Community Association for New Center Area
June 7, 2016
Dear CANCAN Members and Member Associations:
This message is to notify the CANCAN community regarding a change to the way the CANCAN board funds service requests. In the past, the CANCAN Board funded service requests (aka service requests made by the CANCAN membership) at its discretion, on a first come/first served basis. Because many of these requests were unplanned, they would end up in the financial statements as cost overruns. Additionally, the process had never been formally documented, which made it difficult to explain and follow consistently. Recently, the board met to develop a competitive process to re-grant funds to CANCAN members for service requests, which included:
- A yearly budget for service requests
- Documentation of the funding process
- Development of board priorities
- The 2016 service request process
A Yearly Budget for Service Requests
The board met in January and set a 2016 budget, which included a $5,000 line item for funding service requests. This amount was based on expected dues and available funds vs. expected expenses and previously encumbered funds.
- Documentation of the Funding Process
A form with standardized questions was developed to assist in reviewing potential service requests. Upon completion of this form, all service requests will be reviewed against a set of competitive criteria:
- Alignment with membership priorities
- Demonstrated need of the request
- Impact on the neighborhood
- Availability of alternate/complimentary funds
- Cost to service the request
- Available budget
- Development of Board Priorities
Additionally, the CANCAN board agreed to fund projects for the following purposes:
- Hosting a community event (must be open to everyone within CANCAN)
- Improving recreation areas or common areas
- Enhancing gateways or hallmark areas in the neighborhood
- Beautifying or maintaining the neighborhood
- Addressing blight in neighborhood
- Addressing general safety issues
If a service request meets the criteria for funding and falls within board priorities, the CANCAN board may vote to match up to 50% of the requested amount or the total yearly budget for funding service requests, whichever is less.
- The 2016 Service Request Process
On July 7th, 2016 the CANCAN Board will review service requests based on the above competitive criteria and board priorities. To do this, it is requiring that all planned requests for 2016 be submitted by July 6th, 2016 via the CANCAN Service Request Survey, located at the following link:
http://goo.gl/forms/3rMNg8ByHIxxMOpx2.
Requestors will be contacted regarding any decisions/next steps by July 14th, 2016.
The above survey is the board’s preferred method to receive your requests. To accommodate members that are unable to fill out online surveys, a paper survey can be made available calling Timmons Management at (313) 871-1124 and requesting a mailed copy. In these cases, scanned versions sent back to cancan.detroit@gmail.com are preferred, although mailed paper copies will be accepted if received by July 6th. Mailed copies can be sent to CANCAN, C/O Timmons Management, 2990 W. Grand Boulevard Ste M18, Detroit, MI 48202.
The board looks forward to hearing your ideas for improving our shared neighborhood, and thanks you for participating!
The CANCAN Board
PDF copies of the process letter that was e-mailed and sent to individual members without e-mail via post is below:
