Mar 4, 2025 | NCDCTA Board Meeting - Virtual
Attendees: Helen Ingersoll Amy Brumbach Jordan McKenzie-Solis Ellie Balakrishnan Heather Boyer Todd Erickson Ali LaTorre Charlotte Meli Mandi Martyn Katherine Thornton Lisa Chisholm Will Barrus. Absent: Heather Turner
President, Helen Ingersoll, called the meeting to order at 7:00pm
Helen read the NCDCTA Charter.
NCDCTA BOARD TEAM CHARTER:
- We the board of the NCDCTA hold the following values as guiding principles to carry out the mission of our organization.
- To educate, promote camaraderie and recognize achievement in dressage and eventing.
- Respect, Humility, Patience, Self Awareness, Supportiveness, Accountability, Listening, Generosity, and Helpfulness
- Communication that is: Clear, Flexible, Ongoing, Supportive, Constructive and Safe while celebrating brave efforts to question and disagree.
- Decision making that is shared. Roles that can be flexible and board members that are engaged, present, and share appreciation for and with one another, freely.
Reports:
- Membership Secretary Report: Will Barrus
- HOY self reporting going well. Update will happen Thurs, 3/6/25
- Competitions in the self reporting form will be erased when the reporting window closes for each competition
- Communications Report: Lisa Chisholm
- Website Proposal/Membership Management Proposal using Wild Apricot
- Adding membership benefits: Manage our Membership, Automatic Renewals, Better management options, and self-management
- Auto renewals is a benefit financially
- Will be straightforward: either a senior or junior membership
- Challenges with emails (required for membership) and families/kids
- Plan to have family bundles where parent has email with “3 accounts”
- Benefit: move to cloud based platform accessible to board members
- Wild Apricot website benefits:
- Streamlined calendar, event management, branding, donation options, mobile friendly, NCDCTA store
- Can contact members directly (instead of through Constant Contact)
- Can create pages with limited access (i.e. BOD only page, eventers only, dressage only, etc)
- No horse registration auto renewal option, volunteer cards, HOY standings/accounting
- Navigation, color scheme/brand, homepage layout, calendar function, website content
- Chairs will have ability to update and post on respective pages
- Cost: Based on 2000 contacts
- Monthly: $252, 1 yr: $2721.6, 2 yr: $5140.80
- Project timeline: July 1, 2025
- Possible to create advertising option
- If others want to post on NCDCTA social media, possible to pay advertising fee
- Sponsorship Report: Heather Boyer
- Sponsorship packet discussion:
- 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization that relies on sponsors
- 3rd largest USDF GMO in country with 750 active members
- 150 recognized competitions
- All Sponsors Receive: Increased exposure, website traffic, and participant engagement
- Title Sponsor ($7,000, 1 spot) – Gala table for 8, 4 banners + vendor spot at events, website banner, social media posts, 8 class sponsorships
- Diamond Sponsor ($4,000, 3 spots) – 3 gala tickets, 4 banners + vendor spot, website banner, social media posts, 6 class sponsorships
- Platinum Sponsor ($1,500, 4 spots) – 2 gala tickets, 2 banners + vendor spot, website banner, social media posts, 4 class sponsorships
- Gold Sponsor ($750, unlimited) – 1 event banner, website logo, social media posts, 3 class sponsorships, 20% off vendor fee
- Silver Sponsor ($500, unlimited) – 1 event banner, website logo, social media posts, 2 class sponsorships, 20% off vendor fee
- Bronze Sponsor ($250, unlimited) – Website logo, social media post, 1 class sponsorship, 20% off vendor fee
- Supporter Sponsor ($100, unlimited) – Website logo, 20% off vendor fee
- Morning Hospitality ($200) – Coffee, mimosas, pastries at the show office. Includes name/logo display, email blasts, 1 social post
- Welcome Wagon ($300) – Pizza & beverages during move-in. Includes name/logo display, email blasts, 1 social post
- Program (with sponsors) not required for level 2 competitions
- Festival will have online program for advertising
- Annual Website advertising opportunities:
- Top banner on all pages: $1200, Side banner on specific pages: $400, Logo in footer on all pages: $200
- Quarterly email newsletter (per issue rate):
- Full banner: $150, Half banner: $100
- There’s a new sponsorship tracker that should help keep track of new requests
- Thank you cards for Gala raffle prizes sent
- Vice Presidents Report: Amy Brumbach
- Current membership numbers for 3/2/2025
- Both total members and total horses represent a 17% increase over last year at this time.
- Volunteer Card Horses: 55
- Other member information of interest
- Other Horse Information of Interest
- Volunteer Card Information
- Outstanding Volunteer Cards: 2741
- Sept 12-14, 2025 with schooling show on Sept 14
- Clinicians pending, have secured dressage and sports psychology
- Zero based budget forthcoming for approval within the month
- Possible to offer a discount for multiple kids and discount tickets for juniors
- How to separate fees for show and audit for festival
- Possibly allow show participants to “opt in” to auditing festival at discounted price
- Dressage Report: Ali LaTorre
- Ticket sales are open for the L program.
- Four participant tickets sold (out of 30) and 3 auditors
- Eventing Report: Katherine Thornton
- Organizing Eventing Committee – underway
- Mailed the USEA Affiliate Membership (Partnership), waiting for the NC eventer mailing list from the USEA
- Medal Program: consider hiatus for 2025
- No activity on Eventing medal program, plan to remove from website
- NCDCTA eventing-specific calendar drafted and working to get on website
- Next step will be to mail out a “hard copy”
- Sourced a “Got Eventing” sticker from VistaPrint to go in a hard copy mailing
- Plan for Championship in sync with November War Horse
- Use HOY qualifying points tracking system
- Post standings on the website via excel spreadsheet
- Most NCDCTA shows do not offer modified….***
- Email introduction to Organizers
- Email introduction to NC eventers (Include FAQ)
- Ongoing 1/4ly FAQ emails to stimulate membership
- Explain USEA benefits (credit of $35 toward USEA membership as well as list the other benefits – access to discounts, etc)
- Explain HOY self-reporting
- Presidents Report: Helen Ingersoll
- Working with USEF to change competition dates
- Coordinating contacts between board members
- Plan for monthly 30 min check-in call with committee chairs to help with understanding big picture
- Gala Report: Ellie Balakrishnan
- Grandover booked for January 24, 2025
- Working on prizes (english vs western vs breeder)
- Plan for sponsor tables and breeder divisions
- Volunteer Report: Charlotte Meli
- Started on webpage for volunteers for information sharing in preparation for upcoming events
- Competition Report: Todd Erickson
- Plan to have framework together for upcoming events at next meeting
- Jr/Yr Report: Mandi Martyn
- Dressage4Kids clinic is full and a go!
- Meeting with eventing chair to discuss jr scholarship opportunities and will submit for approval
- Specifically focusing on what scholarships can be offered at Harvest Moon for the schooling show
- Scholarships for Winter Solstice will remain unchanged
- Possibility for Youth Development Clinic in NC on November 1st and 2nd at Highclere Farms
- Treasurer Report: Heather Turner
New Business:
- RFP from Will for web transfer
- Will to have available in the next 3 weeks (plan for April BOD meeting)
- Motion to start paying Wild Apricot monthly fee in April 2025 until further notice. Moved by Todd Erickson. Heather Boyer seconded the motion. The motion carried with all in favour and none opposed.
- Motion to put eventing medal program on Hiatus for 2025. Moved by Katherine Thronton. Todd Erickson seconded the motion. The motion carried with all in favour and none opposed.
- Motion to change HOY rules for Modified requirements in both the National and Schooling HT Tracks from: Minimum number of venues = 2 and Minimum number of tests = 3 to: Minimum number of venues = 2 and only 1 for Modified and Minimum number of tests = 3 and only 2 for Modified. Moved by Katherine Thronton. Jordan McKenzie-Solis seconded the motion. The motion carried with all in favour and none opposed.
Next meeting: April 1, 2025 – Virtual
Helen adjourned the meeting at 9:20pm
Minutes respectfully submitted by Jordan McKenzie-Solis, Recording Secretary.
