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Administrative Policy # 1 – Numbered Policies
Administrative
Policy # 2 – Conditional Donations
Administrative Policy # 3 – Fundraising
Administrative Policy # 4 – New Member Orientation
Administrative Policy # 5 – Committees
Administrative
Policy # 1 – Numbered Policies
1. PURPOSE: This administrative policy establishes a process
for establishing, approving, publishing, and amending administrative policies
for the various activities and operations of the Bull Run Unitarian Universalists
(BRUU).
2. APPLICATION: This policy applies to all BRUU policies of general application;
it does not apply to internal policies of committees, groups, activities,
and working groups.
3. POLICY:
a. General. BRUU policies of general application shall be in writing.
They shall be prepared, coordinated, approved, published, and reviewed
in accordance with this policy.
b. Preparation. Policies may be drafted by committees, working groups, members or friends and forwarded for coordination to the committee having primary responsibility (the responsible committee) over the subject matter. If the responsible committee is not readily apparent, proposed policies may be forwarded to the Board for assignment to a committee.
c. Form and Content. Proposed policies should be brief (normally three pages or less), prepared in a format similar to this policy, and easy to understand. Where proposed policies include the use of forms, proposed forms must accompany the proposed policy.
d. Initial Consideration.
(1) The chair of the responsible committee, or designee, will conduct
a preliminary review of the proposed policy. The reviewer will consider,
at a minimum, the need for the proposed policy, its form, needed changes
to the proposed policy, and further committee coordination, as appropriate.
If necessary, the reviewer will seek further clarification from the drafter.
The individual reviewer will promptly report his or her findings to the
responsible committee.
(2) If the responsible committee determines that the policy is not required
or not in the best interests of BRUU, the responsible committee may terminate
consideration of the proposed policy, with notice to the drafter, or may
return the proposed policy to the drafter with recommendations for further
development.
e. Coordination and Recommendation.
(1) If the responsible committee determines that the proposed policy should be adopted, the chair of the responsible committee shall forward the proposed policy to other committees that have a substantial interest in the subject matter (coordinating committees) for review and comment. Coordinating committees may assign a committee member to coordinate on the proposed policy, or may adopt other coordination practices as determined by the coordinating committee. In all cases, the coordinating committee must act promptly (normally within 30 days) to provide review and comment.
(2) Once in receipt of coordinating committees’ comments, the responsible committee may terminate consideration of the proposed policy, with notice to the drafter, or may return the proposed policy to the drafter with recommendations for further development. Otherwise, the responsible committee shall approve and forward a final draft of the proposed policy to the Administrative Board (the Board) with a recommendation for adoption, along with a brief summary of the comments provided by the coordinating committees. Unresolved disagreements among the committees will be highlighted to the Board.
f. Adoption. The Administrative Board may, after further review, adopt the policy, with or without further amendments, or may return the draft policy to the responsible committee with further instructions. If adopted, the Board will date the policy as of the date of adoption and will assign a sequential number to the new policy, amending any indices of policies and/or tables of content accordingly.
g. Publication. At a minimum, numbered policies shall be published on the BRUU website and posted prominently on a bulletin board generally accessible to the congregation.
h. Review. Responsible committees shall review numbered policies at least biannually and will recommend changes to the Board aw appropriate.
4. RESPONSIBLE COMMITTEE: The BRUU Finance Committee shall be responsible
for this numbered policy.
5. EFFECTIVE DATE: This policy is effective immediately.
FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
Emily Cameron
President
Date: August 2, 2006
Administrative Policy # 2 – Conditional Donations
1. PURPOSE: This administrative policy establishes a process
for accepting or rejecting conditional donations.
2. APPLICATION: This policy applies to all unsolicited donations of cash
(or its equivalent), real or personal property, or services made on the
condition that the donation be used for a specified purpose, or that the
acceptance of the donation is conditioned upon the leadership taking,
or the refraining from taking, specified actions.
3. POLICY:
a. General. The Bull Run Unitarian Universalists (BRUU) conducts a number
of approved fund drives earmarked for specific charities (e.g., split-the-plate
offerings, hymnal fund drives, and others). However, when an individual,
private organization, or commercial entity offers a conditional donation
outside of this approved framework, acceptance of the donation may not
be in the best interests of BRUU. For example, the condition may be costly,
impractical or impossible to satisfy; it may raise conflicts of interest;
or the purpose of the conditional donation may be frustrated if funds
already committed to that purpose are offset by the amount of the donation.
In order to insure that conditional donations are prudently considered,
this policy is established.
b. Initial Consideration. Offers of conditional donations must be in writing and shall be forwarded to the BRUU Finance Committee for initial consideration. The Finance Committee chair shall ensure that the terms of the conditional donation, and its implications, are understood both by the Finance Committee and by the donor. The Finance Committee may—
· Encourage the donor to consider an unconditional donation,
· Seek further guidance from the Administrative Board (the Board) if the conditional donation raises unusual concerns,
· Finally accept a conditional donation unless it is not in the best interests of BRUU to do so, or
· Recommend rejection of the conditional donation to the Administrative Board.
c. Factors to Consider. A recommendation to reject a conditional donation should ordinarily be made if—
· Acceptance would result in the expenditure of funds in excess
of the value of the donation (e.g., shipping costs, repair, maintenance,
insurance, etc.),
· The item donated is unacceptably dangerous,
· The item donated is contrary to the principles of Unitarian Universalism,
· The item donated is in poor taste,
· Acceptance of the donation would raise a conflict of interests, or the appearance thereof, in light of the donor’s present or prospective relationship with BRUU,
· Acceptance of the donation would otherwise reflect poorly on BRUU, or
· The offer is otherwise not in the best interests of BRUU.
d. Notice. If accepted, the Finance Committee will take prompt action
to acquire the donation from the donor and will notify the Board of the
details of the transaction. If the Finance Committee recommends rejection
of the conditional donation, it will promptly provide the reasons for
that recommendation to the Board. All correspondence with the donor shall
reflect appropriate gratitude for the offer.
e. Final Action. If the committee recommends against acceptance of the conditional donation, the Board shall make the final decision and will direct the Finance Committee to accept or reject the conditional offer, or shall provide other direction to the committee, as appropriate.
4. RESPONSIBLE COMMITTEE: The BRUU Finance Committee shall be responsible
for this numbered policy.
5. EFFECTIVE DATE: This policy is effective immediately.
FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
Emily Cameron
President
Date: August 2, 2006
Administrative Policy # 3 – Fundraising
1. PURPOSE: This administrative policy establishes a process for approving fundraising activities.
2. SCOPE: This policy applies to all fundraising activities targeted toward the Bull Run Unitarian Universalists (BRUU) congregation, or otherwise using its name or its facilities. This policy supersedes all previous policies on fundraising.
3. POLICY:
a. In General.
(1) As used in this policy, the term “fundraising” means the organized activity of soliciting and collecting money for nonprofit organizations or activities. It includes outright requests for cash or cash equivalents (stocks, gift certificates, etc.); raffles; the sale of goods (e.g., coffee, cookies, T-shirts, etc.) and auctions, the proceeds of which are applied toward nonprofit purposes; and similar activities.
(2) No fundraising will be conducted without prior approval in accordance with this policy.
(3) Fundraising activities at BRUU will be in accordance with Unitarian Universalist (UU) principles.
(4) Fundraising not sponsored by members, fundraising of indefinite duration, and fundraising contrary to UU principles will not be approved.
b. Social Justice Fundraising Approval. A member or committee of BRUU that seeks to further the broader interests of social justice may request fundraising approval from the Social Justice Committee (SJC) by submitting a request which includes all the information listed in the attached Fundraising Proposal Checklist. (A completed checklist may be used as the request). The SJC will approve or disapprove the application after considering the organization’s adherence to UU principles, its history, its willingness and ability to distribute any collections as advertised and other factors, as appropriate. The SJC will also coordinate with the Fundraising Committee prior to approval to de-conflict fundraising activities. The SJC will inform the Communications Committee of all approvals for possible advertising.
c. Other Fundraising Approvals. A member or committee of BRUU that seeks to fundraise for BRUU groups and activities (e.g., youth, music, library, etc.); or for causes of primary interest to individual members (e.g., Girl Scout cookie sales, local school activities, walk-a-thons; etc.); or for any other purpose, will submit a fundraising request to the Fundraising Committee (a subcommittee of the Finance Committee). (A completed checklist may be used as the request). Fundraising Committee decisions will be based on the appropriateness of the activity, the duration of the effort, the complexity of the event, any conflicting, repetitive or overlapping fundraising, and other factors, as appropriate. The Fundraising Committee will inform the Communications Committee of all approvals for possible advertising.
d. Recurring Fundraising. Some fundraising occurs annually or periodically. These recurring drives need only be approved once. The Fundraising Committee will maintain a current list of approved recurring fund drives as an attachment to this numbered policy and will periodically assess whether the need for these drives is continuing.
e. Referral to the Administrative Board. Any request for fundraising that raises any issue of ethics, politics, or controversy will be referred through the Finance Committee to the Administrative Board for decision.
f. Sponsors. All fundraising requests must be sponsored by a member or committee of BRUU.
g. Advertising. The Communications Committee will ensure that all approved fundraising activities are appropriately advertised.
4. RESPONSIBLE COMMITTEE: The BRUU Finance Committee will be responsible for this numbered policy.
5. EFFECTIVE DATE: This policy is effective immediately.
FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
//signed//
Gregory W. Rouillard
Acting President
Date: November 1, 2006
Attachments:
1. Fundraising Proposal Checklist
2. Recurring Fund Drives
Fundraising Proposal Checklist
Include, at a minimum, the following information in your fundraising proposal:
ü Name of Member Sponsoring the Event:
o Phone Number:
o E-mail:
ü Fundraising Event Name (if any):
ü Beneficiary of Fundraising:
ü Purpose of Fundraising:
ü Date(s) and time(s) of Fundraising:
ü Method of Fundraising
ü Location of Fundraising:
ü Special Requirements:
ü Other Considerations (optional):
Administrative Policy # 4 – New Member Orientation
1. PURPOSE: This administrative policy establishes the orientation required to become a voting member of the Bull Run Unitarian Universalists (BRUU) as required by Article III, Section 1, of the BRUU By-Laws.
2. APPLICATION: This policy applies to all individuals who desire to become voting members of BRUU.
3. POLICY: The New Member Orientation requirement for voting membership will be satisfied by completing one of the following options:
a. New to Unitarian Universalism (UU). These new BRUU members may attend the UU in a Nutshell class. Alternatively, they may attend the scheduled Discovery Dinner sessions covering topics on UU values and history.
b. Coming from another UU congregation. These new BRUU members may attend the second portion of UU in a Nutshell, which focuses on various aspects of BRUU.
c. Youth transitioning into the congregation. BRUU youth may attend either of the classes required for those new to Unitarian Universalism. Alternatively, they may attend the Coming of Age RE curriculum.
d. Exceptions. Alternative orientation may be established for those with scheduling conflicts at times and in formats to be determined by the Minister or the chair of the Membership/Fellowship Committee.
e. Meeting with the Minister. Although not a requirement for voting membership, prospective voting members are strongly encouraged to meet individually or as a family with the Minister. The BRUU Minister will also encourage such meetings.
4. RESPONSIBLE COMMITTEE: The BRUU Membership/Fellowship Committee shall be responsible for this numbered policy.
5. EFFECTIVE DATE: This policy is effective immediately.
FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
//signed//
Gregory W. Rouillard
Acting President
Date: November 1, 2006
Administrative Policy # 5 – Committees
1. PURPOSE: This administrative policy establishes a process to constitute and empower standing and special committees of the Bull Run Unitarian Universalists (BRUU).
2. APPLICATION: This policy applies to all officially recognized committees of BRUU.
3. POLICY:
a. General. The number of committees shall be kept to a minimum consistent with the needs and resources of BRUU.
b. Standing Committees. A standing committee is a permanent body appointed to take action on continuing matters affecting BRUU. It is constituted by the adoption of a written charter by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Administrative Board. Standing committees shall communicate with the Administrative Board through a designated member of the Administrative Board.
c. Special Committees. A special committee (ad hoc committee, tiger team, task force, etc.) is subject to the same policies as a standing committee, except that it is constituted for a specific task, and it goes out of existence soon after that task is completed. In no case shall a special committee exist for more than one year, except by further two-thirds vote of the Administrative Board. Standing committees may report to the Administrative Board through a designated member thereof or to the Administrative Board at large.
d. Charter. Each committee shall have a written charter outlining its responsibilities and powers. The charter may further describe the structure, membership, operation, budget and other relevant matters. Charters should be sufficiently flexible to permit the committee to freely conduct its assigned tasks without undue restrictions. All current committee charters shall be attached to this administrative policy.
e. Membership. Except as otherwise provided in the committee charter, committee chairs are appointed for a period of two years by majority vote of the committee. Any member or friend of BRUU may volunteer to serve on a committee. Committee membership shall be as determined by the committee charter and, unless otherwise provided in the committee charter, shall be subject to the concurrence of the committee chair.
f. Conduct. Committees shall operate on democratic principles and, except as specifically provided in the committee charter, the committee is otherwise free to establish its own internal operating procedures. A committee may also establish sub-committees, as required, to perform specific tasks within the committee’s authority. Sub-committee responsibilities may be established by written charters at the discretion of the committee.
g. Reports. Committees shall provide reports to the Administrative Board as directed by the Administrative Board liaison or by the Administrative Board at large, as applicable.
h. Publication. All committee charters shall be posted by the Administrative Board Secretary as an attachment to this policy, along with a current organizational chart showing lines of communication
4. RESPONSIBLE COMMITTEE: The BRUU Leadership Development committee shall be responsible for this numbered policy, shall review BRUU committee structure at least annually, and shall make appropriate recommendations to the Administrative Board.
5. EFFECTIVE DATE: This policy is effective immediately.
FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
//signed//
Gregory W. Rouillard
Acting President
Date: November 1, 2006
Attachments:
1. Organizational Chart
2. Committee Charters