NABJ Operating Procedures

Amended April 8, 2024 – Various Sections of Chapter 4 regarding Task Force requirements and changes effective Aug. 5, 2024.

Amended May 31, 2023 – Chapter 4, Article II, Section 8: Sponsorship Allocation has been amended.

Amended December 5, 2022 – Chapter 4, Article II, Section 8: Sponsorship Revenue Sharing with Task Forces;

Chapter 6, Article II, Section 3 Collecting Sponsorship Revenues for Chapters has been amended.

Previously recorded amendements or updates to this page occured: October 22, 2022; March 2, 2022; April 13, 2022

To view the changes, visit the corresponding chapters, articles, and sections. 

PROCEDURES

CHAPTER 1: MANDATE OF GENERAL APPLICATION

Article I. AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Section 1:
An NABJ Awards event may be held as an integral part of the National Convention to honor those who have exhibited journalistic excellence. In addition, those students who have been awarded NABJ internships and scholarships may be recognized at the convention. Other awards events honoring journalists who have maintained high journalistic standards and exemplify the organization’s goals may be held as approved by the Board of Directors.

Article II. THE OFFICIAL NEWS ORGAN
Section 1:
The official news organs of the organization shall be the NABJ JOURNAL and the NABJ RoundUp Newsletter.

Article III. THE STUDENT COUNCIL
Section 1: Structure
The Student Council shall consist of one voting student on the Board of Directors and a non-voting student representative from each Region. The student member of the Board shall preside over all sessions of the Council. The Council shall meet at the annual National Convention and may meet at other times.

Each NABJ student representative must hold student membership in the NABJ. Students in each Region elect a representative to the Student Council; or where no such election takes place, the Regional Director appoints that representative.

The Student Council shall select one representative and a deputy to be presented to the membership for election as a student member as the Board of Directors when other officers are elected.

Section 2: Purpose
The Student Representative to the Board of Directors shall serve as a liaison between the Board and the Student Council and all student members of NABJ. The student deputy shall act as Student Director serving in the Student Representative’s absence.

Each Student Council member shall serve as a liaison between the Regional Director and the students in his or her Region.

The Student Council shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to it by the President, the Board of Directors or the Constitution and Operating Procedures of the organization, or those that may be initiated by the Council if consistent with the goals and ideals of NABJ.

CHAPTER 2: BOARD MEMBERS’ DUTIES
Article I. DUTIES

Section 1: President
The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the organization and Chair of the Executive Board, Board of Directors and membership meetings. It shall be the duty of the President to:

Order the disbursement of the funds of the organization as directed by the Board of Directors.

Exercise general supervisory powers over the work of the other members of the Board of Directors.

Receive a semi-annual report from each of the Executive Board members, which gives an account for the preceding six months and plans for the ensuing six months.

Require from Regional Directors, at least semi-annually, reports of their work, which shall include statements of the activities of each chapter in their Regions.

Request and require such additional information from the Board of Directors or members as deemed necessary to operate the organization effectively and efficiently.

Provide a full report of the administration and make such recommendations as deemed appropriate for the good of the organization at the annual National Convention. The membership shall consider such recommendations at the Convention before the elections, if there be any.

Appoint chairpersons and members of the standing committees as well as create any ad hoc committees deemed necessary. He or she shall remove inactive chairpersons and members.

Be an ex-officio member of every committee.

Section 2: Vice President/Print and Vice President/Broadcast
The Vice President shall be the Deputy Executive Officers of the organization and, at the direction of the President shall chair the Executive Board, Board of Directors and membership meetings in the absence of the President. It shall be the duties of the Vice President to:

Serve as coordinators of all committees, shall see that the committees function and shall provide the Board of Directors with a periodic report of progress and work being performed by the committees.

Perform such duties as are assigned to them by the President and the Board of Directors.

Section 3: Secretary
The Secretary shall be the chief record keeper of the organization. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to:

Keep an accurate account of the proceedings of the annual National Convention, send a Convention report to each member of the Board of Directors within 60 days after the close of the Convention and file a copy of that report with the National Office.

With the help of National Office staff, take minutes at regularly scheduled Board of Directors meetings; ensure that the proceedings are tape recorded and archived for seven years.

Give a report during the annual National Convention of all matters referred by the preceding Convention, the Board of Directors or ad hoc committees.
Perform such secretarial duties of the Board of Directors as may be necessary at the direction of the President.

Section 4: Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the organization. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to:

Be bonded to the organization in a sum sufficient to cover the probable amount of funds he or she might be called upon to handle during the term of office.
Receive and account for all funds of the organizations.

Disburse the funds of the organizations on order from the President and/or the Board of Directors.

Should any disbursement of funds appear to be unlawful, the Treasurer shall submit the question of the legality of such order for the vote of the Executive Board, and he or she shall follow the course outlined by the majority vote of the Executive Board.

File the annual incorporation papers of the NABJ.

Report all income and expenditures, using generally accepted accounting principles, to each annual National Convention in an uncomplicated form, at each quarterly Board of Directors meeting and such other times as the Board of Directors may require.

Every three months, the Treasurer shall be given access to all NABJ cash, credit and investment accounts in order to review the organization’s monthly statements for the previous three months. The Treasurer shall review those statements along with another executive board member as designated by the Treasurer or President.

Perform such financial duties of the Board of Directors as may be necessary at the direction of the President.

Section 5: Parliamentarian
The Parliamentarian shall be the chief interpreter of Robert’s Rules of Order and the NABJ Constitution and Board Operating Procedures, and shall serve as sergeant-at-arms during all meetings. It shall be the duty of the Parliamentarian to:

Advise the President and the Board of Directors on all interpretations of Robert’s Rules of Order and the NABJ Constitution and Board Operating Procedures.

Interpret the NABJ Constitution and Board Operating Procedures when requested by the membership, whether at an annual National Convention by any Board member of any committee chairperson.

The Parliamentarian is required to get official certification, six months after taking office, paid for by NABJ.

Section 6: Regional Directors
The Regional Directors shall be charged with the responsibility of supervising and directing the various affiliate chapters and members of the NABJ within their jurisdictions, working with the Board in such manner as the President shall direct and perform such other duties as outlined in Board procedure.

Section 7:
In the event that the full-member status of a board member changes, as a result of career change or loss of employment, and where that board member is not grand fathered in as a full member from this or a previous Constitution, it shall be up to the Board to determine whether that member may complete his/her term on the Board. The Board also may make the same determination regarding the Student Representative to the Board and/or members of the Student Council, who attain full-member status as a result of employment and who have exceeded the six-month extension of student status.

Article II. SUCCESSION

Section 1: Presidential Succession
If the President cannot complete his or her term of office, the succession to the presidency shall be the first Vice President chosen by the Board of Directors, based on who received the higher number of votes. Then, the succession shall be the remaining Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Parliamentarian. If that succession has been exhausted and another person must become the organization’s chief executive, the remaining members of the Board of Directors shall elect a Chief Executive Officer until the next annual National Convention.

Section 2: Regional Succession
If a Regional Director is unable to complete his or her term of office, the Deputy Regional Director becomes the Regional Director. If the Deputy Regional Director does not want the position or if there is no Deputy, the President appoints a successor to fill the post for the remainder of the term.

Section 3: National Office Succession
When any other National Officer is unable to complete his or her term, is disabled, or fails to properly perform his or her duties, the President shall appoint a successor.

Article III. ELECTION AND REMOVAL OF BOARD MEMBERS

Section 1: Mode of Election
The election of officers of the organization shall be by secret ballot. The candidate receiving a plurality of ballots in each race shall be declared elected.
Any member seeking a National Office must state that intention in a letter to the Executive Director at least 100 days prior to electoral conventions.

The National Office must notify the membership of the prospective candidate(s) at least 60 days before the Convention so that closed mail ballots can be accepted from paid NABJ members.

Mail ballots must reach the National Office no later than 3 week before the convention.

In cases of withdrawal or death of candidate, all votes for the candidate become null and void.

Voting may be conducted by mail, electronic or on-site balloting.

The membership renewal deadline for voting shall be the same as the advertised pre-registration deadline for the annual convention.

In the event that an election ends in a tie, a re-vote shall occur within two weeks of the end of balloting at the annual convention. The re-vote shall be conducted by electronic balloting only and include those members eligible to vote by the membership renewal deadline.

Section 2: Candidates for Regional Directors
In any region without a declared candidate for regional director the region shall have the option to recommend a candidate during its regional caucus at the National Convention. The new National president shall appoint that region’s director.

Section 3: Removal
Proposals calling for the resignation or the removal of a National Officer will be reviewed by the remainder of the Board of Directors without the accused officer. However, if the accused officer chooses, he or she may designate two members to attend such a review. A vote of two-thirds of the Board shall be necessary to approve a Board recommendation to impeach and remove an elected officer.

Section 4: National Officer Removal
National Officers may be removed from their respective officers for cause when half of all affiliate chapters or half of all Regions or the Board of Directors, by a two-thirds vote, initiate removal proceedings. When a majority of affiliate chapters or Regions or the Board of Directors vote to remove a National Officer removal proceedings shall begin.

Section 5: Filing A Petition of Removal
A notarized petition shall be served by certified mail on the accused officer, as well as filed by the Executive Director and/or President and every other member of the Board of Directors, setting forth the charge(s). Once served, the accused may be represented by an attorney of his or her own choice.

Section 6: Answering A Petition
The accused shall file an answer to the petition with the Executive Director and /or the President by certified mail, as well as other Executive Board members, within 20 days from the receipt of same. If the accused fails to file an answer, the Board of Directors shall proceed with its functions as if a denial had been filed.

Section 7: Investigation of A Petition of Removal
The Board of Directors shall investigate and review the charge(s) set forth in the petition, determine whether cause exists and notify the petitioner and the accused of its decision within 30 days after the Executive Director and/or President and the Board of Directors receives the petition. If a simple majority of the membership at the business meeting at the next annual National Convention informs the Executive Director and/or the President of its desire to hear the matter, the membership shall have the opportunity to consider the matter and vote on it at the meeting.

Section 8: Finding Cause
If a majority of the Board of Directors finds cause, it shall hold a closed-door hearing at its next Board meeting to determine the matter. If it finds probable cause, the Board of Directors may suspend the officer until the matter is resolved.

Section 9: Time Frame
The time between the receipt of the petition, the findings of cause and a final determination by the Board of Directors shall not exceed 120 days.

Section 10: Notification of Board and Affiliate Chapters
The Board of Directors decision shall be distributed to all Board members and affiliate Chapters within 10 days from the date of the decision.

Section 11: Rights of the Accused
The accused officer shall have the right to submit to the Executive Director and/or President a statement on his or her behalf to be distributed with the Board’s letter of determination.

Section 12: Reversal of the Board’s Decision
The Boards decision is final unless a simple majority of the membership overrules that decision either by mail ballot or at the next annual National Convention.

CHAPTER 3: POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Article I. PERSONNEL

Section 1: The Executive Board
The Executive Board, which acts as the personnel committee of the Board of Directors, shall have the authority to employ by contract competent person who, whenever possible, shall be a member whose title shall be Executive Director and whose duties shall be to operate the national headquarters of the organization under the supervision of the Board of Directors. The Executive Director salary shall be set by the Executive Board.

The Executive Director shall be empowered by the Board to contract persons of suitable qualifications who, whenever possible, shall be NABJ members, as secretaries and other assistants subject to approval by the Executive Board.

Section 2: Duties of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors shall determine the time and place of the annual National Conventions at least yearly or on a timetable to be determined by the Board.

The Board of Directors shall provide for and conduct the business of the annual National Convention.

Article II. MISCELLANEOUS

Section 1: It shall be the authorized duty of the Board of Directors to oversee existing Chapters; approve the establishment of new Chapters, and in general, to direct the business of the organization between National Conventions. That business shall be:
Such matters as might be referred to it by Regional Directors.
Such matters involving the purchase of property in the organization’s name.

Section 2: No member of the NABJ Board of Directors, or an NABJ Committee, or any officer of NABJ (nor any member’s or officer’s immediate family), shall derive any financial gain, directly or indirectly, by reason of his or her participation within NABJ.

Section 3: The Board of Directors shall elect at least one (1) city to host the annual convention each year to keep the organization five (5) years ahead in convention selection.

Section 4: The agenda for the annual business meeting must be distributed prior to the meeting.

Section 5: Board members who are unable to attend a meeting may convey their authority to vote on all matters to another bona fide board member who is present, who shall decide how to cast the proxy vote. The decision to convey a proxy to another board member must be communicated to the NABJ secretary in writing in advance of said votes.

Section 6: The student representative is authorized to seek reimbursement for reasonable ground transportation expenses incurred while travel to Board of Directors meetings and other related Board business travel provided funds are available.

Section 7: The Board of Directors shall consider affiliate chapter applications at its Fall, Winter and Spring meetings, provided the chapters have met all requirements for affiliation.

Section 8: No NABJ member shall use any NABJ or affiliate chapter funds for unauthorized personal use. Doing so can result in discipline up to revocation of membership.

Article III. MEETINGS

Section 1: Board Meetings and Powers
The Board of Directors shall meet at least four times a year. Special Board of Directors’ meetings may be called by the President or by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. The Executive Board shall have the authority to rule on an emergency measure in the absence of the full board. The President shall have the authority to rule on any emergency measures in the absence of both the Board of Directors and the Executive Board, but shall be required to inform the Executive Board and consequently the full Board, within a week of his or her actions.

CHAPTER 4: ORGANIZATION

Article I. STANDING COMMITTEES

Section 1: Authorization
The Board of Directors and as many affiliate Chapters as possible shall establish and maintain the following Standing Committees:
Membership
Programs
Awards
Media Monitoring
Constitution and Operating Procedures
Council of Presidents
Finance
Elections
Communications

The Chairpersons and members of the National Committees shall be appointed by the national President with the consent of the Board of Directors and shall hold the same position for no longer than two consecutive, two-year terms, assuming he or she receives a second appointment from the national President.

The Chairperson and members of the local affiliate committees shall be appointed by the local President with consent of the local governing body.

Section 2:

National Standing Committees National Standing Committees shall be comprised of no fewer than five members.

Section 3: Limit
No member shall be the chairperson of more than one Standing Committee.

Section 4: Limit of Service
No member shall serve on more than two National Standing Committees, except those Executive Board members who serve as ex-officio members by virtue of their office.

Section 5: Duties of Committees
The duties of the National Standing Committees shall be as follows:
Membership: The Membership Committee shall be charged with locating new member, reclaiming former members and retaining current members, and shall formulate programs for this purpose. It also shall be responsible for evaluating all membership applications and affiliate Chapter applications.

Programs: The Programs Committee shall be charged with developing and implementing programs for the annual National Convention.

Awards: The Awards Committee shall be charged with developing and distributing criteria for awards in the various categories. The Committee shall be responsible for an awards program that shall be an integral part of the annual National Convention.

Media Monitoring: The Media Monitoring Committee shall be charged with monitoring the national media for discrimination and other injustices to African Americans in their coverage and employment practices. It shall report to the Board of Directors and the membership issues of concern consideration.

Constitution and Operating Procedures: The Constitution and Operating Procedures Committee shall be charged with consideration of any proposed amendments to the Constitution and Operating Procedures suggested by any member of the Board of Directors and Region and Chapter of any individual member. The Committee shall make recommendations on such changes to the membership for consideration in accordance with the guidelines established by the Constitution and Operating Procedures.

Finance: The Finance committee shall provide financial advice to ensure that NABJ’s Board of Directors successfully meet its financial goals. The committee shall also be available to provide financial advice and counsel to the President, Treasurer and Board of Directors, review and advise the Board on the annual budget, review spending and income quarterly, review quarterly to the membership and review and advise the board on the 1997 strategic plan. The committee shall be comprised of: The NABJ Treasurer, two former NABJ treasurers, two independent financial advisors and a top executive from a media company.

Council of Presidents: The Council of Presidents shall develop effective chapter management, develop strategies for chapters to recruit and retain members, develop strategies to assist chapters in raising funds for scholarships and other award programs; aggressively recruit members to NABJ and work to reach a consensus and make recommendations on how mutual problems can be addressed and resolved within NABJ.

Elections: The Committee shall oversee the election process and develop the rules which apply to it. The committee shall set candidate standards, rules, regulations and qualifications for nominations and regulations governing the process and arbitrate any disputes to that procedure. The Board of Directors will have the authority to supersede decisions of the election committee by a two-thirds vote of its members.

Communications: The Committee shall be responsible for active development, implementation and execution of a communications strategy for the Association.

Section 6: Responsibilities of Committees
The responsibilities of the National Standing Committees shall be as follows:
The Committee shall submit reports at each quarterly Board of Directors meeting and such other times as requested by the Board.
The Committee shall submit an annual statement of its activities to the Board of Directors at its annual meeting, and plans for the ensuing months.
The Committee should hold at least one meeting per year to carry out its mission. The meeting may be conducted by telephone or electronically.
The Committee must submit minutes of its meetings to the Board of Directors.
The Committee shall perform such duties as assigned by the President and/or Board of Directors.
The Committee chairman may be asked to attend board meetings.

Article II. NABJ TASK FORCES

Notice: New, revised, or added operating procedures are in effect as of August 5, 2024.

Section 1: Approval by the Board of Directors
An NABJ Task Force, once organized, will apply to the Board of Directors for formal approval and recognition. The full NABJ Board will vote at the best full Board meeting.

All Task Forces have uniform leadership titles. If there is a two-person leadership team: Chair and Vice Chair. If there’s a three-person team: Chair, Co-Chair, Co-Chair.

The Task Force should select a chair that ensures that Task Force and its leadership is diverse in terms of age, gender and geography, and in the case of indecision and time-sensitive priorities, the president shall exercise the option to appoint a chair.

What qualifies as a Task Force? It must be interest- or topic-based. The Task Force must have a minimum of 15 inaugural members, including the leadership team. There must have been an interest group formed and meetings held and/or proof of events held within a year of proposal submission. Examples of events include panels and/or workshops at the immediate past convention, regional conferences, and institutes/summits that were organized by the founding members. However, a group should not bill itself as a Task Force until it is officially approved by the Board.

Additionally, in order to join or start a Task Force, you must be a national NABJ member in good standing. All Task Force leaders must be members in good standing.

 

Section 2: Officers’ Approval Before Raising Funds

Once approved, an NABJ Task Force shall organize its internal structure with a Chair or Co-Chair. A bookkeeper shall be named for any dues for newsletters and administrative fees. Under no circumstances shall an NABJ Task Force raise or solicit money for NABJ or itself without contacting and getting approval from the Executive Director, President, and/or Treasurer of NABJ.

 

Section 3: Submitting Names of Officers and Requests for Activities

An NABJ Task Force must submit the names of its officers to the National Office and the designated member of the Board of Directors each time there is a change.

Task Force leadership membership requirements.  All membership categories — with the exception of alumni and students — in good standing are eligible to be Task Force leaders. Members of media-related and academic groups are also eligible to be chairpersons of their Task Forces, as long as they are in good standing.

Task Force chair terms are for two years. Task Force chairs may be elected to multiple two-year terms; however, they are limited to a maximum of four consecutive years before being eligible to run again and be elected to lead at a later time.

The NABJ Board has the authority to appoint an interim Task Force chair for up to six months if the Task Force leadership becomes unresponsive. The line of succession will be the vice chair or co-chairs and then the treasurer (if applicable). Once that is exhausted, the Board can then appoint an interim chair via a majority vote.

All requests for convention programs, receptions and similar activities must be made and confirmed with the designated member of the Board of Directors and Executive Director of NABJ. All officers of the Task Force must be active members of NABJ.

 

Section 4: Annual Reporting, Requirements and Renewal

An NABJ Task Force need not apply for annual renewal.

Task Force quarterly reports are required. All reports are due to the board liaison(s) at least 15 days before the next quarterly board meeting.

Task Force year-in-review and audits. The new due date is November 1 and must include year-in-review reports.

Task Force convention requirements. All Task Forces will be required to submit a minimum of two session proposals for the annual convention each year.

 

Section 5: Submitting Names of Members; Requesting Lists of Eligible Members

An NABJ Task Force must submit its membership list to the NABJ National Office; it may receive, upon request, a list of members from the NABJ office eligible for membership within its Task Force. The list shall be provided upon approval of the Executive Director and the NABJ President.

 

Section 6: Dissolutions, Dormancy and Changes

Task Force dormancy. If a Task Force is inactive after six months, the Board liaison will conduct a check-in as a verbal warning. If the Task Force remains inactive after the six-month check-in and it reaches one year, the leadership team will automatically be replaced — whether by election within the Task Force or by appointment from the Board president and Task Force liaison.

The six-month check-in will repeat, but if the Task Force remains inactive for a year after the change in leadership, the Task Force will be automatically dissolved.

An NABJ Task Force should alert the National Office and NABJ Board should it ever dissolve. The NABJ Board shall also reserve the right to dissolve any Task Force should the Board determine that the Task Force’s mission or function is inconsistent with or detrimental to NABJ’s concerns. When a Task Force is dissolved, the assets are turned over to the NABJ operating fund once all financial obligations have been cleared.

 

Section 7: Responsibilities of Task Forces
The responsibilities of the NABJ Task Forces shall be as follows:
-The Task Force shall submit reports and complete a Task Force audit at each quarterly Board of Directors meeting and such other times as requested by the Board.
-The Task Force shall submit an annual statement of its activities to the Board of Directors at its annual meeting and plans for the next 12 months.
-The Task Force should hold at least one meeting per quarter to carry out its mission. The meeting may be conducted live, by telephone, or electronically.
-The Task Force must submit minutes of its meetings to the Board of Directors.
-The Task Force shall perform such duties as assigned by the President and/or Board of Directors.
-The Task Force shall report all income and expenditures.
-The Task Force chair may be asked to have a presence and/ or attend Board meetings.

-The Task Force should submit annual programming and sessions for the convention.

-The Task Force must receive approval to host public events online or in-person via the National Office forms. Task Forces must submit their new or updated official logos/branding for approval to the National Office (NABJ Communications).

 

Section 8: Sponsorship Allocation

All initial outreach to potential sponsors must first be approved by the NABJ Development Director and/or NABJ Executive Director to avoid sponsor/partner confusion and conflicts. Failure to get the initial approval from National Office personnel as listed above will disqualify a task force from any revenue allotment as outlined below.

All sponsorship dollars must be paid to NABJ and go through the National Office.

Task Forces cannot create their own funding prospectus when soliciting sponsors and must follow the sponsorship levels and donation guidelines outlined by the National Office.

Inside of the National Convention Dates: If a Task Force brings in a new sponsor, any sponsor not financially engaged with NABJ for the past three conventions, that Task Force would receive a finder’s fee of 10% of the sponsorship allocation. The “new” status is eligible to remain if the sponsor returns for a second consecutive year. New partners are defined as sponsors that have not engaged in a sponsorship with the national organization during the past three conventions. New partners can retain their “new partner” status for two consecutive years.

The purpose of the sponsorship is to cover the costs of the entire event, or/and the 10% earmarked for the Task Force will go to cover the event costs. Any surplus beyond 10% will go to NABJ to help cover convention costs.

For example, if the total sponsorship is $10k and the event costs $7k, the Task Force gets $1k and NABJ will use the remaining $2k to cover convention and budget costs.

The cost of your event cannot exceed your sponsorship minus the finder’s fee. Your event’s budget must be submitted to the National Office and the treasurer when you pitch your event.

For a ticketed event, the Task Force receives all ticket sales unless the cost of the event exceeds actual expenditures.

Any Task Force related convention events and the associated budget must be approved by the National Office by April 1. All sponsorships and funds must be secured no later than Memorial Day or the event will be cancelled unless given approval by the National Office.

Outside of the National Convention Dates:

  1. Task Forces receive 60% of revenue from new partnerships initiated and solicited by the Task Force for Task Force events. The percentage is allocated after all expenses have been paid. New partners are defined as sponsors that have not engaged in a sponsorship with the national organization in the past three years. New partners can retain their “new partner” status for two consecutive years.
  2. Task Forces will receive 100% of all ticketed registration net revenue to their events after expenses.
  3. All monies raised by Task Forces must be used for training, scholarships, and other activities that support NABJ’s constitutional mission.
  4. The National Office will support events by soliciting funds from new and/or existing partners. Monies raised by the National Office will not be split with the Task Force but will be used to help cover the organization’s expenses in the approved budget.
  5. Task Forces must be compliant with operating procedure requirements, including submitting a list of activities, budgets, lists of officers, and other outlined requirements by the deadlines in order to be eligible for any revenue splits for the year. Task Force chairs must attend an annual financial and operational training meeting as part of the annual audit process. Failure to attend makes the task force ineligible for any revenue split allocation.
  6. All Task Force splits will be credited to the Task Force’s account by October 31, after the convention.

Hosting off-site events during the convention dates:

NABJ will not support any off-site events during convention dates.

Task Force meetings, receptions, and regional caucuses during convention dates:

All Task Forces will be given a meeting and reception space free of charge. For receptions, Task Forces will not be charged for room space, but are responsible for food and beverage and other incidental expenses related to using the room (i.e., decorations, audio/visuals). Receptions can have multiple donors to cover the costs of the reception. However, the reception will be branded as a Task Force reception. Task Force reception donors will not get any national benefits or promotions, including from the branded Task Force platforms. Task Forces can design the programming for their receptions.

For annual meetings, receptions, and regional caucuses, NABJ will only accept donations and not sponsorships. These donations are not eligible for a split. Any donation above the current appropriate national sponsorship rate will be classified as a sponsorship.

Any excess funds from donors for a meeting, reception, or regional caucus will be credited to the Task Force. Those funds can only be used for training, scholarships, and other activities that support NABJ’s constitutional mission.

Donations are given purely for the greater good, without expectation. Sponsorship, on the other hand, is a reciprocal activity where the expectation is an exchange—generally marketing-related partner benefits such as those described in our convention partnership prospectus at nabjconvention.com.

CHAPTER 5: MEMBERSHIP

Article I. COMPOSITION OF THE NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Section 1: Composition
The Membership shall be composed of the Board of Directors, Past Presidents, the Convention Chairperson, the Founders of the organization and all other members who are in good standing.

Section 2: Associate Members
Associate members shall be admitted to the sessions of the national membership to have a voice therein and to serve on committees, however, they shall not be permitted to vote or compose more than one-third of any committee.

Section 3: Visitors
Those who are not full, associate, or student members shall be permitted to attend membership or Board of Directors meetings at the discretion of the President, but the membership and the Board of Directors shall have the final word at their respective meetings should there be a disagreement.

Section 4: Founders
The NABJ Founders shall be entitled to lifetime membership status.

Section 5: Former NABJ Presidents
Persons who have served in the office of NABJ president, who have not been willfully removed from office, may be granted complimentary registrations to the annual convention.

CHAPTER 6: MEETINGS

Article I. REGIONAL CONFERENCES

Section 1: Supervision
Conferences of one or more regions may be held, and shall be under the supervision of the National Office. The regional director(s) of the region(s) or duly designated deputy director(s) shall preside over the conference.

Section 2: Election of Regional Officers
Each Region shall select its own Regional officers.

Section 3: Accountability
Actions at the Regional level that are not consistent with the goals and ideals of NABJ shall be subject to the censure and reprimand of the membership at large, at an annual National Convention, and meeting of the Board of Directors in the interim, providing that such decisions made by the Board of Directors may be appealed to the membership at the next annual convention.

Section 4: Special Meetings
Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the President by a vote of the majority of the Board of Directors.

Section 5:
Robert’s Rules of Order shall apply during all meetings of the NABJ membership or Board of Directors and interpretation of those rules shall be the responsibility of the Parliamentarian.

Article II. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF REGIONAL CONFERENCES

Section 1: Budgets
Regional Directors shall submit budgets for Regional Conferences to the National Office no later than 45 days before the Regional Conference. Budgets must be accompanied by written estimates from vendors for the cost of goods and services associated with the Regional Conference.

Section 2: Contracts
Contracts for meeting space, food and beverage, audio-visual and/or computer equipment, travel, lodging, and other expenses associated with the Regional Conference, must be signed by the NABJ Executive Director and President or Treasurer. Contracts signed by other persons will not be honored. In the event of emergency expenses that require out-of-pocket expenditures, a receipt must be submitted for reimbursement. Emergency expenditures shall not exceed $200.

Section 3: Collecting Sponsorship Revenues

Note: Regional Directors get to choose which financial OPTION works for chapters and notify the National Office which model they wish to choose. Choose Option Model 1 or Model 2)

OPTION MODEL 1:

All sponsorship monies raised by host chapters for Regional Conferences shall be made payable to the National Association of Black Journalists and forwarded to the National Office.

a. Registration Revenue Sharing with Host Chapter: 

The host chapter(s) of a Regional Conference will receive 100% of the registration proceeds, after all expenses are paid. Should expenses exceed sponsorship revenue, registration proceeds shall be used to offset the difference.

b. Sponsorship Revenue Sharing with Host Chapter:

The host chapter(s) of a Regional Conference will receive a portion of conference’s new and local sponsorship monies only after all expenses have been paid. This net sponsorship revenue split shall be:

      • 70% for chapter
      • 30% for National Office

 

Chapters must assume all financial liability for regional events to be eligible for revenue split allocations. Chapters must also be the signatory on contracts associated with this event. A copy of each fully executed contract must be submitted to the National Office within 5 days of signing. Chapters are not allowed to obligate the national organization for any deliverable or liability associated with any contract without the written approval from the National Office prior to execution of such contract.

Chapters are only allowed to solicit funding from new or/and local funding prospects.

The NABJ National Office has exclusive rights to current NABJ national partners/sponsors and no split is due to chapters from such national partnerships/sponsorships.

c. Revenue Sharing Discrepancies

If more than one chapter is involved in the planning and execution of the conference, the chapters will notify the National Office and Regional Director 30 days before the event of any agreed upon revenue splits between the chapters. If there is a dispute, the Regional Director will make a final determination of a binding agreement. The NABJ Executive Committee has the right to change the agreement on appeal by one of the chapters.

OPTION MODEL 2: 

The region works collaboratively to raise funds for the regional conference. The national association assumes all liabilities. The host chapter may host a signature event during the regional conference of which they may charge patrons to attend. The local chapter will receive all monies from this signature event. In this model, chapters will receive 100% of the event registration and local receptions revenue. There is no revenue split with sponsorships.

CHAPTER 7: CHAPTERS

Article I. AUTHORIZATION

Section 1: Meetings
Each affiliate Chapter of the organization shall hold at least three meetings annually and those meetings shall be presided over by the Chapter President, Chairperson or other appropriate local officer.

Section 2: Elections
Each affiliate Chapter shall elect its own local officers.

Section 3: Censure and Reprimands
Actions at the Chapter level that are not consistent with the goals and ideals of NABJ shall be subject to the censure and reprimand of the membership at large, when at annual National Convention, and of the Board of Directors in the interim, providing that such actions taken by the Board of Directors may be appealed to the membership at the next annual National Conference.

Section 4: Chapter Officer Bonding and Fiscal Controls
Effective June 30, 1998, all affiliate Chapter Presidents, Treasurers and others with fiduciary responsibility for chapter funds must obtain fidelity bonding, and such chapters must adhere to financial controls, including:
Countersignature of all bank checks regarding funds distribution, purchases, dues, etc.;
Start every fiscal year with an adopted budget and financial report;
Appoint a Finance Committee with at least three members and
Deposit all incoming funds in a chapter checking account.
Submit an annual audit to the NABJ National Office.

Those chapters out of compliance with this directive will be on probationary status and subject to censure and reprimand by the Board of Directors.

Section 5: Chapter Incorporation
Effective June 30, 1998, all affiliate chapters must be incorporated. Those chapters out of compliance with this directive will be on probationary status and subject to censure and reprimand by the Board of Directors.

Section 6:
The NABJ Professional Chapter Grant may be offered to professional and student chapter affiliates in good standing provided funds are available and in accordance with chapter grant procedures.

Section 7:
Any chapter that is not in compliance within NABJ chapter leadership, national membership, audit and bonding requirements and other chapter guidelines annually commencing January 2nd may be dropped from the NABJ list of affiliate chapters.

Section 8:
Student Chapter Fiscal Controls: Effective Aug. 15, 2006, all affiliate student chapters must adhere to the following financial controls:

Counter signature of all bank checks over $100 by the chapter president and advisor or the chapter treasurer and advisor

Start every fiscal year with an adopted budget and financial report

Deposit all incoming funds into a chapter checking account

Submit an annual audit to the National Office

Those chapters out of compliance with this directive will be on probationary status and subject to censure and reprimand by the Board of Directors.”

Article II. INTERNATIONAL CHAPTERS

Section 1: Organization
A chapter of five or more Black journalists who meet the criteria of full membership may be considered for affiliate chapter status if all of the following occur:

Each chapter is a separate legal and incorporated entity of NABJ

The compatibility of the chapter’s constitution with that of NABJ is determined by the Membership Committee. The committee’s decision is final, unless overruled by a majority of the Board.

The chapter, at the time of its application for affiliate status, and at the time of the annual renewal, submits to NABJ a membership list showing that two-thirds of the affiliate members have full NABJ status.

The president and vice president(s) are full NABJ members. Further, international members are not part of NABJ’s U.S. regional structure.

Section 2: Elections
Each international affiliate chapter shall elect its own officers
International chapter presidents can participate with the NABJ Council of Presidents and are to work closely with the NABJ Board member selected as liaison to international chapters.
International members can only vote for NABJ National Officers.

Section 3: Fees
International chapter members will be assessed an additional amount of money for postage and all fees paid to NABJ must be paid in U.S. Currency. Fees will be set by the NABJ National Office.

Section 4: Censure and Reprimands
NABJ has the same power to censure and reprimand international chapters as it does its national chapters. (See Chapter 7: Article 1: Section 3).

CHAPTER 8: FINANCES

Article I. REVENUE

Section 1: Fiscal Year
NABJ shall operate on a fiscal year that begins January 1st and ends December 31 st.

Section 2: Dues Structure
NABJ dues structure shall be set by the Board of Directors. Section 3: Dues Benefits
NABJ dues shall pay for the NABJ Journal postage, a copy of the Constitution and Operating Procedures and such other material that the Board of Directors deems appropriate. Resolved: That a copy of the NABJ Journal shall be sent to each member of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Section 4: Payment of Dues
All dues and assessments are due and payable on or before the membership expiration date. Memberships of those not paid by the due date will be discontinued.

Section 5: Control of Funds
The funds of the organization shall be overseen by the Treasurer until his or her successor has been duly elected and bonded, at which time all funds and other financial property of the organization – in the hands of the outgoing Treasurer shall be relinquished to his or her successor.

Section 6: Dues Schedule
A schedule of membership dues for NABJ once established may not be amended for a period of two years from the date of such dues schedule and such amendment cannot take effect in an election year.

Article II. CONTRACTS AND EXPENDITURES

Section 1: Contract Signatures
All contractual commitments over $10,000 entered into on behalf of NABJ shall include the signature of the Executive Director and President or Treasurer. Contracts that do not include at least two authorized signatures shall not be binding and NABJ shall not be held responsible or liable. All oral contracts shall be committed to writing.”

The Executive Director, National Officers, Regional Directors, Committee and Task Force Officers and any other individuals authorized to conduct business on behalf of NABJ must have the written consent of the Executive Director and President or Treasurer, for expenditures that exceed the budgeted amount of a specific program or activity.

NABJ Staff must seek at least 3 competitive bids for any contracts for any goods and services costing more than $10,000.
All Executive Director expenses must be approved by the President or Treasurer in the absence of the President.
All of the President’s expenses must be approved by the Treasurer.

CHAPTER 9: EFFECTIVE DATE AND AMENDMENTS TO THE OPERATING PROCEDURES

Article I.
Those Operating Procedures take effect immediately upon the approval of the Board of Directors. Proposed changes to these Operating Procedures shall be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors.