September 14, 2015 - meeting notes

Present: Malia, Sharon, Anne, Nicole, Tara, Sarah, Gaea, Angie
Not present: Soozin, Tonya, Laurel

Check-in's----

• Malia- Tonya broke knee-cap at teaching gig....may need moral support
• Sharon- overly busy-a little scattered
• Anne- busy-scattered-ho;ding things together
• Nicole- Holding a lot- doing ok- Norma health challenges...shock,grief, one
• day at a time
• Tara- starting BBones, pacing yourself, balance
• Sarah- Bad kale-fainting- food poisoning-took day off -connections with Nicole Aunt
• stilt appreciation
• Gaea-full fall schedule- Grad program- Ren Fest-Barebones-feeling scattered-
• high stress-presentation due
• Angie- ankle injury at fashion show -still stilt-aagh-resting

FINANCE REPORT-----------

• Balance  today $5624.26
• still have checks out-not cashed.....
• need receipts from Convention Ctr./ Little Mekong
• Tax Consultant?
• Got info from qualified friend for 3 yrs of back taxes and filed to rectify
• but some snafu's -still working it out with IRS
• From group---Do you want to have someone else do this tax thing?
• Sharon feels compensated.....
• Again-Do we want to hire someone other than bookkeeper to do taxes?
• Sharon- Once old taxes are done(this year) this would be helpful...

Discussion----

-Issues with random amounts of pay for gigs that aren't consistent i.e. $100/

stilter/gig

-Error in pay amount from Edina Art Fair gig

-Complications with gigs paying less than $100/hr or special projects---

Nothing going into kiddy-not budgeted for (Convention Ctr., St. Paul Saints, Greenway Glo)

Again of $100- $25 taken out for organizer cut, bookkeeper, kiddy-$75/hr for stilter

Special exceptions that failed to get kiddy $-----

1) Gigs got booked at lower rate(community events)

2) Special Projects( forgot to add fee for organization-usu. 10% of total gig)

3) Teaching gigs-Powderhorn

What is kiddy $ for??

- matching for grants

- liability insurance

- provides cushion when pay is delayed

- special costuming projects(like big wings)

Should create expense budget yearly to know what overhead costs are.

When short on $ what do you do (Sharon)-?

Always pay stilter first-then organizer fee- then Chicks/bookkeeper

Do insurance research NOW as we are not (? )as busy.....November..

How much $ are we short for gigs this year? Can we get a figure?

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Edina Art Fair- Anne coordinator

Anne- bad time- took on too much- messed up and undercharged Edina

Art Fair $600

Proposal-Gaea- Chicks covers $400- Anne-$200

More discussion.....

Anne has been a solid sender- rare mess-up

We all make mistakes

Move for Chicks to cover entire $600

---------------------------

Left-over lights/fabric--

Wait until next meeting

Bring EL wires 

Everyone Assess /e-mail info

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PRO-BONO DISCUSSION -------

When do we do it? How do we decide as an organization?

• Sarah- Like the idea of donation as part of Chicks- 1 pro-bono gig per year
• Gaea- add to membership requirement..1 gig per year
• Malia- Each year is different for each of us....

• Values discussion-how do we decide who to donate to as a group?
• What are criteria for pro-bono consideration?
• Should look at who we did pro-bono work for in past( coordinators).

• Anne- mostly coordinators hearing about requests for pro-bono... Many organizations in need... Neighborhood organizations vs. fringe non-profit

•  *Anne will e-mail Deb/Soozin to compile list of past work

• Nicole- At beginning of Chicks- did  a lot of pro-bono work ... $ can be there or not(Chick sponsored gig)... Would rather teach vs. do a gig for free
• Angie- Mandatory maybe- gigs come in randomly-can't always predict... If passionate -free is good ... Curious about non-pro bono and not full rate
• Sarah- Could have x # of probono hours that Chicks would cover from kiddy per year and after that decide by gig

•  Discussion 
• Could each Chick find a pro-bono gig? Maybe too much...
• How do we count gigs that are personal vs. not?
• We can all do free- lance but how does this impact the group?

• Malia-Tied to Values Discussion. What is close to our hearts? Align with vision as decide what to give...
• Anne- Micro-grants for women businesses...$500.00 per month---could cover a pro-bono gig or supplement budget. Some depend on $ from gigs as income. Chicks create a form and organizations have to apply ahead- reward those who are organized. We create a process.... Look to groups we want to cultivate a partnership with- grants... Partners for Arts and Participation-MN State Art Board-Social service org partners with us -we collaborate on grant- provides teaching for youth- good pay.
• Sarah- What is a partial rate for a gig? Different things when people can't pay full rate. Could do 50% matching in grants

Decisions---

Make an expense budget for 2016- bookkeeper

Predict gig income for year to help estimate amount avail. for pro-bono

Have a Value Discussion

WEBSITE DISCUSSION -------

How do we update info? Wordpress- Nick Lethart

No updating done

Want to do website update-Sarah, Gaea, Deb

Password plus admin

*Send any photos to Sarah C.

*authorize up to 200 for Nick to update/teach about changing website

*Put pics from only Chicks gigs on website

LITTLE MEKONG - - -

• Umbrellas for props. 
• Most expenses for Little Mekong covered except $20 
• Does Chicks own umbrellas?
• What is rate compensated to make umbrellas?
• Sometimes we agree to do something but don't have time/people power...
• Think about budget for costuming in special projects---$ for materials +
• labor to make
• Problem was people being commissioned to make something.
• Umbrellas were selling point for gig.

UPDATE ON OTHER PROJECTS - - -

Calendar Project

• Photogratper for b-day party/labor trade?
• Our next step was to make a contract.
• Was this approved by the group?
• No info on cost of project
• Anne- $100/person for photo shoot
• Traded $350 in labor for teaching/making stilts
• Did we agree to make stilts as well? 2 pair
• Anne- We were excited to pay to do a test run
• Can pay someone to make 2 pair of stilts...
• Many busy currently.....
• Tara- seems disconnect about discussion ---negotiating about 
• calendar gig
• We have traded teaching/building for calendar project? Not full consent of
• group
• Angie- should give diffinative answer to photographer. Not good to string people along.
• Gaea- In original conversation-discussion of 2 pairs stilts.
• Nicole-Want to be a part of people contacted- frustrated because not being included in decisions
• Sharon-What is the calendar budget? Clarification
• Anne- My understanding Tonya and I doing mini-shoot-pay out of pocket
• -pilot
• Sarah- borrowed teaching stilts but also Chicks name
• Angie- Have been talking since Jan. need to make decision
• Malia-felt strange to be compensated for teaching ----
• How do we decide on content for project? Objectification of Women...
• Caution with that
• Anne- Skin in game -protocol seems sticky
• Tara- good to not negotiate for things we don't have knowledge of 
• Sarah-OK to say- no contract- no teaching for now...
• Should not be forced into an unsafe situation-representing Chicks

Business Cards

• Chicks e-mail/facebook/ logo
• * Need to revise Chicks photo albulm- Google drive- Sarah
• use drop box?
• Coordinator form...do we have one? 
• Gaea created and sent to Sarah to revise
• * Send to everyone...

March Forth

•  Oct 15th _March Forth @ Cedar Thursday play day for Chicks 

2 additions post meeting via Sharon 9/22/15 - 

• We moved and passed the proposal to cover the $600 from the Edina art fair from the kitty.  
• And I believe in the calendar discussion it was made clear that Chicks has not contracted with the photographer and is under no obligation to do so.  The obligations so far have only been between Anne, Tonya and the photographer.

### NEXT MEETING: Thurs. Nov. 19th ###

Notetaker- Sharon

Facilitator:Malia

Location-Anne's 3224 17th Ave. S.

Agenda maker: Sarah