Committees In Action
Chimorel is developing four distribution committee categories which will determine how funds are allocated. The self-explanatory committee categories are:
- Client Assistance
- Education & Employment
- Business Incubation
- Nonprofit Development
Funds allocated to a Distribution Committee fund the programs for which the committee is responsible. These funds will come from at least three sources: (1) allocations through a Volunteer’s Recommendation Privilege; (2) funding raising, membership and program allocations determined by the Board, and (3) assignments a committee makes to its applicants.
A volunteer, client or staff member will apply to a committee for assistance to meet a particular objective. The committee will review the application and determine the criteria necessary for the need to be funded. Part of the criteria, obviously, requires that funds be available. Other criteria may involve:
Is there a genuine need?
Will the applicant participate in raising the funds required?
Does the applicant have supporters who will help generate the funds required?
Should the committee assign someone to support the applicant with the problem instead of raising funds?
What other alternatives are available to meet the need?
Is the client genuinely motivated to solve a real problem?
Are there obvious/potential conflicts of interest?
Each committee will respond to the applications and opportunities presented based on the above criteria and may develop additional criteria as appropriate. Each committee can be as flexible as it deems appropriate, keeping in mind that as it structures scholarships, loans and other programs that it will be able to do more if its resources are constantly growing. If members of a committee do not observe a high degree of integrity and fiscal accountability or avoid conflicts of interest, Chimorel’s Board can intervene.
Below we take a look at specific examples which show how distributions by committees are expected to work. None of the following examples are based on a real application, but consist of projected needs or a composite of previous situations:
College Student
Develop a Recycling Business
You Are on Welfare
You Seek Training & a Computer
Funding Your Church’s Missions
Never Say No
Obviously some things should not be funded; however, Chimorel likes to say yes with contingencies. If you propose something illegal, unethical or dangerous, we would point to the contingency part of this phrase. Then we might suggest changing the activity to have an ethical and realistic basis, rather than saying no immediately.
So if your 50% Recommendation Privilege funds the project, our focus will be on finding a way to make sure your project accomplishes the goal we agree to, ie is feasible and ethical. We never give up, but you might.
College Student
As a college student or someone concerned about a college student, being a Volunteer Fund Raiser has a special benefit. Each person who volunteers at least twenty five hours and raises a minimum of $4000 can apply for a “Guaranteed Scholarship” up to a limit of $2000 each year. Any applicant can support one or more other applicants. Theoretically, anyone who has enough friends or relatives willing to support them could pay the full tuition at any college. Donations raised by others and given to an individual provide tax advantages covered by the $15,000 (in 2020) gift tax exclusion.
Each time you and your volunteers raise at least $1000, one of you can apply for a “Guaranteed Scholarship” to the Education & Employment Committee. The college specified in your application will automatically be sent a $500 Tuition Scholarship for the beneficiary named in the application. By raising $4000, your beneficiary would automatically receive a $2000 Scholarship. Yes, you can be your own beneficiary. A college student in cooperation with five volunteers (say both parents and two other relatives or friends) could receive $10,000/yr. in Scholarships by having each one sponsor him/her. You can generate your own $2000 scholarship, then support one or more other people to generate additional $2000 scholarships. The limit of $2000 is set to encourage people to support one another, to broaden the scope of involvement by many people and to stop potential conflicts of interest. Scholarships are sent directly to the colleges and may be used only for tuition, books and fees. Living expenses will come from work, loans, parental assistance or other sources.
Chimorel has developed at least four programs to help people attend college. See College Bound Program. Let’s be clear, your 50% Recommendation Privilege can increase to more than 50%, even up to 90+% once you create a Special Project that funds your goal.
Develop a Recycling Business
You have been concerned about the environment all your life and want to develop a Recycling Project which can have a dramatic effect in reducing pollution and wasted resources. You determine that the project could be self-supporting in two years, but you need to develop a base of support during the development phase.
You sit down with seven volunteers after raising $2000 through Chimorel concepts. You explain to your volunteers an idea you have to develop a recycling project. Together you decide that $500 should go to the Business Incubation Committee and $500 to the Education and Employment Committee. You were hoping that all of the money might be allocated to your project, but the other volunteers were also concerned about college costs. They helped you raise the funds and you went with their concerns.
You write up a proposal to the Business Incubation Committee describing your project. The committee puts your application on hold pending the completion of certain criteria. The criteria include development of adequate funds, demonstration of your serious desire to make the project real, demonstration of your management skills and your willingness to allocate meaningful stock ownership to Chimorel in exchange for funds provided. $500 is set aside for your project pending the completion of these criteria.
Time passes. Funds for the program are periodically allocated as you demonstrate your fund raising and management skills. You develop a serious business plan. The committee helps you locate a senior executive who enables you to develop a strong board and management team. Serious funding is done through grants, etc. A pool of people willing to lend money to Chimorel is developed. The committee buys the first $250,000 in stock at $5/sh. You initiate your program. Within two years you go public with an offering of $5 million at $25/sh, which includes sale of 50% of Chimorel’s stock. Chimorel now has $625,000 with which to develop other businesses and you have a successful business. Some of the loans are repaid. Others are donated to Chimorel.
You didn’t have the $150 for a goal setting session, so you applied to the Client Assistance Committee. Your goal setting fee is $150. You are given five people to call. One person advances you $50 for doing yard work. A second person advances you $50 for your commitment to Volunteer five hours to work for Chimorel. You work an additional 7 seven hours for Chimorel for a total of 12 hours.
At your goal setting session you decide to enter a training program with Chimorel which would lead to a full-time job working at a recycling center. During your training program you are a Volunteer and continue to receive welfare benefits. When you complete your training program, you receive a stipend and a job with better pay and benefits than being on welfare.
Should you drop out of the program, you forgo your stipend and job. Now you are aware of Chimorel’s other programs, you begin to set goals for a retirement program, college for yourself and your children, maybe even a house of your own.
You Seek Training & a Computer
Two unique benefits available to Chimorel Volunteers, paid staff and clients include (1) a wide variety of training opportunities and (2) use of Chimorel’s computers. Both of these benefits will have eligibility requirements, which vary with the benefit provided. Both benefits are available at minimal or no out of pocket/cash cost when eligibility requirements are met.
Example 1: If your Chimorel duties require the use of a computer and you meet eligibility requirements, access to a computer will made available. Such access could eventually include reduced or dropped on line charges at Chimorel facilities, use at your home, or sale at reduced cost. (You would apply to the Client Assistance Committee.)
Example 2: If your Chimorel duties require the use of Word, Excel, Access or another computer program, you can request access to and training opportunities for the programs you need. When you meet the eligibility requirements, the training and programs will be provided. (You would apply to the Education & Employment Committee.)
Example 3: If you are interested in becoming a CFP, stock broker, insurance agent, Realtor, etc. for a member of / affiliate with the Chimorel Group, you can apply to the Education & Employment Committee to pay for the training, license fee and related costs. The committee would typically respond with specific eligibility requirements. When these requirements were met, your application would be approved
Funding Your Church's Mission Program
You are very active on your church’s missions committee. There are hundreds of worthy projects and never enough money. By developing joint fund raising projects with Chimorel your church (or any nonprofit group) could develop substantial additional funding. Some of these fund raising projects could be Pot Lucks, Introductory Meetings, Auctions, Flea Markets, Recycling and more.
Let’s consider just Pot Lucks and Introductory Meetings: By having one Pot Luck/month and one Introductory Meeting/month with an average attendance of 1000 people generating an average of $2.50/person your missions committee might generate $60,000/year. (24x1000x$2.50).
We have only begun to scratch the surface of what could be accomplished through joint fund raising projects. If this is an area of interest, send an email to us using the Contact Us link below.
