• Agenda
• Minutes

Open to the public, San Francisco, 12:00 PM Pacific Time, March 3, 2001

Please email board@onlinepolicy.org for specific location if you wish to attend.

Board Meeting Agenda

1. Welcome and board responsibilities discussion

2. Exemptions discussion

3. Financial report:

- Status

- Forecast

- Bank and brokerage account

- Compensation of officers

- Email solicitation results

- Direct mail campaign

- Foundation proposals

- Fundraising strategy brainstorm

- Board fundraising commitments

4. Merger update:

- Logistics: date, structure

- Transition: services to non-queer orgs, web pages for services

- Planned services: web usage stats, others?

- Downtime procedure

5. Research

- Overall: need to recruit volunteers/interns and prioritize projects

- Online policy org survey: still needs some small updates

- OSPA: progress report

- School & library: seeking local San Francisco contacts to provide technology advice, then possibility of study at local school and local library

- Online oddities & atrocities museum: more to add, graphic treatment before release

- Search engines: report updated on daily basis

- Research corpus: volunteers interested, need someone to coordinate

6. Outreach

- OPG ENEWS

- Blocking and content rating reports

- Web site status: 2000+ unique hits, 270 pages, listed in 67% (19/28) of target search engines

- Logo design, web site design, business cards, letterhead, brochure, reply card

7. Action

- Action alert updates: AOL/MTJN, Icebox/Mr Wong

- Legislative updates: Internet blocking in US Congress

8. Network:

- Online policy org survey

- Free Expression Network membership

- Applications to GILC, IFEA, and NCAC not yet accepted

- Update on Coalition work with NAPALC on Mr. Wong

- Web and email list hosting excellent way to expand networking, ref CACCR and QueerEDs

- Networking brainstorm

9. Media:

- Media coverage

- More coverage expected in response to QueerNet/OPG merger

- Developing media professional database

10. Office space:

- Search goals

- Prospects

11. Human Resources:

- Hiring executive director

- Board, advisory board, and committee recruitment

- Volunteer recruitment

- Intern recruitment

12. Vacation and travel schedules

- Will at Computers, Freedom, and Privacy in Boston from Mar 3-11

13. Public Comment Period

14. Next meeting(s):

- 12 noon, Saturday, June 2, 2001

- 12 noon, Saturday, September 1, 2001

- 12 noon, Saturday, December 1, 2001

Board Meeting Minutes

MINUTES OF MEETING OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ONLINE POLICY GROUP, INC.
a California Nonprofit PUBLIC BENEFIT Corporation

The Board of Directors of Online Policy Group, Inc., held its regular meeting on March 3, 2001, at 304 Winfield Street, San Francisco, California. Multiple notices of the meeting were provided in person, by phone, and by email starting with notice provided at the last board meeting of December 12, 2000, at which all directors were present.

The following directors, constituting a quorum of the full board, were present at the March 3, 20001, board meeting:

• Will Doherty
• David Gudelunas (by conference phone)
• Roger Klorese

There were absent:

• n.a.

Members of the public present:

• Ali Muney

1. Welcome and board responsibilities discussion

2. Exemptions discussion

OPG was granted 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service as of January 30, 2001. The status is retroactive to the incorporation of the Online Policy Group on September 14, 2000.

3. Financial report:

- Status

Target revenue through Feb 2001: $12,900
Actual revenue through Feb 2001: $7,495
Target expenses through Feb 2001: $24,363
Est. actual expenses through Feb 2001: $5,459
Balance per books: $2,036
Balance in bank/brokerage accounts: $6,661 ($3,716 in bank and $2,945 at brokerage)
Discrepancy because no reimbursements yet paid to Will or Roger- Jan/Feb QueerNet bills to be donated instead of reimbursed
Now accepting no-fee credit cards and small-fee bank transfers on web site - Roger to auto-forward PayPal notifications to Will

- Forecast

Run rate currently approx. $3,000 per month
Big items: intern stipend ($3,000 by May 2001), QueerNet ($1,013/month), rent ($167/month), insurance ($107/month)

- Bank and brokerage account

Both accounts operational

- Compensation of officers

None at present

- Email solicitation results

Email appeal in December 2000 resulted in 15 contributions totaling $2,135 with mode gift of $100 and average gift of $142

- Direct mail campaign

Direct mail appeal scheduled for Feb 2001 has been postponed

- Foundation proposals

Proposal submitted to Bohnett Foundation, decision in May 2001
Plan proposals to Gill Foundation and other foundations

- Fundraising strategy brainstorm

Roger to supply foundations (Jeff Lewy, VERITAS)
Ali suggests Cisco, Benton Foundation, Benetech.org, local foundations

- Board fundraising commitments

Roger to send appeal to QueerNet list-owners list - Will to send current appeal to Roger
Need new board members who can raise funds

4. Merger update:

- Logistics: date, structure

Merger completed on January 1, 2001

- Transition: services to non-queer orgs, web pages for services

Added services for non-queer orgs, still need to upgrade PLUSnet web site
Added links from OPG site to QueerNet/PLUSnet sites
Still need to upgrade QueerNet site
Email software (1000 mailboxes, high performance POP/IMAP) donated by Sendmail - need to solicit upgrades
Need to add FreeBird or Atomz search for lists
Roger to set up plusnet.org ftp access for sites within a week

- Planned services: web usage stats, others?

Need further development of email hosting and web hosting kits
Need web usage stat utility: Have leads on free graphical web stat utilities, possibly solicit donation from WebTrends
Need to complete application as domain registrar: Requires completion of tests, prepay of $500 - to be completed within 2-3 weeks, need help setting up registration pages

- Downtime procedure

Roger to get Will authorized for QueerNet/PLUSnet server reboot access

5. Research

- Overall: need to recruit volunteers/interns and prioritize projects

Progress: recruited Alex Marthews as intern to coordinate OSPA project
Still need to complete volunteer and intern job descriptions and post them to various online services (partially completed)

- Online policy org survey

Still needs some small updates
Will to mail David EFF updates and summary request

- OSPA: progress report

Alex: methodology, researchers, software utilities
Need to automate restart of application

- School & library:

Seeking local San Francisco contacts to provide technology advice, then possibility of study at local school and local library
Ali suggests Salesforce.com (http://www.salesforce.com/foundation) -- supporting after-school programs at 14 schools

- Online oddities & atrocities museum

More to add, graphic treatment before release

- Search engines

Report updated on near-daily basis, could use volunteer for this

- Research corpus

Progress: volunteer programmer writing software utilities to automate gathering of corpuses

6. Outreach

- OPG ENEWS

Second issue released on February 2, 2001

- Blocking and content rating reports

“Why Blocking Technology Can’t Work” released on January 7, 2001

- Web site status:

2095 unique hits, 276 pages, listed in 71% (20/28) of target search engines
Need to add QueerNet/PLUSnet stats

- Logo design, web site design, business cards, letterhead, brochure, reply card

Possibility of help from BAYVAC class for graphic design assistance
Web site re-design completed and partially implemented - David H. might help if trained
Still need to get to business cards, letterhead, brochure, and reply card

- Presentation: Will participated on a panel discussing online anonymity and digital defamation in light of the case in Hollister, CA, sponsored by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalist's Association

7. Action

- Action alert updates

AOL/MTJN: have not completed alert on this one due to time constraints
Icebox/Mr Wong: Icebox has gone out of business - need to update our site - Legislative updates
Internet blocking in US Congress: major grassroots response campaign including education, participation on local school and library boards, legislative repeal (point to campaign info - David reports fax/phone ineffective a.r.t. politicians but motivating to participants), litigation support, and direct action (animated GIFs - Ali knows available artist)
Will to forward spec to Ali and board

8. Network:

- “Joint Statement Opposing Legislative Requirements for School and Library Internet Blocking Technologies” endorsed by 19 organizations (including ACLU, EFF, IFEA) and 17 individuals, need to expand endorsements

- Online policy org survey

- Free Expression Network, IFEA membership granted

- Applications to GILC and NCAC not yet approved

- Update on Coalition work with NAPALC on Mr. Wong

Halted because Icebox went under

- Web and email list hosting excellent way to expand networking,

BAIDO, CACCR, and QueerEDs sites online
PeggyLeggs.com coming

- Networking brainstorm

Handout/brochure for International Communication Association, Ppoulat Culture Association, American Historical Association - David to distribute, Will to forward
Harvey Milk Institute half-page ad
Good Vibrations - hosting? (currently eLine) Cross-marketing?

9. Media:

- Media releases

Public Information Campaign Announced to Free Schools and Libraries from Blocking Technologies, January 23, 2001
QueerNet and Online Policy Group to Merge, December 12, 2000

- Media coverage

Network Opposes Blocking Technologies, CNET Radio, January 23, 2001
Online World Grew, Merged, Was 'Protected', Philadelphia Gay News, December 29, 2000 - January 4, 2001
QueerNet and Online Policy Group to Merge, Free Expression Network, December 12, 2000

- Developing media professional database

David re: skimming of key media lists

10. Office space:

- Search goals

- Prospects

MoJo
EFF
LGBT Community Center
Motion to reach agreement on use with EFF, vacate Mojo - moved by Will, second by David, approved unanimously
Motion to move to LGBTCC when open if rent $300/month or less - moved Will, seconded Roger, approved unanimously

11. Human Resources:

- Hiring executive director - will defer compensation further until grants or individual contributions can support it

- Board, advisory board, and committee recruitment

New board members should serve in some other capacity (volunteer, fundraising committee, advisory board) to gain familiarity with organization
Ali interested in professional or nonprofit advisory board, suggests EFF staff

- Volunteer recruitment

David’s listings generating leads
Need to finish descriptions - Will to complete, Ali to post

- Intern recruitment

12. Vacation and travel schedules

- Will at Computers, Freedom, and Privacy in Boston from Mar 3-11

- David - spring break next week

- Roger - away Memorial Day weekend, Denver early May

13. Public Comment Period

Ali: "Seems like a great venture, want to get more and more involved."

14. Next meeting(s):

- 12 noon, Saturday, June 2, 2001

- 12 noon, Saturday, September 1, 2001

- 12 noon, Saturday, December 1, 2001

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