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Minutes for Meeting of August 15, 2005 P1 Session Room, The Haven Resort & Institute
Attending: Board: Dick Sass, Paul Robillard, David Raithby, Mark Gunderson, Laurie Kelley, Rick Jackson, Tom Lesosky, Connie Munro, Linda Nicholls Friends of Haven: Ron Adkins Advisors: Randy Wong, Gerry Owen Management: Ernie McNally, Cathy McNally Guests: Gill Robillard, Wendy Campbell, Jonathan Diderich (for portions of meeting as noted)
Apologies: Bryan Croeni
Call to Order at 9:15 by Chair, Dick Sass.
1) Mortgage. a) Gerry advised that The Haven mortgage has been entirely paid off. b) The document was ceremonially ripped up. c) Appreciation was expressed for the donations which allowed this to occur.
2) Haven Vision and Mission. Read by Dick Sass.
3) Check-Ins.
4) Time-keeping. a) Dick requested that Carole assist the Board in keeping on schedule and on task and that this could be done directly, or through him. b) Carole agreed to take on this role.
5) Transition to Non-Profit Status Complete. a) In response to recent discussions regarding the length of meetings, size of agenda packages, and the what the appropriate focus of the Board should be, Dick circulated a document (quoted in its entirety below) which he invited the Board use as a guide throughout today’s meeting. _____________________________________________________________________________ The Haven Foundation Board Meetings
“the transition to non-profit status is complete” so let’s get down to the business of leveraging the legacy always mindful that we are a policy making body.
Three Questions to ask…………………..as we assemble documents for presentation before the entire board of directors!!
Plus Two (2) Objectives that we want to focus on!!
Questions: 1) Is it in support of and in alignment with The Haven philosophy………….? 2) Is it in support of getting more bums in their seats at The Haven courses……….? 3) Is it in support of obtaining donations that allow us to meet our goals and objectives………?
Objectives: The Two Objectives are both associated with putting cash into the enterprise and they are represented by:
1) Sales and Marketing of The Haven Institute programs bums in seats 2) Charitable Donor Programs Fund raising _________________________________________________________________________ b) There was an in-depth discussion regarding this topic; suggestions were put forward for prioritizing reporting to the Board, and prioritization of discussions at the Board level: i) Dick suggested Committees do their work, and be brief in their reporting to the Board. Laurie re-emphasized this point. ii) Gerry registered concern about possible over-governance e.g. are we fostering creativity or survival/constriction; and about a possible turf war between the Board and management/operations. iii) David recommending talking with each other versus creating more structure. iv) Linda wondered if there was a “pink elephant” in the room. v) Cathy expressed her (and Ernie’s) frustration with the negative atmosphere of Board meetings, and it’s over-involvement in operations. vi) Dick noted a preference for a philosophy of abundance and wondered if this is a boundary issue. vii) Cathy noted that a positive approach to organizational development has been discovered by Bud Baldwin. The approach is called “Appreciative Inquiry” and was developed by Charles Miller. A course on this will be offered August 29-Sept 1, 2005 at Malaspina University College. She explained that one person approaches two people in an organization with the question “what’s working?”, and then they in turn approach two people. Results are apparently very positive. viii) Tom noted his desire to be creative and want to bring this to The Haven; an example is a new course idea (for chrystal meth users) he is working on with Linda, and the creative work done by one of his people in the form of a very impactful mock-up for an ad for the course. He suggested his willingness to donate this work to The Haven.
[Wendy, Gill and Jonathan joined the meeting.]
6) Fundraising Project. a) Wendy provided an overview of the process to-date (since June) including creating a plan, a schedule and an overall framework. She emphasized the substantial amount of work done by staff in accomplishing this. b) Gill handed out the “Gift Solicitation Program – Board of Directors” Binder and walked the Board through its’ components. i) Gerry questioned the donations figure specified on the General Information Page and proposed that this be increased to reflect a recent substantial donation. It was agreed that the figure be increased by 2.7 million. ii) Laurie noted an inconsistency in the “"Haven Foundation 2005-06 Development Strategic Plan" in #1 under “Objectives”, first bullet point. It was agreed that it should read "In 2005 the Foundation's annual fundraising goal is $700,000.” (not $750,000). This brings it into agreement with the figure quoted in the Fundraising Binder, iii) Linda noted that it would be useful to include some testimonials in the Binder and this was agreed. c) Wendy went over the “fundraising fundamentals”, and noted that “friendraising” can also be a useful endeavor. i) Preparation. (1) Know your donor. (2) Rehearse. Rehearse. Rehearse. (3) Always go in a team. ii) Face-to-Face. (1) Use reflective listening (2) Listen more than you talk – they’ll tell you what they’re looking for. (3) Consider yourself a relationship manager, not a salesperson. d) Connie suggested that a section on tax benefits be included. Following a discussion of the pro’s and con’s it was agreed that a carefully worded (this means you Gerry) section addressing this be incorporated in the Binder. e) Ron raised the issue of qualifications on donations, and Wendy noted that this relates to a donor’s values and interests. f) Mark raised 4 issues: i) Protection of Privacy. (1) Mark is concerned that this be handled properly for major donor campaign as well as subsequent “big mail-out” (e.g. if contact information obtained for course enrollment, there may not be permission for it to be used for fundraising purposes). (2) It was agreed that this should be investigated and managed correctly. (3) It was also noted that there would be a difference between fundraising and release of information. (4) It was further noted that if the “big mail-out” cannot utilize current contact information, an alternative avenue would be “The Haven News Update” (email) list. ii) Maximizing the potential of these first-time requests from The Haven. (1) It was agreed that the first fundraising requests from The Haven are crucial and that the fundraising system which has been developed is intended to support this. (2) Five Board Directors/Advisors indicated their willingness to be involved in fundraising, either as experienced guides or as learners. These people are Mark, Dick, Tom, Gerry and Laurie. (3) Mark offered to be available in BC Oct 17-21/05 for twelve meetings with “Big Donors” and suggested that he have four meetings paired with Ernie, two with David or Linda, two with Gill, two with Laurie and Scott, and two with Ben and Jock. (4) Dick offered to leverage Mark’s offer by making his travel schedule for the next year to Gill in order to facilitate arrangement of donor meetings. iii) The length of time needed to cover 65 “Big Donors” was raised. Wendy suggested 3 months to two years, depending on the individual donors and the strength of the campaign approach. iv) Steps to begin US “Friends of Haven Foundation” campaign. Mark suggested that a US list needs to be set up with Ron and Bryan, and that Mark and or Dick could go there to support the initiative. v) Mark’s current “campaign statement”. Mark noted that he is using the following: “Unlike any other organization, The Haven has made a difference in people’s lives.” g) Randy inquired as to what would be considered a successful donation rate and Wendy and Mark suggested 5-10%.
[Gill, Jonathan and Wendy left the meeting.]
7) Education Coordination. a) David lead off this item by advising that a Core Faculty member has questioned the direction The Haven is taking, and has decided to step back. The issue pertains to education versus clinical focus. b) David noted that the Standards and Practice Committee is formally a monitoring body, although informally it is a working body. c) Linda suggested that this gap needs to be filled, perhaps by an Education Coordinator – someone for leaders to go to with issues, curriculum matters etc.; someone responsible for guiding, orienting, steering, and defining what we are. This would be too much for a volunteer, or management, to cover. d) Rick noted that this is about filling the gaps of Ben and Jock leaving e.g. authority and leadership, education coordination, and curriculum. e) Connie suggested that the current terminology is dated e.g. Director of Education, Core Faculty, Standards and Practice committee etc. f) Rick suggested that the faculty need to understand the shifts relating to the PCTIA accreditation process. g) Gerry noted that it is typical in other institutions to have an academic VP (an executive position) and an administrative VP.
[Gerry left the meeting at 11:50am.]
h) Mark expressed his “craving” for faculty leadership and the need for consultation with the Core Faculty regarding what is needed, and where we are going. i) Paul suggested that this leadership should be coming from the Board. j) In response to Dick’s request for an action plan to address this issue, David suggested canceling every second Board meeting and having these discussions instead. k) Rick suggested that faculty don’t want to lead this process – they just want to know if this is “a wagon they want to hitch their star to.” l) Dick suggested a positive development would be to be able to put together a duo or single leader, for a multiple year contract, with benefits – like a “real” company.
The meeting recessed for lunch from 12:10pm to 1:00pm.
m) There was discussion regarding when this topic could be continued. Linda wondered if we might take advantage of the already scheduled meeting date of September 26 (or the previously proposed re-scheduled date of September 24). n) The PCTIA auditor’s report was discussed and it was agreed that it, and management’s response, be circulated to the Board. o) It as agreed that the PCTIA package be provided to the Core Faculty, as well as an explanation of the context for the proposed Board/Core Faculty meeting(s) in September. p) Dick re-iterated the decision to have every other Board meeting date dedicated to the topic of Education Coordination. q) Mark expressed concern about what the Board’s role is, versus Faculty’s role. r) Cathy and Ernie suggested that they call all of the September invitees personally to invite them to attend. s) Dick suggested that a structure for education coordination be created, followed by a transformation over time from a part-time to full-time position. t) Rick suggested that the relative influence of the Core Faculty has shifted a number of times in recent years. u) Rick agreed to chair the proposed September meeting(s). v) The Board agreed to finalize the September 25th and 26th for the Core Faculty/Board meeting(s), with Bill Chalmers in attendance. Cathy, Ernie, Connie and Rick will work out the details.
8) Minutes of the June 24, 2005 Board meeting – adopted unanimously, with the addition of an action item addressing the inclusion of the Ethical Fundraising Code in the Board orientation package.
9) Governance Committee. a) Facilities Committee Terms of Reference i) The Terms of Reference were unanimously approved. b) Standards and Practice Committee Terms of Reference i) There was discussion regarding the merits of deferring approval pending upcoming dialogue with the Core Faculty. It was agreed that the Terms of Reference can be amended as needed at any time. ii) The Terms of Reference were unanimously approved. c) New Board Director Orientation Package i) Carole agreed to finalize the package for circulation to current Board Directors as well as for availability for future Directors. d) Addition of New Board Directors. i) There was discussion regarding whether new Board Directors should be appointed at this time. ii) There was then discussion about the individuals under consideration, and what they each might bring to the job. iii) It was unanimously agreed that three people be invited to join the Board of Directors, these being Rick Careless, Suromitra Sanatani, and Nancy Bradshaw. iv) It was agreed that Dick, as Board Chair, will invite these three individuals to join the Board, and that he would then give those that accept the Board Orientation package. e) Contract Review. i) It was noted that the founder’s benefits, as shown, are still current. f) Governance Guidelines. i) The Governance Guidelines were unanimously approved.
[Jonathan joined the meeting.]
10) Marketing Report. a) Marketing and Business Development Project Summary. i) Jonathan presented his summary and noted that fundraising, although originally part of his responsibility, was separated out in order to find someone specifically skilled in the area. He was in agreement with this decision. ii) There was discussion regarding approaches, techniques and results i.e. (1) Contact with alumni (2) Reliability of statistics (3) Usefulness of health shows (4) Types of advertising (5) Length of time for person to “show up” at The Haven after having heard of it (average 6 months to 3 years) b) Proposed 2005-6 Marketing and Business Development Plan. i) Jonathan presented the outline and responded to questions. ii) Randy suggested a team approach to marketing e.g. Cathy and/or Ernie, and Jonathan. This is in fact being done now. iii) Linda wondered about re-focusing dollars and efforts to more effective things like the Chrystal Meth package circulated by Tom earlier in the meeting. The idea would be to have more creativity, punch, juice and pressure. iv) Tom re-iterated that he would like to donate the time of his graphic designer to The Haven, and would like to do something like a Come Alive brochure.
[Rick left the meeting at 3:00pm.]
v) Mark asked Jonathan how much of his time is spent on Haven work (18 of 22 days/month) and how much writing he does (mostly done together with Ernie). The value of individual contact with alumni was noted. vi) Jonathan asked those present what they would recommend and there were several ideas: (1) Linda suggested increasing The Haven’s profile in Vancouver. (2) David suggested finding out what faculty are interested in. (3) Paul emphasized the importance of measuring what you are doing. (4) Dick agrees with including more sales (business development) and less marketing now. vii) It was agreed that Jonathan’s marketing reports be posted on the Foundation webpage, along with the GM reports and Financial (“Flash”) reports.
11) China Business Plan. a) Dick reported on conversations with Sean Feng regarding possibilities for contracts, and licensing/royalty agreements, with the company Sean represents in China.
12) Finance Committee a) Financial Reports. i) Paul reviewed the June and July financials and noted that net income is right on budget for the end of July. ii) Mark proposed a question format for investigating other similar organizations. iii) Mark wondered why phase numbers are up from last year. Cathy advised that this is because more phases were scheduled in same period of time this year. iv) Cathy advised that Ben and Jock are leading their last New Horizons this fall. b) Bursary and Loans Funding. i) The Board was asked to approve an increase in funding in this area. $35,000 has been spent to-date this year. ii) A motion to approve an increase of $25,000 was unanimously approved. c) Directors and Officers Insurance. i) Estimates are expected soon.
[David and Ernie left the meeting at 3:45pm.]
13) Facilities Committee. a) There was discussion regarding the Building Inspection Reports. There will be follow-up review by Linda Moore, Scott Poole, Bill Leuze and Xanon Jensen. b) Tom noted his interest in having additional committee members, who are qualified in the field. c) Tom noted his interest in the business planning aspect of The Haven e.g. i) Island’s Trust ii) Environment iii) Purpose/Thrust d) Mark suggested that The Haven could set an industry standard.
14) General Managers’ Report. a) Report was received with no further discussion. b) PD Publishing name change. i) Management recommended that “PD Publishing” be changed to “The Haven Institute Press” in order to support The Haven branding. ii) The proposed name change was approved unanimously. c) Cathy noted that Carole Ames had been recognized in the July 2005 GM Report, and requested that this be reflected in the minutes:
“Special Acknowledgements and Appreciation We want to formally acknowledge Carole Ames for her excellent work in support of Board meetings and activities. We appreciate her reporting style, reliability, clarity, and eternal good nature. Thanks you, Carole.”
[Connie left the meeting at 4:35pm.]
15) “Gunderson Questions” – it was agreed that these questions had been addressed in part, and that no further discussion was required at this time.
16) New Business a) China Come Alives i) Dick advised that Mr. Liu’s upper level business plan is close to completion. ii) Dick noted that he is impressed with Sean Feng’s conduct and reflection of The Haven values. It was agreed that The Haven prepare a letter of commendation for Sean, to be presented to him in September when David and Linda are in China. iii) Dick outlined the work that Mr. Liu’s group is doing, and its plans for expansion. He recommends that The Haven find a way to negotiate with this group, and understands through Sean that they may be amenable to negotiating some short and mid-term contracts. iv) There was lengthy discussion regarding the pro’s and con’s of working with Mr. Liu’s group, as well as the logistics if this path is pursued. v) It was unanimously agreed that Dick will prepare a short proposal outline for how discussions might be advanced.
17) Meeting Schedule. a) Further to discussions at the June 24, 2005 Board meeting, it was agreed that the December 28, 2005 Board meeting be cancelled. b) All other scheduled dates will be maintained for now, with the possibility of using some of these dates for focused discussions on Education Coordination.
18) Next Meeting – September 25 & 26, 2005 at The Haven, Gabriola
Meeting adjourned at 5:40pm.
Action Items
Minutes recorded by: Carole Ames. Revised: August 23, 2005; September 4, 2005; October 17, 2005 Minutes Adopted: October 17, 2005
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