Update For Finance – Nov 2024
OIAA Finance Committee
Record of Minutes
Saturday, November 9th, 2024
9:00am HDT
11:00am PDT
2:00pm EDT
Attendees :
Jennifer – OIAA Treasurer (Introduced first, overseeing meeting)
Cam – IGR for Life on Life’s Terms from Lititz, Pennsylvania
Randy C. – Alternate of the Communications Committee, Videographer
Barbara – OIAA Intergroup Rep from Marblehead, Massachusetts
Barry – Trustee at Large for OIAA, member of Finance Committee, former Officer
Kevin – Member of the Finance group (in the hood, Idaho)
Susan – OIAA Chair
Mark – Tech Chair
Nicky W. – Finance Committee Secretary
Beth A. – International Trustee
Jennifer begins by introducing herself as the OIAA Treasurer. Cam introduces herself as the IGR for Life on Life’s Terms from Lititz, Pennsylvania. Randy, IGR for OIAA, Communications Committee member, and is here helping Leslie today. Barbara is from Marblehead, Massachusetts, and is an OIAA Intergroup Rep. She’s new to this, so it’s still a bit unfamiliar to her. She volunteered at the last Assembly to help and loves to assist but adds that she still needs some guidance. Jennifer reassures her that she can help. Barry introduces himself and is the Trustee at Large for OIAA, a longtime member of the Finance Committee, and a former Officer. Kevin introduces himself as a member of the Finance group and is from Boise, Idaho. Susan introduces herself as the OIAA Chair. Mark introduces himself and Nicky introduces herself as the Secretary here.
Review of the Agenda
Jennifer shares her screen and goes over the Agenda. She asks if anyone has any questions, concerns, or additions to the agenda. She asks if anyone wants to put a Motion in for the Approval of the Agenda. Barbara moves that the Agenda be Approved. Jennifer asks for a second. Kevin seconds. Jennifer asks if anybody Opposes. There is no opposition.
AGENDA APPROVED
Review of Finance Committee September and October Minutes
Jennifer states that she sent out the prior Minutes and that she got the October Minutes, so everything is up to date, which is great. Jennifer asks if anyone has any questions, concerns, additions, or revisions to the Minutes, or if anyone hasn’t read them, she can post them now and they can go over it. She assumes that everyone could read them now. Mark makes a Motion to accept. Kevin seconds the Motion to Accept the August Minutes. Jennifer thanks them and announces that the August Minutes have been approved. She continues, saying that the same process will apply to the September Minutes. She explains that she sent them out after just receiving them from Nicky yesterday, so there was a shorter timeframe to review them. Barbara moves to Accept the September Minutes. Mark seconds the Motion. Kevin jokingly says he didn’t want to be the third to second. Jennifer asks if there are any opposed to Accepting the September Minutes. There are no objections. Jennifer confirms that the September minutes have been approved.
AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER MINUTES APPROVED
Review of October Minutes
Jennifer brings up the October Minutes on the screen for them to review. She says that she trusts everyone’s reading abilities so she will not read them out loud. Since she just received them just a few minutes ago, she suggests they go through them together. Mark asks Jennifer if Felix is taking today off because he’s exhausted from last month. Jennifer answers that Felix had support last month and he had emailed her saying he wasn’t going to be able to attend today’s meeting.
Jennifer notices Susan’s raised hand and Susan points out that she wasn’t listed in the Attendance for the October Minutes. She says that she came in late that meeting. Jennifer replies that Felix must not have gone around the room for introductions and adds them into the Minutes.. She asks for a motion to accept the minutes. Susan moves to Accept with the amendment that she was present. Jennifer acknowledges that the amendment was made and corrected already, and though Susan agrees, would still like to Move with Amendment. Jennifer agrees, and Randy seconds the motion. Jennifer asks if there are any objections. There are none. The minutes are accepted with the amendment.
OCTOBER MINUTES APPROVED
Review of the Financial Reports
Jennifer returns to the Agenda and shares her screen again and brings up the Budget Variance for October. She notes that it was posted on the website and that Contributions totaled just under $10,300. She also noticed that anything associated with the Convention amounted to just over $400 in individual Contributions. She believes they need to collaborate better with Unity since the Convention is being offered for free, and individual donations are welcome to help cover associated expenses.
Cam asks Jennifer why they aren’t charging a fee and suggests a minimal charge, such as $5 or $10 per person, to help offset the costs of the convention. She believes this would help open up funding for other organizational growth initiatives. Jennifer explains that fundraising affects tax returns and requires associating the funds with expenses. She reassures the group that they have the necessary funds to offer the Convention for free. However, she acknowledges that if they were lacking funds, she might feel differently. But ultimately, it’s a decision for the Assembly. Mark urges the Unity Committee to consider charging a fee next year, particularly because the Convention had a large attendance with 7,000 to 8,000 registrations. He suggests a fee of $10 or $20 and advises against releasing the registration too early. He feels that offering registration a month or two in advance would be more appropriate. He thanks the group for listening.
Jennifer asks Susan to continue. Susan agrees with the importance of following traditions and recognizes the excitement around organizing the event. She notes that OIAA still has the funds, but she feels that they should rely on self-support through Contributions, which would be in line with the Seventh Tradition. She adds that she has never attended a conference without some form of charge. While she understands that this might be a lot of work for the Treasurer and the Unity Committee, she sees it as a goal for self-sufficiency, both through cost and the efforts of 12-step volunteers. She believes the infrastructure across all participating committees, like Communications, is important. Jennifer mentions that AA literature for Intergroups does allow for free events. She explains that the Convention, as part of the infrastructure, could be different and provides specific guidance on free events in relation to Intergroups. Barbara shares that she understands the importance of following the Traditions and the Seventh Tradition, and she doesn’t agree with charging a fee, seeing it as a charge, not a contribution. She explains that she attended the Convention and didn’t recall any extraordinary measures asking for Contributions. While she believes this is a matter for discussion, she emphasizes that many local district events allow for free attendance and ask for voluntary contributions, which could be suggested in the registration process.
Mark remarks that when Felix posted the reports, he had not looked at the Contributions and started to wonder if the funds were being set aside in another account that had not been reported. Jennifer responds, stating that the funds were not placed in another account, and while she understands his surprise, she believes it was a less significant issue than initially perceived. Jennifer is about to respond but allows Mark to finish. He concludes by noting that during the Convention, each meeting in the chat included a blurb about OIAA’s Seventh Tradition contributions, with a link to the contribution page. He suggests this could be better integrated into the Convention.
Jennifer shares her insight, explaining that she’s aware of who Contributed, and she too was surprised by the lack of involvement from OIAA members. She emphasizes that if she’s advocating for something, yet those who are meant to support don’t contribute, it sends a message. Susan adds that some individuals contributed hours and hours of their time. Jennifer acknowledges the importance of all forms of support but insists that it is a personal choice. Cam recalls a previous discussion when they were considering the budget at the Assembly and required extraordinary support for the first-time event. She believes the conference’s international reach helped achieve its exposure, benefiting underdeveloped regions with no AA presence. She mentions the significant International participation and concludes that the Conference’s impact was successful. She advocates for a contribution, seeing value in asking for a nominal fee. Jennifer suggests moving forward with the December 21st budget proposal to include a separate vote on whether to charge a fee for the Convention. She believes it is vital to present it as part of the budget process for Assembly approval. Susan adds a point about needing a prudent reserve specifically for the Convention Budget and mentions that in her area, Convention Budgets are kept separate from the Assembly’s general funds. She feels that it would be effective to have so that it doesn’t have to fall on them. In her area, she has seen there is a separate Convention Budget, and a Prudent Reserve for that Convention Budget. She explains there could be a Prudent reserve or whatever it takes, to hire Tech as that stays there for the next year and the other expenses would have to be made up. She continues that in her area there is a separate Convention Budget that does not have to be accounted for with the Assembly nor does it necessarily have to be approved by the Assembly because it would stay there as a Prudent Reserve. She continues that, for example, $8000.00 for Tech 12, which is the Prudent Reserve they have set, and as the other expenses would have to come in……Jennifer interjects that the Unity Budget had already been passed through the Finance Committee and through the Board. She says that the next step is through the Assembly for Approval. Susan disagrees, but Jennifer assures her that this was the process followed and invites further discussion on the matter the next day. Susan says that she was just making suggestions. Jennifer replies that when she made a suggestion that a vote would come to the Assembly as to whether or not to charge a fee for the Convention.
Mark adds that he regularly advocates for Assembly input but asking the Assembly how they feel about this particular decision should be left to the Finance Committee and the Unity Committee rather than directly voted on by the Assembly. While he feels that asking for how the Assembly feels could be valuable, Mark thinks that having to go over the details of each decision point and how they arrived there to be too much. He would want the Assembly to be informed enough to vote. Jennifer strongly disagrees, asserting that this is a critical decision that influences the very Spirit of the Convention, making it highly appropriate to be brought before the Assembly for their vote.
Beth joins to discuss some details regarding the Unity budget, especially how some members, like those in Iran and India, may face challenges paying due to restrictions. She acknowledges the impact of these issues and expresses support for continuing to work towards an accessible solution. At the Online Convention, Beth points out that certain countries with lower currency values have a larger impact on smaller fees, where $10 for some is a significant amount. While a fee was originally debated, Jennifer acknowledges that there are complexities and factors at play beyond just charging a fee.
Cam raises a question about the possibility of setting up partial scholarships for those in need. She suggests that the Unity Committee might consider waiving certain fees. Jennifer mentions that this falls under financial matters, asking Cam if she’s volunteering to investigate. Cam responds that she would be willing to look into it and report back, even though she admits she doesn’t have full details yet. Jennifer insists that someone needs to take the lead and implement it.
Jennifer continues with the Financial Reports, touching on PayPal and Stripe fees. She also addresses upcoming increases in accounting software fees expected for 2025. She explains that the actual Expenses related to the Convention totaled $16,882, with a Budget surplus of $941. This was achieved by utilizing a $400 discount from Tech 12 and saving an additional $400 by eliminating charges for some interpreter setup time. Jennifer notes that it takes a skilled budgeter to bring the final expenses within $100 of a $20,000 budget.
Further details include Expenses for Special Workers (Web Maintenance and Graphic Design) and Translation Services. She reports that OIAA’s Budget showed a smaller-than-expected loss of $9,800 compared to the original projected loss of $23,000, meaning that the year-to-date loss is about $30,000 less than initially planned. Overall, they’re in the black by approximately $57,000. Jennifer asks if anyone has questions, to which Barry inquires about legal expenses. She responds that the Board’s legal retainer was $2,500 months ago, with no further charges since then.
Next, Jennifer moves to discuss the Balance Sheet. She notes that although their cash reserves have dipped slightly due to Convention expenses, they still have $132,750 in their accounts. She reassures Barry regarding the accrued ASL expenses, explaining that the $1,600 charge will be recognized in November. She asks if there are any concerns regarding the Balance Sheet. Jennifer also presents data on Contributions, noting that 86 groups contributed a total of $10,282 in October. She shares more insights, showing that $35,000 of that amount comes from new Contributors this year, totaling $93,865 in Contributions year-to-date. Repeat Contributors contributed $58,629. Barry confirms that roughly one-third of Contributions are from new donors, to which Jennifer agrees.
Excess Funds
Jennifer moves on to the Excess Funds issue. Barbara, who volunteered to explore where to Contribute these funds, provides an update. She recounts emails sent to GSO contacts since September, with responses finally coming through. However, she admits she’s feeling overwhelmed by the task and needs additional support to continue reaching out to GSOs globally. Jennifer offers guidance and reassurance, encouraging Barbara to focus on the main GSOs, as opposed to smaller groups.
Barbara shares her screen, showing a list of GSOs, and seeks help from others in handling the work. Jennifer agrees to assist, explaining that email is the best method of reaching out and that websites can provide direct donation instructions. Barbara, grateful for the support, plans to tackle the list with Nicky and looks forward to the group’s continued collaboration. Jennifer provides one last piece of advice, suggesting that when Barbara writes her emails, she should mention that OIAA is considering donating to GSOs worldwide. Barbara agrees with Jennifer’s phrasing and thanks her for the guidance, committing to moving forward with the task. Jennifer thanks Barbara for volunteering to take this on ,and noted that Barbara’s assistance was deeply appreciated, and Barbara expresses gratitude for the opportunity to serve and learn.
In a follow-up, Barbara mentioned that the topic of Contributing literature to international GSOs had come up during the Assembly. She explained that Jennifer had clarified the complexities of this issue, and she wanted to document it in the recorded minutes. Jennifer agreed, explaining that New York had other languages available but only ships to the U.S. and Canada. Barbara agreed that the issue is complicated. Beth shares that it was a complicated matter, involving who holds licenses to distribute literature, and to which GSOs have the rights to it. Jennifer advises staying out of the literature discussion, agreeing that contributing to GSOs worldwide was a much more manageable focus. Barbara mentioned she has narrowed the focus of her mission to finding the most practical and productive solution. Jennifer supported this, praising the decision to concentrate on determining where to send Contributions rather than dealing with literature. Barbara then asked if they were ready to move on from this topic. Jennifer agreed, mentioning her strong opposition to the literature distribution aspect for various reasons. She just doesn’t see why it was so well done before, and now they’re dictating to other GSOs what to do. Especially since there’s no earmarking of monetary Contributions. Jennifer asks if there are any other thoughts on this topic. Beth would like to share that in France, when they sell literature, the money goes back into their system. So selling literature is necessary for their Operations. She believes that giving literature away in other countries undermines their ability to sell their own and have sufficient funds to support their own Operations, which is crucial.
Jennifer also wanted to bring up the issue of last year’s tax return. Internationally, there has been considerable discussion about whether Contributions to International Organizations are permissible. Jennifer said she researched this thoroughly. Based on her findings, it primarily requires a check mark and a disclosure on the tax return. She explained that in Section 3, under Line 29, they Contributed $21,209.00 to other AA entities. However, all these Contributions were to American organizations. She clarified that GSOs qualify as international GSOs, so, like the U.S. GSO, other countries have different regulations, laws, and charity designations. The IRS generally requires that if it looks and acts like a charity, then they can donate, as long as the donations are disclosed on the tax return.
She added that although she hasn’t worked in public accounting for 24 years, she reached out to a former colleague who is now a partner specializing in taxation. This colleague reviewed the Guidelines and concluded that all that’s needed is proper disclosure for Contributions to International GSOs. However, OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) restrictions apply, so Contributions can only be sent via Stripe, PayPal, or a SWIFT account to ensure compliance with these regulations.
Barry mentions a conversation with legal counsel the previous week about this matter. Legal counsel affirmed that OIAA must conduct due diligence to ensure the recipient organization operates as a charity or similar entity (akin to a 501(c)(3) in the U.S.). Jennifer agreed. Barry noted that proper due diligence must be performed, especially for significant distributions. Jennifer emphasized that according to the IRS, as long as the recipient operates as a charity and they have a Stripe account, PayPal account, or SWIFT account, donations are permissible. She expressed confidence that they had done their due diligence on this subject.
Jennifer thanks Barbara for her assistance and moved on to the Finance Committee agenda item.
Finance Committee Charter Amendment
Jennifer says that she reviewed other charters and found that Unity’s guidelines had been previously Approved and adopted. Based on this, she proposed an Amendment stating that members must attend at least three consecutive Finance Committee meetings to qualify as Voting Members. If a Member misses a significant number of meetings, they would need to start over and attend three consecutive meetings to regain voting rights. She asked for feedback or revisions to the proposed Amendment.
Barbara said that as a non-voting member, she’s been helping to move things along but believes the wording should be clearer to avoid ambiguity. She suggested specifying that missing three or more consecutive meetings would require starting over with three consecutive meetings to regain voting eligibility. Jennifer agreed, noting that clearer language would prevent loopholes. After refining the wording, they settled on the following: “If someone misses three or more consecutive meetings, the original requirement of attending three consecutive meetings to become a voting member will restart.”
Susan shared her thoughts on the importance of inclusivity while maintaining structure to ensure work is accomplished efficiently, especially during budget discussions. She highlighted the importance of record-keeping to enforce attendance requirements, and Jennifer confirmed they already had attendance records in place. Susan supported the amendment and clarified that it didn’t stem from Doug’s universal standards but rather guidelines. After discussion, the group unanimously passed the motion to adopt the amendment.
FINANCE COMMITTEE CHARTER AMENDMENT APPROVED
ASL Interpreters Discussion
Randy would like to revisit a discussion from the previous meeting regarding ASL interpreters and their associated costs. Randy acknowledges that he doesn’t know much about ASL, so he did some research online this morning. He shares a PowerPoint presentation, explaining that English and ASL are significantly different languages, which poses a barrier to communication. Hiring an ASL interpreter who understands the AA program, he believes, will benefit all members of OIAA, including those who understand only English and those who understand only ASL and may not be able to read written English.
He further elaborates that interpreters familiar with the AA program are likely to understand its specific needs, nuances, and culture. This familiarity would ensure clearer and more effective communication for all members.
Randy dives into the differences between English and ASL. He admits his limited prior knowledge but shares what he learned: Language Modality: English is primarily auditory and vocal, relying on spoken words, whereas ASL is visual and gestural, using handshapes, movements, facial expressions, and body language. Grammar and Syntax: English sentences follow a subject-verb-object structure (e.g., “I ate an apple”), while ASL typically uses a topic-comment structure (e.g., “Apple me eat”). Vocabulary: English consists of words formed from letters, while ASL uses signs that may represent concepts, phrases, or even entire sentences. Conveying Emotion: English uses tone, pitch, and volume to express emotional context, while ASL employs facial expressions, body movements, and sign intensity to do the same. Pronouns: English uses words like “he,” “she,” or “they,” but ASL utilizes “pointing,” referred to as deixis, which depends on context. Time Indicators: English indicates time with specific verb forms, while ASL uses contextual clues or time frames established at the beginning of sentences.
Randy highlights that the specificity and cultural context of AA meetings make having an Interpreter familiar with its nuances valuable. He explains that producing videos with high-quality interpretation is important since they are resources that will be used repeatedly. Jennifer asks Randy whether he believes a certified ASL interpreter would know how to interpret effectively for AA meetings. Randy says he believes they would not interpret as well as someone who is also familiar with AA’s 12-step program. Jennifer rephrases her question to:” if someone were highly praised by every deaf person who attended a convention and charged $40/hour, would they be adequate for the role?” Randy agrees such an Interpreter would be acceptable, emphasizing that the Interpreter’s familiarity with AA culture is crucial.
Jennifer reveals that she knows someone who matches that description, who has consistently received high praise for her work and charges $40/hour. Randy is happy with this solution and expresses appreciation for ensuring AA members receive a quality interpretation service. He also requests the interpreter’s information for use in other projects, but Jennifer explains that interpretation hiring will go through the established process, and she herself manages it.
Jennifer clarifies they can revisit the matter when planning for 2025 after the Budget has been finalized. Randy reassures her that the budget already accounts for this, and Jennifer affirms her support for having protocols in place for hiring interpreters. Randy thanks Jennifer, acknowledges her leadership, and expresses his satisfaction with the proposed solution.
Barbara thanks both Randy and Jennifer, while Jennifer asks the group if there are any additional thoughts, concerns, or discussion points. There are no further questions or comments.
Jennifer closes the meeting with the Responsibility Statement
