New England NCV Circle Minutes - January 21, 2009
Present: Jerry Koch-Gonzalez, Pan Vera, Bonnie Mioduchoski
Absent: Joe Brummer, Judy Nommik

1. ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS
1.1. Consented to Jerry Koch-Gonzalez being the facilitator & notetaker for today.
1.2. Approved minutes of December 2008 meeting
1.3. Next meeting: February 23, 2009 from 11am to 12:30pm. Conference Dial-in Number: (218) 339-4300. Participant Access Code: 480428#
1.4. Consented to the agenda for today

2. Coordinator’s report
2.1. The focus this month has been on a) getting the newengalndnvc.org website ready and b) on producing the fundraising appeal letter. The website now has the capacity for posting training announcements and online sign-ups and payments, posting practice groups, and has the capacity for people signing up to join the newsletter/mailing list. The database will be populated with close to 2000 names in the next few days. The appeal was sent out. A detailed report on the appeal and finances will be ready for next meeting. Supporting the development of local circles is the primary focus of the next phase. Noted exchange of emails between Jerry & Gina/Peggy in Maine.
2.2. Action Steps: Jerry will send Bonnie VT and CT databases and she will collate and clean them up to get them ready to add to New England database. Bonnie will do this within a week of receiving them. Jerry will work with Joe for Connecticut and with Bonnie for Boston to organize local circle meetings. Jerry will organize meeting of Pioneer Valley (MA) Circle and work with Karen Andrews to organize BerkshireNVC (MA) Circle. Jerry will continue dialog with Peggy & Gina about relationship between Maine NVC and NENVC.

3. Effectiveness of website (scheduled review)
3.1. We reviewed the website. Generally happy with it. We noted some design issues that need tweaking. We noted that the page does not adjust to smaller size when the window is made smaller that full page width. This is an issue with the art-work based banner and would take more work to fix than we want to put in right now.
3.2. Action Steps: Bonnie will send screen shot to Pan re levelness of navigation panel and body in home page. Pan will look at validation and browser compatibility issues. Next website review in 3 months.

4. Financial Sustainability of New England NVC
4.1. Ideas were presented and discussed. Will come back to this next meeting. The Intent is to meet support needs for both New England NVC and the individual trainer, and to offer non-affiliated trainers a way to work with New England NVC.
4.1.1. 10% of affiliated trainers’ income (like CNVC does with Certified Trainers)
4.1.2. $75 one time affiliation fee (CNVC’s is $300 or $250)
4.1.3. 3 % on workshop payments made through PayPal or other merchant account to recover actual cost
4.1.4. When New England NVC offers a contracted training to an affiliated trainer, New England NVC will pay the trainer 65% of fee and keep 35%
4.1.5. Annual meaningful donation by all Circle members
4.1.6. Annual or biannual appeals
4.1.7. If a non-affiliated trainer wants to New England NVC to manage their workshop (publicize through website/emails and do registration) New England NVC will keep 35% of the income (this is how BayNVC works with affiliated trainers who are not on staff salary)
4.1.8. If a non-affiliated trainer wants to publicize their workshop but not have NVC do registration or collect workshop payments, they will pay the equivalent of one persons’ attendance at workshop (tuition, not room and board) for that service
4.1.9. Possible future funds sources: Grants, Special fundraising drives, Book & product sales
4.2. Reaction: Bonnie: like ability to pay affiliate fee, trainers fee; not yet sure about %s; Pan: appreciate organization. Prefer getting larger share % through PayPal because then don’t have to ask trainers to contribute later. Don’t know how viable any of this is in supporting the sustainability of New England NVC, but willing to go ahead on sense that it feels right to me, and to review when we have a year’s experience.

5. 6. CLOSING ROUND
5.1. Jerry: Enjoyed the ease we have working together, grateful for the sense of companionship
5.2. Bonnie: Grateful for sense of ease. Able to ask questions and get clarity. Fun to think together. Excited about evolution, meets need for progress.
5.3. Pan: delight in ease of working together. Glad to see things developing. Looking forward to group expanding.
 
6. Supporting Information: New England NVC Aims
1. Provide a means of information exchange among NVC groups,and with CNVC leadership
2. Support cooperation and collaboration among those contributing to the spread of NVC
3. Increase participation in, and quality, number and variety of opportunities to learn NVC.
4. Provide ways for all those interested to contribute time, skills and money to the growth of the NVC community.
5. Improve access for all to information about NVC and opportunities to learn NVC.
6. Create and sustain a structure for decision making that models partnership.