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July 23, 2026 Final
| Name | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| David Pumpelly | Chair | Present |
| Jamie Brabston | Secretary / HR Chair | Present |
| Amber Stout | FC Chair / Treasurer | Virtual |
| Stan Stinson | Finance | Absent |
| John Mark McClelland | Finance | Present |
| JoAnn Perez | Fundraising | Absent |
| Kevin Long | Fundraising | Absent |
| Roy Ferrante | Fundraising | Present |
| Chris Patty | Director | Present |
| Yvonne Tafoya | Director | Present |
| Susan McGrady | Executive Director (non-voting) | Present |
Quorum present — 7 of 10 voting directors (6 present, 1 virtual). Stan Stinson, JoAnn Perez, and Kevin Long were absent. Susan McGrady (ED) attended, non-voting.
The items below reflect board discussion and exploration; no motions to take action were made on these topics.
Board Member Recruitment
Sasha Sealy declined the invitation to join the board due to childcare and work demands, despite valuable real-estate and property-management experience. The board reaffirmed a focus on recruiting engaged, high-energy members who will contribute actively, and on proactive recruitment so the board has depth if long-standing members step back. David Pumpelly is considering a longtime friend with an interior-design and business-management background (including building and owning rental properties). The board discussed a vetting process in which new candidates take a community tour with Susan and are reviewed against a scorecard before being invited to a meeting.
CRM & Data Migration (Neon)
David Pumpelly reported on migrating donor data from QuickBooks into the Neon CRM — roughly 850 contacts, 145 identified as donors. Work is underway to clean duplicates and missing emails so Neon becomes the single source of truth, to map funds (endowment, Bridge 100) to QuickBooks accounts, and to enable targeted communications with self-service preference forms.
Volunteer Tracking
The current volunteer system lists organizations rather than individuals. The board discussed a QR-code registration at events so volunteers self-register contact information and track their own hours within the CRM.
Website & Neon Pay Integration
The first iteration of the redesigned website was shown — modern design, brand standards (consistent “8th Street” spelling), and mobile responsiveness, with team headshots and sponsors to follow. Connecting the website to Neon Pay will sync donations to QuickBooks and support text messaging and workflow-driven engagement, such as outreach to donors who have not given this year.
Mission Support Manager
A job description for a “Mission Support Manager” has been drafted but not yet posted. The role would handle technology, greet visitors, and manage tours, freeing Susan to focus on other priorities.
Board Portal
The board noted that the current portal (hosted on Cloudflare) is being used to track motions and maintain meeting documentation, allowing members to vote on motions between meetings and providing a central location for key documents.
Property Acquisition — Outreach & Connections
Potential funding from Hank remains uncertain; Susan will connect with him at an upcoming event. An attempt to meet with Bill Roark was unsuccessful; David is exploring alternatives such as owning the building rather than the land, and may contact Brenda Conville about how Bill Roark’s company previously assisted the organization now known as Enable. JoAnn Perez is contacting Lynn Troy for insight into Hank’s status and scheduling a meeting with Melissa Thompson at the Community Foundation.
Funding Strategy
The board explored using the endowment for property acquisition — possible but requiring a repayment-plan structure to preserve the spirit of the funds — and viewed crowdfunding as effective mainly when close to the goal. David Pumpelly, who recently joined the board of the Alabama Association of Nonprofits, highlighted its advocacy and training resources. Federal options discussed included the Federal Home Loan Bank’s Affordable Housing Program (low-interest loans) and HUD grants accessed through a local housing authority, with a possible pivot in grant framing from intellectual disability toward affordable housing / low-income demographics.
Small House Lease Opportunity
A recently remodeled two-bedroom, one-bath house across from the office is available; the owner is open to a lease with a right of first refusal. It could house two individuals from the female waitlist and generate revenue. The board explored a standard lease versus a lease-purchase (preferred, to build equity and control), treating the property as a bridge asset rather than a long-term priority. If the rental math works with prospective residents, the board would prioritize securing it to gain control of the space and address the waitlist.
Financial Projections
The organization currently has about $50,000 on hand toward the $231,755 needed (roughly $220,000 in the fund). The board expects to raise approximately $100,000 at the Whiskey, Wine & Moonshine event in September, which would significantly close the gap and reduce or avoid borrowing from the endowment.
Partnerships & Neighborhood Context
The board expressed caution about a formal alliance with David and Diana King — missions overlap at a high level but approaches differ, and a formal alliance could invite unwanted state scrutiny. The board also discussed broader neighborhood development and political uncertainty, favoring a low profile while continuing operations.
Status of 401 8th Street
The “little house” at 401 8th Street is not currently under contract, and the owner is difficult to engage. The board aims to hold its position through the end of September without triggering city intervention. The lot is about 8,712 sq ft with a 1,700 sq ft house. A possible Habitat for Humanity partnership was raised to assist with the estimated ~$20,000 in demolition and site clearing.
- The BoardContinue identifying high-energy, actively contributing board candidates; new candidates complete a community tour with Susan and a scorecard review before being invited to a meeting.
- Jordan & SusanAudit donor data — pull a report of all donors and fill in missing email addresses and contact information.
- JordanClean and deduplicate volunteer records; create a volunteer registration QR code (name, email, phone) with shift signups and hour tracking.
- JessicaBuild branded donation and volunteer forms that integrate with the Neon CRM and function within the website.
- David PumpellyContact Brenda Conville about Bill Roark’s company and its role in past acquisitions; coordinate a meeting with Bill Roark within 30 days on financing and ownership structures (building vs. land / leaseback).
- JoAnn PerezCall Lynn Troy for insight on Hank’s status; schedule a meeting with Melissa Thompson at the Community Foundation.
- David PumpellyPrepare a strategy for the Hank meeting to finalize an offer or status on the main property; update the board after the Lynn Troy / Melissa Thompson meetings.
- Susan & Beth MedleyDiscuss a lease or lease-purchase (with right of first refusal) for the small house with the owner to determine willingness and terms.
- Susan McGradyIdentify prospective female residents from the waitlist who could afford the small-house rent.
- David PumpellyResearch federal options — the Affordable Housing Program, HUD grants via local housing authorities/state agencies, and how Habitat for Humanity funds housing projects; assess a Habitat partnership for demolition at 401.
- David PumpellyDiscuss with Susan whether Eighth Street should join the Alabama Association of Nonprofits.
Aye: David Pumpelly, Jamie Brabston, Amber Stout, John Mark McClelland, Roy Ferrante, Chris Patty, Yvonne Tafoya. Roll-call recorded in the portal by the Secretary.