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Virtual Activism By Laws
ARTICLE
I NAME and OFFICES
Section
1: The name of the organization shall be Virtual Activism.
Section
2: The Organization shall have a seal, which shall be
in the following form:
[seal
form]
Section 3: The principle office of the organization
shall be located in the County of Providence, Rhode Island,
and the address shall be:
2
Jasmine Lane, Johnston, Rhode Island.
Section
4: The designation of the county or state of the corporations
principle office may be changed by amendment to these Bylaws.
The Board of Directors may change the principal office from
one location to another within the named county by noting
the changed address and effective date, and any such changes
of address shall not be deemed, nor require, an amendment
of these Bylaws.
Section
5: The organization may also have offices at such other
places, within or without its state of incorporation, where
it is qualified to conduct its work, as its activities may
require, and as the board of directors may, from time to
time, designate.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSES
Section
1: IRC Section 501(c ) (3) Purposes: Virtual Activism
is organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, and
educational purposes, as specified in Section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code, including, for such purposes,
the making of distributions to organizations that qualify
as exempt organizations under Section 501(c )(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code.
Section
2: The following are the purposes for which this organization
has been organized: Virtual Activisms mission is to
strengthen national and international non-governmental organizations
using the following methods: research, technology-training,
access to technology, and web design services.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
-
Membership shall consist only of the members of the board
of directors.
-
The Board may decide to name honorary members and advisory
members as needed, and they shall have no voting rights
or responsibilities of ordinary board members.
ARTICLE
IV - ANNUAL MEETING
Section
1: Annual Meeting. The date of the regular annual meeting
shall be set by the Board of Directors who shall also set
the time and place.
Section
2: Regular meetings. Regular meetings of this organization
shall be held at a location set by the Board of Directors
prior to the meeting.
Section
3: Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called
by the Chair or the Executive Committee.
Section
4: Notice. Notice of each meeting shall be given to
each voting member, by mail, not less than ten days before
the meeting.
ARTICLE
V - BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The
organization shall have 4 directors and collectively they
shall be known as the Board of Directors. The business of
this organization shall be managed by this Board of Directors,
together with the officers of this organization. The Board
of Directors shall only act in the name of the organization
when it shall be regularly convened by its chairman after
due notice to all the directors of such meeting.
Section
1: Board Role, Size, Compensation.
Role:
Subject to the provisions of the laws of this state and
any limitations in the Articles of Incorporation and these
Bylaws relating to action required or permitted to be
taken or approved by the members, if any, of this corporation,
the activities and affairs of this organization shall
be conducted and all corporate powers shall be exercised
by or under the direction of the Board of Directors. The
Board shall be responsible for overall policy and direction
of the organization, and delegates responsibility for
day-to-day operations to the Executive Director and committees.
Size:
The Board shall have up to 11 and not fewer than 4 members.
Compensation:
The Board receives no compensation other than reasonable
expenses.
Section
2: Meetings. The Board shall meet at least annually,
at an agreed upon time and place. The Board of Directors
may make such rules and regulations covering its meetings
as it may in its discretion determine necessary. A meeting
must be attended by at least 60 percent of the Board members
before business can be transacted or motions made or passed.
Attendance for this purpose may include telephone conferencing
or computer or video conferencing
Section
3: Board Elections. Election of new directors or election
of current directors to a second term will occur as the
first item of business at the annual meeting of the organization.
Directors will be elected by a majority vote of the current
directors. Vacancies in the Board of Directors shall be
filled by a vote of the majority of the remaining members
of the Board of Directors for the balance of the year.
Section
4: Term of Office. All Board members shall serve four-year
terms, and are eligible for re-election.
Section
5: Notice of Meetings. An official Board meeting requires
that each Board member have written notice ten days in advance.
Section
6: Non-liability of Directors: The directors shall not
be personally liable for the debts, liabilities, or other
obligations of the corporation.
ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS
Section
1: Number and names of Officers. Officers shall, by
virtue of their office, be members of the Board of Directors.
There shall be four officers of the Board consisting of
a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The
initial officers of the organization shall be as follows:
-
President: Marlyn Tadros
-
Vice President: Peter Rosenblum
-
Secretary: Denis Sullivan
-
Treasurer: Robert Lombardi
Section
2. Officers Duties. The duties of the officers
shall be as follows:
The
President: The President shall convene regularly scheduled
Board meetings, shall preside or arrange for other members
of the executive committee to preside at each meeting in
the following order: Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
-
He/she shall, by virtue of his/her office, be Chairman
of the Board of
- Directors.
- He/she shall present at each annual meeting of the organization
an annual report of the work of the organization.
- He/she shall appoint all committees, temporary or permanent.
- He/she shall see all books, reports and certificates
required by law are
- properly kept or filed.
- He/she shall be one of the officers who may sign the
checks or drafts of the organization, subject to any conditions
for validity in these bylaws.
- He/she shall have such powers as may be reasonably construed
as belonging to the chief executive of any organization.
- He/she shall be the official custodian of the seal of
this organization.
The
Vice President. The Vice President will chair committees
on special subjects as designated by the board. The Vice
President shall in the event of the absence or inability
of the President to exercise his office become acting president
of the organization with all the rights, privileges and
powers as if he had been the duly elected president.
The
Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping
records of Board actions, including overseeing the taking
of minutes at all board meetings, sending out meeting announcements,
distributing copies of minutes and the agenda to each Board
Member, and assuring that corporate records are maintained.
He/she shall:
-
Keep the minutes and records of the organization in appropriate
books.
- It shall be his duty to file any certificate required
by any statute, federal or state.
- Give and serve all notices to members of this organization.
- Be the official custodian of the records of this organization.
- Submit to the Board of Directors any communications which
shall be addressed to him as Secretary of the organization.
- Attend to all correspondence of the organization and shall
exercise all duties incident to the office of Secretary.
The
Treasurer. The Treasurer shall make a report at each
Board meeting. The Treasurer:
-
Shall have the care and custody of all monies belonging
to the organization and shall be generally responsible for
such monies or securities of the organization.
- Must be one of the officers who shall be authorized to
sign checks and otherwise expend funds or engage debt on
behalf of the organization.
- Shall render at stated periods as the Board of Directors
shall determine a written account of the finances of the
organization and such report shall be physically affixed
to the minutes of the Board of Directors of such meeting.
- Shall exercise all duties incident to the office of Treasurer
such as chairing the finance committee, assisting in the
preparation of the budget, help develop fundraising plans,
and make financial information available to Board members
and the public.
Section
3: Vacancies. When a vacancy on the Board exists, nominations
for new members may be received from present Board members
by the Secretary two weeks in advance of a Board meeting.
These nominations shall be send out to Board members with
the regular Board meeting announcement, to be voted upon
at the next Board meeting. These vacancies will be filled
only to the end of the particular Board member's term.
Section
4: Resignation, Termination and Absences. Resignation
from the Board must be in writing and received by the Secretary.
A Board member may be dropped for excess absences from the
Board if s/he has three unexcused absences from Board meetings
in a year. A Board member may be removed for other reasons
by a three-fourths vote of the remaining directors.
Section
5: Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board shall
be called upon the request of the President or one-third
of the Board. Notices of special meetings shall be send
out by the Secretary to each Board member postmarked two
weeks in advance.
Section 6: No officer shall, for reason of his/her
office, be entitled to receive any salary or compensation,
but nothing herein shall be construed to prevent an officer
or director from receiving any compensation from the organization
for duties other than
as a director or officer. Compensation received by officers
of this corporation shall be reasonable and given in return
for services actually rendered to or for the corporation.
ARTICLE
VII - COMMITTEES
Section
1: All committees of this organization shall be appointed
by the President of the Board of Directors, and their term
of
office shall be for a period of one year or less if sooner
terminated by the action of the Board of Directors.
Section 2: The Board may create committees as needed.
Section
3: Permanent committees shall be the Finance Committee,
chaired by the Treasurer, and the Executive Committee chaired
by the President of the Board.
Section
4: The four officers serve as members of the Executive
Committee. Except for the power to amend the Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws, the Executive Committee shall
have all of the powers and authority of the Board of Directors
in the intervals between meetings of the Board of Directors,
subject to the direction and control of the Board of Directors.
Section
5: Finance Committee. The Treasurer is chair of the
Finance Committee, which includes three other Board members.
The Finance Committee is responsible for developing and
reviewing fiscal procedures, a fundraising plan, and annual
budget with staff and other Board members. The Board must
approve the budget, and all expenditures must be within
the budget. Any major change in the budget must be approved
by the Board or the Executive Committee. The fiscal year
shall be the calendar year. Annual reports are required
to be submitted to the Board showing income, expenditures
and pending income. The financial records of the organization
are public information and shall be made available to the
membership, Board members and the public.
ARTICLE
VIII DEPOSITS, AND FUNDS
Section
1: Deposits: All funds of the corporation shall be deposited
from time to time to the credit of the corporation in such
banks, trust companies, or other depositories as the Board
of Directors may select.
Section
2: Check and notes: Except as otherwise specifically
determined by resolution of the Board of Directors, or as
otherwise required by law, checks and other evidence of
indebtedness of the organization shall be signed by the
Treasurer and countersigned by the Executive Director.
Expenses
below $500 may be signed by the Executive Director at his/her
discretion. Expenses of $501 to $10,000 must be signed by
both the Executive Director and the Treasurer. Expenses
of 10,001 and above must be signed by the Executive Director,
Treasurer, and one other board member.
Section
3: Gifts: The Board of Directors may accept, on behalf
of the organization, any contribution, gift, bequest, or
devise for the nonprofit purposes of this organization.
ARTICLE
VIX IRC 501(c) (3) TAX EXEMPTION PROVISIONS
Section
1: Limitations on activities: no substantial part of
the activities of this organization shall be the carrying
on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation
[except as otherwise provided by Section 501 (h) of the
Internal Revenue Code], and this organization shall not
participate in, or intervene in, any political campaign
on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public
office.
Notwithstanding
any other provisions of these Bylaws, this corporation shall
not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried
on (a) by an organization exempt from federal income tax
under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or
(b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible
under Section 17(c ) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Section
2: Prohibition against Private Inurement: No part of
the net earnings of this organization shall inure to the
benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, directors
or trustees, officers, or other private persons, except
that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to
pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to
make payments and distributions in furtherance of this organization.
ARTICLE X- AMENDMENTS
These
Bylaws may be altered, amended, repealed or added to by
an affirmative vote of not less than two thirds (66%) of
the Board of Directors. Proposed amendments must be submitted
to the Secretary to be sent out with regular Board announcements.
These
Bylaws were approved at a meeting of the Board of Directors
of Virtual Activism, Incorporated, on July 27, 2001.
August
8, 2001.
Amendment
to bylaws required by the State on April 12th, 02 |