User:Books/Grant Writing Group Vote

Sponsor

• Books

Co-Sponsors

• Andrew Locke
• Carl Karsten (Treasurer)

Vote Results

 Quorum:[ ~?? ]

Statement of Purpose

• Alert the Pumping Station: One membership that we are looking to fund people to write grants
• Establish a group to support grant writing
• Enable donors to give money to PS:1 restricted for exclusively writing grants

Schedule

Proposal Date

Date this proposal was posted to the membership and a request for a vote date was sent to the Board.

July 29 2025

Member Input

Does the Sponsor choose to open the language of the vote for changes due to member input? (optional and can be modified at any time)

YES

Vote Announcement and Beginning Date of the Discussion Period

August 1 2025

Language Lock Date and Start of Voting

Five days prior to the Day of the Vote, the vote language is locked, all edits are frozen, and the language of the vote is converted to a pdf file. Ballots that include the pdf are sent to the Membership, and electronic voting begins. Note that the minimum discussion period of seven days leaves only two days for changes before the lock takes place.

August 7 2025

Day of the Vote

Date the Board has assigned for the vote. The Day of the Vote is the day the vote closes.

August 12 2025

Background

• PS:1 needs money
• Grant Writing is not easy
• PS:1 can hire people to write grants
• Restricted funding allows paid grant writers without using member funds
• PS:1 needs a framework to manage writing grants and funding grant writing
• Andrew Locke has experience with grant writing, and is willing to serve as an advisor to the grant writing process and club host

As of July 2025, PS:1 continues to meet its financial goals to buy the building. The building purchase is a process that will take decades, and raising outside money to improve PS:1 can relieve some of the financial pressure the 501c3 organization is feeling in the interim. Up to this point, all of the financial obligations, tool purchases, and activities of PS:1 have been primarily funded by member dues. Requesting grant money is an alternative that deserves investigation.

Grants applications are not easy to write. Over the 15+ year history of PS:1, the idea of raising money through grant writing has been suggested several times. Until recently, no-one has successfully submitted a grant on behalf of PS:1. Grant writing is a well-paid, full-time job that people do professionally. While it may seem simple at first glance, it can be both complicated and tedious, and require more time than is typically donated by volunteers. There are usually several organization competing for the same grant money, so the quality of the grant application can make a difference in whether and how much money is acquired. Even professionally written applications can end up unfunded, so the process can stressful and discouraging.

PS:1 has paid professionals to do electrical work and janitorial maintenance when no one is willing or able to donate their time to those tasks. It would be nice to be able to hire professional grant writers, but getting any grant writing submitted at all is a laudable accomplishment. Hiring members to write grants is also an option. Hiring amateur member grant writers allows the organization to fund more written grants for less money, adds value to membership, and increases the pool of people in the organization with grant writing knowledge and experience.

Recently the board narrowly authorized payment to a member for writing and submitting a grant. One of the reasons this was controversial is that since there is no guarantee that the grant will be awarded, limited member funds may be spent with no visible improvement to the space. While the board may be risk-averse when it comes to grant writing, small donors tend to embrace this kind of risk. Arrangements where a philanthropist's donation is matched or multiplied tend are easier to acquire than simple donations straight into the non profit organization's general funds. The money spent on writing a grant can be multiplied a hundred-fold if the grant is acquired. This makes soliciting donations directly for grant writing easier than soliciting for general donations.

The board does not have experience managing or distributing grants, nor should it be expected to add this responsibility to its docket. PS:1 can instead create a specialty group to vet grant writers and grant writing opportunities, and make suggestions to the board on which to support and fund.

Andrew Locke has volunteered to hold this position, and is uniquely qualified as a professional grant writer. He is not interested in doing his day job for a significantly reduced rate, but has generously volunteered to shepherd amateur grant writers through the philanthropic obstacles. If you are a PS:1 member, this vote also serves as an advertisement that you can be paid to write grants for the benefit of PS:1!

Synopsis

This vote builds on the previous Club Vote, and creates a Club called the "Grant Writing Group" with Andrew Locke as the Club Host. It also establishes that PS:1 can accept funds that are given on the condition that they be used for the specific purpose of funding grant writing.

Language of the Vote

The Grant Writing Group (abbreviated as GWG) is established and behaves similar to a Boosted Club, as established in the Club Vote. This means it is expected to hold a public meeting at least once a month, reports on its activities, and has a sponsor and Club Host, both of which are Andrew Locke. As the Board of Pumping Station: One has ultimate fiscal responsibility for the organization, the GWG Host plays an advisory role, and is responsible for presenting grant opportunities and potential contractual grant writers to the Board for approval.

Public Meetings

Meetings of the GWG will be posted to the Pumping Station: One official public calendar at least 72 hours before the event occurs, and the calendar post must accurately represent the event's actual place and time. At least one advertised meeting a month must be open to attendance by any member of Pumping Station: One in good standing.

Public meetings of the GWG may take many forms:

1. It may be a meeting or activity where participants attend in person on the premises of Pumping Station: One
2. It may be a virtual event where club participants interact through teleconferencing technology
3. It may be a meeting or activity that takes place in person at a location within 30 minutes of travel via public transportation from the premises of Pumping Station: One.

Public meetings of the GWG will NOT restrict Pumping Station: One members from attending based on an entry fee or other material remuneration. A public meeting can be held in a commercial establishment like a restaurant or cafe, on the basis that all attendees are not expected to purchase service; it is advised that those organizing such events make arrangements with the proprietors of those establishments beforehand.

Reporting

Taking and submitting minutes may be delegated, but is ultimately the Club Host's responsibility. Minutes for a public meeting must be submitted to Club Oversight within 8 days from the date of the scheduled meeting or activity.

Grant Writing Group Host

The GWG Host may be, but is NOT REQURIED to be a Pumping Station: One member. The only requirement for a GWG Host is that they are not banned from the premises of Pumping Station: One. A GWG Host who is a member in good standing also qualifies as a Sponsor for the GWG and for Public Meetings. A GWG Host may choose to pass responsibility for the GWG to another person eligible to be a GWG Host. The membership dues of the GWG Host are waived for the duration of their service as GWG Host. The first GWG Host will be Andrew Locke.

The GWG Host has many responsibilities.

1. Scheduling and holding a monthly public meeting to discuss grant writing with the general membership.
2. Reporting minutes from monthly public meetings to the Committee for Club Oversight.
3. Identifying appropriate grants for Pumping Station: One to apply for and grant writers to write the applications.
4. Making recommendations for the Board's approval of Grants worthy of applying for.
5. Making recommendations for the Board's approval of grant writers to contract with to apply for Board approved grants.
6. Proving resources and guidance to people writing grants on behalf of Pumping Station: One, both voluntarily and under contract.

While the performance of any of these tasks may be delegated by the GWG Host to assistants, the GWG Host is responsible that these tasks are performed in a satisfactory manner.

Resources

Aside from the perks of GWG Host (Work In Lieu of Dues, optional storage), funding for the GWG must come entirely from donations restricted to grant writing at Pumping Station: One. Money acquired through member dues will not be used to fund grant writing or pay for associated grant writing costs of the GWG.

Minimum Attendance

In order for Boosted Clubs to maintain their status, there needs to consistently be at least three people in attendance at its monthly public activities or meetings. Failure to meet minimum attendance requirements three months in a row can result in the Club losing its Boosted Status. As the Grant Writing Group has a focus on grant writing over socializing, the three person minimum is waived so long as the Grant Writing Group has restricted funds in their budget. Updates on grant writing activities that occur outside of scheduled public meetings are encouraged to be included in monthly reports.

Group Dissolution

The GWG can be dissolved; once dissolved, the GWG Host no longer benefits from the privileges specified in this vote. If the GWG is dissolved while holding unspent restricted funds, those funds must be returned to the donors they came from unless written permission from the donors permit another course of action.

The GWG may be dissolved in the following ways:

1. If the GWG does not have funds in its budget, and does not submit minutes of Public Meetings for three months in a row, it may be dissolved. The Committee for Club Oversight is responsible for dissolving the group, and in the absence of such a Committee the Board Secretary is responsible.

2. If the GWG does not have funds in its budget, and its Public Meetings do not meet minimum attendance of three people for three months in a row, it may be dissolved. The Committee for Club Oversight is responsible for dissolving the group, and in the absence of such a Committee the Board Secretary is responsible.

3. The GWG Host may choose to dissolve the GWG by sending a written letter of intent to the Committee for Club Oversight, The Board, or both.

Receiving Restricted Funds

Restricted funds are donations designated for a specific purpose that cannot be used freely by an organization for other purposes. Restricted funds must be held or tracked separately to ensure they are not commingled with other assets or used for other purposes.

Donor who stipulate that their donations be used for grant writing will receive written acknowledgment from the Treasurer of their donation for tax reporting purposes. Additionally, the Treasurer will sign a Donation Agreement by which it will acknowledge the restriction and contractually bind Pumping Station: One to utilizing the funds for grant writing. Restricted fund amounts will also need to be documented by the Treasurer in financial reports and audits.

Restrictions on contributions may be removed with the donor’s written consent. Donated funds which are no longer restricted are also no longer available for use by the GWG, and are part of Pumping Station: One's general funds.

Approving Grants and Grant Writing Payments

Section VIII.6 of the Bylaws currently requires the majority of directors to approve grant applications. While it is possible to amend the bylaws to establish the Grant Writing Group with authority to fully oversee the grant writing process, the vote does not amend the bylaws and operates within the current bylaw structure.

In addition to supporting people writing grants for the organization, The GWG Host's role is to present potential grants and grant writing candidates to the board for approval. The status of the Host as an authority on grant writing and the Host's familiarity with the culture and mission of Pumping Station: One is essential for this role.

The final determination whether a grant is applied for, and that restricted funds are dispersed for this purpose is made by a vote of the majority of the Pumping Station: One Board.

Conflict of Interest

If the individual being paid to write grants is an insider, meaning that person is in a position to exercise substantial control over the organization, the organization should make sure to follow appropriate conflict of interest procedures, including disclosure, recusal, due diligence, and contemporaneous documentation.

Paying Grant Writers

Similar to members or non-members paid to make material improvements to the space, grant writers are treated as contractors. The treasurer is required to issue a 1099 tax form for individuals paid $600 or more in a calendar year. The payment schedule should be laid out by the GWG Host, and approved by the board when the matter is brought to them for approval.