[Treasurers] Fwd: [BCC] Co-op Treasurers Meeting - Feb 4th

Fri Feb 10 12:09:26 EST 2012

Hey folks. I have two quick, and last minute, questions for tomorrow's
co-op treasurer's gathering, immediately following the Boston Co-op
Assembly:

1) Can anyone confirm that we have the space at E5 from 2-3?

2) I'm preparing the power point of screen shots from The Fort and BCC. Can
anyone confirm that we have tech resources to project them? We could all
huddle around my laptop, but if there's a better solution, great.

Thanks,
Micha

On Thu, Feb 2, 2012 at 2:25 PM, Oren <get.oren at gmail.com> wrote:

> Is this still happening?
>
>  Co-op Treasurers Meeting
> *When*
> Sat, 4 February, 12:00 – 14:00 GMT-05:00
> *Where*
> ???
> *Who*
> •
> Oren Robinson
> •
> treasurers at lists.bostoncoop.net
>
> -o
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Natalie Brubaker <natalie.brubaker at gmail.com>
> Date: 18 January 2012 18:40
> Subject: [BCC] Co-op Treasurers Meeting - Feb 4th
> To: BCC-Board <bcc-board at lists.bostoncoop.net>
>
>
> Hey Board,
>
> Below is the email regarding the next co-op treasurer gathering to discuss
> co-op finance stuff.  Below that are the notes from the first meeting where
> we discussed the challenges with coop fiances and brainstormed solutions.
> We are planning to take a look at each other's finance structures on the
> 4th.  I'm sure Micha will have something to share about the consultant
> position proposal.  I'll forward that email too!
>
> -Natalie
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Matt Meyer <Matt at lucystonecoop.org>
> Date: Fri, Jan 6, 2012 at 9:52 AM
> Subject: Re: Notes from this week's co-op treasurer's meeting
> To: Micha Josephy <micha.josephy at gmail.com>
> Cc: Charlie Detar <c at tirl.org>, Coorain Devin <coorain.devin at gmail.com>,
> Dale Edwards <dale62676 at yahoo.com>, Filipe Miranda <gopigasus at gmail.com>,
> Garga Chatterjee <drgarga2 at gmail.com>, Grey Lee <greylee at gmail.com>,
> "Natalie Brubaker (BCC)" <natalie.brubaker at gmail.com>, Rowan Van Ness <
> rowan.vanness at gmail.com>, stu mendelson <storytellerstu at gmail.com>, Vera
> Kelsey-Watts <vkelsey at gm.slc.edu>, Gabe Baldwin <gabebaldwin at gmail.com>,
> Joe Terry <kangaroohq at yahoo.com>
>
>
> Hey Co-op Accountants!
>
> It's been difficult to find a  date that we can all make for a house
> accountants meeting.   What'd I'd like to do is suggest that we meet up on
> *Saturday the 4th from 12-2pm.
> *
> Hopefully that's far enough off that you can put it in your schedule.
>
> This will be for house accountants to show some screen shots of the system
> you use and talk us through how it works.  It should be a good first step
> towards sharing some best practices and finding other ways to work together.
>
> Let me know if you can make it or not.
> Thanks all!
> -matt
>
>
> On Fri, Nov 11, 2011 at 9:29 PM, Micha Josephy <micha.josephy at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Hi all. Here are the notes that Oren took on Charlie's computer at this
>> week's co-op treasurer's gathering. What cooperation! Thanks to both of you!
>>
>> I'll take this opportunity to remind y'all to send me 1) your accountant
>> names, contact info, cost, and what services they provide you; 2) your
>> chart of accounts (aka- budget line items); and 3) any procedure manuals
>> you might have or documentation related to your financial management
>> practices. Thanks! I'll be out of town at a conference all next week, but
>> if you could send me stuff in the next week or two, I'll hopefully have
>> some time in December to start compiling.
>>
>> Also, if you didn't get the doodle note from Matt re: scheduling a next
>> meeting, go to: http://www.doodle.com/qbru2naufpxvbctr
>>
>> Finally, I don't have e-mails for Jered or Nagle. If you do, could you
>> send this to them and cc me, so I get their contact info?
>>
>> In cooperation,
>> MJ
>> *
>> Coop treasurers meeting*
>>
>> Wednesday, November 9th 2011 @ Millstone Co-op
>>
>> Introductions
>>
>> Micha Josephy: Works for CFNE, previously lived in the Big Top,
>> Millstone, & helped form Seedpod. Done Bookkeeping for small non-profits.
>> I'm excited about the idea of co-ops collaborating.
>>
>> Stu Mendelson: Lives at Millstone, is Millstone's treasurer, worked as
>> treasurer at a food co-op in Albany, NY. Would like to prevent co-ops from
>> starting from scratch.
>>
>> Charlie DeTar: At Seedpod, excited to see more resources for the Boston
>> co-op scene.
>>
>> Natalie Brubaker: House accountant for Seedpod, treasurer for BCC,
>> wanting to reduce the burden for co-op members.
>>
>> Gabriel: Member at Spirit of '76 in Medford. Not the bookkeeper. At the
>> board of Lucy Stone co-op. Would like to share from NASCO.
>>
>> Oren Robinson: Member at Millstone, was interim finance person.
>>
>> Jared: Clerk of finance committee at Beacon Hill Friends House, excited
>> about the soul of co-ops, as opposed to psychotic corporate america
>>
>> Matt: Member at Lucy Stone co-op, excited about resources for new people
>> to take on accounting, to share skills and support.
>>
>> Joe Terry: Member at Millstone for 5 years, former house accountant &
>> made software that Millstone uses.
>>
>> Nagle: Member at Millstone, will be taking over for Stu as house
>> accountant. Want to answer the question about what the best solution &
>> other perspectives are on bank accounts.
>>
>> Vera: From the Beaufort house, does finances for the Fort. Studied econ,
>> planning on being a certified financial planner. Wants to learn how to
>> rectify the Fort's system, which is a rental co-op. I will be accountant
>> there until death.
>>
>> Problem Statement
>>
>> Micha: House treasurers accumulate too much responsibility, stress, time
>> pressure and risk on the behalf of their co-ops.
>>
>> Agenda with time budgeting
>> • Review potential collaboration (20 min)
>> • Brainstorming structures for financial management (30 min)
>> • Schedule next meeting (5 min)
>> • Task assignments (15 min)
>>
>> Potential Collaborations
>> Micha:
>>   (A) Standards: One idea was to learn about how other co-ops do it, with
>> the objective of looking for standards and building more inter-coop
>> support. If there were ever external help, this would be easier.
>>   (B) Training: Another idea is training both treasurers & co-op members.
>>   (C) Technical answers: A third is developing answers to more complex
>> questions like legal structure.
>> Charlie:
>>   (D) Strategizing for future financial transitions like buying.
>> Micha:
>>    I hope this lays the foundation for other types of collaboration like
>> property management, food purchasing, etc.
>> Joe:
>>   Some houses want to own, others don't, so there should be ways to
>> accommodate different types of co-ops.
>> Stu:
>>   It would be good to have this written somewhere, like a manual,
>> software recommendations.
>>
>> Brainstorming: Training
>> • Howto guides
>> • Make it easier
>> • Workshops and also a hotline
>> • Decentralized support & training
>> • Bring someone in annually to train
>> • Support group, peer group, group therapy
>> • History of development of particular structures
>> • Help from NASCO or other co-op networks
>> • Putting future & current accountants through a Quickbooks class, or
>> other class
>> • Always have a backup treasurer!
>> • Learn to make it a more doable job, not 50 hours/month
>> • Make the benefit worth it
>>
>> Brainstorming: What does your co-op use?
>> BCC (Filipe): Quickbooks Pro 2008, interested in switching to Quickbooks
>> online. Virtually everything we do ourselves, the one thing we don't do is
>> 990 federal & state forms, we pay about $1K/year to have an accountant do
>> that. There's also a finance manual & a wiki. Money market account, savings
>> account, two checking accounts, Lucy Stone account. Used to have CDs.
>> BHFH (Jared): We have a board through the Religious Society of Friends.
>> Part-time bookkeeper uses Quickbooks, accountant for the 990 forms once a
>> year. We are trying to apply for tax-exempt status, we hired a lawyer to
>> get that for us.
>> Lucy Stone (Matt): Group equity model, own our own home. Housemates
>> account uses Excel for food & utilities, separate board (corporate) account
>> is on Quickbooks online, $10.57/mo (pro is $30/mo). We also have another
>> 'program account' for social justice and donation programs. Three separate
>> bank accounts.
>> Millstone (Stu): Rental house. One bank account, use a program that joe
>> wrote that makes virtual accounts for food, rent, vacancy, awesome fund,
>> etc. No quick books, no tax forms, the account is in two individual's
>> names, in the process of wanting to change it. No accountant, no paperwork.
>> We do a budget based around rent.
>> Spirit of '76 (Gabriel): Uses really old version of quickbooks,
>> accountant for taxes about $500/yr. Three-trustee land trust. Everything is
>> in the one account, most things are done on an individual basis. Parties
>> etc. is a very small amount. We're creating two more accounts, one for
>> equity deposits, and another for long term investment & reserves for tax
>> benefits. All in the land trust's name.
>> The Fort (Vera): Rental property. We use google spreadsheets. Some things
>> are allocated and budgeted, some portion is for equity, security deposits.
>> Everything is in the house's name as a saving's club. It's all one account.
>> Business. Business.
>>
>> Brainstorm: Standardization
>> Three co-ops have some form of howto manual. Most do different things,
>> and some have different legal structures. However certain expenses are
>> always the same. What could we do to standardize?
>> • Having a professional accountant and/or lawyer that people would feel
>> comfortable with, the goto person for professional help. Possibly striking
>> deals because of our numbers.
>> • Developing two modular structures, or maybe more, to handle all
>> households. Rental households need to manage utilities, food, rent, whereas
>> there's also corporate level financing.
>> • Standardize the chart of accounts (terminology given to different
>> budget categories). Perhaps professional best-practices would be useful.
>> • What if we had an umbrella organization, or a co-op for the co-ops,
>> with a few staff that could work for this standardization
>> • Procedures could also be standardized. All houses go shopping, collect
>> receipts, and there are regular reports. If there was a way to standardize
>> reporting or collection, we could all understand it the same way.
>> • Standard software would be awesome. Online software is nice.
>>
>> Brainstorming: Technical Support
>> • Membership & contacts at NASCO
>> • Workers Federal Credit Union
>> • Documentation for setting up a legal co-op
>> • Use the seedpod recommendations
>> • Choosing one accountant, one chart of accounts
>> • Having an annual Quickbooks 101 training, or every few months some
>> aspect.
>> • Why not forgo outside lawyers & accountants and develop internal
>> resources
>> • More accountability, more transparency & internally published & open
>> accounting
>> • Transparency v. Standardization?
>>
>> Task Allocation
>> • review accounting software packages (Joe)
>> • review accountants used by co-ops here in boston (everyone send to
>> Micha contact info & pricing)
>> • setting up a bostoncoops.org mailing list for treasurers (Oren,
>> Charlie)
>> • finding resources in berkeley student co-op scene (Charlie)
>> • prepare comparison powerpoint (Micha, Oren)
>> • looking into Cooperative Development Institute (Micha)
>> • comparing chart of accounts (Micha)
>> • reporting back from BCC consultation (Filipe)
>> • Doodle for January meeting (Matt)
>>
>> Announcements
>> • Go to http://campaign.coop ! Get your reps to support it! (Everyone)
>> • Statements of intent for Worker Credit Union (join nasco) (Everyone)
>> • Promote year of the coop!
>>
>> Next Meeting
>> • The next meeting can be in January
>> • The next meeting will be computers & following up on progress towards a
>> collaborative structure.
>> • It might happen at MIT or The Fort
>> • People can send in 5 or so screenshots
>>
>>
>>
>
>
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