Advisory Council Charter

MISSION:
To assure broad community input into policies, activities, and services provided by the Opportunity Council, community action grantee, in Island County.

NAME:
The name of this organization shall be The Island County Opportunity Council Advisory Council, hereinafter referred to as the 'Advisory Council'. This organization will act as advisor to the Opportunity Council (OC) Board of Directors. The Opportunity Council is an incorporated not-for-profit organization under the laws of Washington, and as such, a Section 501 (c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Service code.

GOAL:
The goal of this organization is to address the need for deeper community involvement and provide clear information concerning the needs of the community, the policies that address staffing, funding and services for low income people in Island County, and the evaluation of programs provided by the Opportunity Council.

1. Membership of the Advisory Council shall consist of 11 to 21 volunteers who are willing to commit the necessary time to meet, provide counsel, and support for increasing the level and quality of services available to Island County people who, faced with the challenges of having low income, need help to help themselves.

2. Elected public officials, private citizens, human services providers, people living at 200% of the national poverty level or below, business owners, funders of programs for those with low income and those who work with them, will be invited to join the Council, or to provide information as requested.

3. The Advisory Council shall establish a membership committee which will provide a slate of nominees for membership to the Advisory Council to be selected by a majority vote of the Advisory Council.

LEADERSHIP:
The essence of community action is local control. With this as a goal, the following steps will be taken to assure that the Advisory Council speaks for Island County residents dedicated to community action, especially as they seek to build a community that helps those in need to help themselves.

1. A slate of two officers – chairperson, and vice chair – will be elected annually.

2. The chair will be elected one quarter in advance of service and will serve as vice chair during the following year.

3. The Opportunity Council will provide staff for secretarial and administrative purposes. Meeting logistics shall be the responsibility of the OC in coordination with the chair.

1. One of the major goals of this Advisory Council will be to develop informed volunteers for membership on the Opportunity Council Board of Directors. 

2. Advisory Council members who are members of the OC Board of Directors will serve as liaison between the Advisory Council and the Opportunity Council. Advisory Council recommendations to the OC Board of Directors will be determined by majority vote. Majority vote is defined as a majority of a quorum. A quorum is one more than half of current membership.

3. Program planning and budget recommendations made by the Advisory Council will be presented to the appropriate OC Board committees for their consideration in agency-wide decisions made by the Opportunity Council Board, including but not limited to: annual budgets, changes in policy, programs, and priorities for service delivery.

4. Minutes of all Advisory Council meetings, including recommendations, will be given to the Opportunity Council Board of Directors as part of the information packet. Advisory Council members with minority opinion or particular concerns may speak at the open forum of the OC Board meeting which precedes each regularly scheduled meeting.

A.  Minutes of the previous meeting and an agenda, with action items noted, will be mailed to all members one week prior to each Advisory Council meeting.

B.  Absentee votes may be recorded when called to the chair prior to the meeting.

 ADVISORY COUNCIL ACTIVITIES:

1. This Council will meet quarterly.

2. Island County Opportunity Council management staff shall attend at all Advisory Council meetings.

3. Opportunity Council staff shall provide reports of level of service, funding priorities, community action activities and additional information as requested by the AC.

4. Island County community needs will be addressed annually in collaboration with other local agencies.

AMENDMENTS:
These guidelines may be amended by a majority of the Advisory Council membership provided all have been given a written copy of the proposed changes no less than 7 days before the meeting at which the amendments will be voted upon.