Here's the groundwork for the GTHLA’s Finance committee. The basic tasks that need to be worked on are putting together a business plan and analysing the current financing while assessing how to conform them to the business plan.
The biggest situation to address on the expense front is properly paying for administration work we’re getting. It’s predominately volunteer work. I’d like to set up some sort of protocol where we can openly lay out what expectations anybody who is doing work for us has. Most people who help out seem to be completely happy to volunteer and don’t expect anything in return except to know they’ve helped us develop the league and tournament. In the Membership Committee meeting we had, we discussed keeping track of the volunteer work and putting some sort of graph or display on the website to show how much and who is doing volunteer work. This should help further acknowledge the help we’re getting and maybe motivate others to contribute more, as well.
Generally there are 4 motivating factors behind someone doing work: financial, opportunity (e.g. learning, training, perks), psychological (e.g. recognition, approval, respect, credibility) or responsibility (contributing to the scope of the project). In laying out some sort of protocol for expectations in the work they’re doing we should be able to accommodate all the possible motivations. We need to thank everyone regularly too.
We need to layout a budget identifying all the jobs that need to be done and what their cost should be. This would be a hypothetical measurement to which we can then figure out how we can meet the measurement through financial means or perks we can set up. We need to organize sourcing income better. We need to continue refining membership fees and have them further skewed to benefit members who contribute through volunteering, helping, promoting a healthy attitude on the ice and off and to loyalty of teams and players who continually contribute and strengthen our values each year. Any profits made should be allocated with the same skewing. Basically, profits should help subsidize all the members who lead in promoting our values and mission. There is a lot of potential for grants, loans, different kinds of fundraising, more sponsorship and merchandise. Maybe we can sell shares to members to further build income too.
Another thing to address is contributing to Charities. We could challenge sponsors to donate a certain percentage of the money they are putting towards sponsoring us to go to a charity of our choice. This leads to our requirements to what sponsors we’ll allow and what restrictions we are going to set. Also, what do we offer to sponsors? Supporting GTHLAKids should also be factored into this discussion.
Other goals we need to develop are things like our “social club” (The Arts & Sweaters Club), expanding insurance for our members, and even collective financing and investing (e.g. RSPs). Vancity (www.vancity.com) is a good resource and inspiration for financing from a community perspective.
The framework of the company is currently modeling itself after the “Community Interest Company (CIC)” regulations that the UK government has (www. cicregulator.gov.uk). The basic premise behind these regulations is that the company’s first priority is serving the community before making a profit. This gives us the most flexibility in development. We can work with all the flexibilities that a regular company has as it builds its infrastructure and be driven by our values and mission as a community organisation and social enterprise. We’ve also been researching the possibilities of registering as a Coop or a Non-profit company. These frameworks also could work with our objectives of being collectively run and serving the community.
My goals are to have the GTHLA operate independent of me. The management would be collectively mandated. We would then separate the GTHLA operations from the Hockey Association of the Arts. The HAA is the international umbrella organization of which the GTHLA would be a member. All the HAA members will gather annually at the HAA’s Exclaim! Hockey Summit of the Arts. I want to guarantee that the GTHLA will always be driven by its values and mission and operate as effectively as it can. With the organization being run collectively and all the potential distractions that are inherent to this (e.g. change over, many decision makers) I will retain the privilege of a veto to make sure the organisation stays focused on its mission and values while running effectively. I would like a percentage of gross profits, similar to a royalty or a licence fee. This, by no means, should debilitate the company from reaching its financial goals. In case I get hit by a train, upon my death, I would like to transfer a portion of that percentage to my wife and kid(s). I also want to get reimbursed for some of the time I’ve invested into the company up to now too. I’ve been deferring most of my salary until the company can afford to pay me and I want to continue doing this and expedite making the company more profitable.
