Friends of Mali Board Meeting
December 7, 2002
1. Jeff will pay a one-time Share Ware calendar software fee of $95.
2. He will also extend the domain name for 10 years.
3. Jeff will send out an e-mail requesting suggestions on the organization of website pages. Board members will send feedback to Jeff for discussion at a separate website meeting he will have with Jumana and Jenna on 12/14/102.
4. Photographs sent to Jeff will be displayed on the website. Esha Chiocchio’s photo’s for example, will be displayed in a gallery format like Shawn Davis’ website. Photo’s will be rotated periodically on the website to attract more viewers.
5. News on the website will have a separate news page with a separate section for articles submitted by members. It will include links to articles and other news sites.
6. Board members should send a short bio to Jeff by December 8, 2002 to be featured on the website.
1. Frequency – quarterly, next publication date: mid-early January.
2. E-mail updates will be sent monthly with alerts sent out on an as-needed basis. Allison will collect info and Jeff will send it out.
3. PDF version of newsletter will be sent only to paid members.
4. Priorities to include in January newsletter:
“How you can keep giving”
Description of the US Regional Rep position
Need for volunteers to work on the Smithsonian Folk-life festival
1. There are several opportunities to fund projects in Mali, many listed on the Peace Corps website (i.e. school in Sitafoula in Kayes). For now, Friends of Mali will inform members of these opportunities by directing them to the Peace Corps website. Projects that come to our attention, not listed on pcws will be put on FOM website. A long-term goal of Friends of Mali will be to fund some of these projects directly.
2. We will introduce the idea of U.S. Regional Representatives to the membership and identify people who could serve in this position. USRR’s are RPCV’s who could represent regions of the US and act as a communication and membership-building tool for the national board. Each board member should think of RPCV’s in different regions and approach them about doing this.
ACTION STEPS
w Jumana (?) will create job descriptions for regional reps.
w Organize regional happy hours as a recruiting tool. Set a date for late January, early February.
w Jeff will analyze the database to find relevant regions.
IV. Reunion
1. Looking at July 4, 2003. Purpose is a reunion and to attract volunteers to DC to help with the Smithsonian Folk life Festival. Proposed activities: happy hour, picnic and/or special tour of African Art Museum. Jeff will post the folk life festival on the website and in the newsletter requesting volunteers. Denise Mortimer is Smithsonian communications coordinator and FOM contact.
V. Membership
1. Jumana will take care of accounting, deposits, checks, for now since she’s in DC. She will send a budget update to board members and include an update in newsletter. Jumana purchased Quicken for $80 to do this accounting.
2. FOM is offering free membership for COSing volunteers (there is a group
COSing in January)
3. Jeff will give a description of FOM and membership form to Bamako staff to give out at COS conference.
4. Membership Drive:
w Jumana will send out membership postcards by 1/1/03.
w Jumana was reimbursed $300 by the Post Office for the first round of post cards sent out last summer.
w We currently have 50 paid members, up from 11 at our last meeting in October.
w Jumana will put about 10 copies of the latest newsletter in the PC career office.
VI. FOM Development
2. Board approved paying the IRS tax-free status fee of $550 and a filing fee of $100.
VII. Outreach
1. TeachNet Curriculum and the Malian Community in DC – both of these organizations are undergoing changes or elections. Jumana will reach out to both as soon as they are organized.
2. Musictoday.com and Afropop.org – Jeff got permission to link our site with Musictoday. Sabrina will contact Afropop to do the same.
VII. Other Items
1. Jeff has been given permission to use the FOM check card for expenses (web domain and calendar).
2. Jumana will use Quicken to put together accounting of the organizing to include in the January newsletter.
3. All board members should keep their receipts for reimbursement of expenditures.
Next
Meeting: January 19, 2003 10:00 am