly newsletter to our subscribers
I. Recruit and develop spokespeople for GPCA
J. Increase relationship with GPUS Media subcommittee to produce Live stream shows on the greenpartyus channel (with a goal of having our own channel within a couple of years) Purchase mobile hot spot ($100), renting time as needed ($100), camera and microphone ($300) to create shows at a beginning level. Produce 3-6 shows this year.
K. Purchase a Skype Premium Account
http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/prices/premium/ to enable video conferencing, screen sharing, etc., to enhance productivity. Account could be shared with other committees but is limited to be located with one person, suggesting the Media CC liaison so that it is also available to the CC. ($60)
Platform Committee 2012-2013 Annual Report and 2013-2014 Work Plan
FY2012-2013 Annual Report - Summarize your work plan and budget for the 2012-2013 Fiscal Year and what parts of your work plan were accomplished or expect to be accomplished and budget items that were used or are expected to be used by the end of the Fiscal Year. For current FY work plan and budget items that will not be accomplished and spent by the end of the FY, provide a brief explanation for each.
year term was renewed
B . Platform Planks Passed Since March 2011
The following platform planks were approved by GPCA General Assemblies since March 2012:
Energy (revision)
Other Co-Co Activities
1. Platform Committee handouts at each General Assembly, and finalized platform planks.
2. Responded to list serve requests, and ensured only relevant posts were posted from non-members, with no spam.
C. Revenue
This is under the Clearing House budget since it handles sales of full Platforms and Platform Summaries
At last count in November 2012, the Clearinghouse reserves held 235 copies of the 2008 GPCA Platform Summary , and 931 copies of the 2010 Platform Summary Addendum. This indicates that 310 copies of the Platform Summary were sold during the year.
258 copies of full 2002 platforms, 258 copies of the 2005 addendum to the full platform and 158 copies of the 2006 platform summaries have disappeared.
I believe the 2010 Addendum costs $1; both the 2008 Platform Summary and the 2010 Platform Summary Addendum together cost $3; with 10 of the latter combination costing $20.
FY2013-2014 Work Plan - Describe the activities and events that are expected to be accomplished in the upcoming Fiscal Year. For each item requiring GPCA funding, provide the funding request and explain how the funding request was calculated.
PLATFORM WORKPLAN FOR 2013-2014
A. Platform Planks to be Submitted
1. Revision of GPCA platform planks as needed.
2. New Planks: Proportional Representation in California; Protection of the Atmosphere and Space; and Abuse of Weather.
3. New planks as these arise, for example, from Green Issues, GROW or other GPCA Committees.
B. Other Anticipated Activities
1. Revision of the election brochure for any 2013 elections. This will not require funding. Making copies will.
2. Participation in any Strategy Retreat. There have been no meetings of the Co-Cos by telephone.
3. Production of brochures on platform topics. The creative effort will not require funding.
4. Participation in any prioritization of 2013 election issues
5. Respond to Platform list serve requests. The listserve shrank from 100 to 18 in November after a cleanup.
6. Increase Platform Committee membership and participation
7. Update the Platform Summary
8. Modify Goals of Platform Committee in light of Standing Electronic Assembly and to include formal review of proposed national platform changes proposed by the California delegation
C. Requested Budget/Justification
1. Up to date Full Platforms 100 copies $450
2. Transport costs to Strategy Retreat $50
Grand Total Requested: $500