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Dear Members,
Over the last year, the IA Institute has faced a number of challenges: financially, legally and structurally. We have made huge strides towards a more stable future by cutting our operating expenses by nearly half as well as writing better policies and procedures to address the blindspots discovered.
Leading with honesty and transparency is important to us and why we write to you today.
If you are not already aware, the IA Institute is currently involved in litigation. In May, a petition for discovery against the Institute was dismissed. We thought we were in the clear, until July, when we received a summons to appear in court. Although our insurance claim covered legal representation for the petition, we were notified in August our coverage would not provide representation for the summons.
The IA Institute is a business entity which means we are required to have legal representation in court. Our hearing is scheduled for October 28th, 2019 and we do not currently have the funds needed to hire representation.
Litigation, is not the absolute cause of where we are today. Our income has been steadily declining for awhile. We have compiled data from our financial statements to give you, our members, a clearer picture of why we are in our current financial position.
We will need to raise funds to cover upcoming expenses as well as elect new leadership to move the Institute forward. We had two resignations over the summer. Jelto Von Schuckmann (Director of Membership) and Evgeni Minchev (Director of Events) resigned due to job-related reasons which impacted their ability to serve in their respective roles.
We fully accept the responsibility of the reality before us and the decisions we must make as a board. It is our duty to serve our members and each of you has a say in the future of our organization. For this reason, the decision before us should not be made by the board alone.
Today, we open a channel of communication and invite you to share your thoughts. We acknowledge there are always alternatives and we want to hear them. Our survey provides an optional space for you to do this. We will carefully consider each alternate perspective brought forth before making our decision.
The decision at hand is: Should we dissolve the IA Institute, or can the IA Institute be saved?
The survey will be open to members until 12:00 PM ET on September 13th. Our path forward, which will thoughtfully consider your response, will be announced on September 17th, 2019.
We have included more information about our options below.
On behalf of the entire board of directors, we thank you in advance for your support and participation in this important matter.
Sincerely,
IA Institute Board of Directors
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Our Options
1: Should we dissolve the IA Institute?
This question truly breaks our heart. Information Architecture is needed now more than ever. The evidence is all around us.
The reality is that the IA Institute does not currently have funds to pay for upcoming expenses. Even though we have stabilized our finances, our projected membership income will not cover some of the increased costs we anticipate in the next several months.
What would this mean for the IA Conference and World IA Day?
Both events would continue to exist without the IA Institute.
The IA Conference
We have been communicating with our event planning partner Kunverj. The consensus is that the conference will be able to continue on without the Institute.
World IA Day
As the IA Institute’s flagship event, members of the board would refocus energy to ensure World IA Day has the support needed to be successful in 2020 and beyond. Our board of directors are committed to the volunteers who make this event happen annually. We will ensure they have our continued support.
We will explore the possibility of making World IA Day a charitable organization. This designation would qualify World IA Day for discounts on software tools and enable a tax benefit for some sponsors.
If the IA Institute dissolves and we make World IA Day a charitable organization, all remaining IA Institute funds will be donated to this organization, per our bylaws.
Wait! I just joined/renewed, do I get a refund?
Unfortunately, no. According to our bylaws, membership dues are non-refundable. We updated text on our membership page in July so this policy would be easier to find.
We truly feel terrible and will honor active memberships from September 2018 - April 2020. These members will be eligible to participate in our mentorship program and receive a discount to the IA Conference.
Would the IA Institute completely disappear?
No. The IA Institute would be dissolved as a legal entity, which means the professional association (501c6) would no longer be active.
We would still rely on volunteers to manage our online properties (website, social channels, etc.) and use those resources to continue promoting IA related learning, events and programs. In addition, the hard work of our community volunteers on initiatives such as the Salary Survey, IA Content Library and the Online IA Community will be preserved so that we may work to continue these efforts in the future.
2. Can the IA Institute be saved?
We believe that our best chance of survival will be to raise $20,000.00 USD and hold a special election that brings new energy and expertise into the organization, all within the next 30 days. No simple task, but certainly not impossible. It will take passion, dedication, and generosity.
Funds raised during this period would only be used to cover the expenses below.
- Pay for legal representation and/or mediation to get us through litigation. This is a fixed amount and would close the case. The original lawsuit for monetary damages has been dismissed.
- Renew our membership platform.
- Renew our General Liability insurance and purchase Directors and Officers insurance. We expect our insurance expenses to increase due to our recent claim to address the petition for discovery.
Why a special election?
To move towards a more sustainable future, continuity is critical. Amy Espinosa has disclosed that she does not intend to run for President during the next election cycle. A special election would enable the new board to work alongside the existing board, more immediately, for a smoother transition.
Our normal election cycle begins in January and the new board takes office on April 1st annually. A special election will allow additional time for new board members to acclimate, before our World IA Day and IA Conference events begin.
Would the current litigation pose a risk to new directors?
The IA Institute has been named as a business entity. Since this case occurred before new directors took office, the chance of individual risk is low. However, the new board would be responsible to resolve the legal situation (with the support of past board members). It is important to note, the IA Institute currently has General Liability Insurance and does not have Directors and Officers insurance.
What positions would be open and how long is the commitment?
We will have 5 positions open which follows our standard election cycle. The commitment for this election cycle will end April 1, 2022 (6 months longer than our typical term of two years).
Open positions are as follows:
- President
- Director of Communications
- Director of Development
- Director of Events
- Director of Membership
What qualifications must candidates have?
Since April, we have discovered some gaps in the way our organization has been running. As mentioned we have written new policies and procedures to ensure we function as a true professional board of trade. As part of this effort, we will have a more formal definition of qualifications each candidate running for the board must have to be nominated. We do not intend to make this document available until we decide on our path forward.
All candidates must be able to demonstrate the following:
- Proven ability to follow through on commitments, keep promises, and show up to do the work.
- Dedicate, at a minimum, 5 hours per week towards initiatives and responsibilities for the applicable role.
- Maintain a collaborative spirit.
Will the IA Conference and World IA Day still be IA Institute Events?
Yes. We would continue to work with and provide support to each event team. We believe these events should be community-run and our role would continue to be one of governance and stewardship.
3. [This is where you give us a different option].
We acknowledge there are always alternatives and we want to hear them. Our survey provides an optional space for you to do this.
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