House Rabbit Network
Minutes of Board Meeting
July 28, 2020
Online via Zoom
In attendance: Suzanne Trayhan, Amanda Bosh, Jenna Beauchesne, Lesley Braga, Palestina Baronas, Dawn Lewis, Rachel Minnie; also in attendance, Jean Player, secretary.
Review of April 25, 2020 Minutes
Suzanne presented the April 25, 2020 minutes.
Correction to the spelling of Lesley Braga’s name was noted.
Suzanne summarized the new procedure of providing reports prior to board meetings to make efficient use of time.
Review of July 28, 2020 Board Report
The board reviewed Suzanne’s quarterly report. Topics included adoptions, development (fundraisers, grants, donation management, development committee), hotline, payment and data management systems. The report also included a summary of a large rescue operation in CT and clarification that HRN does not capture strays.
Additional updates/ topics of discussion are below.
Targeted campaigns on Facebook are working out well. Every three months is good timing. There will be an online auction.
There was clarification about the differences between GiveBox and PayPal. The advantage of GiveBox is that it tracks donations and donors. HRN has chosen to try out GiveBox for now.
Baby naming auctions are going reasonably well, but the earnings have trended down slightly over time.
HRN annual appeal around Easter time is in the works.
Social Media
In addition to the ideas listed in the report (page 2, under Development Committee Update): Feature board members’ bunnies in “celebrity bunny” posts.
There was discussion about using HRN Instagram more, that the platform could bring in new audiences. Use hashtags like #HRNalum to direct their followers to HRN. Consider contests and/or giveaways? There was discussion of the concept of a “Friendraiser” versus a true fundraiser.
Patreon
Lesley presented information about Patreon. Access to locked posts; recurring giving levels and benefits per level
Issue: It is a big piece of social marketing; concern about excluding people who aren’t interested to give monthly.
Utilize for membership drives?
Ideas for membership benefits: early registration period for events like Spa Day
Shelter Status
Plans of buying shelter property and hiring staff on hold due to COVID. Realistically, we may have to keep the shelter closed through the end of the year. The concern is if we lose 20% volunteers, it will be difficult to staff critical shifts. We are paying for the shelter while we are not using it.
Long Range Plans
In response to a question about a long range plan, the outlook is to buy in the next five years, predicting there will be a real estate downturn spanning a year or two.
Buying a site is a good reason for a capital campaign. A lot needs to happen before launching a capital campaign.
In response to a question about a space at shelter for vet services, we could consider Property Phase 1 and Property Phase 2 planning.
It was suggested to form a strategic plan for a three to five year period.
Adoptions Process Update
Everyone who submits an application will get a call back, and applicants are tracked via google spreadsheet. Lesley created an adoption process flowchart, includes adoption approval through receipt of adoption contracts. Suzanne is setting up a paypal email group in order to check if adoption donations have been received
Foster Medical Matters
There was a discussion of saving money on medications for our foster rabbits and coordinating medication deliveries to large-capacity foster homes. We are considering creating small medical kits (for stasis) for foster homes.
> Foster committee will discuss these medical topics.
Additional Board Notes
> All board members are requested to promote HRN events on Facebook.
> Board members will submit headshots for the HRN website.
Board voted to approve the Development Committee mandate (email from Dawn Lewis, 7/27/20). Unanimously approved.
Volunteer awards will be presented at the Flatbread benefit with Facebook Live coverage.
Suzanne noted that this meeting is Amanda Bosh’s last board meeting, as she and her family moved to Arizona. We thank Amanda for all her efforts and contributions to HRN.
Meeting adjourned at 8:39pm EDT.