Interfaith Coalition of Whatcom County

“The Organization made the following significant changes to its bylaws during the year: 1. Officer and committee roles and responsibilities are now outlined. 2. The process to be used if the organization needs to dissolve are specified. 3. Membership terms were clarified; defining what entities are eligible to be Members, requiring a written request for Membership in the form of a signed Membership Covenant, and defining what participation conveyed voting rights.”

“Membership in the Interfaith Coalition shall be open to all recognized faith communities in Whatcom County, State of Washington. Members may be removed from active membership by 60% vote of the Board of Interfaith Coalition for failure to meet the active membership requirements.”

“A meeting of the Membership is required to be held annually prior to the beginning of the fiscal year for the purpose of conducting the business of the organization. The Membership shall elect the Board of Directors at the annual meeting.”

“The Membership has the following governance responsibilities: -Hear reports from the Board, committees, and the Executive Director for the purpose of dissemination of information to Members. -Review and approve the schedule and programs for the coming year. -Affirm the establishement and work of committees. -Adopt an annual operating budget. -Proposed amendments to the Articles of Incorporation must be approved by the Board by a 2/3 majority vote and then recommended for approval by the Members. They may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the Members voting at an annual or special meeting. -The Board must hold a vote recommending to the Membership to dissolve the organization with a 2/3 majority. The result of that vote shall be sent to all Members with a date for a preliminary membership vote to dissolve Interfaith Coalition not less than 30 days after the board vote. A 60% majority vote of Members present is required to move forward.”

“The Board has designated the responsibility of reviewing the Form 990 to the Executive Director prior to filing. If there are any questions, the Executive Director consults with the Board Treasurer.”

“Staff members and board members review and sign the conflict of interest policy on an annual basis.”

“The Board of Director's personnel committee recommends any salary increases based on performance and cost of living increase. The budget is reviewed and developed by the Board finance committee and then the Board of Directors reviews the budget including the Executive Director salary. The Board of Directors votes on bringing the budget to the annual meeting where delegates from member congregations vote on approving the budget.”

“Governing documents, conflicts of interest policy and financial statements are available upon request. Documents can be mailed to individuals requesting them.”

“The Low-Income Housing program (further described in Part III Line 4b) began June 1, 2024.”

“Family Promise has been a valuable part of the IFC work since early 2017. We made the difficult decision to shift our focus in a different direction and terminated the Family Promise relationship in December 2023. Our program shift was a result of housing families during COVID in static locations rather than moving them weekly from congregation to congregation. Family Promise families became part of our Transitional and Emergency Housing program. The Transitional and Emergency Housing program, further described in Part III Line 4a, ended in May 2024.”