Project Agreement

Project Creation and Continuance

Submission of Ideas

The Center for Sustainable Living functions as an umbrella organization with multiple grassroots initiatives known as “Projects.” Community members with Project ideas are welcome to submit their Project ideas for consideration. To submit a Project idea, follow these guidelines:

• Designate one main contact person, known as the Project Coordinator.
• The Project Coordinator must complete a provided form which details the Project Proposal and Plan (sent by email to the board), which includes the following:
  • One paragraph summary description of the proposed Project (this paragraph will be used at the CSL’s website when the Project is listed)
  • Detailed Project Purpose
  • Budget (Revenue / Expenses / Cash flow)
  • Timeline
  • Participants

Decisions

The CSL Board of Directors will accept proposals by email from new Projects at any point in the year. Once the written proposal is received by the board, a time slot will be scheduled during the next board meeting for Q&A with the Project’s proposer(s).

The CSL Board may table the decision to adopt the Project for a future meeting. Decisions shall be made within three months from the board meeting at which the proposal is presented.

Acceptance

If a Project is adopted, all parties must sign a Project Agreement including the Project Coordinator and Treasurer, and all CSL Executive Officers. At that moment, the Project must designate a member (not necessarily the Project Coordinator) to represent the Project and become a member of the CSL Board of Directors.

Project Agreement Renewals and the Annual Meeting

All Project Agreements expire at the end of the first quarter of the calendar year and are re-signed every year at the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting is scheduled to happen by the 3rd Thursday of February.

Criteria for Consideration

The Board of Directors of the Center for Sustainable Living reserves the right to accept or deny any Project. General criteria for evaluation consist of the following:

• Does the Project align with the mission of CSL? CSL mission: To make available information, services, projects and networking opportunities for those interested in exploring ecologically sustainable and resilient ways of thinking, living, and interacting in our community.
• Does the Project fill an area of interest that no other Projects are currently filling? Does it fill a gap in the Bloomington-area ecology of nonprofits (helping to keep our local network of organizations and volunteers sustainable, by reducing overlap, is an aid to the community at large)?
• Does the Project fill the requirements of 501(c)3 status (e.g. educational, not lobbying)?
• Is the Project reasonable and achievable in its scope and budget?
• Is there a core group of interested individuals to support the project?
• Does the Board have confidence in the proposed project leadership?

Services Provided by the Center for Sustainable Living to its Projects

The Center for Sustainable Living will provide the following services to any Project that is adopted by the Board of Directors and enters into a Project Agreement:

• Project guidance.
• 501(c)3 non-profit status, and the ability to use CSL’s tax-exempt number to buy legitimate goods and services for the Project’s mission and purpose. (CSL has tax-exempt accounts with various businesses, such as Menards, Kleindorfer’s, Lucky’s, PayPal, Google, etc. — ask the Board whether an account exists with a specific business before creating a new one.)
• Ability to receive tax-deductible donations from the public and sponsors.
• Information distribution about the Project’s activities or events through the CSL email newsletter, website, and online calendar.
• General liability insurance policy (speak to a Board member for specific coverage questions; some limitations apply; the policy expires March 3rd each year).
• Annual federal and state tax filing.
• An optional bank account. Projects who need regular access to money (more than twice a month) are encouraged to have their own account; otherwise, funds are kept in the common CSL account and both treasurers track cash flow together (see the Finances section below).
• Use of shared assets, as available (e.g. color printer, office supplies, meeting space, tabling materials, etc.).
• Web hosting and IT assistance for online services (website, PayPal button, social media, etc.).
• Case-by-case support for cash flow derived from grants and reimbursements, if CSL knows of the grant and its payment arrangements prior to application.
• A shared Google Team Drive with resources for all Projects — volunteer application forms, the treasurer’s financial report template, this Project Agreement, volunteer hour-tracking forms, liability waivers, logos, publicity resources, etc.

Services Not Provided

The Center for Sustainable Living will not provide the following services:

• Legal counsel. (We recommend seeking legal counsel through the IU Nonprofit Legal Clinic, a free service that CSL and its Projects have used in the past.)
• Insurance coverage for events, activities or locations that fall outside of CSL’s general liability insurance policy. These are a Project’s own responsibility, though Projects are encouraged to get coverage through CSL’s insurance agent, since package purchases typically get significant discounts. Talk to the board treasurer for details and a cost estimate.
• Payroll processing for employees. (CSL and its Projects may hire independent contractors, per the IRS Independent Contractor Test; independent contractor fees must be reported by the Project treasurer, with corresponding W9 forms submitted to the Board treasurer with the Project’s annual financial report.)
• Fundraising — fundraising is a component of every Project.

Continuing Project Expectations

The Center for Sustainable Living expects that Projects will fulfill all of the following sections. When in doubt about an action, contact the Board for guidance and support.

Participation

• Refrain from lobbying and political campaign activity that could jeopardize CSL’s 501(c)3 status.
• Designate one person to become a member of the Board of Directors and attend quarterly Board meetings (or a substitute, chosen by Project leaders, if that person cannot attend).
• Designate one person to be the Project Coordinator — this may or may not be the same person who represents the Project on the Board.
• Designate a Project Treasurer responsible for tracking and reporting all money flow. If a Treasurer resigns or is dismissed, the Coordinator must inform CSL immediately and in writing and request training for the replacement; until a replacement is found, the Coordinator assumes treasurer duties.
• Attend the Annual Meeting with the Board of Directors — mandatory for all Project Coordinators and Treasurers. It covers: a review and renewal of Project Agreements; a training session on financial management and bookkeeping (formatting of quarterly/annual reports); a 45-minute training session on website design and maintenance, shared Drive folders, CSL forms, PayPal buttons, blog and newsletter; and optional time for Q&A.
• Include the name of the Center for Sustainable Living or the CSL logo on all advertisements, banners, posters, t-shirts, literature, brochures, handouts, websites, and other materials created and distributed by the Project.
• Provide an annual report — volunteer hours, volunteer-member roster, major events past and planned, grant applications pending, needs from CSL, suggestions for CSL, and uses of the CSL EIN — submitted to the Board Secretary before the Annual Meeting. CSL will provide tracking sheets on request; record-keeping material is available through the shared Team Drive.
• Utilize CSL-provided hosting and domains, paid from the CSL general fund. Projects receive at minimum a domain (e.g. www.ProjectName.org), an email account (e.g. contact@ProjectName.org) and a website hosted within CSL’s hosting account — as simple as a single “About” page with a description and contact information. CSL’s IT & Communications Coordinator (it@simplycsl.org) assists with creating, maintaining, or migrating Project websites.
• Submit to the Board any contracts or agreements — including Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), rent contracts, etc. — that would financially or legally obligate CSL, for approval prior to implementing such an agreement.

Finances

• The CSL Board may audit a Project’s books if its financial reports are unclear.
• Project treasurers submit quarterly and annual financial reports to the Board Treasurer using CSL’s spreadsheet template, due April 15, July 15 and October 15 for quarterly reports and January 15 for the annual report. A Project with no transactions in a quarter still submits a report showing opening and closing balance.
• Upon approval, the Project Coordinator and Treasurer complete a 1-hour training session on financial management and bookkeeping, covering revenue/expense tracking, organizing receipts and statements, and formatting quarterly reports. Receipts and records are kept for seven years.
• A Project with regular retail sales (more than twice a month) must apply for a new location on CSL’s Retail Merchant Certificate (RMC) — talk to the Board Treasurer first, who will decide whether to apply for a new RMC location or share CSL’s existing one. The Project is responsible for sales tax on all retail sales either way.
• Donate 5% of all monies accrued by the Project (donations, grants, and sales) to CSL for overhead expenses, on a quarterly basis. First-year projects may request a waiver from the Board if the 5% is onerous.
• If the Project maintains its own bank account (a sub-account of the main CSL account, “doing business as” the Project name), one signatory must be the Board Treasurer and the other the Project’s treasurer.
• If the Project shares the common CSL account, the Project treasurer requests a check at least 5 days in advance, or requests reimbursement of an incurred expense with receipts; funds are deposited by giving the Board Treasurer a check or cash, or by direct deposit with notice to the Board Treasurer.
• A Project planning a raffle or gaming fundraiser must contact the Board prior to planning (see the Indiana Gaming Commission guidelines document in the shared Team Drive).
• Submit any grant application that requires CSL’s EIN and is greater than $1,000 to the CSL Board prior to application.

Project Closures and Independence

Revocation of the Project Agreement

Upon the agreement of the Board, a Project may be dissolved if it has not complied with the Project Agreement.

Closing a Project

If a Project’s leaders have indicated a desire to close the Project, or are no longer actively participating and responding to inquiries, the Board will announce a 90-day probationary period. If no one comes forward to continue the Project, its assets will be distributed — to another Project or to CSL as a whole, at the departing leaders’ choice if they are able to make it, or to CSL as a whole otherwise. To close a Project, its leaders must submit a written statement to the Board with a detailed explanation of why the Project is closing.

Becoming Independent

Due to IRS guidelines, Project assets may only transfer with a departing Project if the new entity is itself a non-profit, or is joining another non-profit — otherwise, assets remain with CSL as legally stipulated. To begin the process of becoming a separate entity, Project leaders must submit a statement of intent to leave, a plan for the disbursement of funds, and a timeline for the separation.