Purpose: To present guidelines and tips for successful preparation of the Council Annual Report and to share ideas from award winning councils. Learning Objectives: 1. To review the purpose of the Council Annual Report and to understand the importance of timely submission of the report. 2. To present guidelines and tips for successful preparation of the Council Annual Report. 3. To share ideas from councils that have been recognized as Outstanding, Meritorious or Honorable Mention. 4. To identify changes needed to your council s plan for preparing the Council Annual Report. Agenda: 1. Present the purpose and justification for the Council Annual Report. 2. Brainstorm ideas for preparation of the Council Annual Report. 3. Introduce guidelines and tips for successful preparation of the Council Annual Report. 4. Share ideas from councils that have been recognized as Outstanding, Meritorious or Honorable Mention. 5. Exercise: Review individual Council Annual Reports prepared by councils last year. 6. Exercise: Identify changes needed by individual councils in their approach to preparation of the Council Annual Report. Limit: 2 hours
Historical Background Councils were initiated in the 1930s as an effective means to provide local support for the Mission and Goals of the Navy League. Active councils provide support for numerous programs community education, sea service unit adoption/support, sea service family support and youth group support. The Navy League needs to compile data on the services rendered by our councils, such as Education events and seminars sponsored, including local community speaker programs. Grassroots Legislative Initiative involvement and support. Community volunteer activities, especially those involving sea service personnel. Business membership recruiting and education efforts. Participation in National initiatives and meetings, including hosting National seminars and meetings. Direct support to sailors and Marines Navy League Hiring Center, Highline, Anchor Program. Sea service units adopted or supported. Recognition events and awards for sea service members and their families Sailor/Marine of the Year/Quarter, Spouse of the Year, Navy/Marine Corps/Coast Guard, Merchant Marine birthday celebrations, etc. Large events to support and recognize the sea services, such as Fleet Weeks, Navy Weeks, or Maritime Heritage festivals. Youth group units supported US Naval Sea Cadets and League Cadets, Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Midshipmen, Junior ROTC cadets. Youth group awards presented. Scholarships provided to youth groups and dependents of sea service personnel. Public Relations efforts to support the above activities, including fundraising activities that incorporate public education website, newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. Documenting and reporting council activities is one of the two purposes of the Council Annual Report. The second purpose is to document and report administrative and non-profit status for the council. The administrative section 2
reports the completion of the council s Annual Meeting of Members (required by the council s charter) and the election of officers and directors. Contact information for all current year officers and committee chairs must be included so that these individuals can receive communications from Headquarters relevant to their area of responsibility. The council s permanent address must also be reported in the administrative section. Non-profit status is reported in the Council Tax Exempt Status section. Councils participating in the Navy League group non-profit exemption are monitored by the Senior Director of Finance, who reports council status annually to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The Council Annual Report includes the status of council non-profit determination, filing of federal and local tax returns, and filing other reports required for non-profits in the state(s) of council operation. Since states and the IRS share non-profit status reports, failure to complete any required reports can cause the council s non-profit determination to be suspended and/or cancelled. Donations to councils that have not obtained and maintained their non-profit status are not deductible on Federal tax returns (individual or business). The Navy League uses the data from Council Annual Reports to document the support provided to members of the sea services and their families, youth groups, community education and community service activities. Reports derived from the Headquarters database may be provided to the media, Members of Congress, or for speeches by NLUS executives to the public. Tax exempt status information is used to verify compliance with 501(c)(3) requirements for councils participating in the NLUS Group Exemption program. The principal reason a council files an Annual Report is to receive rebates from their member s national dues. Rebates are not paid in arrears, so meeting the March 1 filing deadline ensures that a council will receive rebates for their member s dues throughout the year. Rebates are only paid for the calendar quarter in which the report is received and thereafter. Councils that do not file also jeopardize their participation in the Navy League Commercial General Liability insurance program, since the premiums for this insurance are deducted from the fourth quarter rebate check (issued in January). A council may also want recognition for it s activities and accomplishments, which may only be achieved when the Council Annual Report is submitted to the Awards Committee each spring for consideration for a council award. A council must be in 3
good standing to be considered for an award. The following criteria determine that a council is in good standing (as well as an active, functioning council): Maintain 25 members in your council; Submit an Annual Report to HQ and your Region and Area President; Conduct an Annual Meeting of Members to elect officers, directors and to conduct other business (e.g. approve Council Bylaws changes); Conduct at least four board meetings annually; Conduct at least three meetings or events annually; Submit all required federal and local reports required for non-profits in your jurisdiction; and Adhere to the policies and support the programs of the Navy League, as approved by the National Board of Directors. Council Annual Report Preparation How does your council approach the preparation of the Council Annual Report? Listed in the matrix on the next page are the sections of the report and a column to list the person(s) who prepare this section. Take a minute to collect your thoughts, then complete the matrix to the best of your knowledge and share your responses with the group. Remember: The council activities part of the report is for last year s activities! 4
Annual Report Section Who Prepares? Administrative, page 2 Council Tax Exempt Status, page 3 Council Operations, page 3 Sea Services Related Events/Support, pages 3 and 5-6 Public Education Activities, pages 4 and 6-7 Advocacy and Legislative Outreach, pages 4 and 7 Youth Programs, pages 4 and 7 Listed below is a summary of tips and practices used by councils that successfully turn their Council Annual Report in on time and often receive awards. 1. Read the Instructions and Answer the Questions. The purpose of the report is not to prepare the council s detailed history, but rather to summarize and document significant events related to the Mission and Goals of the Navy League. Award winning councils focus their activities on the Mission and Goals and report the success of these activities in the Council Annual Report. 2. Start Report Preparation Early. Preparation of the Council Annual Report is straight-forward if documentation is collected throughout the year. Does your council conduct a hot wash-up after each event to discuss lessons learned 5
and collect important documentation for the event? If you don t, some documentation may be lost and/or difficult to collect. 3. Complete the Entire Report. If your council has no activity in any section, report this in the Summary on pages 3-4. The Details section, pages 5-7, may then be left blank if no activities are reported. Leaving both blank, or entering activities in the Details section after reporting no activity in the Summary section is confusing and probably reduces the chances of receiving a Council Award. 4. Involve Everyone. The Council Annual Report shouldn t be prepared and submitted by a single individual (or perhaps two). Successful councils involve many members in their activities and therefore involve most participants in preparing and reviewing the report before submission. 5. Determine if a Scrap Book is Needed. The Scrapbook is an additional binder submitted with the Council Annual Report that expands documentation of the council s activities. Typically, copies of event announcements, pictures from the event, and copies of letters received from honored guests are included. Several award winning councils do not submit a Scrapbook! These councils are able to win an award because they provide a complete description of their events and the support provided in the Details section of the report. They don t submit a picture of each sailor receiving their Sailor of the Quarter or Sailor of the Year award because it is not required. These grip and grin pictures are legion and bog down the review process. Basically, the Scrapbook should be used to document the results (goal achievement) of any event with pictures and letters. Remember Tip #1, above: you re not writing a history of the council. 6. Keep it Simple (KISS). A well-organized, cogent and focused report will always gain favorable attention from a reviewer! Each event or activity should have a missionrelated purpose and goals, clearly stated. Enough said. 7. Thoroughly Review the Final Report. Since the Council Annual Report reports your council s activities, key personnel (everyone involved in the planning, delivery and evaluation of the event) should be given a chance to review 6
the report and comment on the content. Accuracy should be confirmed with this approach. Lessons Learned from Award Winning Councils We ve invited some award winning councils to share some of their practices today. Here s a general overview of practices common to many award-winning councils: Diversity of Activities. Award winning councils plan and execute a diverse annual calendar of events. Dinner with a speaker may be one of their programs, but it is not their only program! Often these councils have multiple events monthly. They understand that the secret to retention is involvement; by having many diverse activities, these councils get greater involvement and retention. Public Education. The Navy League and the sea services share a common objective: Educating the public about the critical importance of sea power to our nation s security and economic well-being. Award winning councils are involved in their communities and are known in their communities by community leaders, the public, the business community, and the education community (schools and colleges). These councils also participate with and support the sea services in hosting education activities e.g. Navy & Fleet Weeks, VIP ship rides, community speaker programs, sea service academy accession programs, air shows & demonstration teams. Partnerships. Award winning councils often form partnerships with other Navy League councils and community organizations community service clubs, military and veteran membership nonprofits, Operation Homefront to co-sponsors events and fundraisers for their mutual benefit. These councils are not insular and are willing to utilize the resources of other organizations and learn from them. Planning. Another characteristic of award-winning councils is that they prepare an annual plan of events and publish it early in the year. Planning ensures their events are marked on their member s calendars and increases participation. Planning also ensures that the council can get the best locations for their events because they reserve the facilities early. Now, let s give some award-winning councils the opportunity to share some of their secrets. You can use the matrix below to capture the program descriptions and evaluate if any program 7
would be appropriate for your council to plan. Many of these councils are willing to assist other councils if you ask. Council Programs & Activities Is this program possible for your council? At this time we will review and evaluate individual council questions and concerns about Council Annual Report preparation. 8
Now What?...Planning Ahead The material presented today and the shared examples should have stimulated your interest in improving your council s operations and possibly qualify for an award. The exercise we ll now complete should assist you in collecting your thoughts and can provide a list of improvements your council may wish to implement. Exercise Purpose: To identify your council s programs and activities and prepare a matrix of potential enhancements. Action: Limit: 1. Prepare a list of current programs and activities supported by your council. Identify those activities that support a Navy League goal and list them in the matrix on the next page. 2. As a group (or at your next Board meeting), discuss the question What proposed activities align with Navy League Goals and will enhance council operations? List them in the matrix on the next page. 3. Select 3-5 potential new programs or activities from this list for further analysis and determine if additional resources are needed (for example, is a partner required?). Program details (milestones, timeline, program team, etc.) will be determined after your Board approves the program or activity. A planning matrix is provided as an Appendix to this workshop to assist your effort, or your council can use the comprehensive NLUS Event Planning Guide for large events. 4. Prepare a brief program/activity description (scope of the program/activity) that indicates the NLUS Goal supported and the estimated resources required to submit to your council Board for approval. 1 hour 9
Navy League Goal Educate local and national leaders and the nation about sea power. Support the men and women of the sea services. Provide assistance to sea service families. Support youth programs Current Programs 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. New Programs or Activities In summary, award winning councils focus on the Navy League Mission and Goals, host or co-sponsor activities to support each Goal, and provide diversity in the type, format and location of their activities in order to attract the greatest participation. Every council can strive to do likewise! The End 10
Appendix Activity Planning Matrix What action is needed? Who will complete this action? Board approval required? Estimated completion date? Remarks 11