GRaIN Meeting Log

Meeting Notes From Tuesday April 22nd

ORGANIZATIONAL & PARTNERSHIPS

• 501(c)3 Non-profit Corporation: Weare going to officially make GRAIN an official non-profit, consisting of global members, and Chapters at various institutions, such as UCSD and Srishti Institute.
  
  • Memberships: The member can be part of GRaIN, without necessarily being affiliated with a particular chapter. Membership ascribes the benefit of access to the "Grainium Network" that features people-project matching, member forums, and other features. We discussed having a small membership fee for the Grainium Network of ~$5 - $15 per year, and a Charter Fee of ~$100 per year. However, we would waive the fees initially to grow the membership and success stories. We also discussed having an "Invitation Only" style of membership, such as the Gmail invitations, as a way of personalizing the process and educating/hooking future members. For example, Alex tells Bob "Hey, there's this cool group, GRaIN, that I think you'd like. Here's how you join." Bob will be more likely to actually sign up and participate in the community. Moreover, we discussed targeting specific academic and corporate innovators with "Membership Invitations," to make them feel more inclined to get involved with GRaIN.
  • Chapters: We will focus on a couple core "Founding Chapters," like UCSD, Srishti Institute, MIT DevLab, etc. After establishing the core "Founding Chapters," Chapters should coalesce organically when a particular place reaches a critical mass of people involved with GRaIN. At that point, Chapters can organize and hold their own Chapter events, such as the Grain(y) Film Series @ Calit2. This methodology avoids potential conflicts of interest that can arise between Academic institutions and non-profit organizations, case in point UCSD vs. TIN, by having events hosted by the local student organization or Chapter. Chapter-based events also bolster local support, giving the organization a more solid foundation, more extensive "field agents" in the world.
    
  • UCSD Chapter: Sneha has filed as a SOLO recognized student organization. We will also need a "Charter" (basically, the same as the Constitution filed with UCSD's SOLO) to file with GRaiN. Sneha was nominated draft a Charter for the UCSD GRaIN Chapter.
    
  • Corporate Filing: Nikki's husband, Ed, is a lawyer will do the corporate filing. The main tasks for us to complete include: Articles of Incorporation, Mission Statement, Mailing address for legal correspondence (taxes, filings, suits), and basic officers (President, Secretary and Treasurer). We voted as officers: Shivani for President, Sneha for Secretary, and Nikki for Treasurer. To file the paperwork, we'll need about $20 from everybody.
    

• UCSD and Calit2 Involvement: Sukumar discussed being involved with, separate from GRaIN, already starting to form an official Calit2 Center on Sustainability. He recommended that we just get GRaIN going, and worry about the UCSD/Calit2 relationship as we go. As Calit2 is forming this Center, we can get key "faculty champions" involved with GRaIN. For example, Vish Krishnan has a Social Entrepreneurship class/series in the works. Sukumar will talk to UCSD professors: Lisa Shaffer, Nate Delson, and Vish Krishnan; to keep them in the loop of what we are doing.

• Grainy Film Series: Derek is booking a couple movie events, and approached CRCA to sponsor the events financially. He has reserved the following dates: May 7, May 14, May 22, May 28, June 4, June 19 for either Grain or VR/vidgame related movies. We discussed possible films to feature, including: "Planet Earth", "Infinite Vision", "Life & debt", "Power of Community", or "Manufactured Landscapes". The Marketing team will put together promotional materials for the Grain film series, as soon as the dates and films are confirmed.
  
• IN Groups: Although independent organizations, we discussed GRaIN's collaboration with other local San Diego Innovation Networks (INs), like the Triton(Tech) Innovation Network (TIN), and the Women's Innovation Network. These groups each have their focus, and different mission (GRaIN: Sustainable/Responsible vs. TIN: Technology vs. WIN: Women), but share the vision of enabling young people to come together in real and virtual communities and to innovate -- meaning, not just saying but doing. With money allocated for this purpose from TIN, Nikki will organize an IN get-together to promote each of these groups, and start building that community in San Diego. This get-together will be possibly a picnic at the Bear (Calit2 mall), Xtreme croquet, or a happy hour. Date, venue and event ideas are welcome.
  
• Marketing Materials: Derek, Nikki, and Shivani had a productive marketing meeting, and we will have a pamphlet and biz card ready by next wk. We also discussed promotional handouts that attract more attention than wordy brochures, like Grain growth packets (CA poppy seeds in a biodegradable paper mash with the Grain logo on, when you plant the little ball, a few weeks later poppies/wildflowers sprout).
  
• Temporary Public Online Presence: Derek bought 'grainium.com' (sp?) for our GRAIN FORUM/innovation network website to serve as a temporary online presence until more advanced designs and networking tools are implemented.
  

• ALBERT, NIKKI, DEREK, SHIVANI- coordinate efforts with existing databases (Alumni Association, TIN, Calit2 Research Portal) and expertise (Charity Focus Service Portal)
  
• Nikki/Derek are organizing a friendlyGRAIN/TIN picnic - Date and time TBD!

Agenda for Tuesday April 22nd

GRAIN MEETING APRIL 22, 2008 2 PM CALIT2 2ND FLOOR Facilitator: Shivani

12:00p Check-in/Announcements

- Nikki, Shivani, Albert, and Derek had Marketing Mtg – news
- Nikki and Derek – website stuff?
- Garrett and Sneha – project stuff?
- Shivani – building Board of Advisors – possible new members

12:15p Events - dates to set, and movies to show

TASK LIST SIGN UP:
Organizers:________________
Booking:___________________
Flyers:_____________________
Facilitators:_________________
Hook/Freebie/Offer -> Join GRAIN: _________________
Refreshments: __________________

Movie # 1:______________ Meeting after?
Movie # 2: Meeting after?

Final End of the Year/Kick off Meeting for Summer Projects and
2008-2009 Academic Year:
Date:
Items to discuss:
Who can do what:

12:30p Decide on marketing material to advertise events
To do list for marketing team:

• Mission statement, logo, bkgd, and bullet points of what we offer on flyer
• Need to cross-market events with TIN, GIN, Sixth College, GSA, and AS
• Post short blurb to advertise in Student Flyers, Sixth News You Can Use, Grad Student Advisor lists, and Shuttles

12:40p Create plan to:
1. Solidify our Board of Directors, and our TIN/IN/GRAIN situation
2. Non-profit situation – ensure we are independent of UCSD, but
having a UCSD chapter
3. Network idea?
4. Bigger vision – where are we going, what are we doing
- Need to establish working relationships with Jaipur Foot andShushti, Lund, UCI, and India so that the project aspect of GRAIN can emerge strongly this Summer.
- Get Calit2 on Board?
- What are the benefits of GRAIN to:
- Students
- NGO’s
- Entrepeneurs
- Corporations
- People who don’t know what they’re doing, but want to do something good for the world

• Who will do the next meeting?
• When is the next meeting?
• Mini checklist of what to do this wk:

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Agenda for Tuesday April 15th

1. Announcements
   1. Net Impact at the Guild, Tue Apr 15 6:30pm – Tue Apr 15 8pm at The Guild Restaurant
   2. Jane Goodall at Jenny Craig Pavillion (USD) Thu Apr 17 7pm – Thu Apr 17 8pm
   3. Earth Fair at Balboa Park, Sun Apr 20
      
2. Unfinished Business and Committee Reports
   1. IT
      1. Google Group
      2. Google Calendar - for upcoming meetings, and affiliate events
         
      3. Yahoo Group - for polls
         
      4. Google Document - shared GRaIN meeting Log
         
3. New Business and Discussion
   1. Branding - discuss GRaIN's role in community, UCSD, and globally. Then, vote on design motifs for logos, mottos, catchphrases.
   2. Organizational Structure - continue discussion
   3. Campus Outreach
      1. GRaIN film series - line up first 5 movies, dates, and put together marketing
      2. Earth Day UCSD ESI Sustainability Prize
4. Action Items and Planning
   1. Sneha - find out how Engineers WH, legalities
      
   2. Derek - arrange film series, arrange GSA funds for UCSD chapter
      
   3. Ed - 501(c)3 process
   4. All- Investigate other chapters at other schools
      1. shivani, UCI
      2. albert
         
   5. Nikki and Derek work on Wetpaint website
      
   6. Arrange time for making Marketing Materials - Derek, Nikki, Shivani
      
   7. Determine time and place of next meeting, same time.
   8. Shivani - announcements, PR seminar... made contacts - sustainability groups.
   9. Let's work towards a launch date?
   10. Consider Board of Advisors - our high-profile contacts
   11. Meet Thursday for dinner at nikki's for marketing materials -