Engineers Without Borders

Board Meeting 4/22/09

April 23, 2009 at 7:35 pm | In Meeting Minutes | Comments Off

1. Kenya Update:

• There have been two meetings, though we’re not sure if we officially have the project.
• We are planning for fundraising at this point only.
• $4000 is the estimated cost for an assessment trip (3 students and 1professional), we might need to tap into the general fund (like for the first trip to El Salvador) to get started. We will spend no more than 50% from the general fund.
• We could also ask students to pay for part of their own trip, though telling them that they might be responsible for 10-15% of the cost and giving them time to fundraise might be better.
• The Kenya team wants to travel in August, but we should wait and not risk draining the general fund too much unless they can raise money fast enough. (Rob)
• Asking for donations (i.e. miles) for the first trip could also be helpful.

2. We’ve decided that we don’t want to keep going with books for Africa.

• 7% of the proceeds go to Africa along with books they can’t sell, while most really goes to a for profit institution that gives money to books for Africa. College books in particular can’t always be sold.
• We have been making $200 per term (with large book donations from the university).
• The US air force will transport aid anywhere on the globe for free, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to donate to this group.
• Brad will tell books for Africa we’re not going to work with them any longer.

3. EWB food stand

• The biggest issue is permission from the school
• The next biggest is capital for equipment. The MU would provide chairs, we would have to find the rest.
• We should be able to turn around all items within a week. They will be sold at 50% over purchase price on average.
• How do we divide up profit? We should wait and put it where we need it.
• It would from 7:45 to 10 or 12 every morning.
• Each person would need a food handlers license, and at least one person would have to have access to a car for transporting materials.
• Evan: We could ask the Beanery to make the coffee.
• We should also have a small incentive for people to use their own cups.

4. We’ve spent $3500-4000 on pizza since Aparna has been involved with EWB. Maybe we should cut back?

• It was originally to attract members, but now it isn’t doing that, we’ve been sending home extra pizza.
• We will stop buying it for now, we might get cookies or something cheaper, maybe pizza at the first meeting of each term.

5. Earth week has brought back the issue of storage space.

• We have talked about storage space before, Kelley is leaving next year, Malia will also be done, we need a new space.
• Aparna contacted COE, they wouldn’t find a space for her
• We could request floor space and buy our own cabinet somewhere
• Access is the issue, we need a place we can get into during weekends.
• Scott will talk to brett mcfarland, if he can’t help us we will use the space in Peavy in the soils storage area. We can get a key, so there shouldn’t be any access issues

6. Banquet update

• We will have two next year
• It is better to send out save the dates as soon as possible, hopefully by the end of this term

7. Other fundraising

• One EWB member wants to start a basketball tournament for the Kenya project
• Krispy kreme is also an option, we just need someone to pick them up in Beaverton.
• A masters student wants to shape a lesson for a class of kids around water. Scott has a teaching schedule already from the conference.
• A third person has talked about a race, they have contacts with people who organize this kind of thing at OSU. If it were a pledge drive it could be very successful.
• Aparna’s sister has also commited to helping us find grants for projects.