September 2019 Board Meeting

MORE Board Meeting Notes | September 9, 2019

REI - Tyson’s Corner

Attendance of meeting

Ernie Rodriguez - President
Steve DonTigny - Executive Director
Tom Howe - VA Advocacy Director
Rob Lowe - Membership Director
Sharon Maloid - Activities Director (absent)
Andrew Melito - Communications Director
Bob Caverly - Vice President (absent)
Dave Magill - MD Advocacy Director (absent)
Neil Blake - Treasurer

Status Updates

Treasurer (Neil)

• Unrestricted net increase $4,756 (YTD decrease $5,152)
• $13.6k - Q2 Membership check
• ($4.3)k - ED
• ($2.6)k - Accountant fee for tax return
• Restricted net decrease $13,970 (YTD increase $40,144)
• $(11.1)k Frederick Watershed trail work
• ($1.5)k - PEPCO mowing invoice
• Unrestricted cash $150,871
• Restricted cash $208,884
• Neil discussed wanting a monthly figure of members and revenue to use as a yearly rolling average for forecasting funds from membership. He would like to use this to put a monetary value on a member.
• Neil asked for a general monetary value for each member. Ernie and Rob explained knowing value per person can be complicated (IMBA fees, process fees, and different membership levels change price per person.
• Ernie estimates $50 per member
• Went through unrestricted fund breakdowns, including general donations coming in and going out, from sponsorships and event expenses.
• Overall Net positive unrestricted, but in the year it’s at a negative. However, when MOCO comes in we should be above.
• Went through restricted funds expenses, which is negative but expecting to be even after some income minus expenses.
• Ernie asked for 5-7k out of PayPal and 10k out of money market. PayPal is a high balance, and no funds paid through it so theoretically we don’t need any money in that account.
• Discussed Waterworks and Bacon Ridge payment of funds where Bacon Ridge is using their account to pay for Waterworks. Neil suggested transferring funds from Bacon to Waterworks so we have clear accounting.
• Neil heard back from Accountant recently and responded to his comments about tax return questions. 

Membership (Rob L)

• Explained how membership vs. money-in differences work. For example, in 2017 we had 1,100 sign-ups/renewals but had about 1,400 members. Went through the $ per member from each year. Also discussed nuances of monthly membership donations where money comes in incrementally throughout the year, making it difficult for a true average. Neil is looking for a simplistic view of money-in from memberships and total revenue. Ernie expressed that a figure like that isn’t accurate enough to understand past/future flows.
• Ernie will ask IMBA again why these numbers aren’t readily available.
• Our monthly’s continue to increase YOY
• Auto-renews are up as well YOY, around ~200 which makes up 1/6 of total memberships

Activities (Ernie on behalf of Sharon)

• Patapsco TrailFest will have some board representation from Ernie and Andrew.
• Ernie posted group rides for the year as well as checked on the ride leaders status and some were not members. Ernie reminded the group that they need to be members for insurance purposes. Ride leaders have responded and started to renew.
• Fall Camping Trip has good numbers so far with more coming in. Revenue is neutral to this because it’s a member benefit and not driving new revenue in.

Communications (Andrew)

• Volunteering at Patapsco this weekend.
• Started update on map which is part of who is more flyer. Will work to add in roads
• Reached out to Liaisons for recruiting of board members, not had any responses yet.
• Using Bitly to promote events. Helps create short and easy links to use that can be customized. Let me know if anyone on the team needs any, it’s an easier way to display short links. Rob and Neil both mentioned that it can look like a spam link if it’s not custom.
• Created template for email newsletter. Should help save time and features photographer callout.
• Help with minutes from the team to add in details.
• Looking for next volunteer spotlight, any nominations. Andrew suggested Todd Bauer but left it to the group to nominate someone.
• Uploaded annual report, bike tag and MoCo Biz Card to Sharepoint under Promotional Materials. They are all zip files of the original artwork

Virginia Advocacy (Tom H)

• Ernie discussed Fort DuPont new co-liaison recruit.  Volunteers are gathering to get more activity going at DuPont this evening.
•  Locust Shade Black Loop is under construction, money is out to contractor to start work. Volunteer is laying down flags.
• NOVA parks notified MORE, BROT is still on hold. An RFP is in with them for a multi-use trail, roughly a mile of trail to complete around Yates Ford Road.
• Steve and Ernie met with Prince Williams Trail Coalition to discuss forming an advocacy group.
• Worked with Dave to plan a discount for trail tread volunteers to buy Trail Boss Tools for both VA and MD

MD Advocacy (Ernie on behalf of Dave M)

• $2.8 k grant reimbursement from SHA RTP for rivers edge kiosk
• Received all environmental approvals for Patuxent
• Finished all trail work on Seneca Bluffs in advance of MoCo Epic
• Waterworks trail system open – Great work David Beugelmans
• Frederick gravity trails project 40% complete

Strategic conversation (Group)

• On October 8th there will be a book signing from the author of  “Biking the divide” at REI Rockville event. Another group is working with MORE build a campaign to donate bikes to a school. Discussed MORE participating in this event. Some of the board were in favor of partnering on this as long as it’s not a revenue driving event and/or supports MTB community. Ernie thinks if a promoter [of any event] is making money, we may not participate. If it’s going to trails then we would consider it.
• Discussed a video about Downieville CA and how it creates value for their group and how it could provide that for MORE. 
• Discussed the potential of developing a five year plan for our group. Idea is to think bigger and longer, but additionally have something more ‘evergreen’ to use moving forward. Group felt a one year and five year vision may be needed.