ASPIRES~Liz

[Guest guest]

Hi Liz:

I know your email was suppose to go to me privately, but I am choosing to

respond on list as ASPIRES belongs to all of us.

I get offers all the time from professionals that want to pay me to advertise on

ASPIRES, thinking their products or services would benefit our population. I

have always respectively declined.

ASPIRES is what it is. We created it together; we chose our logo and acronym

together. We have evolved in our discussion on almost any given topic as the

years have rolled by TOGETHER.

ASPIRES is a support group that has great positioning in the autism community

and International reach. We are non-profit and that is by choice. Raising

money is not what we do. ASPIRES offers a forum to exchange ideas on a closed

list and that is what we are all about.

Our ideology has always been that many families due to location, social economic

status, culture, etc., don’t have access to resources other’s do. We have

always tried to offer an alternate to that solution.

When Meyer and I created Oregon Parents United, some of our members wanted

to file for nonprofit status and fought against it and he was right. When

you go nonprofit, you need to appoint a board of directors and sometimes that

takes the air out of the balloon. ASPIRES does no fund raising and events and

if we did it would create an issue as we are international. Where would the

money go to?

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your offer and thinking about us,

but need to graciously decline.

or others?

The very best to you.

List Owner

Who still has some air in “her” balloon!

[Guest guest]

Yeah it does take a lot of air out of the balloon, and this brings up something

that I am going through right now with the local autism center (of which I am on

the current Board of Directors). Everyone wants to get off of it except for me

(because a conflict of interest could occur for three of the people, and four of

the people are married to each other [two couples]). Understandable.

That is what tends to happen with a lot of new nonprofits from the very

beginning. I am not married or involved with anyone on the current Board, and I

am not looking to be hired by the nonprofit I serve (although I would love to

work there after I graduate and am more than happy to come off the Board of

Directors).

My issue with the current Board is what happens when you start to get " heavy

hitters " who can donate a lot of money to the local autism center - then who

want to serve on the Board. I do not mind people who want to serve. But, I do

not want them to serve if the only thing with serving on a Board does is to give

them status in the community *AND* they have no connection to autism. I prefer

that they have autism or someone like a relative they know has it.

We will see what happens. I can understand about the need to fundraise and that

sort of thing. I do not mind helping with the fundraising for the local autism

center. I just do not want the Board to lose its focus. Or it may not even

exist after terrible decision making.

P.S. That is why I got smart from the very beginning and chose to create the GCA

Advisory Board (not a Board of Directors or Executive Committee). This way, the

Advisory Board could help me arrive at making a decision through its opinions

and suggestions. I am the one who makes the final decision for my organization,

and I like that. With a Board of Directors or Executive Committee, that is not

possible because of the various stakeholders (and level of stakeholders)

involved.

P.S.S. Where would the money go? Probably most likely for operating expenses

(salaries, other expenses to keep aspires operating), and making a few grants to

501©3 organizations. Thus, aspires would end up needing a Board of Directors

to keep the Executive Director of aspires in check. I understand now why so

many companies have been in the news with regard to CEOs and Board of Directors

of the same companies, and it is not a good thing. Especially, when the CEO of

a company is also the chairman of the company's Board of Director. That

definitely is *not* a good thing, and contradicts what a Board of Directors is

supposed to be doing.

If aspires chooses to be a private community foundation (per IRS guidelines),

aspires would be required to donate at least 5% of its yearly donations to

501©3 organizations. Since aspires does not plan to take in donations and

does not plan to be a foundation, the issue is moot.

Also, because aspires does not plan to fundraise, the issue is moot. Otherwise,

aspires would be required to complete a 990 Postcard (if revenues are under

$50,000 in a year) or 990 (if $50,000 or more in a year).

This is why fundraising or things having to do with foundations can be tricky at

times. By not fundraising or becoming a foundation or 501©3 organization,

that solves a lot of issues. I like the decision that and made by

avoiding all of this.

This way, individuals and families can come on here and get the support they

need.

Sorry for rambling on but wanted to address it,

> ...When Meyer and I created Oregon Parents United, some of our members

wanted to file for nonprofit status and fought against it and he was

right. When you go nonprofit, you need to appoint a board of directors and

sometimes that takes the air out of the balloon. ASPIRES does no fund raising

and events and if we did it would create an issue as we are international.

Where would the money go to?