Handbook page: Development Committee, 1st Reading

Development Committee

General Services section

History

The Development Committee was established at NYYM Spring Sessions held on April 14, 2012. It arose from a recommendation by a Development Working Group within the General Services section as a means to provide an organized approach to assuring adequate material and financial support for the work of the Yearly Meeting, as well as to support the work of constituent monthly and regional meetings in meeting their own financial needs.

Purposes & Objectives

The Development Committee’s purpose is to ensure an adequate funding base for the leadings of the yearly meeting as a whole. Recognizing that time, talent, and treasure are all gifts from God which we share with the broader community, this committee focuses on the “treasure” portion of what we share to support our common mission. It does the work of channeling Friends’ urges to give into those areas of our common life which best fulfill their leadings.

Working with the Yearly Meeting treasurer and assistant treasurers, the Yearly Meeting’s trustees, the Financial Services Committee, and the committees involved in resource development for the Sharing Fund, Powell House, and the Oakwood Friends School, the Development Committee will advise the Yearly Meeting and its constituent regional and monthly meetings on appropriate means, approaches, and activities to develop the financial resources necessary to carry out their respective missions and operations.

At the Yearly Meeting’s direction, the committee may develop specific fundraising goals, plans, programs, and materials to support both covenant donations from monthly meetings and any additional programs such as annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving. It may advise the Yearly Meeting on the development and implementation of a gift acceptance policy, especially regarding the permitted or designated uses of restricted gifts.

Also with the Yearly Meeting’s approval, the committee may recruit, train, and supervise the work of volunteers and others engaged in training, consultation, prospecting, and solicitation activities on behalf of the Yearly Meeting. It may also provide training, consultation, and advice to representatives of regional and monthly meetings engaging in development and stewardship work on behalf of their respective meetings.

It may also provide these services to representatives of Powell House, Oakwood School, and other NYYM-affiliated Friends organizations at their request and as the committee’s time and resources permit.

Functions & Activities

The Committee will:

1. advise the Yearly Meeting organization on a recommended strategy, approach, schedule, and scope for its resource-development activities
2. identify, recruit, train, and motivate volunteers to carry out the plans and services recommended
3. ascertain the kinds and level of support needed or sought by monthly and regional meetings in strengthening and sustaining their own stewardship and resource-development programs, and develop recommendations for meeting those needs
4. develop and recommend means of tracking the financial results of fundraising campaigns and activities and for evaluatingthe Yearly Meeting’s resource-development effort overall
5. advise the General Services Coordinating Committee on the need to budget funds for the Development Committee’s work
6. coordinate with those doing fundraising for Powell House, Oakwood, and other Quaker organizations serving the NYYM constituency.

Organization & Method of Appointment

The Development Committee should consist of six at-large members, appointed two each year by the Yearly Meeting at the recommendation of the Nominating Committee for rotating terms of three years. While not a requirement for appointment, it would be helpful if members of the committee brought some previous experience in resource development on behalf of religious or other nonprofit organizations, or with related activities such as training, marketing, or communications. Familiarity with either or both the programmatic and the administrative/financial aspects of the Yearly Meeting’s work is also important.

While formal appointment of representatives is not necessary, it is important that opportunities for representation and coordination with the Financial Services Committee, the Yearly Meeting trustees, the clerks of the Yearly Meeting, the clerks of the coordinating committees, the clerks of the Powell House and Oakwood School committees and their respective executives remain open. The Yearly Meeting’s general secretary is asked to serve ex officio on the Committee, subject to his/her discernment with the Supervisory Committee for the General Secretary.

The Development Committee will appoint its own clerk, as well as name a representative to the General Services Coordinating Committee.

Meeting Times & Places

The committee should expect to meet three or more times per year, as needed to plan, oversee, and review the results of resource-development activities affecting the Yearly Meeting. Whenever practical, these times should coincide with the times of Yearly Meeting sessions.

Except as face-to-face meetings are needed to weigh and make decisions, much of the committee’s work can and should be carried out by conference call and by consultation and delegation among the members. Some of this work may include meeting with volunteers and with prospective donors, as well as with the various trustees, officers, and committee representatives responsible for the financial management and operations of the Yearly Meeting.

Budget

Initially, no special budget provision has been made for the work of the Development Committee. During the first calendar year of the committee’s operations, out-of-pocket expenses incurred by committee members for travel may be presented to the clerk of the General Services Coordinating Committee for reimbursement.

For calendar years following the initial appointment of the committee, the committee may wish to recommend a budget to the General Services Coordinating Committee to help cover out-of-pocket travel expenses incurred by committee members and volunteers, the production and distribution of communications and response-oriented materials, and participation by committee members and volunteers in skill-development activities.

It is not anticipated that the Yearly Meeting will be in a position to engage professional resource-development services on either a staff or a contract basis in the near-term future.

[April 10, 2012 rev]