ICRID Board Retreat

January 20, 2007 – JMCC (9:00 – 5:00)

Introductions

n       name and story about your name

n       how involved in interpreting

n       role within ICRID

Present:  Leslie Pertz (fundraising), Felisa Wilson (Educational Interpreter), Randy Nicolai (Membership), Judy Cain (President), Nancy Young (Vice President), Ronda Bilz (Member-at-large), Emily Iehle (Goshen College), Vera Masters (Member-at-large), Josh Garrett (Member-at-large), Dave Calvert (Awards/Scholarships & Newsletter), Kathy Roche (Treasurer),  Deka Oliver (IAD Representative, Christine Krock (Member-at-large), Interpreters:  Pat Molinder, Jenni,  Jessica

2006 Review of Goals (Progress Report – What has been accomplished)

To secure the financial resources necessary

n       bought QuickBooks and rolled in the last 2 years of financial reports

n       Josh and Kathy presented workshops with waived fees

n       Grant writing was down this year (usually get Lilly, Governor’s Conference on disabilities, but we didn’t receive them)

To provide support and advocacy to deaf, interpreter and hearing committees

n       Educational interpreter workshops

n       Mentoring grant through Fort Wayne

n       DeafBlind interpreting standards are being raised

To raise the bar for interpreting profession

n       2 educational interpreter workshops

n       Developing relationships with EIs and school systems

n       National RID recognizing EIPA certified interpreters as Nationally certified

n       President will write a letter of response to the Indy Star’s article discussing careers that do not need a degree

n       Yahoo Group for EIs has helped networking

n       Developing manuals for detailed running of events

To increase membership- diversity, numbers and involvement

n       November every year membership tends to drop due to the member year ending – they get letters reminding them to renew and usually we get about ˝ of them back

n       Currently 30 people from 2005 not renewed and 30 people  from 2004 who haven’t renewed

n       2006 broke the 200 member record

n       2007 now – about 190 members

n       Big onslaught of new members (40 to 50) mostly educational interpreters – maybe a result of the EI Newsletter discount

n       People stay members between 1 years (possibly students)

n       3-5 year members typically look like students (based on names)

n       Some others have not renewed due to “protest” – decisions made, actions, viewpoints, etc. 

n       Goshen students are required to be members of ICRID but many are from out of state and wane after graduating and leaving the state

n       Membership chair plays a KEY role in maintaining membership rolls and making sure people get the reminders, etc. – Randy has done a fantastic job

n       Judy has done a good job of pulling people into various committees to strengthen them and increase involvement from outside the board

n       DeafBlind focus now more than before

n       Membership is not only for interpreters, but consumers as well (Deaf community as well as others)

To obtain headquarters and enhance organizational credibility

n       Judy is in dialogue with ISD about office space on campus

n       Sponsoring the Deaf Educators/Educational Interpreters conference

n       Fall Conference are second to none—people come from other states to come to ours

o        Heavy emphasis on educational interpreters

o        Incredible variety of workshops offered – for ANY type of interpreting

n       3 ITPs within the state

n       Focus on community interpreting?  Somewhat, but not as much as EI

n       Deaf consumers have a concern about losing many interpreters to VRS and leaving a void in the community –

n       Religious interpreting workshop

To strengthen critical partnerships

n       sponsored T-Ball team (Deaf/Coda)

n       Looking at Sprint as a major sponsor of ICRID due their decline in revenue

n       Donation for Miss Deaf Indiana to travel to California partnering with IAD

n       EIPA study group (school system, presenters) working together to provide a FREE study group

Miscellaneous Data

n       loss we experienced was a result of the joint conference with IAD, not from operating expenses

n       took huge hit on fundraising, need to figure out why and then change what we have done to improve

2007 Most Most Important

n       fundraising – securing and manage financial resources

n       increase membership involvement – finding out what their needs are and meeting what their needs are not what we think their needs are

2006 Most Important

n       increase membership – active, involved, diverse – move above

n       raise the bar of interpreting profession

n       Support and advocacy to deaf, interpreter, and hearing communities and relationships

2006 Important

n       Support and advocacy to deaf, interpreter, and hearing communities and relationships – move above

n       Obtain headquarters

n       Strengthen critical partnerships

What’s missing? 

n       Fill committee positions (involvement)

n       Instill a sense of ownership within the membership – paradigm shift

o        Circle – centrifugal force goes out – board is the hub and membership are the spokes

1. Secure financial resources necessary and manage them wisely
   1. Kathy -- $3,500 per year
   2. Judy -- $10,000 after one year
   3. Dave – Fundraising Committee very active during his tenure.  Concern is always money, with a strong committee getting grants – could fund annual conference without worry. 
   4. Agreed on === $7,500 surplus (net gain) by December 31, 2007
2. Increase membership involvement -- committees
   1. By April 1^st  fill all committees
   2. Using newsletter
   3. Asking personally with a SPECIFIC job and time line
   4. Delegation
3. Membership number/retention
   1. number goal will help with financial planning
   2. focus on a specific group of interpreters (religious, educational, etc)
   3. focus on student involvement – letting them know WHY they should join
   4. advertising to ASR, students etc to let them know what we are and why we are
   5. (old guard or students) OR current working interpreters – they are out there – mid career people
   6. ~550-600 registered through DHHS (200 IIC / 400 EIC)
   7. Vital to be a member to get information, but most people don’t know what the board does, or what they do
   8. Key is to have awareness on membership
   9. Family constraints sometimes get in the way
   10. Networking with people on a personal level
   11. 300 members by the end of 2007
   12. EI  perspective from the rest of ICRID/RID is negative so there is a view out there is why should we focus so much attention on EIs
   13. 25% - 50% increase == agreed on 275
4. Raising the bar
   1. Specific type of workshops to help interpreters raise bar
   2. Stay on top of the EI ruling and how to support that
5. Support / Advocacy for interpreter, Deaf, hearing communities
   1. More Deaf people on committee and in board positions – perspective is invaluable
   2. 100% increase on current Deaf membership
6. Strengthen critical partnerships
   1. Other non-profit organizations who can lend support (Auditors, CPAs, Real Estate, etc)
   2. Dual membership in ICRID and IAD
   3. Hands and Voices of Indiana (their conference is Feb 9-10)

2007 assignments (projected revenue)

Do we have too many committees?  Do we have enough man-power to seat all of these?

o        Annual Conference – ($3,000 – minimum net revenue)

o        Publicize well

o        $5,000 donations & fundraising (don’t forget Helping Hands)

o        In-kind donations

o        Start planning NOW for the fall conference so planning is easier

o        Establish written timelines for planning

o        Fill the committee ASAP with non-board members

o        ASR – ($5,000 – minimum net revenue)

o        Advertise earlier

o        Fill committee with non-board members (except for members-at-large)

o        Minimum $500 donations and fundraising

o        Begin planning for 2008 ASR in October or November

o        PDC – ()

o        CHARGE – tap into the membership and develop opportunities base on the needs of our members – Pro-active

o        Satellites, ITP representative,

o        Josh suggests a NW satellite

o        Christine—concerned that South Bend is too close to NW area

o        separate the PDC and CMP positions and responsibilities

o        all need to meet to get all on the same page

o        need to clearly define their roles

o        at least one workshop for each satellite site area per year

o        ALL the stakeholders need to be involved in the discussion of changing the PDC make-up to make sure they all have agreement

o        GOAL of 4 PDC workshops for 2007

o        Radio and newspapers for non-profits (NPR, Christian stations)

o        “Ask The Board” workshop for ITPs – after board meetings on campus

o        CMP – One person functioning as that role

§         Maybe a subgroup of the PDC committee but not separate – Carrie as chair

o        Educational Interpreter

o        REMINDER – keep focus on teamwork with other committees for needs (membership, PDC, etc) so they don’t cross purposes

o        Continue focus on offering educational workshops

o        PR – reach out to the SEE interpreters

o        PR – keep focus on EIPA

o        Provide things to EIs that they might not “expect” ICRID to provide

o        Committee is working on gathering needs of EIs currently

o        Focus is on administration and educating the schools

o        May not need to be through ICRID, but we can partner through ICRID

o        How to break down the wall between SEE and ASL interpreters

o        Develop workshop ideas – based on needs

o        Contacting the existing interpreters and getting them into the network

o        Supporting the EIs through working with the school system and administration

o        Historical

o        fill committee

o        decide how to proceed

o        videotape stories from “old-timers”

o        compile stories and bits of history

o        Bylaws – dormant at this time

o        Awards & Scholarships ($600)

o        Set process each year for awarding

o        Donations for Marvin Marshall Scholarship

o        Raise funds to cover the costs of the awards every year (~$600)

o        Membership (275 members by December 31, 2007)

o        Add committee interest choices on renewal/membership forms

o        Educational interpreters

o        Membership table at all workshops and events

o        Quarterly discounts targeting specific groups of interpreters (students, religious, VRS, EI, etc)

o        Student focused workshop – with opportunities for being involved, etc

o        DHHS sending out information for us with their EIC and IIC holders

o        Satellites can be responsible for knowing and contacting their areas

o        Member-get-a-member expansion

o        ASL Club leaders targeted

o        Go to all ITPs, college programs with ASL and explain ICRID and what we do.

o        Newsletter

o        Investigate the possibility of on-line newsletter

o        Add more advertising (profit)

o        NL is the biggest piece of PR ICRID has so we need to keep it paper

o        Address membership involvement / committee involvement

o        Put pie chart in newsletter to show where dues go

o        Website

o        Add on-line membership and renewal by PayPal

o        Investigate a Members only page

o        Bruce Wicklander MIRID – bwicklander@earthlink.net

o        Fundraising ($6,500 – minimum net revenue)