Dear Quota Members,
The first quarter of our new fiscal year ended January 31, 2019, and I am writing to give you an update on the State of Quota’s Union as of this date.
FINANCES: Our 2018-2020 Quota International budget projected a fiscal year shortfall of U.S.$151,345. I am pleased to tell you that our financial picture has recently improved due to a combination of three factors, and Quota has the funds to complete the 2018-2019 fiscal year. This is very good news. The three factors are as follows:
FIRST, our donations have reached U.S.$101,142.67 as of the end of our first quarter, January 31, 2019. We projected our 2018-2019 donations income budget to raise a total of U.S.$38,600 because that was the amount that Quota raised in its previous 12-month fiscal year (2017-2018). I am pleased to report that we have not only met that budget and raised the projected U.S.$38,600, but we have raised an additional U.S.$62,542.67 as of January 31, the last day of our first fiscal quarter. Thus, as a result of the extreme generosity of so many, these additional monies have reduced our shortfall to U.S.$88,802.33. Here is a report on what donations have been received as of January 31, 2019:
Century Program Donations – U.S.$57,637.45 – We are grateful for the response and support throughout Quota to our Century Program emergency fundraising appeal and we thank all donating members and clubs. We will continue to collect Century donations through Quota’s 100th year.
Bequest – U.S.$27,372.73 – Quota International has received its largest bequest ever, and it was donated to us by a non-member – a true “Friend of Quota”! Our donor, a school principal, so appreciated the collaboration and support she received from the Quota club in her community, that she honored and remembered the club with a generous bequest in her will. Because the club had dissolved, the donation was directed to Quota International for general support purposes. We are grateful for this unexpected and generous gift.
Benefactor Donations – U.S.$16,132.49 in donations were made to the We Share Foundation Benefactor Program, made primarily by clubs when sending in payments for 2018-2019 club dues. We thank all participating donors for their support of Quota’s service.
Since the end of our first quarter, Quota International has received an additional U.S.$13,913.01 in Century Program donations increasing our total donation amount to U.S.$115,055.68 as of February 28, 2019, and further reducing our original U.S.$151,345 budget shortfall to U.S.$74,889.32.
SECOND, we sold one Quota International office unit.
The suite, known as Unit 8, was purchased by the tenant who has occupied the space on a rental basis for the past 10 years. The list price was U.S.$270,000 and the selling price the Board of Directors approved was U.S.$265,000. After all fees were paid, Quota International netted U.S.$246,202.74. Proceeds from this sale will be used to fund whatever remains of our budget shortfall at the end of the fiscal year, if needed. Until then, monies from the sale have been placed into a new reserve account: an interest-bearing money market account held through Merrill Lynch, where a portion of the funds are to be invested in short-term Certificates of Deposit. Merrill Lynch was selected because it is the partner and investment arm of Quota International’s bank, Bank of America.
In regards to our remaining three suites, which are being sold as a package for the list price of U.S.$1,250,000, we have had regular showings and are hopeful that a buyer will come along soon.
THIRD, as of January 31, 2019, we were operating below our projected direct expense budget by U.S.$25,542.37.
This is due careful management of expenses in all categories as well as the following factors: (1) not yet needing to use the projected emergency budget; (2) not yet incurring costs for services related to the clearing out of office space and furniture prior to our projected move to new rental office space; and (3) because of the sale of the first office unit, not needing to incur costs related to a U.S.$200,000 credit line which had been approved for Quota’s use, but not yet finalized. We are on target or below budget in all expense areas. Going forward, while we expect to see a reduction in some of our operating expense costs due to the sale of our first unit, we also will lose the projected rental income related to that unit. The real savings in operational costs will occur when all units have been sold and the Quota International office relocates to rental space.
Quota International’s finances are closely monitored. Executive Director Nancy Fitzpatrick reviews finances on an ongoing basis, and bills are paid weekly. Once a week Nancy submits a detailed financial report to President-elect/Treasurer Carol Patin and me which includes an accounting of all expenditures and outstanding bills, if any, and cash totals in all of our accounts. Nancy forwards detailed monthly financial reports to the Board of Directors for their review, including monthly and fiscal year-to-date Profit and Loss statements as well as our Balance Sheet. In addition, we have completed the backlog of monthly financial reports that were not complete as of September 2018, when the transition in Quota staff management occurred. We have also set up our finances so that monies for restricted or deferred purposes are physically located in separate accounts. Finally, we are up to date with the online publication of Audit Reports from the past three years plus our May 1 – September 30, 2018 short year. We individually and with great thought answered the 100+ financial questions that we received from caring members and clubs around the world, and our dedicated financial e-mail address remains open for questions going forward: financialquestions@quota.org.
I wish to thank the Quota International Board of Directors and those Past International Presidents, who are serving as International Representatives at upcoming meetings, for volunteering to cover all of their travel costs to and from the meetings. Since this Board of Directors’ installation, we have been calling upon volunteers to assist in a variety of ways. I have greatly appreciated the willingness of our wonderful members to assist when asked. Going forward, we have an incredible network of volunteers who have agreed to assist Executive Director Nancy Fitzpatrick with the oversight of Convention 2020. They are eagerly beginning their preparations to ensure that it will be an event to remember.
MEMBERSHIP: We have finalized Quota International’s official membership count for the new fiscal year starting date of October 1, 2018: 4054 members in 219 clubs. This is a drop of 316 members and 14 clubs from our last official dues collection date of January 1, 2018 (where we reported 4370 members in 233 clubs). As you know we changed the fiscal year in 2018, moving our start date from May 1 to October 1. Therefore, this drop in membership reflects a nine-month period, not a 12-month period as we usually have. The Board of Directors is concerned about this trend and we will be discussing it with club presidents and regional directors in our next Leadership Call scheduled in March. In addition, the Board of Directors will be taking this situation into consideration this year as it develops its cost-effective plan for Quota’s future.
PROGRAMS AND COMMUNICATIONS: Here is what is new in our Quota International programs and communications – all to better serve you, our members.
United in Service Committee – In January, I announced the launching of this new, volunteer-led global service initiative. The committee’s goal is to help clubs tap into the power of service by providing new service ideas as well as ways to use service to help clubs blossom and grow. Mary Pribich, Past Central Area Director and QI of Massillon, Ohio, USA member, has been appointed committee chair. She will be joined by the following members representing many of Quota’s countries around the world:
Australia – Denise Rowell, QI of Wynnum-Manly
Canada – Gail Pomeroy, QI of Peterborough
The Netherlands – Liesbeth Gadron, QI of Rotterdam
New Zealand – Pam Ross, QI of Papakura
The Philippines – Bernadette Galang, QI of Pampanga
Suriname – Moenisha Hiwat Mahabiersing, QI of Suriname
United States – Suzanne Rouvalis, QI of Baton Rouge and Susan Bussard, Joan Finefrock, Holly Maloney, Anna Mavrakis – all QI of Massillon
Communications – We are back in touch with you via three Internet/e-publications including monthly President’s Messages, the Quota Quick Update (e-mailed to all members with e-mail addresses on file at the Quota International Office); and the Leadership e-Alert – a special e-publication for club presidents and regional directors. In addition, we make frequent updates on our Team Quota Blog and our various social media accounts including Facebook and Instagram. Our Quota Web site will soon be getting a facelift that will make visiting it informative and enjoyable.
Hand-in-Hand Program – As previously reported, the Hand-in-Hand program has been continued this fiscal year, and to date we have received U.S.$20,617.50 in donations to be distributed to approved 2019-2020 Hand-in-Hand projects. We are working on the application process now with participating clubs, and all donations will be distributed to approved projects later this year.
In closing, let me end by thanking you, Quota’s wonderful members, for sharing your support for Quota International in so many ways these past months while we have worked together to get our organization back on track financially. Our vision going forward is to ensure a full second century of Quota in your community and mine. Thank you for your part, past and future, in making this goal a reality.
Yours in Quota,
Emilie Simon
2018-2020 President
Want to print President Emilie’s messages and distribute to your club? Click HERE to access the printable PDF archive of this series.
Komentar