Just The Highlights

Dec: Get your committees and volunteers lined up. Inform the technology chair (2018 = Erica Ridley) what people and email addresses should have access to the various official NINC email accounts. (ie the changeover to preselect@ninc.com, conference@ninc.com, etc.)

Dec 31: Authors Coalition surveys cutoff. Report/affidavit isn’t due to ACA until March, but all the numbers have to be as of Dec 31.

Jan 1: Third reminder e-mail from website to members who have not yet renewed. Update website pages & sidebars with new board members and committee members.

Jan 15: Renewals due.

Feb 1: Work with retention chair+ to send individual e-mail messages to any members who have not renewed. This responsibility should be split between all board members.

—Update from Erica: I personally sent out individual emails to members who did not renew to remind them of all Ninc's benefits and ask them to come back. This resulted in many renewals and great conversations, and only two people annoyed at the personal "intrusion." Julie Leto also had great luck doing this, and did not get any blowback. Meredith said people told her they didn't want to be bothered personally, but there's no record of how many actual complaints that was. In my case, it was worth it.

Feb 1: Appoint Nominating Committee Chair.

—Update from Julie, Diana, Erica: This is usually the previous year’s president, but the only requirement is that someone from the Advisory Council does the appointing. 

Feb 20: Absolute last day for renewals without processing fee.

—Update from Diana & Erica: Make sure this is set up on the website as the renewal fees is automatic. 

Feb 25: Non-renewals dropped from Nink mailing list and from Ninclink.

—Update from Diana: You have to remind Brenda Hiatt to do this on the Ninclink.

—Update from Erica: Laura/Michelle should be updating the Nink Mailchimp every month, but remind them to ensure non-renewals are scrubbed from the members-only list. Non-members should also be removed from the private members-only Facebook group. Remove "Renew now!" language from website home page, Member page, and side bar.

ACA SURVEY INFORMATION DUE MARCH 1ST.

—Update from Julie: You need to coordinate with Terese to make sure this information is accurate and presented correctly.  Pat Roy wasn’t too much help last year because she was new...the Central Coordinator will run the report and prepare the forms for the president to sign/notarize.

Apr: Audit Report due (Treasurer.)

Apr: Ensure that all board members have registered for the conference and are prepared to make travel arrangements that allow them to be present for the in-person board meeting.

May: Treasurer sends completed report due to Kansas Secretary of State.

—Update from Diana: I think this might have been moved to September. I believe this is one of the duties of the treasurer, check with Mindy to make sure this is handled.

May: Central Coordinator/President prepare for upcoming elections.

Jun: Nominating Committee’s slate due.

—Update from Diana: As soon as you know the members of the Board of Directors, send them (or have your President-Elect send them) and invitation to the in-person Board meeting at the conference. They may need to adjust their travel plans.

Jun: Final operating budget plan for the year.  This is an update of budget voted on in January for the present year.

Jul 1: Updated proxy forms to be completed to go in Aug Nink. Members need 30 days’ notice before the election commences.

—Update from Erica: In 2017, we did this electronically as part of the voting process. Discuss your needs with the technology chair.

Jul 1: Election slate’s bios due to Nink editor to appear in Aug. edition and on the website with the ballot.

—Update from Diana: This is the job of the Nominating Committee, but you need to stay on top of it. Also, watch the dates in the Bylaws/P&PM to make sure that people know to vote.  Schedule an email to go out as soon as the ballot is live.  The President, per the Bylaws, sets the duration of the election. Now that it is all online, three-four weeks is more than enough time.

Aug 1: Ballot to Nink editor to appear in Sept. Nink.  Oversight.  NINK editor’s job.

Sept: Make sure proxies are in conference attendees’material (Terese should do this with the Conference staff member in charge of paperwork), prep AGM agenda, have financial report available for AGM attendees (Treasurer).

Sept: Conference, AGM, in-person Board meeting

Sept: Election results due/announce to membership/print in Nink

Nov. 15: There's an Annual IRS filing that must be filled out by Tonya and signed by NINC treasurer and returned to IRS by Nov. 15th.

Nov 15: Renewal season begins.

The November President’s column in NINK should include this reminder. The President should also write the renewal reminder that is sent, by the Central Coordinator, via the website.

Dec 1: Second email dues renewal reminder to be sent from website to members who have not yet renewed.

Prep the calendar and board report for next year's president.

The Whole Thing: before January 1

Before taking office:

  • Write first President's Column for January Nink, due Dec. 1. (It goes to the newsletter editor.) Jan Nink should highlight Jan 15 end-of-renewals, ACA survey.
  • Check to see that next year's liability insurance policy quote has been received.
    • Policy renews in January. Current agent is Nancy Hall at IPSCO, 1089 Bailey Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37404-2802, 1-800-347-1109, ext. 241. (This generally goes through the treasurer.)
  • Coordinate renewal dates with Central Coordinator and Technology Chair.
  • Invite incoming Board members to attend all Board meetings as non-voting members.
  • Get incoming President-elect on bank signature card.

December before taking office:

  •  Set the time for the January board meeting and notify your new board.
  • Discuss meeting schedule for at least three months at a time with your new board now or at January meeting.
  • Send out first Renewals email reminder to non-renewals, via website
  • Prepare material for website to go up on or around Jan. 1:
  • Write President's welcome letter and revise the New Member Packet (sent out via the website through the Membership Chair.)
  • Provide letter, president photo and new board photos/list and contact info for the website to the Central Coordinator/Tech Committee.
  • Work with new Nink editor to make sure things are going well. Discuss columnists and other content for coming year. (Up to the President and Nink editor to discuss and decide how involved the President wants to be in determining content.)
  • Review galleys for January Nink. This will be a monthly responsibility.
  • Write column for February Nink (due by Jan 1).

Additional info to follow in Month-by-Month Guide...

January

This is a hectic time for the organization with renewals and a new board. Be prepared to check your email regularly and to establish yourself as the face of NINC.  Make sure to meet/call the Central Coordinator and figure out how you’re going to work together.

  • Renewal reminder should go out to non-renewals. Reminders are sent via email through the website. Include info about Linda Kay West Memorial fund with this reminder, for members who are straggling on renewals because they haven't got the funds. Don’t forget to mention ACA.

Note:  a. When/if the President or another board member receives private emails about how someone can’t afford to renew, tell them to use the Fund, that only the Central Coordinator sees it, nobody asks any questions, you don’t have to give personal information – just use it, your dues helped establish it, that’s what it’s there for.

  • Change out info on website from old Board members to new.

—Central Coordinator should arrange for the incoming Board and Committee members access to the Board Room on the website and to remove former Board members from this access, if applicable.

  • Make sure the committee chairs/members and project coordinators who need access to special status on Ninc.com have such access. Remove "Committee/Board" users who no longer need this access.
  • January 10: Post a reminder on Ninclink and private Facebook group that dues are due by Feb 1st. See notes above.
  • Hold first Board meeting. Have Central Coordinator create meeting agenda ahead of time and email it to Board. If necessary, write monthly president's report for Board.
  • Set up your committees as much as possible for the year.
    • You might want to decide on specific projects for some of the committees or board members to tackle in the year ahead.
  • 31 deadline for members to return Authors Coalition survey forms. Make sure ACA rep collects figures from administration part of website at this time. The figures used in the March filing with ACA should be the figures as of Jan 31. NOTE: the ACA rep is the one responsible for getting the numbers, doing the extrapolations, filling out and notarizing the two forms, and getting them to the ACA Administrator on time.
  • Approve February Nink.
  • Write monthly column. (Due Feb 1, for March Nink.)

February

  • February 20, absolute final deadline for membership renewal.
  • February 25: non-renewals removed from database and thus roster, newsletter, Ninclink (need to send Ninclink moderator a list of nonrenewals, that’s Brenda Hiatt Barber), and private Facebook group. They can be reinstated through the end of year with a dues payment plus a processing fee.
  • Remove "Renew now!" language from website home page, Member page, and side bar.
  • Make sure membership Database Keeper (Central Coordinator) does all possible updating before the newsletter distribution uses membership database to produce the roster.
  • COMPLETE ACA FORMS (due March 1)!
  • Appoint a Nominating Committee Chairman. Under the terms of the P&PM, this must be someone from the Advisory Council. It's usually the previous year's president, but it can be any AdC member. The committee gets started in April and should have a slate by June for board approval. (You need to be able to tell the Nominating Committee who from the current board is willing to stay on for another year, so they really can’t start any earlier.)
  • Prepare/send meeting agenda and (if needed) pres report; hold February Board meeting.
  • Approve March Nink.
  • Write monthly column. (Due March 1, for April Nink.)
  • Board needs to discuss with conference committee the dates and location for upcoming conferences. This should ideally be done for conferences about 3-5 years out. (Note: this should be resolved for this year, but leave this line item for 2019 board and beyond)

March

  • MARCH 1: ACA Survey/affidavit due to ACA. Vital for Ninc's financial well-being!
  • Prepare/send Board meeting agenda; prepare president's report, if needed; hold March Board meeting.
  • Approve April Nink.
  • Write monthly column (due April 1, for May Nink).

April

  • Prepare/email agenda, hold April Board meeting.
  • Approve May Nink.
  • Write monthly column (due May 1, for June Nink).
  • Begin search for any board positions that need replacing, particularly the Newsletter Editor, if applicable. President-Elect should spearhead.

May

  • Make sure Treasurer/Central Coordinator/General Accountant has completed report due to Kansas Secretary of State (due June.) This is extremely important.
  • Central Coordinator should start Elections process by preparing the ballot (without specific names yet) and General Meeting proxy.
  • Alert the Newsletter Editor that the slate will appear in the July edition of Nink.
  • Prepare/email agenda, hold May Board meeting.
  • Approve June Nink.
  • Write monthly column (due June 1, for July Nink).
  • Coordinate with Central Coordinator on proxies for the General Meeting at the conference.

June

  • June 1: Report due from Nominating Committee on candidates for next year's offices. Chair should also provide bios that are appropriate for elected office (website bios don’t always focus on organizational abilities) and photos that can be immediately forwarded to the Newsletter Editor as the slate of officers for the JULY newsletter.
  • Get final operating budget plan from treasurer—this is an updated and revised budget for the year.
  • Prepare/email agenda, hold June Board meeting.
  • Approve July Nink.
  • Write monthly column (due July 1, for August Nink).
  • Ensure that all members will have access to the proxy for the meeting. (Last year, we combined the ballot with the proxy.)

July

  • Slate for elections presented to the membership in the newsletter. (President-Elect should invite her incoming board to attend the Board meeting at the conference.)
  • Test the ballot.
  • Work with the President-Elect to appoint a Conference Chair for the next year.
  • Prepare/email agenda, hold July Board meeting.
  • Approve August Nink.
  • Write monthly column (due Aug 1, for Sept Nink).
  • Update NinkLink, private Facebook group, and website to reflect last chance for cheaper conference registration fee.

August

  • Ballot goes live on the website. The President sets the duration of the election.
  • Send an email to the membership announcing the opening of voting, the deadline and ask everyone to sign a proxy, even if they intend to attend the General Meeting. (Plans change. Try to establish quorum before the conference starts.)
  • Prepare/email agenda, hold August Board meeting.
  • Approve Sept Nink.
  • Write monthly column (due Sept 1, for Oct Nink).
  • Update website language to reflect late-registration fee for conference.

September

  • Announce elections result at conference. Send to newsletter editor for inclusion in October Nink.
  • Prepare/email agenda for September Board meeting at the conference.
  • Plan agenda for Annual General Meeting at conference.
  • Ensure that the Central Coordinator has prepared hard copies of the proxy form to bring to the conference. (About 20 copies will suffice.)
  • Approve October Nink.
  • Write monthly column (due October 1, for Nov Nink). Note: Nov Nink should highlight the start of dues renewals and remind members to fill out ACA surveys.
  • Make sure annual dues renewal notice is set for Nov 1 mailing and to go up online.
  • Remove "register for conference!" language from website. Remove pages from menu, but do not delete them from draft, so that future boards can reuse them.
  • Ensure your conference committee members have the registration data they need from the website.

October

  • Update and redo this calendar for incoming president.
  • Approve November Nink.
  • Write final monthly column (due Nov 1, for Dec Nink). Note: Dec Nink should reiterate renewals and ACA surveys.
  • Review database to be sure we have every name before renewal notices go out.
  • Discuss all changes, additions to P&PM so document can be updated. Post changes to the website.
  • Open conference registration. Assemble various conference teams. Post on NinkLink and private facebook group. Update website language on home page, Member page, and sidebars. Ensure conference pages appear in appropriate menu.

—If a procedure changes, have the volunteer/board member involved alter the P&PM immediately, with board approval, so that the document remains relevant at all times.

November

  • Coordinate with President-Elect, Central Coordinator, and Webmaster about dates and expectations for renewals season, which begins Nov 15 and lasts until January 15th.
  • Announce dues renewal and Authors Coalition survey in November Nink and via emails to members/loop.
  • Prepare/email agenda, hold November Board meeting.
  • Approve December Nink.
  • Treasurer and Conference Chair should submit their final budget/expense report within 45 days after conference.
  • Review this calendar and send the President-Elect a direct link for review.
  • Begin drafting Board-to-Board report.

December

  • Prepare end-of-the-year report to be submitted to the new Board and the Advisory Council. This report should include reports from your officers and, if desired, committee chairs.
  • Prepare/email agenda, hold December Board meeting. Next year's incoming Board members should be invited to attend on a non-voting basis.
  • Teleconference with the President-Elect to update him/her on all ongoing projects and issues.
  • Get final fiscal report for the year, plus preliminary budget plan for next year.
  • Complete your Board-to-Board report and send to the Secretary and the Central Coordinator.
  • Ensure the president's calendar is up-to-date.