Mission: FABA’s purpose is to further and enhance local business conditions in the Philadelphia neighborhood known as Fishtown by meeting regularly to address businesses concerns.

DOWNLOAD NOMINATION FORM HERE: Board form

*Major responsibilities:

• Organizational leadership and advisement
• Organization of the board of directors, officers, and committees
• Formulation and oversight of policies and procedures
• Financial management, including adoption and oversight of the annual budget
• Oversight of program planning and evaluation
• Review of organizational and programmatic reports
• Promotion of the organization
• Fundraising and outreach

*Members of the board share these responsibilities while acting in the interest of the Fishtown Area Business Association. Each member is expected to make recommendations based on his or her experience and vantage point in the community.

Length of term: One year, which may be renewed pending approval of the board.

Meetings and time commitment:

• Board meetings occur as needed, no less than 4 times a year, most likely every other month
• General FABA meetings occur monthly
• Committee meetings – as determined by Board and FABA membership

Expectations of board members:

• Attend and participate in meetings on a regular basis, and special events as able.
• Participate on a standing committee of the board, and serve on ad-hoc committees as necessary.
• Be alert to community concerns that can be addressed by FABA’s mission, objectives, and programs.
• Help communicate and promote FABA’s mission and programs to the community.
• Become familiar with FABA’s finances, budget, and financial/resource needs.
• Understand the policies and procedures of FABA.
• Keep up to date with membership dues.

Board Descriptions

FABA Secretary Job Description

The Secretary has the role of making sure that the business of the association stays on track.

This role includes these duties:

• Initiate email correspondence regarding needed clarification of any FABA issue including upcoming FABA meetings, agenda items, business decisions or items and etc.
• Send out FABA email newsletter.
• Send out any email reminders, updates or other information for dissemination to FABA members.
• Record the minutes of all FABA and Board meeting.
• Plan and distribute planning calendar.
• Keep all official paper work in a safe place.
• Maintain FABA website and Facebook.

FABA Treasury Job Description

The Treasurer has the role of financial recording and disbursement as well as to insure that official documents are filed on time.

• Record all accounts receivable and payable
• Collect membership dues via invoice.
• Allocate check payments.
• Maintain a calendar of important dates usually associated with official documents such as tax due dates, audit dates, contract dates and etc.
• Keep official documents in a safe place.
• Helps prepare taxes

FABA Vice President Job Description

The Vice President often fills in where needed having a flexible and adaptable disposition.

• Performs President’s roles when President is unavailable.
• Works closely with the President and Board to ensure consistency of mission and purpose.
• Assist President in presidential duties such as timely responses and decision making.

FABA President Job Description

The President has the role to provide leadership and direct the work of the association in the direction of the mission.

• Presides over FABA and Board meetings and introductions.
• Ensures that the agenda for FABA and Board meetings is complete.
• President needs to balance thorough discussion with efficiency in moving through the agenda in meetings.
• Work to create positive working relationships with individuals in the community including media, funders, legislators, community activists and more.
• Must be prepared to act as the public face for FABA.
• Ensures the officers, committee chairs and board members are fulfilling their governance responsibilities.

MAY SPEAKER:
I-95 Girard Ave Interchange
PennDOT’s construction management team for the I-95 Girard Avenue Interchange Project
will provide an update on current and upcoming Richmond Street and Girard Avenue construction activities. Come with questions! Learn how this project will impact your business!

OTHER AGENDA ITEMS:
Elections—June 6th— we’ll discuss the open positions (4 officers and 3 at large members) and accept
nominations. All nominations will be due no later than May 21st.
Parking Issues – we need your input on commercial corridor parking and what’s best for business!
Front & Girard—Under the El— we’ll discuss the possibility of partnering with GBAA (Girard Business &
Arts Association) to get more lighting and improvements at Front & Girard.
Golden Broom Award— FABA and NKCDC want to reward businesses who go above and beyond to
keep their storefront, sidewalk and street frontage looking good! Help us determine criteria for a brand new
Golden Broom Award
Adopt a Block— As summer approaches, the litter and graffiti run amuk—we want you to pledge to “adopt
a block” and keep it clean. Supplies and training are available. And you’ll be handsomely rewarding with
many shout outs in various media.

I. Responsibilities for the individual VISTAs are as follows:
Responsibilities for VISTA # 1
- Work with database consultants to implement FINANTA database upgrade.
- Assess accuracy, consistency and thoroughness of existing data.
- Manage database ensuring that measuring indicators perform as anticipated.
- Report impact of funding sources on program implementation.
- Research best industry practices and compare to FINANTA’s
- Assist in market penetration and expansion by maintaining communications with network of
providers and customer base.
- Track and report impact of market expansion.
- Participate in all strategic thinking and planning activities, including evaluating the
implementation of FINANTA’s strategic plan.
- Assist to establish an in-house automated credit underwriting process.
- Assist in assessing the establishment of a program-based community credit union for low- to
moderate-income people.
- Assist VISTA #2 as needed.

Responsibilities for VISTA # 2
- Draft, gather, organize and become familiar with business association corporate documents.
- Draft corporate policies and procedures.
- Establish viable accounting systems and financial policies for operations.
- Participate in all strategic thinking and planning activities of the associations and help develop a
3 year strategic plan to include planning for the development of new programs and services and
their evaluation.
- Develop a marketing plan to include materials, a website, quarterly and annual reports, and
communications via the web.
- Develop action plans for the implementation of the association strategic plans.
- Manage action plans implementation and on-going activities.
- Coordinate all activities, including communications with membership and preparing information
for their meetings.
- Coordinate the associations’ work with FINANTA for the continuous implementation and
expansion of existing and new programs between the organizations.

- Help expand the memberships and its network capacity and evaluate reaching impact.
- Assess funding for the organization, draft and submit proposals for funding, report on grant
implementation progress, and evaluate impact.
- Assist VISTA #1 as needed.

II. VISTA Qualifications:
- Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office Professional and Access
- Thorough analytical abilities
- Basic bookkeeping and financial statement knowledge
- Strong organizational skills
- Able to multitask, pay attention to detail, have flexibility, and prioritize workload
- Able to relate well with people from different backgrounds and professional capacity
- Professional appearance and attitude at all times, on the phone and in person
- Able to work with limited supervision and find solutions to administrative challenges
- Must have high level of interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential data and
situations
- Strong English/Spanish oral and written skills required, as most of the Dominican Business
Association membership is fluent in Spanish and has limited English skills; Portuguese/English
skills may be also necessary for working with the Brazilian community.
- Bachelor’s degree in urban studies, economic development, social planning,
marketing/communications, strategic planning or related field.

III. Benefits:
- Annual living allowance of $12,192 ($468 every two weeks) before taxes
- Monthly public transit pass provided
- Training and career development opportunities
- Temporary forbearance or deferment of repayment of qualifying federal student loans
- End of service educational award of $5,550 (applied to any backed loan or used to pay tuition in
the future) or cash award of $1,500.

IV. How to Apply:
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume via email to Bertha Sarmina no later than April 27, 2012.
Bertha Sarmina, Business Lender at Berthasarmina@finanta.org
FINANTA
1301 North 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Phone calls about this position are discouraged.

Requirement: You must call to have a preliminary discussion about your project and application. TMF staff can help you focus your request on projects which are more likely to be funded.  The grant process is competitive and there is no guarantee of funding. If you do not undergo the screening process your application will not be accepted.

TMF has two core grant making areas for businesses that have been legally established for at least three years in Philadelphia:
• Business Stabilization grants up to $10,000 to help small businesses remain stable, viable and grow in the face of economic challenges and opportunities.
http://www.merchantsfund.org/grant-areas-business-stabilization.html
• Business Loan Matches $10,001 up to $20,000 to match at least dollar for dollar accredited government programs and bank loans.  Loan matches are last dollar which means you will have to spend your loan money before the match is available.
http://www.merchantsfund.org/grant-areas-business-loan.html

Please visit our web site http://www.merchantsfund.org/   for printable applications and detailed guidelines and contact us directly atinfo@merchantsfund.org   or call 215-399-1339.  There are also brief descriptions of past grants on the web site to inspire and guide your efforts.

DEADLINE: Wednesday, 15 February 2012
            The web site has not been updated with this deadline!

The panel, “Getting Ahead: Immigrants, Business, and Ethnic Identity,” will feature eminent scholars from across the U.S.

Event Details:
 
When: Thursday, February 9, 2012, 6:30 PM

Where:  National Museum of American Jewish History
101 South Independence Mall East (near 5th St. & Market St.)
Philadelphia, PA 19106-2517
215-923-3811

Cost: $8 (free for Museum members and for Penn students and faculty with valid ID)  

Purchase your ticket now, or see more details on the panel below. We hope you can join us!

Anne O’Callaghan
President and CEO
Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians

Panel Details:

Moderator: Beth Wenger, NMAJH Historian and Professor of American Jewish History and Director of the Jewish Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Discussion focus:  The panel will explore the diverse experiences of Italian, Jewish, Korean and other immigrants in a comparative context.

Panelists include:

• Hasia Diner, Paul S. and Sylvia Steinberg Professor of American Jewish History; Director of the Goldstein Goren Center for American Jewish History, New York University. Diner is author of Lower East Side Memories: The Jewish Place in America (2000)

• Jennifer Lee, Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine; Visiting Scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation (2011-12). Lee is author of Civility in the City: Blacks, Jews, and Koreans in Urban America (2002).
• Diane Vecchio, Professor of History, Furman University. Vecchio is author of Merchants, Midwives, and Laboring Women Italian Migrants in Urban America (2006).

Presented in partnership by the University of Pennsylvania’s Jewish Studies Program and the National Museum of American Jewish History, this program seeks to explore and draw connections between key themes of the American Jewish experience and broader dimensions of American history and culture.

Register now.

Supported by the Arlene and Stanley Ginsburg Family Foundation.