Event:2023/06/15 Delegates

Omni Delegates' Meeting - May 15 2023 7pm-9pm

Meeting Details

• Talk at https://meet.google.com/diw-hszw-msr or 515-428-1108 (PIN: 465814905)
• Type at https://omnicommons.org/notes
• Send proposals to consensus@lists.omnicommons.org prior to the meeting

Roles

• Facilitator/s: Silver
• Stacktaker:
• Timekeeper:
• Notetaker/s: Patrik, Susan
• Next meeting's facilitator(s):

Delegates

• ANV: Inactive
• BOGSS: Geraldo
• CCL: Patrik
• CLP: Silvia
• CSC: Inactive
• FNB: Joe
• GWS: Inactive
• LL:
• MOP:
• SM: Inactive
• SR: Jake
• Quorum (2/3 of active groups): YES

intros

BRIEF INTROS MAY INCLUDE: name, pronouns, groups you're in, land you're on, if you're a delegate, unmet access needs, meeting roles you'd like to help with, discussion topics or proposals to add to agenda, announcements/updates/report-backs from your groups, safe space issues or updates

• Silver: building working group + finance
• Joe: delegate for Food not Bombs
• Silvia: delegate for community liberation programs, helped with events.
• Geraldo: Boggs delegate. CLP. Used to help with events wg.
• Daniel: potentially moving to Omni - Tanc + print shop - $700/$450 for print shop space

Fundraising discussion with Susan Silber

• https://jamboard.google.com/d/1RWG3I7tqImPXhAIY8Td_w-F8OSZm1IQswBUcIl0Aq1Y/viewer?pli=1&f=0
• Susan will be writing the first couple grants, plus training other people to write grants
• General comments on fundraising?
  • Needs people power. Who gets to make the decision.
  • Getting people interested and engaged is difficult. Getting people plugged in is challenging. New energy & ideas is hard. Trying to integrate O within the community - it’s a contradiction. Have to consider. Welcoming, engaging to fundraise.
  • Silvia: up to code and looking nice. People won’t want to throw events if not everything functioning. New people wanting to come in. Building is not food safe - number 1 priority. Worried about the loan - bail us out or or get a loan
  • Patrik: Crowd funding fatigue. Going after big donors or going after grants. Have had several smaller grants. Some didn’t take a lot of effort. Event that brings in $10K is a lot of work.
  • Geraldo: Make it welcoming and engaging for people to participate
  • Joe: get on media - KPFA, get ppl interested. Wholesaling ballroom to event production company? Revisit previous donors. $10K - health company. Who are our rich friends? Open house, big fundraise kickoff after people get back from summer. Onboarding people, impressing people with importance of sticking with things, showing up for meetings. Online meetings not my cup of tea. Sitting down with people is better.
  • Christian: reach out to media, and push for grants. Consider wine & beer license - have worked with bars and restaurants; significant profit to be made. Can easily rake in $10K in wine/beer during a big event. SBDC pushing hard for bars/restaurants. If need help getting paperwork done, could help (Christian)
  • Daniel: bringing in new groups. Been at Omni a while. Union - 700 members. Special donors?
  • Silver: lot of pple down to volunteer. Can get folks for building group. Finance and events is harder. Higher level tasks. Tenants of the Omni - need more Collective, empower to participate in different working groups. Need more collectives and tenants. Rent ballroom to 3rd party. Liquor license big money maker, but would still need a team.
    • Patrik: Finding nonprofit orhganization to run the ballroom may be difficult. For-profit event organizing org may not jibe with our property tax exemption.
      • Joe: how about converting ballroom to offices?

TANC proposal

• Proposal to use GWS/CSC room, who have not been using that room for a while. GWS/CSC are paying $400/mo, TANC is offering $700/mo. GWS and CSC have other offices in Oakland as well. Interested in ticket booth room for print shop

Room changes

• Joey from VOL gave us part of rent they owe us. Haven't made as much use of space as planned, and missed out on a grant. Proposal to move Omni office into one of the three rooms, and lower their rent by $300.
  • Joe: is Joey's plan to pay the remaining rent?
    • Silver: Joey super busy right now, was considering renting out one of his rooms (but needs to be nonprofit for Omni!)

• EFAM looked at room in basement - interested in looking at room in basement for juicing.
  • Joe: FNB talked with them. Would need one stainless steel table, store gear underneath, produce in coolers. 4 hours once a week. Offer $150/mo. Juice goes towards supporting encampments on Wood Str. Won't produce much waste.