Section I -- Organizational Requirements

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?

Section 4 -- Government Relations and Other Partnerships

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.

Section 5 -- Grants and Grant Writing

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

SAMPLE BYLAWS

Bylaws of the _________ Community Council

PREAMBLE

The Community Council is run by volunteers and organized for charitable and educational purposes, including fundraising and the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding section of any future federal tax code. The mission of the organization is to improve the quality of life within the community by empowering the community and organizing it into a recognizable voice. The Community Council is recognized by the City of Cincinnati as the residents' planning, policy and implementation organization.

ARTICLE I. NAME AND BOUNDARY

Article 1-1. The name of this organization shall be _________.

Article 1-2. The geographical boundary of the Community Council is as defined by the City of Cincinnati or (Example) includes the area within the perimeter starting at the southeast comer of Hopkins and Grant, travels east on Grant to the southwest corner of Grant and Drury, south on Drury to the northwest corner of Drury and Gray, west on Gray to the northeast corner of Gray and Hopkins and north on Hopkins to the southeast corner of Hopkins and Grant.

Article 1-3. The Community Council shall accept any area(s) assigned to it by the City of Cincinnati.

Article 1-4. The Community Council shall work with neighboring Community Councils on issues of concern if community-claimed boundaries overlap.

ARTICLE II. POLICY

Article II-1. The Community Council will implement projects and services in accordance with the adopted plans and goals of the community and pursuant to City of Cincinnati Ordinance No. 220-1989.

Article 11-2. The Community Council shall develop, encourage and provide a forum for communication within the community and between the community and departments of the City of Cincinnati.

Article 11-3. The Community Council shall encourage and welcome all community volunteers working on community committees, events and activities. Diverse opinion shall be encouraged and accepted as a positive attribute and a positive contribution to the community.

Article 11-4. The Community Council shall not have any policy, regulation or rule in effect that is in violation of any local, state or federal anti-discrimination law or ordinance.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Article III-l. Persons eighteen years of age or older who reside within the community boundary defined in Article 1-2 are Members of the Community Council and have full unhindered voting rights on all issues coming before the Community Council.

Article III-2. Persons who reside in any community outside of the boundary defined in Article 1-2 are considered Non-Members of the Community Council.

Article III-3. Once per annum Members residing within the community defined in Article 1-2 may choose to extend membership privilege, or revoke previously extended membership privilege, to persons residing outside of the community defined in Article 1-2.

ARTICLE IV. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Article IV-1. The seven officers of the Community Council shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and three at large Members. These officers shall form the Board Of Directors and perform the duties prescribed in these bylaws.

Article IV-2. The Board Of Directors will conduct emergency business of the Community Council between meetings of the Members. No emergency decisions or commitments will be made or entered into by fewer than four Board members.

Article IV-3. Members may grant additional decision-making power to the Board Of Directors or revoke any decision-making power from the Board Of Directors by majority vote.

Article IV-4. Ail actions taken by the Board Of Directors will be submitted to the Membership for ratification not later than the next Member meeting.

Article IV-5. No Member may hold more than one office at the same time and no Member may serve more than two terms, whether consecutive or otherwise, in the same office.

Article IV-6. The Board Of Directors will at all times be subject to the decisions of the Membership and none of its actions shall conflict with any directives or actions taken by the Members.

Article IV-7. Officers shall attend all meetings. Absence from four meetings per session is cause for removal. Removal shall have occurred after the Members have so ordered by a two-thirds majority vote.

Article IV-8. Any three Members may petition to have any officer recalled. Once the Secretary receives written notice, the recall petition shall become the first order of business at the next regular meeting. Members may recall a sitting officer by a two-thirds majority vote at the next regular meeting after due debate and deliberation.

ARTICLE V. ELECTION AND QUALIFICATIONS OF OFFICERS

Article V-l. At the regular meeting held in (August) a Nominating Committee of three Members shall be appointed by the Board Of Directors and approved by a majority of the Members in attendance at the meeting.

Article V-2. It will be the duty of the Nominating Committee to recruit and prepare a slate of candidates for the offices to be filled at the annual meeting in (November). The goal of this committee is to create a contested election.

Article V-3. The candidates for office must be Members who have served one year or more on one or more standing committees or who have attended six meetings during the previous year and who have lived in the community for a minimum of one year.

Article V-4. The Nominating Committee will report candidate's names at the regular meeting in (September). Before the election of officers at the (November) meeting additional nominations from the Members will be permitted, provided eligibility to hold office is verified prior to voting.

Article V-5. Officers shall be elected by ballot to serve on the Board Of Directors for a two year maximum term or until their successors are elected. The term of office begins at the close of the (December) meeting.

Article V-6. Three officers shall be elected in even-numbered calendar years. Four officers shall be elected in odd-numbered calendar years.

Article V-7. An Officer who no longer meets the Membership qualifications set forth in Article III shall be deemed to have resigned as an officer and that office shall be declared vacant.

Article V-8. When an office becomes vacant, the Board Of Directors shall appoint a candidate to fill the vacancy. The Membership shall approve the appointment of the candidate at the next monthly meeting. The appointed officer shall serve until the next election. The nominating committee shall thereafter

nominate at least one additional candidate for election to fill the remainder of the unexpired term created by any such vacancy.

Article V-9. Members employed by the City of Cincinnati are not eligible to hold office.

ARTICLE VI. RESPONSIBILITY OF OFFICERS

Article VI-1. It is the duty of the President to preside at all Community Council meetings and to prepare the agenda for the meetings. The agenda is published not less than one week before the next meeting.

Article VI-2. The President will, with ratification of the Members, appoint chairpersons of all standing and special committees, except the Nominating Committee. The President will perform such other duties which usually pertain to the office.

Article VI-3. It is the duty of the Vice President to perform the duties of the President in his/her absence, to manage the Neighborhood Support Program, and to perform such other duties as may be assigned to him/her by the President or Members. The Vice President assumes the role of President if the President is no longer able to serve.

Article VI-4. It is the duty of the Secretary to keep a correct record of business transacted at all meetings of the Membership. The secretary will receive from the standing committees regular reports of their activities and perform such secretarial duties as requested by the President or Members.

Article VI-5. It is the duty of the Treasurer to deposit in the Community Council's bank account all funds of the Council and to pay all bills contracted for and approved by the Membership. The Treasurer will maintain proper ledger(s) and supporting documents to account for all funds of the council, submit all required records for audit and/or review annually one month prior to the annual election of officers, upon relief or resignation from office, or at the request of the Members. A written monthly treasurer's report will be submitted to the monthly Council meeting. The monthly treasurer's report will include as separate entries the receipts and expenditures. Two officers must sign all checks.

Article VI-6. Officers elected at large may serve as chairpersons of other committees and accept duties so assigned by the Members.

ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS

Article VII-1. Not less than one open public regular meeting per month will be held (January) through (December) on a date and time established by the President and agreed to by the Members.

Article VII-2. The regular meeting held in (November) will be known as the annual meeting and will be for the purpose of electing officers, receiving annual officer and committee reports and for any other business which might arise.

Article VII-3. A decision-making quorum shall consist of six Members in good standing, two of whom must be Council officers, in attendance at any open public regular meeting.

Article VII-4. Any person may present agenda items to the President for consideration by Members who gather at the next meeting. At each meeting, agenda items presented by persons are first discussed and first resolved by the Members in attendance. Other business is to follow.

Article VII-5. Only items publicly scheduled as agenda items may be decided by the Members at any meeting. Other items introduced at any time shall be made public and scheduled as agenda items for the next regular meeting.

Article VII-6. Special meetings may be called by the President or a majority of Members present at any meeting. The purpose of the meeting must be stated in the call and, except in emergencies, at least one week notice shall be given to the community.

Article V1I-7. Notification of a special Membership meeting shall have occurred if the agenda, date, time and place for the special meeting has been either announced by public news organizations, or posted on the community bulletin board, or published in a community bulletin/flyer and delivered. Notification

must occur at least five days prior to the date of the meeting.

Article VII-8. An issue once decided by the Membership may be reconsidered as a major issue of broad community concern if a majority of the Membership in attendance at the next meeting calls for such reconsideration except as noted in Article VII-8. Once an issue is on the agenda for reconsideration, the

Membership will again decide such issue by majority of those present and voting at the following meeting.

Article VII-9. The Membership shall not be required to reconsider the same issue more than once within a calendar year unless two-thirds of the Members at any meeting requires it to do so.

ARTICLE VIII. COMMITTEES

Article VIII-1. A Finance Committee composed of the treasurer and four other Members may be appointed by the president. The Committee must be ratified by the Members in attendance at the next meeting. This committee will prepare and submit a budget for each fiscal year and subsequent amendments or revisions as necessary. The budget must be approved by the Members.

Article VIII-2. A Community Development Committee of five members may be appointed by the president to identify and, once approved, implement projects and activities which positively impact the community. The Committee must be ratified by the Members in attendance.

Article VIII-3. A Legislative Committee of five members may be appointed by the president to address all legislative issues brought before the Council or which impact the community. The Committee must be ratified by the Members in attendance.

Article VIII-4. Such other committees, standing or special, may be appointed by the president or the Members as they may deem necessary to carry out Council's objectives. All committees are part of the Community Council.

Article VIII-5. The president may be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

Article VIII-6. All committee action shall be subject to direction and prior approval of the Members.

Article VIII-7. Standing or special committees may be dissolved by the Members as they deem necessary.

Article VIII-8. Two committee members may notify the chairperson that a member is disruptive. If such call occurs, the chairperson will so notify the committee of the call. The committee members may declare the member disruptive and remove him/her from the committee by a two-thirds vote of committee members present at the next regular meeting.

ARTICLE IX. EARNINGS, POLITICAL ACTIVITIES AND ETHICS

Article IX-1. No part of the earnings of the corporation shall incur to the benefit of, or be distributed to its members, board officers, or private persons, except that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distribution in furtherance of Council goals and objectives. All payments shall be publicly reflected in the Treasurer's report.

Article IX-2. No substantial part of the activities of the corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the corporation shall not participate in or intervene in, including the publishing or distribution of statements, any political campaign on behalf

of any candidate for public office.

Article IX-3. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the corporation shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding sections of any future federal tax code.

Article IX-4. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the corporation shall not carry on any activities not permitted by a corporation permitted to receive deductible contributions under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding sections of any future federal tax code.

Article IX-5. Officers of the corporation are bound by the Ohio Ethics Law Revised Code Chapter 102, related statutes, and corresponding section(s) of any future code. The voting privilege as well as all other involvement in council deliberations shall be temporarily denied any officer on any item for which a conflict of interest is challenged and sustained by a majority vote of Members present.

ARTICLE X. DISSOLUTION OF THE CORPORATION

Article X-l. Upon the dissolution of the corporation, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding sections of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose.

Article X-2. Any such assets not so disposed of as described in Article X-l shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio exclusively for such purpose as described in Article X-l or to such organizations) as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes as descnbed in Article X-l.

ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

Article Xl-1. These bylaws may be amended at any regular community council meeting by a two-thirds vote of the Members present provided that the proposed amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting, has been announced to the community, has been debated by the community and the proposed amendment is not in conflict with the existing amendments.

Article Xl-2. A proposed amendment that is in conflict with any existing amendment shall require a repeal of the existing amendment. The existing amendment is repealed by a two thirds vote of the membership after the proposed repeal has been announced to the community and has been debated by the community.

Article Xl-3. Once per annum Members residing in the community shall be permitted to revoke their existing community council bylaws and adopt the recommended bylaws herein described.

Article Xl-4. The Community Council shall make the recommended bylaws herein described available to the Members residing in the community.

ARTICLE XII. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Article XII-1. Rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the proceedings of Council in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws.

Article XII-2. The President or Members have the privilege of inviting or appointing a Parliamentarian to be present at any meeting.

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