Changes proposed for Dubois Co. Humane Society | Pets

-Press Release from the Dubois Co. Humane Society

Dubois County Humane Society members are encouraged to attend the annual membership meeting being held on Thursday, March 21.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss amendments to the Articles of Incorporation, specifically transitioning the Board of Directors from a “membership” driven organization to a “governance” board.

“As non-profit organizations have evolved over the past 30 years, it is important our by-laws reflect the needs of our small nonprofit animal shelter,” said Mary Saalman, acting Board President.

Twenty-five paid members, those who have given within 30 days prior to the annual meeting, are required to be present to successfully make these changes.

"When the Humane Society was established in the 1970s, a membership driven structure made sense," said MarySaalman. "For a number of years, however, we have failed to even get a quorum of members (25 people) engaged to appoint the board.”

The Humane Society received a grant in November through the Community Foundation, enabling a non-profit expert, Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network, to lead and assist the Humane Society with these necessary changes.

“The acting volunteer board is asking its members to formally approve this change, evolve the organization into a governing board that focuses on building long term sustainability with donors and volunteers rather than members,” Saalman said.

“Non-profits consistently need to evolve," Brad Ward, CEO of the Community Foundation said.  "When the by-laws and organizational structure no longer serve the core functions of your non-profit, it's time to update."

Through this amendment, the board of directors will be positioned for future growth through board diversification and new appointments of members within set term limits and revolving responsibilities.

"The Humane Society has been operating under the premise of a governing board with limited membership involvement for years, but without the by-laws and articles to support such action,” Ward said. 

“If the members vote to make this change, the Humane Society’s governance will finally reflect their Articles and Bylaws, which has not been the case for a number of years,” Ward said. 

If the changes are adopted, the Board will continue to oversee the financial operations including fundraising and donations, maintain legal and ethical standing, and ensure that the Humane Society is accountable to its donors and the general public. A quarterly newsletter will continue to update donors about the Society.

“We are excited for the prospect of evolving our outdated by-laws and articles,” Saalman said.  “If it weren’t for the Community Foundation grant and the ability to work with nonprofit experts and legal counsel, we might not have ever created this pathway for evolving the organization.”

The Annual meeting is closed to the public, but any members who have contributed within 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting are urged attend. 

Members must RSVP no later than March 15 by emailingdchsmail@yahoo.com or calling 482-7387 during adoption hours on Wednesdays, 4:30-6:30pm and Saturdays, 11:00am-1:00pm.