Board Policies

Board Policies

LWVPA Board Policies & Objectives

1. The Executive Committee shall consist of president, program vice president, membership vice president, recording secretary and treasurer. When necessary, the Executive Committee will meet between board meetings for the purpose of planning and carrying our housekeeping details. The committee shall not act on matters of policy. It will report its activities to the full Board.  (Amended 06/12/24.)

2. If any office is held by two people (co) both shall have voting privileges on the Executive Committee and on the Board. Only one co-president shall conduct a meeting.

3. All expense vouchers for items outside the approved budget must be counter-signed by the president or vice president. All bills and requests for reimbursement must be accompanied by a receipt and submitted to the Treasurer promptly.

4. Expenditures which exceed $100.00 must have Board approval and should be in writing.

5. The deadline for materials in The Voter is the day of the Board meeting. The Voter is subject to presidential approval.

6. The League speaks with one voice. All publicity releases and League material shall be submitted for presidential approval. Letters to the editor must go out over the president's name unless another member is designated by the president

7. The person responsible for preparation of written material over whose signature it will be released must have the privilege of proofreading and approving the printed copy prior to release.

8. Anyone wanting time on the agenda must notify the president before the meeting. Board members should notify the president if unable to attend a meeting.

9. The League may take action on governmental measures and policies in the public interest. However, it shall not support or oppose any party or candidate. Board members shall not run for or hold office. If a Board member declares for an elective office, the member shall resign from the Board. Public notices released by the League announcing the resignation of a Board Member to run for a political office shall be carefully worded to avoid the appearance of endorsing the resigning Board member's candidacy. The President(s) and Voter Service Chair(s) shall not (1) allow their picture or their name to be used in connection with a political campaign (2) chair or administer fund raising or (3) chair campaign events. The President(s) and Voter Service Chair(s) shall not display candidate signs in their yards or work in any significant way in a campaign. Activities must be limited to preserve the League's non-partisan position. A board member may serve on any public board, commission, committee, or coalition. However, that Board member does not represent the League unless officially designated as a League representative by the League Board. A Board member may not speak or work against a League position in any way. The political activities of a spouse or relative of a Board member are to be considered as separate and distinct from the activities of that Board member.

10. A candidate for public office or a person who has served in a public office will become eligible for Board Membership at the next annual meeting following the candidacy or term of office.

11. (Policy deleted 06/12/24.)

12. The membership list is solely for the convenience of League members and shall not be used for any mailing without permission of the Board.

13. Co-sponsoring of activities shall be limited to other LWV's or organizations whose goals are compatible with LWV. Great care should be taken before joining coalitions.

14. Exceptions or amendments to the above policies within a League year require a two-thirds vote of Board members present and voting at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board. (Approved June 16, 1997)

15. If appreciable sums of money are managed by the League, a fidelity bond should be purchased to cover those handling the funds.

16. Observers may speak to government bodies with the board's permission if there is an applicable program position. They speak as citizens to such groups if they make clear they are speaking for themselves.

17. The president should see that LWVUS and LWVO action alerts are acted upon appropriately.

18. Committees shall meet at the beginning of the year to develop strategies for meeting the board's priorities and bring their plans to the board for approval. Board members take office immediately after the Annual Meeting.

19. The Voter Service Chairman shall be a director nominated by the Nominating Committee.

(LWVPA Board Policies & Objectives Amended 06/12/24.) 

LWVPA Investment Policy (Amended June 12, 2024)

Investment Objective

The principal investment objective of the League of Women Voters of the Perrysburg Area (LWVPA) Fund (Fund) is to provide a rate of return sufficient to offset the impact of inflation on Fund assets as well as to provide for capital appreciation and income commensurate with low level of risk while protecting the original principal investment. In order to attain this investment objective, Fund assets shall be composed of equity and fixed income securities as well as cash equivalents allocated in a manner broadly consistent with the long-term goals established herein. Assets shall be invested in a manner consistent with “prudent investor” rules. 

Asset Allocation

Skotynsky Financial Group, LLC (Investment Manager), taking into consideration the outlook for the general economy and the existing environment of the financial markets, shall determine asset mix. There will be two separate accounts in regard to the LWVPA: One will be the Short Term Account held at a banking financial institution, the second being a Long Term Account. The LWVPA shall target 12-24 months of expected expenses in the Short-Term Account, the balance shall go into the Long-Term Account. The asset mix is expected to reflect a growth/income objective, defined by the Investment Manager as utilizing the following broad policy ranges:

Long Term Account MINIMUM MAXIMUM
Equities 50% 75%
Fixed Incomes & Cash Equivalents 25% 50%

 

 

 

Short Term Account MINIMUM MAXIMUM
Equities 0% 0%
Fixed Incomes & Cash Equivalents 100% 100%

 

 

 

The Investment Manager shall retain cash equivalents sufficient to meet normal Fund liquidity requirements. It will be the responsibility of the LWVPA to notify the Investment Manager of significant liquidity requirements as far in advance as practicable. 

Portfolio Constraints

The equity component of the portfolio shall be properly diversified and shall generally be composed of a selection of mutual funds and/or individual equity securities designed to achieve the long-term objectives stated herein. It is the desire of the LWVPA that mutual fund dividends will be distributed to the general fund. Equities or equivalents in a single company shall not exceed 10% of the equity portfolio. Within the equity component, the aggregate international and small/mid-cap equity investments shall be within the range of 0% to 35% of the equity component.

The fixed income component of the portfolio will generally be composed of a selection of mutual funds and money market funds designed to provide current income and stability of principal. To the extent that individual bonds are utilized, such securities shall be limited to obligations of the US Treasury, Federal Government Agencies and well-diversified, high-quality (as defined by minimum Moody’s A3 and Standard & Poor’s A-ratings) corporate bonds. The average maturity of these holdings shall not exceed ten years. Corporate bonds issued by a single company shall not exceed 10% of the fixed income portfolio.

On occasion, the LWVPA Board may approve a distribution that reduces the principal investment as part of the annual budgeting process or per Board Policies on approving expenditures.  Once approved by the Board, a written letter authorizing Skotynsky Financial Group to make such a distribution, should be signed by both signers on the Raymond James account.  Such signers are normally the President and the Treasurer.

Portfolio Review

In order to ensure that the guidelines established herein are being adequately met and to review the continuing appropriateness of said guidelines, a meeting between representatives of the Investment Manager and the LWVPA shall be held at least annually with additional meetings as may be required. During such meetings, a general review of the investment performance of the portfolio shall be conducted taking into consideration the long-term goals and objectives of the account as well as the existing environment of the financial markets. 

Total Fund performance, calculated on a total return basis, over a moving 5-year measurement period is expected to be competitive with industry returns for funds utilizing similar investment parameters. Benchmark comparisons for component returns will include the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index for stocks, the Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index for bonds, and 91-day US Treasury Bills for money market funds.

The Board of Directors shall review this Fund Investment Policy periodically and may amend the policy as conditions warrant. The Treasurer and/or President may recommend amendments to the policy as necessary.

Investment Committee

The Investment Committee shall consist of at least two members of Executive Committee and they will be the President and the Treasurer. Remaining members of the Investment Committee shall be the appointed trustees of the Education Fund.

The Committee shall monitor the capital reserve balances and ensure that these funds are invested and reinvested within the guidelines of the investment policy on a timely basis.

No member of the Executive Board or Investment Committee shall be remunerated for any services rendered on behalf of the LWVPA.  (Investment Policy Adopted 02/28/23; Amended 06/12/24.) 

LWVPA Digital Media User Policy (Adopted April 10, 2024)

Our Guiding Principles
The League of Women Voters Perrysburg Area (LWVPA) holds steadfast to values that include respect, nonpartisanship, and the dissemination of accurate and reliable civic information. Inspired by these principles, our actions and communications, both on and offline, aim to constructively engage individuals and communities about civic issues, while acknowledging and honoring diverse experiences and perspectives.
 
Engagement & Respectful Dialogue
Our social media platforms are forums for respectful, informative, and nonpartisan dialogue. We encourage conversations that uphold our commitment to fostering informed and active participation in democracy. Posts and comments should adhere to a positive and constructive tone, facilitating a safe and welcoming environment for all members and the general public.
 
Goals
  1. Elevate the important work our League is doing.
  2. Highlight the impact our League and other Leagues have in our communities.
  3. Share information on priority issues.
  4. Increase engagement and build community by sharing information and fostering dialogue.
Moderation Policy
  1. Removal of Content: LWVPA reserves the right to hide or remove posts, comments, or other content that, in our judgment, violate our values and principles. This includes, but is not limited to, content that disrupts the community standards of civil, informative, and nonpartisan discourse or promotes mis/disinformation.
  2. Blocking Users: Individuals who repeatedly violate our guidelines may be blocked from our social media platforms to preserve the integrity of our digital communities as deemed appropriate by the LWVPA Board.
  3. Member-Specific Policy: Content and information intended exclusively for LWVPA members or its governing bodies must not be shared publicly on social media platforms by League members. Members who share content that undermines LWVPA and its governing bodies’ positions or is disparaging towards our organization, members, or staff is subject to removal from LWVPA platforms, and the member may face additional consequences per our governance policies.
Responsibilities and Reporting
  1. Members' Responsibilities: All LWVPA members are ambassadors of our values and should exemplify them in their interactions on our official platforms.
  2. Reporting Inappropriate Content:  Members and followers are encouraged to report any content or interactions that violate this policy using our online contact form or contacting the Board of Directors at lwvperrysburg [at] gmail.com.
Adherence and Accountability
Compliance with this policy ensures that our digital spaces remain constructive, respectful, and supportive environments. Violations of this policy will be addressed promptly, and may result in removal of content, blocking of the user, and/or further actions as deemed appropriate by the LWVPA Board. 
 
Review and Amendments
This policy is subject to periodic review and may be amended to reflect changes in our operational context and the evolving digital landscape.
 

In embracing digital technologies to further our mission, the LWVPA remains committed to promoting responsible, respectful, and constructive digital engagement, reflecting our broader organizational values and objectives.  (Digital Media User Policy Initially Adopted April 10, 2024.)

Note:  The above Digital Media User Policy was taken from LWVUS and LWVO and revised in small part to make it appropriate for LWVPA.  We thank them for the use of their policies.  

LWVPA 2024 Special Session HB1 Policy (Adopted August 14, 2024)

The Ohio General Assembly has adopted restrictions on the use of money from non-U.S. sources to advocate for or against any statewide ballot initiative. These restrictions are presented in sweeping, complex, and unfortunately, vague language, and their precise impact on the League of Women Voters is unclear. See https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/files/special-session/hb1_04_EN.pdf.
 
Redistricting reform is, as it has been for decades, an important goal of the League of Women Voters. To avoid any suggestion that any LWV activities might violate this new law, we adopt the following policies and procedures for League of Women Voters Perrysburg Area (LWVPA) in connection with the Fair Districts and Citizens Not Politicians (CNP) campaign for redistricting reform in 2024 (collectively referred to here as “the CNP initiative”).
 
LWVPA has no paid staff, so these procedures relate solely to the use of LWVPA funds for materials or resources to advocate for the CNP initiative directly to the public.
 
LWVPA presumes that HB1 does not prohibit LWVPA from using its resources to communicate with its members about the CNP initiative. LWVPA further presumes that it and its volunteers may advocate for the CNP initiative to the public in any manner that does not involve using funds that might be from non-U.S. sources.
 
1.  Until procedures described below are implemented, LWVPA will not pay to print or disseminate materials or use paid information services that advocate directly to the public, support for the CNP initiative.
 
2.  Until procedures described below are implemented, LWVPA will not use online communications methods for which it pays to advocate, directly to the public, support for the CNP initiative. This includes the LWVPA website and LWVPA paid webinar / online-forum capabilities.
 
3.  LWVPA will make robust use of free online and social media accounts to communicate with the public about the CNP initiative, including but not limited to the use of Facebook, Instagram, X (f/k/a Twitter), TikTok, and YouTube.
 
4.  LWVPA will use its paid communication methods and Zoom accounts to communicate only with its dues paying members about the CNP initiative, to share information about CNP and LWVPA efforts, and to offer opportunities for its members to advocate for the CNP initiative. Unless funding for those paid communication methods comes only from U.S. citizen contributions, LWVPA will not use those methods to communicate with the general public or non-dues paying supporters.
 
5.  LWVPA will implement the following procedures for expenditures in support of advocacy for the CNP initiative to the public:
a)  If LWVPA can determine the percentage of the cost of its website attributable to the dedicated redistricting page, LWVPA will solicit contributions from U.S. Citizen members (as defined in HB1) to cover that monthly cost. LWVPA will request an affirmation of U.S. citizenship and will document those contributions in a separate line item in the LWVPA monthly financial reports.
 
b)  If LWVPA incurs any costs when advocating for the CNP initiative directly to the public, including printing materials or purchasing space at any public event for LWVPA public advocacy, it will solicit contributions from U.S. Citizen members to pay the vendor directly for any costs incurred. If for any reason a direct payment is not possible, it will ask the U.S. Citizen member to sign an affirmation of citizenship in connection with a contribution to LWVPA to cover the costs incurred and will note the contribution in a separate line item in the LWVPA monthly financial reports.
 
c)  Whenever feasible, LWVPA will use funds and materials from the League of Women Voters of Ohio (LWVO) in support of advocacy for the CNP initiative, because LWVO has established a separate fund for such expenditures.
 
d)  LWVPA will encourage U.S. citizen members and supporters who want to donate to the CNP initiative to donate to LWVO’s dedicated fund for the CNP initiative.
 
 6.  LWVPA will periodically review this policy and revise it as necessary to ensure its continued compliance with Ohio law.
 
Note:  The above 2024 Special Session HB1 Policy was taken from LWV Greater Cleveland and revised in small part to make it appropriate for LWVPA.  We thank them for the use of their policy.