POLICIES and PROCEDURES
Friendship Force Greater Des Moines
Amended 5/13/24

 

  1. ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

1.1 The Articles of Incorporation are filed with the Iowa Secretary of State.  A Certificate of Existence is filed biennially with the SOS. The Board President is the Agent of Record.

 

  1. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

2.1 Contributions received are credited to the Friendship Force of Greater Des Moines general (operating) account unless designated by the donor for a specific activity or journey. Any contributions being made to a specific activity or journey should be so specified on the check.

2.2 The Treasurer shall establish sound bookkeeping procedures.

2.3 The Treasurer shall send via email the monthly financial report to the Board of Directors no later than the day before the Board meeting.

2.4 Expenses incurred by the President (or designated representative) for usual expenditures (mileage, parking, printing, postage, and meals) relating to Friendship Force business shall be reimbursed.  An itemized listing, with receipts where possible, of such expenses will be presented to the Treasurer for reimbursement.  Any unusual expenses must be approved in advance by the Board of Directors.

2.5 If a Club member is asked to make a presentation on behalf of Friendship Force, only necessary and reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.

2.6 The Treasurer is responsible for filing federal e-postcard form 990-N annually and within the required time frame.

2.7 The Treasurer files an online Certificate of Existence with the Secretary of State biennially.

2.8 The Treasurer shall maintain a Treasurer’s Tasks document that is updated and passed along to the next Treasurer.  The document should include 1) bank location, account numbers, and passwords; 2) monthly processes such as how to process bills, deposit checks, and prepare monthly financial reports; 3) and annual or biannual tasks such as filing with the SOS office and filing the 990-N form, including website links, account names and logins. A printed copy shall be passed to the next Treasurer and a copy, without account numbers and passwords, shall be emailed to the next Treasurer.

2.9 The President and/or Treasurer shall present a budget for the current year at the January meeting for Board approval. The purpose of the budget is to offer guidelines for expected expenses and income. Expense items exceeding the budgeted amount must be submitted to the Board for pre-approval.

 

  1. MAINTENANCE AND USE OF CLUB RECORDS

3.1 FFGDM shall maintain permanent records for its operation and this will be the responsibility of the Board of Directors.

3.2   FFGDM membership records, directory, and data base are to be used only for the business of the Club.

3.3   Using the name of the Club by a member of FFGDM to promote trips, tours or other activities by a non-Friendship Force entity is strictly prohibited unless Friendship Force International or FFGDM has a partnership agreement with said entity.

 

  1. JOURNEYS

Our club goal is to have enough journeys to keep the current membership involved and also attract new members.  Ideally, an international outbound and inbound each year and a domestic inbound and outbound each year.

4.1 The President shall name a member to be Journey Director with the approval of the Board.

4.1.1 The Journey Director shall:

  • Serve as the contact person between FFI, our club and the ambassador or host club before a Journey Coordinator is appointed.
  • Recommend Journey Coordinator candidates to the President for appointment and approval by the board.
  • Mentor or find mentors for new Journey Coordinators as needed.
  • Monitor Journey Coordinators so they are on track regarding budgeting and planning.
  • Maintain Journey Coordinator Manuals.
  • Work with the Board and membership to determine where the club would like to travel.
  • Maintain a record of mutual or reciprocal journey plans for future years and maintain contact with those clubs.
  • Solicit domestic journeys to fill any gaps we have in our journey calendar.
  • Assist the Board in decisions about policy changes for journeys.
  • Be familiar with the journey documents on the FFI website and in the Journey Coordinator Manual.

4.2 The Journey Coordinator is encouraged to appoint an assistant to serve as Journey Coordinator in the event s/he is unable to lead the Journey.

4.3 The Journey Director or Journey Mentor and the Journey Coordinator shall plan the timeline and procedures which are to be followed during the active Journey period.

4.4 The Journey Coordinator shall keep the Board informed of the Journey’s progress. The Journey Coordinator may send a report to the Journey Director or President prior to the Board meeting or may report directly to the Board by attending a Board meeting.  A Journey Coordinator does not have voting rights on Club matters brought before the Board.

4.5 Up to $25 per person may be added to the cost of an outbound journey as an Administrative Fee.  The fee is non-refundable once the Ambassador is accepted on the journey. The Administration Fee may be used by the Ambassador Coordinator to cover expenses for such things as telephone, printing, postage, and other costs related to promoting the Journey.

4.6 The Host Coordinator will set program fees for the inbound journey, with the approval of the Board.

4.7 The Board, upon request and receipt of a preliminary budget from the Ambassador Coordinator, may provide the Ambassador Coordinator a cash advance not to exceed $500.   This amount must be repaid to the Club at the time the Final Journey Report is submitted and approved by the Board of Directors.

4.8 The Journey Coordinator shall provide to the Board of Directors a Final Journey Report for inclusion in the permanent records; the report is due within 30 days of the completion of a journey. The report documentation includes financial reports, host-ambassador matching forms, and the journey itinerary. The program booklet may substitute for the latter two items.

4.9 Journey Coordinator Reimbursement

4.9.1 Ambassador Coordinator Earned Seat Reimbursement: Earned Seat Reimbursement for the Ambassador Coordinator for both International and Domestic Journeys is covered under the FFI Manual. This reimbursement is limited to direct costs of transportation. It may not exceed 1) the cost of airfare and additional transportation to the host community or 2) mileage reimbursement (non-profit federal rate per mile plus fuel costs) equivalent to reasonable airfare to and from the host community. Actual reimbursement must be approved by the Board and must be no more than provided by the Ambassadors’ fees. The maximum cost per Ambassador must not exceed $100.

4.9.2 Only one earned seat reimbursement shall be provided in case of co-Coordinators or Coordinator and assistant, to be shared as determined by the co-Coordinators with approval of the Board.

4.9.3 The earned seat reimbursement shall be paid based on the percentage of the maximum number of Ambassadors the host club can host and the Ambassador Coordinator fees collected from the ambassadors.  For example:

If host club can host 15 and airfare is $500, then each ambassador would pay $34.

  • if 15 ambassadors participate, reimbursement is $500.
  • if 14 ambassadors participate, reimbursement is $476.
  • if 10 ambassadors participate, reimbursement is $340.

If an ambassador cancels their participation within 60 days of the start of a journey, and no substitute ambassador is found, the Ambassador Coordinator is reimbursed as if the cancelling ambassador participated.

If an ambassador cancels their participation within 60 days of the start of a journey, and is replaced by another ambassador, then the cancelling ambassador shall receive a refund of the Ambassador Coordinator Earned Seat fee.

4.9.4 Ambassador Coordinator Earned Seat compensation will be distributed at the end of the journey when all reports have been submitted to the President and approved by the Board.

4.9.5 Host Coordinator Stipend:  A Host Coordinator will receive a stipend of $250 to be awarded after the Journey is successfully completed. Only one stipend shall be provided in case of co-Coordinators or Coordinator and assistant, to be shared as determined by the co-Coordinators with approval of the Board. However, a Journey Coordinator may request ‘credit’ against the stipend to pay for their participation in journey activities.

4.10 Excess Journey Funds

4.10.1 All excess funds from an inbound journey shall be disbursed as follows:

  • If the individual amount is $20 or greater per ambassador, return to each ambassador the amount in multiples of $5. (Examples:  $20, $25, $30).
  • Any excess amount greater than $20 but not equal to a multiple of $5 will be deposited into the general account. (Example:  If excess funds of $22.50 per ambassador, then $2.50 stays with the Club and $20 is returned to the ambassador.)
  • If excess funds are less than $20 per ambassador, the money will be deposited into the general account.

4.10.2 All excess funds from an outbound journey shall be shared with all Ambassadors.

 

  1. AMBASSADORS AND HOSTS

5.1 Ambassadors or hosts shall not utilize Friendship Force journeys as a means of personal financial gain.

5.2 Ambassadors or hosts will not be asked to solicit funds for any project by foreign hosts.

5.3 All outbound ambassadors are required to be members of the FFGDM or their home club.

5.4 If FFGDM is asked to host for another FF club, the decision will be made by the Board of Directors.

5.5 FFGDM will sponsor home-hosting only in connection with Friendship Force journeys.

5.6 All Home Hosts who host for our club and are not members of our club shall be given a membership for the remainder of the current year or the current and following year if hosting after September 1.

 

  1. MEMBERS

6.1 In the case of a death of a member, an appropriate sympathy note shall be sent by the Secretary. The member’s name shall also be listed in the newsletter.

6.2 New members who join after October 1 will pay the full annual membership fee, but their membership will carry over to December 31 of the following year.

 

  1. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

7.1 Article II, Section 1 of the Bylaws shall be interpreted that a “term” shall be considered as service of eighteen (18) months or more in duration for purposes of the “two consecutive terms” rule.

7.1 A training session shall be planned and conducted for new Board members.

7.2 A retreat for the Board of Directors shall be scheduled and conducted annually.

7.3 The Board may annually adjust the dues for the Club for the coming year.

 

  1. NEWSLETTER

8.1 The Newsletter may include items from local international organizations, on a space-available basis.

8.2 The Newsletter may include programs with international subjects sponsored by local organizations, on a space-available basis.

8.3 The Newsletter may include items from any other organization with Board approval.

 

  1. SCHOLARSHIP

9.1 There shall be an ongoing Scholarship/Grant Committee to supervise a scholarship fund established by the Board of Directors.

9.2 All scholarship/grant recipients who travel with FFGDM will be required to be members of the Club.  If non-members, recipients will receive a one-year membership in the Club as part of their scholarship/grant.

 

  1. INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONFERENCES

10.1 FFGDM will provide financial support to assist the President or Vice-President/President-Elect in attending the Friendship Force International Conference.  The Friendship Force of Greater Des Moines will pay 100% of the conference registration fee and 50% of the costs of lodging and direct travel.  If the President and Vice-President/President-Elect are unable to attend, a person selected by the Board may attend in the place of the President and Vice-President/President-Elect.

10.1.1  Financial support is limited to one international conference per person.

10.2 FFGDM will provide financial support to the President and one additional Board member to attend the Regional Conference. Friendship Force of Greater Des Moines will pay 100% of the conference registration fee. If the President is unable to attend, another person may be selected by the Board as a substitute attendee.

10.3 Any person receiving financial support to attend a conference will give a verbal report to the Board upon return and recommend strategies learned from the conference. Additionally, they will submit a written report of their experiences and what they learned to the Newsletter editor within 30 days of the completion of the conference.

 

  1. ANNUAL MEETING AWARDS

11.1 The following Awards may be given at the Annual Meeting of the Club:  1) one or more Outstanding Volunteer awards and, 2) other awards, with no more than a total of five given per year.

11.2 The Board will discuss and approve the award recipients.

 

  1. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

12.1 The promotion or sale of products by an outside group will not be allowed in conjunction with any Club function.

 

13. AMENDMENTS

13.1 These Policies & Procedures may be amended by the Board of Directors at a regular or special meeting of the Board, providing the proposed changes are sent to the Board members in advance of the meeting.

13.2 An affirmative vote by a simple majority of the Board members present is required to amend the Policies and Procedures.