Geneva Academic Foundation March 2016 Executive Board Meeting March 10, 2016 - Geneva

Geneva Academic Foundation March 2016 Executive Board Meeting March 10, 2016 - Geneva High School

In attendance: Mark Obermeyer, Brad Kosirog, Taylor Egan, Jeff Vekony, Sarah, Nate Kilburg

Welcome

Review and approval of February meeting minutes

February minutes were approved.

Presidents report - Jeff

•GAF informational open house - low volume but high hit rate. Gaby Fireman, neighbor of Wendy’s, would like to get involved. He is a marketing executive. Stacy & Nate Kilburg, son of Dean Kilburg, formerly a GAF member are interested in getting involved as well.

•McAlister’s Deli - ChariTEA next week (March 14-18). Take home flyers to use and hand out to friends and family.

•Honor bricks fundraising program - Mark will go into more detail later.

•GAF Supporter window decals - The decals are here and were distributed to GAF members present. Jeff will deliver to businesses who have donated to us this year. Endowment donors will receive as well and eventually all of our regular donors. A discussion followed on whether there should there be a minimum donation amount to receive a decal. it was decided to give all donors decals going forward. We have 525.

In Push Coin we can have a note added “minimum suggested donation of $50.” Jeff will contact the web store contact- Mike Wilkes (Head of IT for District).

•Garden maintenance - sign up sheet was passed around.

•Charm sales at GHS this Spring - rather than sitting in the cafeteria, can we promote it with our LT event or in other ways? Suggestions: cap & gown pick-up, promote it along with the brick since the brick project may overshadow the charm, promote the design a charm contest in the future to pull in the students, at our hockey event. Nate mentioned an ornament of the Swedish horse for a future fundraiser.

•Chicago Steel Teacher Appreciation Night, Friday, April 8 - Andy Barrett e-blasted to schools. Teachers from Geneva will sit in a special suite and do a puck drop. Jeff will have a booth and Mark will join him. Taylor may be able to as well. November is the GAF night. Paul is working on Northwestern as our corporate sponsor.

•Graduation seats auction - Jeff got details from Laura how to do it. We can use a free auction site and link it to our website. Taylor mentioned that Wine, Cheese and Trees utilized an auction—squareup.com. We have 6 seats for HS and 4 for each MS. Auction should be opened up about 3 weeks in advance and cut off the last Saturday in April. Winners pay by check and get a certificate. They then contact the school to pick their seats.

COMMITTEE UPDATES

Communications - no report

Endowment - no report

Finance - Brad is trying to pull together a budget template. The plan is to keep it simple this year and then expand detail in 2017-2018. He will hopefully have sample at the next meeting. The budget will include income and expenses. The Finance Committee will take on anadvisory role with regards to grants and do reporting after events.

Strategic Planning - Mark

-Strategic/5 year plan - write a review of the website for homework. 5 year plan was emailed to all and is complete but we cannot vote without quorum.**

-Honor bricks program updates - Mark shared picture and drawing. We need to sell 43 bricks to break even and after that its profit. We need to pay for 1300 bricks ($1.70 each) up front to lay out around the Viking. There was a proposal to buy the 1300 bricks but we need a quorum to vote and approve this purchase.** GAF will have a brick in a key location. We can vote at our April meeting. Nate is willing to be at graduation to promote. Signs around this area to promote the bricks as well. The brick flyer needs some work. Nate has volunteered his wife Stacy to work on flyer, so get info to him. Jeff will contact Tom and Deb to help push this to GHS seniors. Tom can make sure this gets in graduation packets. Brad has access to Paypal and will track that aspect for brick project. He and Mark will confer before he submits orders.

-GAF by-laws review plan - Work is progressing. There are three more pages to go over and then they will be ready for a review in committee. After that the document will be sent out digitally to everybody and then it will go to the attorney. Wrap up by end of June.

Volunteer/Membership - no report

Grants/Scholarships - Scholarship deadline April 11. Flyer will be on 304connects tomorrow. Grant deadline May 6. Wendy would like meeting in April to vote on scholarships. Similar meeting for grants in mid to late May.

EVENTS/FUNDRAISING UPDATES

McAlister’s Deli - flyers passed out

Chicago Steel - flyers passed out

Little Traveler - flyer finalized. Event set for 4/29. Raffle prizes in hand. Scavenger hunt participants will get candy. Flyer will be on 304connects tomorrow. Jeff will personally contact all the fall sign-ups. $25/ticket. $15 for teachers. First 100 people get a free glass of wine or champagne

On-line Art Auction - no report

5K Event Vote - tabled. Nate suggested reaching out to Eagle Scout to help.

GAF 30th Anniversary Gala - We need a planning committee. Nate suggested inviting original GAF members. Jeff will talk to Laura Rush about coming to a planning meeting.

Meeting adjourned at 8:42pm

Notes submitted by Sarah Karch

**The GAF 5-Year Plan/Strategic Plan and $1700 expenditure for initial 1000 bricks were approved by email vote on March 14, 2016. Board members who voted to approve: Jeff Vekony, Mark Obermeyer, Vicki Kellick, Jan Silverman, Anita Malik, Brad Kosirog, Paul Wessel, Nate Kilburg, Taylor Egan, Wendy Rothaar, Kimberly Luthin, Stacey Beauport, Ashley Cramer and Steve Wilson.