BYLAWS OF EDWARDSVILLE UNITY
ARTICLE I — NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1: Name: The name of the organization shall be Edwardsville Unity (NFP). It shall be a nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois.
Section 2: Purpose: Edwardsville Unity (NFP) collecting charitable donations in an effort to organize unity events in the Madison County area that will provide education and community building activities.
Edwardsville Unity invites people from all religious and spiritual backgrounds, as well as agnostic and atheist beliefs, to participate on an equal footing, taking care that members share their beliefs without promoting them above those of others. Diversity is required to have true unity. Diversity of race, culture, beliefs and experience, along with all other forms of diversity, are worthy of inclusion.
ARTICLE II — MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 – Eligibility for membership: Membership is granted after completion and receipt of a membership application. All memberships shall be granted upon a majority vote of the board.
Section 2 – Annual dues: There are no required annual dues, unless changed by a majority vote of the board of directors.
Section 3 – Rights of members: Priority consideration for Unity Fest booth participation, promotion of like-minded organizations and events and ability to vote on Edwardsville Unity (NFP) activities and funding decisions.
Section 4 – Resignation and termination: Any member may resign by filing a written resignation with the secretary. A member can have their membership terminated by a majority vote of the board.
Section 5 – Non-voting membership: The board shall have the authority to establish and define non- voting categories of membership.
ARTICLE III — MEETINGS OF MEMBERS
Section 1 – Annual meetings: One annual meeting of the members shall take place in the month of December, the specific date, time and location of which will be designated by the chair. At the annual meeting the members shall elect board directors and officers, receive reports on the activities of the association, and determine the direction of the association for the coming year. The board may determine that a meeting of the members may be held solely by means of remote or electronic communication.
Section 2 – Notice of meetings: Printed notice of each meeting shall be given to each voting member by email, phone, text or social media not less than 2 days prior to the meeting.
Section 3 – Quorum: A quorum shall consist of five (5) members, in addition to one (1) board member, at any properly announced meeting.
Section 4 – Voting: All issues to be voted on shall be decided by a simple majority of those present at the meeting in which the vote takes place and a quorum is met.
ARTICLE IV — BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1 – Board role, size and compensation: The board is responsible for overall policy and direction of the association, and delegates responsibility of day-to-day operations to the members and committees. The minimum board is 3 members: President, Secretary and Treasurer. The board receives no compensation other than reimbursement for reasonable and documented expenses.
Section 2 – Terms: All board members shall serve one-year terms, and are eligible for re-election for unlimited consecutive terms.
Section 3 – Meetings and notice: The board shall meet at least quarterly, at an agreed upon time and place. An official board meeting requires that each board member have electronic notice at least one week in advance.
Section 4 – Board elections: New Board Members and current Board Members shall be elected or re-elected by the voting representatives of members at the annual meeting. Board Members will be elected by a simple majority of members present at the annual meeting.
Section 5 – Election procedures: Any member can nominate a member in good standing, including themselves, to the slate of nominees which is maintained by the current Secretary. All members will be eligible to a single vote for each position. A nominated or elected candidate can decline the position. No campaigning allowed for any board role.
Section 6 – Quorum: A quorum must be attended by at least two board members for business transactions to take place and motions to pass.
Section 7 – Officers and Duties: There shall be three officers of the board, consisting of a President, Secretary and Treasurer. Their duties are as follows:
- The President shall convene regularly scheduled board meetings, shall preside or arrange for other members of the Executive Committee to preside at each meeting in the following order: secretary, treasurer.
- The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping records of board actions, including overseeing the taking of minutes at all meetings, sending out meeting announcements, distributing copies of minutes and the agenda to each board member, and assuring that corporate records are maintained.
- The Treasurer shall make a report at each board meeting. The treasurer shall chair the finance committee, assist in the preparation of the annual budget, help develop fundraising plans, make financial information available to members and the public and ensure that appropriate financial records are maintained.
- These responsibilities may be shared within the elected board members.
Section 8 – Vacancies: When a vacancy on the board exists mid-term, the secretary must receive nominations for new board members from general members one week in advance of a board meeting. These nominations shall be sent out to members with the regular meeting announcement, to be voted upon at the next meeting. These vacancies will be filled only to the end of the particular board member’s term.
Section 9 – Resignation, termination and absences: Resignation from the board must be in writing and received by the secretary. A board member may be removed for other reasons by a two-thirds vote of the remaining directors. A board member must be present at least 3 meetings per year.
Section 10 – Special meetings: Special meetings of the board shall be requested by any board member. Notices of special meetings shall be sent out by the secretary to each board member at least one week in advance.
Section 11 – Remote communication for meetings: Any meeting of board members may be conducted solely by one or more means of remote communication through which all board members may participate in the meeting, if notice of the meeting is given as described in Section 3 and if the number participating is sufficient to constitute a quorum as described in Section 6. Remote communication includes but is not limited to telephone, video via internet, or such other means by which persons may communicate with each other on a substantially simultaneous basis.
Section 12 – Action without a meeting: Upon initiative of the President, an action that may be taken at a regular or special meeting may be taken without a meeting if the secretary mails or electronically delivers a ballot to every board member entitled to vote on the action. The ballot must set forth each proposed action and provide an opportunity to vote for or against each proposed action. Approval by ballot is valid only if the number of votes cast by ballot equals or exceeds the number of votes that would be required to approve the action at a meeting.
ARTICLE IV — COMMITTEES
Section 1 – Committee formation: The board may create ad hoc committees as needed, such as fundraising, volunteer coordinator, ground crew, etc. Standing committees shall include, but are not limited to: Finance Committee. The President appoints all committee chairs.
Section 2 – Finance Committee: The treasurer is the chair of the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee is responsible for developing and reviewing fiscal procedures, fundraising plans, audits, and the annual budget with other members. The board must approve the budget and all expenditures must be within budget. Any major change in the budget must be approved by the board. The fiscal year shall be the calendar year. Annual reports are required to be submitted to the board showing income, expenditures, and pending income. The financial records of the organization are public information and shall be made available to the membership and board members.
ARTICLE V – AMENDMENTS
Section 1 – Amendments: These bylaws may be amended when necessary by a majority of board members. Proposed amendments must be submitted to the secretary to be sent out with regular board announcements.
Certification
These bylaws were approved at a meeting of the board of directors by a two-thirds majority vote on
July 3rd, 2023
- President: Jesse Allen
- Treasurer: Jamal R.S. McLaughlin
- Secretary: Ash Jenkins
