Thank you to everyone that attended last evenings board meeting and holiday dinner: below please find the AI notes from the 12/17/2025 Board meeting:
Quick recap
The board meeting focused on reviewing the organization’s financial status and planning for the upcoming year. Lisa reported that while the organization ended fiscal year 2025 with a surplus, they are facing significant challenges including a $107,000 deficit for 2026 and the need for a programs manager. The board discussed the importance of developing a strategic plan and diversifying revenue streams beyond grants. They agreed to hold a special meeting on January 5th to review the proposed 2026 budget and discuss funding strategies. The group also touched on various fundraising ideas, including potential new events and ways to increase donor engagement. Lisa emphasized the need to focus on sustainable growth and not overextend the organization’s capacity.
Next steps
* David Fisher: Send a note accepting Dean Angelakis’s resignation.
* All board members: Submit no conflict and contact information forms to Lisa and David.
* Patrick: Send a reminder to all board members about submitting no conflict and contact information forms.
* All board members: Review financial documents (budget, actuals, forecasts) in the portal before the next meeting.
* All board members: Attend the special board meeting on January 5th at 5:30pm to vote on the 2026 budget and discuss strategic planning.
* Lisa Orloff: Send calendar invite (with Zoom details) for the January 5th board meeting.
* Patrick: Re-forward the calendar invite for the January 5th board meeting for effect.
* Lisa Orloff and David Fisher: Meet with Patrick one week before the next board meeting to ensure he has all materials needed to facilitate.
* John: Ensure all budget materials are ready and accessible for the next meeting.
* Tom Kivett: Follow up with Prudential contact regarding support for Jamaica deployment and send information about the Jamaica project to them.
* Bob and Allison: Summarize current fundraising efforts/leads for board meetings and collect fundraising leads from board members.
* Patrick: Send note to Bob with new head of CSR contact information for fundraising leads.
* All board members: Come prepared to the January 5th meeting with ideas and updates on their activities, and participate in brainstorming for the strategic plan and budget.
* Lisa Orloff: Introduce and consider onboarding the candidate for programs manager, contingent on funding.
* Lisa Orloff: Ensure new finance manager (replacing Brenda) is introduced and transitioned into role.
Summary
Board Meeting and Document Updates
Patrick facilitated the meeting and confirmed a quorum was present, with 10 members including those on the phone. The meeting minutes from David were reviewed and accepted without any corrections. It was noted that Dean Angelakis had resigned from the board.
Board Conflict Declarations and Portal Access
The meeting discussed the collection of no-conflict declarations from board members, with Lisa requesting annual submissions and Patrick offering to send reminders. The group addressed technical issues with accessing the Ready Responder Hub portal, where meeting documents were uploaded, and Patrick confirmed he had joined but not returned to the platform since the initial notice. John agreed to review finance-related documents on page 2 of the portal, which Lisa mentioned contained budget versus actual data that David had previously sent.
Financial Challenges and Strategic Planning
The board discussed the organization’s financial performance, with a revenue shortfall of $103,000 against a budget of $371,850, though expenses were underspent by $193,903,952. Lisa acknowledged stretched capacity as she has been serving as board president, executive director, and programs manager, emphasizing the need for a programs manager and strategic planning. The board agreed to hold a special meeting on January 5th at 5:30 PM to vote on the 2026 budget, with Patrick facilitating and Lisa requesting a pre-meeting preparation session. The discussion highlighted challenges with fundraising, grant success rates, and event effectiveness, while exploring potential new revenue streams and corporate partnerships.
The board discussed the annual FriendRaiser and confirmed that it could serve as a fundraiser.
The board agreed on Tuesday February 10th potential location is Lisa’s apartment. David suggested that WCC pay for a server/clean up person for the event in addition to the refreshments that will be served.