Table of Contents

• What does it mean to be "incorporated?"
• Why is being incorporated important for councils?
• How do I have my council incorporated?
• How do we obtain 501(c)(3) designation (tax-exempt status)?
• What guidelines should I follow to be sure my council operates efficiently?
• What type of information should be included in my council's bylaws?
• Sample bylaws

• I have just been elected president -- now what?
• What can I do to become a more effective leader?
• What are common responsibilities and duties of council officers?
• What records should council maintain? Who keeps them? Where? For how long?
• How do I run a meeting?
• How can I reduce the possibility of conflict during my meetings?
• Can I be an effective leader? What are my strengths? Weaknesses? (A worksheet)

• How many and what types of businesses are located in my neighborhood?
• How many and what types of schools, religious institutions, and social services agencies are here?
• What types of services or charitable activities do they provide to area residents?
• What do the residents of my neighborhood look like?
• What do they want and need?
• Who among them are potential council members and/or volunteers?
• How do we organize groups in my neighborhood?
• What are some points we should know before going door-to-door?
• What are Block watch groups? How are they formed?

This section includes a community-produced directory of important neighborhood contacts and resources, as well as a brochure and booklet listing key information about county and state departments and county-wide elected representatives. Also included is a segment devoted to special programs sponsored by the City of Cincinnati.

• What is the Grants Resource Center?
• How do I get started writing a grant proposal?
• How do I determine who to ask for funds?
• What are some do's and don'ts of grant writing?
• What is an RFP? How do I use it to prepare my proposal?
• What are my responsibilities if I get funded?
• Who can apply for an Invest Merit Grant?

Leadership Manual

Leadership and Governance

   TRANSITION: The Changing of the Guard
   NEW PRESIDENT POINTERS
   LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM GEESE
   DUTIES OF OFFICERS
   HOW TO RUN A MEETING
   MEETING TIPS
   RECORD-KEEPING PRACTICES

"NEW PRESIDENT" POINTERS

A. Mail
Once you become president of a community council, lots of mail from lots of people -- a partial list follows -- will begin to fill your mailbox. Ideally, mail should be delivered to the council office. Sometimes that is not feasible, and your home address is more reasonable. If you do use your home address, expect to continue receiving mailings for quite some time after you leave office.

Mail will come to you from:

1. City departments -- includes required notifications of municipal activity (liquor license applications and renewals, building permit lists, street closings, certain types of businesses locating in your community, etc.), announcements, periodic reports, etc.
2. Council members -- includes copies of motions they may have introduced which they feel have a direct impact on your community, announcements about hearings for committees they chair, etc.
3. Other non-profit organizations -- includes anyone from churches to schools to housing associations to other groups with special concerns -- environmental issues, political campaigns, etc.
4. Other community councils -- you will get copies of other communities' newsletters, in addition to requests for support of various positions.
5. Profit-driven businesses/groups -- includes real estate agents, insurance agents, financial planners, etc.

Some mail requires that someone sign to prove it was received. Ask your mailman to consider leaving the form and the letter and allowing you to complete the form and leave it for him to pick up the next business day. (I know this is not the proper way to handle the situation, but having missed lots of mail because I am often not at home and cannot always get to the post office during regular business hours, my current mailman affords me this luxury.)

To determine which mail is really important, apply the following rules:

1. What impact, if any, will the information have on your community? This is not always easy to figure out. Initially, err on the side of assuming it matters. This is also a good topic to discuss with the former president, especially if it was not addressed during the transitional meeting.
2. How frequently and by whom has the information been sent or talked about?
3. Will you have other opportunities to address the issues? You will find some activities occur on a schedule -- yearly, bi-monthly, etc. Others only happen once, and, if you wait, you miss the opportunity. Thisis another area about which to seek advice from the outgoing president.

B. Position-Related Meetings
As president, unless you quickly learn to delegate or say "No," your calendar will fill up with meetings which will have you away from home every night of the week, every week of the month. There will be day meetings, breakfast meetings, lunch meetings, and mid-afternoon meetings. Apply the mail rules to these meetings to determine their significance. There are some monthly meetings which really do require your participation; others can be covered by members of your council. Keep in mind, though, that even when meetings are covered by other members, you should try to attend at least once or twice per year.

Manage your own time better and increase resident participation by spreading around the responsibility and the opportunity for recognition for different projects. Include as many different residents as possible.

---»LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM GEESE