Update on WIBN infrastructure enhancements
To: WIBN Local Chapter Presidents & Advisory Board Members
Fr: Mike Moyer, Executive Director
Re: Update on WIBN infrastructure enhancements
As expressed in my previous email last week, we are very close to having our new and improved local WIBN Chapter Agreements & Playbooks ready for distribution to all local WIBN chapters. In the interim, I want to update everyone on some exciting new WIBN developments that have already materialized as the result of leveraging the established NWCA infrastructure.
Our new and improved WIBN website has been launched (located at www.wrestlersinbusiness.org). The new website is much more user-friendly and includes the following functionality:
Simple membership and event registration
Functionality to differentiate between WIBN members and non-members (allowing local chapters to charge accordingly for events)
Searchable business directory (this is the primary WIBN membership benefit. All WIBN members can now easily promote their various businesses, services, etc.)
Job board and opportunity post job announcements (another great WIBN member benefit)
*We will be providing orientations for all local chapter representatives over the next few weeks. We still have a little work to make the job board and membership renewal more streamlined but we are only a few days away from completing the project.
We are in the final stages of registering all local WIBN chapters with the appropriate state and federal agencies so you can legally do business in your respective states as Wrestlers in Business Network.
We have secured liability coverage for WIBN national and all of the local chapters.
The website will have a job board where over 11,000 college wrestlers can upload their resumes into the WIBN website.
With this merger, WIBN now has access to the NWCA’s “list serve” with over 30,000 names that can be solicited for WIBN membership.
Governance for WIBN has been established: Four WIBN representatives have been nominated to the NWCA Board of Directors per the merger agreement and their appointment will be finalized with a simple majority vote of the NWCA Board (Joe Savino/Princeton Chapter, John Licata/Washington DC Chapter, John Cvetic/Cleveland Chapter, Rob Larmore/Atlanta Chapter). In addition, the NWCA Board has also invited Aaron Grossman and Jonathan Koch to join the NWCA Board as “at large” members specifically to help bolster the expertise behind WIBN. NWCA Treasurer, Darrell Randall, has also agreed to participate on all WIBN calls.
In addition to what has already been completed, the following represents initiatives that are well down the road toward completion. We realize that some of the policies listed below are considerably different from how your local chapter may have operated in the past but the WIBN leadership group believes that the sustainability of the WIBN National and the local chapters is predicated on standardizing systems, policies, and processes as well as developing a viable business model.
Please know that we appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we finalize all of these initiatives over the next month or so. We also fully understand that WIBN, like all organizations that are just getting started, will have to consistently adapt and improvise as we go. A critical part of our success will be getting timely and candid feedback regarding many of the policies and procedures outlined above from the local chapter representatives along the way.
The WIBN members on the NWCA Board have conducted several conference calls to finalize some important details that will be outlined in a comprehensive Local WIBN Chapter Agreement. Within the next week or so, we hope to have a final version for all chapter presidents (and your advisory boards) to review. There are a few policies that may be different from how your local WIBN chapter has been operating. These will all be included in the local chapter agreements that will be distributed soon:
Local chapter WIBN member dues for local chapters will be $25/student & people under the age of 30, $50/general members, $250/local chapter board members
Annual WIBN chapter dues will be $7,500 with the following caveats (All existing chapters will start out as if you are in year #1).
Discounted $5,000 in the first year but a commitment for a $1,000 Table sponsor at the WIBN social at the NCAA Championships is required ($2,500 + $1,000)
Discounted $5,000 in the second year but a commitment for a $1,000 Table sponsor at the WIBN social at the NCAA Championships is required ($2,500 + $1,000)
Discounted $2,500 in the third year with no obligation to purchase a $1,000 Table Sponsor at the NCAA Championships ($5,000)
No discount in year #4 and no obligation to purchase a $1,000 Table Sponsor at the WIBN Social at the NCAAs ($7,500)
*It is our intention to demonstrate that WIBN national can provide at least $7,500 of value to the local chapters by year #4. Some obvious benefits include but are not limited to: liability insurance for local chapter events, registering chapters with state and federal government agencies, administering the annual audit, website support, WIBN benefit program, marketing of local and national events, assistance with securing high profile speakers, assist with bolstering local chapter boards, etc. If the WIBN Committee (of the NWCA Board of Directors) and the National WIBN Advisory Board determine that the business model does not support this annual chapter fee structure, adjustments will be made along the way.
As indicated above, I have been working with WIBN assistant, Meredith Barnett to register all existing WIBN Chapters with their respective state governments. We have also submitted paperwork and paid the necessary fees to enable all local WIBN Chapters to “Do Business As” Wrestlers in Business Network. This is important because now that the NWCA/WIBN merger is complete, the old WIBN Tax ID# is no longer valid. Once we receive the approval in each state, Meredith will ask your chapter treasurer to close down your old WIBN bank account and open up a new WIBN account under the NWCA Tax ID# (using the same WIBN accounting software/Xero).
We are close to finalizing a local chapter playbook which highlights “best practices” for conducting successful events, membership drives, etc. A copy will be provided to each chapter soon.
I hope everyone is feeling the excitement as we rapidly build structure around WIBN national and local chapters. You will be receiving more important WIBN materials/updates soon. In the meantime, please be sure to secure your WIBN Table Sponsorship in Cleveland (we only have a few tables left) and/or to purchase individual tickets. Click here for the link:
www.wrestlersinbusiness.org/wibnsocial
Please feel free to call me anytime if you have any concerns, ideas, or questions. I hope to see many of you at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland.