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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/29/2016 - Minutes RHSMinutes_03292016 Page 1 of 11 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 29, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 Attending: Laura Clawson, Antoin Johnson, Stefanie McIrvin, Jordann McKay, Betsy Prather, Elizabeth P. Stewart, Kim Sweet, and Lisa Wivag. Absent: Alice Stenstrom, Vicki Jo Utterstrom, and Vinod Waghamare. Guests: Sarah Samson and Alexis Madison. Call to Order President Stefanie McIrvin called the meeting to order at 5:32 PM. Oral Communications Collection Manager Sarah Samson gave a brief informal presentation about deaccessioning, the process of legally and ethically removing objects from the Museum’s permanent collection. She also distributed a hand-out, “Deaccessioning FAQs.” Board Communications Kim Sweet introduced the idea of participating in a Renton Pub Crawl with the Renton Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Renton Partnership. Trustees were interested in the idea, but wanted to know more about what the Renton Historical Society’s role would be. Liz Stewart described a recent trip to the Kehinde Wiley exhibit at Seattle Art Museum and encouraged trustees to go. Correspondence Liz reported that Farmers Market Coordinator Carrie Olson has confirmed that the Renton Historical Society has the July 26 date at the Farmers Market Community Booth. She has not completed scheduling September so there could still be a possibility of a second date. Consent Agenda (Vice President) Action Item A quorum was present.  MOTION: Laura Clawson moved to approve the Consent Agenda, adding Stefanie’s name to the attendance list and correcting the misspelling of her name, Lisa seconded. Motion passed, none opposed, none abstaining. Old Business Action Items____ (1) Next Steps after the Retreat: Stefanie will re-send the list of possible action steps from the retreat. Kim would like to see Gene Sens targeted as a possible major donor, among a list of perhaps ten donors a year for special treatment. All agreed the retreat was informative and helpful. RHSMinutes_03292016 Page 2 of 11 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 29, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 (2) 2016 fundraiser: Stefanie met with Gene Sens briefly and an early summer fundraiser is not doable for him; he has more renovations coming up. But he continues to be interested in helping. Liz suggested that it might be wise to repeat our Dinner Auction this year, since we’re losing our expert events planners in June (Lisa and Vicki). Lisa agreed to get Weds., Sept. 28 locked in at the Renton Senior Activity Center, and Betsy Prather and Jordann McKay volunteered to work on auction item procurement. Liz can have staff design a “Save the Date” in time for the Farmers Market and Renton River Days, if we have a theme. Trustees threw out some possible themes—anniversaries, Harvest, Halloween, Casino Night, etc.—and decided a special meeting is needed for more discussion. Stefanie also asked that each Board member commit to fill a table of eight guests. Discussion Action Items____ (1) 4Q Financials: (See Attachment 1.) Treasurer Laura Clawson reported on the 4Q 2015 financials. Although income was down from 2014 by about $1600, partly because fundraising goals were not met, staff managed to hold costs down so that the year closed with $6500 in the black. Laura also explained that the Finance Committee had agreed to cease the practice of moving larger donations ($100 and above) into the Endowment Fund. This practice had never been codified in the Endowment Policy or in the minutes, and probably does not reflect the will of donors. (See Attachment 2.)  MOTION: Laura Clawson moved to accept the 4Q 2015 financials as presented, and Kim Sweet seconded. Motion passed, none opposed, none abstaining. (2) Lobby renovation: Museum Director Liz Stewart showed floorplans and samples of lobby materials. Because of the timing on carry forwards and contracting, the project will probably not start until after the RHS Annual Meeting on June 8. Liz will keep the Board updated. (3) Admission fee increase: Liz circulated a proposal for the Board to consider that would raise the Museum’s suggested donation from $3 to $5 for adults and from $1 to $2 for kids. The Museum has not raised its admission fees in over a decade, at the same time that it has begun offering more and better programs and exhibit. The Board will consider the proposal and vote at the April meeting. Dates of note: See Addendum. Mission Moment Liz informed the Board that the Museum had just hung a new exhibit of artwork by English Language Acquisition students from Renton Technical College, Can Art Change the World?, RHSMinutes_03292016 Page 3 of 11 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 29, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 another in a series of collaborative exhibits with the college. She encouraged trustees to attend the official opening on Thurs., April 7 at 5:30 pm. Adjournment _____ MOTION: Kim Sweet moved to adjourn; Lisa Wivag seconded. The motion passed and the meeting adjourned at 7:03 pm. Elizabeth P. Stewart, Museum Director Member, Board of Trustees, Renton Historical Society RHSMinutes_03292016 Page 4 of 11 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 29, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 ATTACHMENT 1 2015 Year End Report Prepared and Submitted by Treasurer Laura Clawson Prev Yr Comparison Income Overall income was $2,123 less than 2014, a drop of 1.82%. Membership, Tours and Sales were substantially ($5,564, 63%) higher in 2015, but Fundraising was $7,277 lower. Grants also were lower. Surprisingly, Memorials were up by $6,916, an increase of 187%. Considering the considerable drop in Fundraising and Grant income, the total income is substantially flat from the previous year. Expenses Total expenses were $4,021 less in 2015, a 3.6% drop. When looking at specific expense accounts keep in mind that we changed the chart of accounts in 2014 and tweaked coding in 2015; some accounts don’t match. If you have questions, please let me know. Our staff does an excellent, an amazing job of keeping expenses to a minimum. We have a shortage of income, not an excess of expenditures. Fundraising Recap 2015 2014 Diff Income 6496 13773 -7277 Expense 1339 2071 - 731 Profit 5157 11702 -6545 Profit % 79% 85%  The drop in income only tells part of the story of our 2015 fundraising experiment. How does one measure goodwill, outreach, advertising and hosting a unique Renton event? We took a risk and by metrics other than income it was a success. RHSMinutes_03292016 Page 5 of 11 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 29, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 2015 Actuals vs Budget Reflecting the previous year’s comparison, 2015 missed income by $6,890. Grants came in as budgeted, Memorials and Memberships were higher, Fundraising lower. Donations were $11,177 lower but higher Memorials and Memberships covered most of the difference. Budgeted income was missed due to not meeting the Fundraising goal. Expenses were $14,116 less than budget. Net income is $4581, $7226 over budget. Unrestricted [for Operations] and Restricted [Specified or Endowment] Donations As the minutes from the February 2016 Finance Committee meeting state, we reviewed the Endowment Policy and discussed its silence as to whether small donations should be considered Endowment funds. Some comments were: o Small donations are insignificant to the large endowment fund balances but are very significant to the operation of the museum. o Most donors do not know the difference between a donation and a donation to the endowment. They are supporting “the museum.” o Donors do not specify “Endowment” on the donor slips. o Does it make sense to, in one trustee’s words, “fund a retirement account when you can’t afford gas?” o The Endowment Policy as written allows flexibility and purposefully authorizes the Board to make decisions regarding donations that best benefit both operations and endowments. o Large donations—over $1,000, for example—are considered on a case by case basis and according to the donor’s wishes. o All donations specifically stated as Endowment are always true Endowment donations and will not be used for operations. o Historically the Historical Society did not have an Endowment until the Custer bequest in the early 2000s. To grow the Endowment we need marketing strategies targeting the Endowment. o We are grateful and appreciative of all donations, and strive to reflect the donors’ wishes. The Committee recommended that Liz review prior board minutes for direction regarding a dollar amount for which donations are to be considered Endowment. If she found none, we recommended moving donations to unrestricted for 2015. Subsequent to the meeting, Liz reviewed minutes and did not find any direction from the Board. RHSMinutes_03292016 Page 6 of 11 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 29, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 As the Committee recommended I reclassified donations in 2015 to unrestricted (with the exception of Lobby Renovation donations). This provided $8,176 additional operating income. The year-end financials presented today reflect donation income. MOTION: I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE YEAR-END FINANCIALS AS PRESENTED. RHSMinutes_03292016 Page 7 of 11 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 29, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 ATTACHMENT 2 FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING 24 February 2016 Attending: Laura Clawson, Chair and Treasurer Stefanie McIrvin, President Kim Sweet, Vice President Liz Stewart, Museum Director (1) Review of 2015 4Q financials  Committee members reviewed 2015 4Q financials (distributed in advance) o Total income was under budget by $15,000, with Fundraising (1.60) and Donations (1.70) both off. Expenses were about $14,000 under budget, for a net loss of $3,554. o 2015 is the second deficit year in a row. It’s important to reverse this trend. (2) Donation policy as it relates to non-specified small donations  Laura introduced the discussion about the practice of moving memorial donations at the $100 level and above into the Endowment Fund. o Does this practice make sense when the Museum is running at a deficit? o Does this practice meet the desires of donors, who probably believe they are giving to further the mission of the organization?  Committee members discussed whether Endowment Policy or any other policy mandates this. Endowment Policy does not. o Liz volunteered to check past minutes for a vote on the practice—there was no policy established by a vote of the Board.  All agreed that building the Endowment by tiny increments at the expense of current operations does not make sense.  Research also revealed that donors had only given to the Endowment 17 times in the past decade—need better marketing, but also reflects donors’ general desire to support current mission.  Lacking direction from policy, Laura agreed she would re-code individual donations destined for the Endowment, so that they will remain in the operations fund.  All agreed that larger donations--$1000 and above, for example—should be considered for removal to the Endowment Fund. RHSMinutes_03292016 Page 8 of 11 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 29, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 (3) Review of draft agenda for the March 12 retreat.  Liz distributed a draft agenda for the March 12 retreat on future financial planning. Lynn Bohart will facilitate. Notes prepared by Liz Stewart. RHSMinutes_03292016 Page 9 of 11 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 29, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 ATTACHMENT 3 MUSEUM REPORT February 2016 Compiled by Elizabeth P. Stewart, Director Sarah Samson, Collection Manager Mark Mulder, Public Engagement Coordinator Operations Visitors in January: 154 Visitor numbers reflect members and researchers as well as paying visitors. In February tours were given to students from Renton Christian Prep and Hazen High Special Education. Administration Lobby renovation: The start of the lobby renovation project is now awaiting approval of the FY2015 budget carry-forwards by Renton City Council. Museum Director Liz Stewart and City of Renton Facility Coordinator Michael Nolan have met to review and select materials and paint, and subcontractor FORMA is ready to begin once the contract can be signed. Right now it looks as if Council will approve the carry-forwards at their April 18 meeting, which may mean delaying the project start until after the Renton Historical Society Annual Meeting on June 8. Michael believes the project can be completed in 3 – 4 weeks, so that we can still get it done before Renton River Days. Stay tuned for updates. Board President Stefanie McIrvin, Vice President Kim Sweet, trustee Betsy Prather, and Director Liz Stewart all attended the Renton Community Foundation’s Celebrate! The Love of Community event to accept a grant from the First Financial Northwest Foundation Fund for the lobby project. The Museum also had a display in the events center. Personnel: During the week of March 14 Liz and Collection Manager Sarah Samson interviewed three potential candidates for the position of Museum Office Aide, which has been vacant since Feb. 1. We offered the position to Nichole Jones, and she accepted. She will start the week of RHSMinutes_03292016 Page 10 of 11 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 29, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 April 11. Nichole is in the process of relocating to North Bend from Port Angeles where she has worked for Port Book and News for two years. She has als o been a guide for Port Angeles Heritage Tours and Story People of Clallam County. Liz will continue to cover the duties until Nichole starts. Publication: The Renton Historical Society and Museum quarterly newsletter came out in late February, featuring the first of a fascinating two-part series on the murder of nine-year-old Elsie Milhuff in Renton in 1906. This newsletter has been very popular with numerous compliments called and emailed in, and even a few new members. Part II of the story will be published in the June newsletter. Board Retreat: In February Liz worked with Renton Community Foundation Executive Director Lynn Bohart and the Board’s ad hoc Retreat Committee to develop an agenda and set of activities for the Board retreat on Sat., March 12 at Kent Historical Museum. The retreat focused on future financial planning and fundraising. Liz reviewed progress on the museum master plan and then laid out a set of possible goals for the future. Lynn described a series of potential fundraising scenarios and Board members selected those they’d be willing to participate in. Many trustees stayed afterward for a tour of the Historic Bereiter House, led by Director Zach van Tassel. Exhibits Birth, Life & Death exhibit: Public Engagement Coordinator Mark Mulder has given his new exhibit tour several times now, with good results, and we’re continuing to schedule guided tours. Birth, Life & Death will be on display until May 27, 2016. Can Art Change the World? Exhibit: Collection Manager Sarah Samson and Liz have been working with Renton Technical College Basic Studies Department instructor Jen Gonthier on another collaborative exhibit by ESL (now called English Language Acquisition) students. The exhibit features artworks by the students as well as descriptions of the significance of their work. The exhibit opening will be held on Thurs., April 7 at 5:30 pm and the students will attend. RHSMinutes_03292016 Page 11 of 11 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 29, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 Frozen in Time: Sarah Samson has almost completed design of the exhibit panels for our exhibit featuring the Museum’s collection of glass plate negatives from 1909. Her research has revealed fascinating details about the owners’ and business operators’ lives. The exhibit focuses on the research process and how we know what we know about photos and objects. The exhibit will open May 31, 2016. Collections Internships: Intern Maria Robinson has completed the cataloguing of the Custer-Lewis Collection, a project funded by a 4Culture grant; Marian will be staying on in a volunteer capacity until June to continue collections work. Intern Steffi Terasaki has also completed her cataloguing work. Sarah has selected Kelsey Novick to work on an M.A. Thesis project to appraise, deaccession, and auction a collection of international costumes that do not meet our collection policy criteria. Finally, intern Amy Beale will be curating a collaborative exhibit with the Renton Municipal Arts Commission this summer to showcase the City’s art collection. Outreach Neighbor-to-Neighbor Workshop: Liz and trustee Betsy Prather staffed a table at the annual Neighbor-to-Neighbor Workshop on Sat., Feb. 27. About 130 representatives of the City’s 72 neighborhoods attended to learn about the City’s inclusivity efforts. We had a chance to talk to many of the neighbors about the Museum and the Hist orical Society. Volunteers RenTeens: The RenTeens are continuing to narrow in on their project for this year. They are particularly interested in oral interviews, which would be helpful since our Oral History Program has virtually stopped for lack of volunteers. Mark and other staff continue to look for volunteers interested in a more responsible and rewarding form of volunteering. Volunteer Hours and Activities: In February 16 volunteers contributed 91 hours of service on work that included facilities improvement, Board service, outreach activities, greeting visitors, office work, and working on collections projects.