In attendance: Hanan Bell, Joan Fairbanks, Jackie Kirn, Charlotte Hotchkiss, Teresa Metzger-Howe, Koko Morgan, and Gennie Winkler
Minutes
The January 9, 2024 Board Meeting minutes were approved as amended.
Budget
Below is the budget information is from Bora's email correspondence from January 23, 2025.
I have the Arts & Culture grant check in my possession now ($6275!). I will go to Verity bank to deposit it as it is over the mobile deposit limit of $5K.
Bruce gave me the Post Office key. Based on our PO Box address, it is located at the 98115 Wedgewood USPS. Does anyone live near there and could be responsible for picking up our mail, maybe bi-weekly?
We received a Schwab charitable grant check (Bruce mentioned we do get these from time to time), and this one is from a current Orchestra member for their quarterly donation, which I think is a smart way to do this!! Samantha, this will be on the next membership donation list.
The Schwab Charitable fund is a DAF, and the tax advantage comes when the donor contributes funds *into* the DAF account. Therefore, we should not be sending anyone who donates this way an IRS donor acknowledgement letter as they cannot deduct their donation on their itemized deductions (they already received the tax benefit when funding their Schwab account).
Bora created a working draft budget. The cost of renting a rehearsal hall will be an larger expense than we currently have.
Rehearsal Location
The Music Center of the Northwest will be reclaiming their space as of September 1, 2025. Chas Arnold gave no clarification on why this is happening. Jackie will inform the Symphony members on February 19th. She will ask the members for their ideas on new locations. Charlotte will create a spreadsheet to use for tracking the location recommendations.
A potential rehearsal location is Seattle Pacific University (SPU). Joan, Jackie, and Gennie met with the SPU's choir director. There is space that might work for us. There is storage space. The cost is not known and University approval would have to be given.
Strategic Planning and Website Redevelopment
The Symphony has a new grant that can be used to hire a strategic planning consultant and a web designer. Denise Rhiner would help with the strategic planning for $5,000 - 7,000. She would guide us in determining our message and who we are. The preliminary consultant proposal from Why for Good covered an 8-week project including discovery and message development, logo and brand development, PR and Social Recommendations, and website template and wireframe. The cost of the full project was $12,000.
March 19th Concert Preparation
Robbie will help with the performance space set-up. Bruce will organize the front of the house duties. Charlotte has the concert publicity materials ready to go.
Spring Concert
For the Spring concert the cost of streaming the music for the two rental pieces Schirmer and Presser is $215.
Next Board Meeting
The Board has decided to meet every second Thursday of the Month at 7:00 pm either at Hanan's house or via Zoom.
