strickling_oac_casestudy_final-3

Runninghead: OAC Case Study

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Obesity Action Coalition: A Case Study

Peggy Strickling

Southern Utah University

AA 6800 Board Relations

Bill Byrnes

Fall 2014

We work to eliminate bias and discrimination against those affected by obesity.


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Table of Contents PART A: DESCRIPTION, ANALYSIS ASSESSMENT ......................................... 4

I. Mission, Image and Purpose ........................................................................... 5 OAC History .................................................................................................................................... 6 OAC Initiatives and Petition Drives ................................................................................................ 7 OAC Image- Local, Regional and National ................................................................................. 10 Local .............................................................................................................................................. 13 Regional......................................................................................................................................... 13 National and Online ....................................................................................................................... 14 OAC’s Industry Image .................................................................................................................. 16 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 19 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 26

Human Resources ................................................................................................ 27 Board ............................................................................................................................................. 27 Activities of Board ........................................................................................................................ 27 Profiles of Board Members ........................................................................................................... 27 Table 2. Current Members of the OAC National Board of Directors ........................................... 27 Staff ............................................................................................................................................... 30 Volunteers ..................................................................................................................................... 36

II. Financial Profile ........................................................................................... 39 Fiscal Accountability and Practices ............................................................................................... 40 Obesity Action Coalition Balance Sheet Snapshot*...................................................................... 40 Budget ........................................................................................................................................... 41 Income & Expense Patterns........................................................................................................... 43

IV. Activities and Programs ................................................................................. 44 Programming Context ................................................................................................................... 45 Program Planning and the Board ................................................................................................... 45

V. Planning and Evaluation ................................................................................. 47

PART B – Recommendations ............................................................................... 50 I. Mission, Image & Purpose ................................................................................................... 51 II. Human Resources ................................................................................................................. 51 III. Financial Profile.................................................................................................................... 54 V. Planning and Evaluation ....................................................................................................... 55 References ..................................................................................................................................... 56

Appendix A Documents ....................................................................................... 59 Financial Questions for OAC Case Study ..................................................................................... 59 Board, Staff and Human Resources ............................................................................................... 61 Policies and By-Laws: attached to assignment.............................................................................. 65 OAC Strategic Plan : attached to assignment ................................................................................ 65 Budget and Audit Report contact: attached to assignment ............................................................ 65 Sample of OAC Board Minutes: attached to assignment .............................................................. 65

Appendix B Figures and Tables ........................................................................... 66 Figure 1. Examples of Fat Shaming Apps ..................................................................................... 66 Figure 2 Membership Support Programs ...................................................................................... 66 Figure 3. OAC Committees ........................................................................................................... 67


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Nice work overall. Very detailed TOC.


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Table 1. Summary and Scorecard ................................................................................................. 68 Table 2. Current Members of the OAC National Board of Directors .......................................... 69 Table 3. OAC Staff ....................................................................................................................... 71 Table 4. Balance Sheet Snapshot .................................................................................................. 74 Table 5. Checklist for OAC Sound Financial Control Measures ................................................. 75 Table 6 . Overview of Strategic Plan Process ............................................................................... 76



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PART A: DESCRIPTION, ANALYSIS

ASSESSMENT

I. MISSION, IMAGE AND PURPOSE

II. HUMAN RESOURCES III. FINANCIAL PROFILE IV. ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS V. PLANNING AND EVALUATION



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I. Mission, Image and Purpose

Mission of the OAC The mission of the OAC is to elevate and empower those affected by obesity through education, advocacy and support.

OAC Vision Statement It is the vision of the OAC to support, through education and advocacy, the creation of a society in which:

All individuals are treated with respect and without discrimination or bias regardless of their size or weight; Those affected by the disease of obesity have the right to access safe and effective treatment options; and All individuals understand that when it comes to health, Your Weight Matters.


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

These are very clear mission and vision statements. There seems to be lots of actionable programs that can be linked to these two statement.


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OAC History

In 2005 the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) as nonprofit was conceived by a

synchronicity when someone overheard this statement in a legislative hall: “[We] could

take away obesity treatment benefits and there would be no one on Capitol Hill to

protest.” The challenge to this statement birthed the mission and vision the OAC to

“elevate and empower those affected by obesity through education, advocacy and

support.” This three-pronged approach of education, advocacy and support are the

underpinnings of the vision of its founders and elevating and empowering people who

suffer from obesity are their values: “It is the vision of the OAC to support, through

education and advocacy, the creation of a society in which:

All individuals are treated with respect and without discrimination or

bias regardless of their size or weight;

Those affected by the disease of obesity have the right to access safe and

effective treatment options; and

All individuals understand that when it comes to health, Your Weight

Matters.

The OAC has grown to become cultural watchdogs for the issues of obesity. Through

initiatives that address these issues, the OAC has built an organization of over 50,000

members, has advocated in state and federal legislatures to keep issues of medical care

for the obese from dropping of the list of priorities and have sponsored and created

benefit events that raise money and awareness for obesity causes. On the education front,



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the OAC has distributed more than 1,000,000 pieces of educational information across

the United States since its inception in 2005.1

Three examples from OAC’s programming and initiatives are given that will

illustrate the strength and utility of how the OAC uses their mission and vision statements

to effectively guide their efforts toward their vision. Under the umbrella of “bias

busting”, the OAC disseminates guidelines for media for portraying and writing about

obesity, advocates for instances of blatant biases with petition drives, and educates its

membership to recognize obesity bias and offers ways to respond through its annual

member convention.

OAC Initiatives and Petition Drives

Fat Shaming Apps

A typical example of the OAC’s proactive initiatives is petition drives. In 2010

the OAC initiated a petition drive to demand that popular fat shaming apps2 be taken

completely off the market as they make light of the obese and perpetuates the stigma and

ridicule overweight and obese suffer in society. Petitions to highly visible technical

outlets like Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft are available on the OAC website.3

1 http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2010-news-releases/oac-celebrates-five-year-anniversary 2 www.obesityaction.org/weight-bias-and-stigma/bias-busters/fat-shaming-apps 3 http://www.obesityaction.org/weight-bias-and-stigma/bias-busters/fat-shaming-ap


http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2010-news-releases/oac-celebrates-five-year-anniversary

http://www.obesityaction.org/weight-bias-and-stigma/bias-busters/fat-shaming-apps

http://www.obesityaction.org/weight-bias-and-stigma/bias-busters/fat-shaming-ap

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

OK, but I don't see your comments on how successful this drive was or am I missing something?

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

I'm assuming you'll be including more detailed impact statements later in the paper?

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

After reading the whole paper I still think a list of advocacy success items would better communicate their impact as an organization.


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Figure 1. Examples of Fat Shaming Apps

Fat Booth Fatify

People First Language

Eradicating the social bias of labeling others

according to their disease begins with changing the language

in the culture to reflect a new focus on putting “people first

before their disability.” Research shows that labeling people

as if they were the disease has a negative impact on

perception and behavior toward people with obesity. The OAC created an initiative that

asks organization to sign-on to the People First Initiative and incorporate needed changes

into their publications, speech and all communications. This initiative also asks that

“authors, editors of scholarly research, scientific writing, and publications about obesity”

to adopt using People first Language4. In addition, the OAC initiated a petition to

President Obama during National Childhood Obesity month in September, 2010.

Petitions and information about how to stop bullying and stigmatizing obese children

4 http://www.obesityaction.org/weight-bias-and-stigma/people-first-language-for-obesity.


http://www.obesityaction.org/weight-bias-and-stigma/people-first-language-for-obesity

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

This seems like it would an effective tool to get in the hands of the media.


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were sent to elected officials and school boards pointing them to the OAC website for

support materials.5

Advocating for Medical Coverage

Second, the advocacy program addresses issues that impact disparities in

insurance coverage for obesity procedures, provide the latest research to inform policy

makers at the state and federal legislatures of best practices to incorporate into legislation.

One example of the latter is a draft recommendation statement about the high

effectiveness of referrals for overweight and obese patients to a nutritionist when

cardiovascular and other associated problems of obesity are present6.

Finally, the centerpiece of the OAC’s membership support is

the “Your Weight Matters” (YWM) program that educate,

supports and creates a safe environment for their membership

through a yearly convention. This program centers around a

national convention, provides monthly subscription to the YWM magazine for like-

minded people to meet in a safe environment and support and help the overweight and

their families and friends who care about them.

YWM is a branded component of the third leg of the mission to help individuals

understand that ‘[their] weight matters.” The flagship program and campaign that

includes educating the membership of the health issues with their weight is an entry

5 http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2010-news-releases/oac-asks-all-americans-to-sign-on-to-a-national-petition-calling-for-an-end-to-childhood-obesity-discrimination-and-bullying 6 http://www.obesityaction.org/wp-content/uploads/060914-OCC-Comments-on-USPSTF-CVD-Recommendations-on-Counseling-Diet-and-Exercise.pdf 7http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/your-weight-matters-magazinehttp://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/your-weight-matters-magazine


http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2010-news-releases/oac-asks-all-americans-to-sign-on-to-a-national-petition-calling-for-an-end-to-childhood-obesity-discrimination-and-bullying


http://www.obesityaction.org/wp-content/uploads/060914-OCC-Comments-on-USPSTF-CVD-Recommendations-on-Counseling-Diet-and-Exercise.pdf


http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/your-weight-matters-magazine




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point for those who wish to learn more about how to approach their health care provider

and making the commitment to do so.

Childhood obesity issues are also of concern to the OAC. To assist parents in

helping their children deal with these issues, the YWM magazine has a special section

directed at “children and their parents with articles written for children to enjoy with

their parents.”7

Figure 2 Membership Support Programs

OAC Image- Local, Regional and National

Overview The OAC’s local, regional and national image is one of being the expert on

obesity issues. A sample of articles taken from the OAC in the News webpage, 2013 can

be found here8

7 http://www.obesityaction.org/understanding-obesity-in-children/kids-corner 8 http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/oac-in-the-news/2013-2


http://www.obesityaction.org/understanding-obesity-in-children/kids-corner

http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/oac-in-the-news/2013-2


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The OAC has positioned itself in the obesity arena as the leading nonprofit

obesity advocate whose ‘sole focus is representing individuals affected by obesity”9.

Official statements mark its membership in its “Your Weight Matters” program at about

50,000, the largest of any other similar group. Although the OAC shares similar

advocacy issues with other organizations of its type, the membership component singles

them out from the pack and serves as a national support group and a conduit for

education for its members.

OAC received a substantial startup gift in 2005 from an unnamed donor. High

profile partners, such as the Rudd Foundation at Yale University, promote the OAC and

the OAC returns the favor. One can only speculate that the generous gift came from one

of these foundations. With the help of well-connected partners and a solid strategic plan,

the OAC has developed a reputation of excellence in moving their mission and vision and

forward and are respected for their unbiased, evidenced based approach to the issue of

obesity. Major media print and broadcast outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal,

Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and news outlets from

every region of the country frequently run favorably articles about the OAC and its

efforts in advocacy and education10.

Organizations, public or private, which has rise to the top and becomes a

spokespersons for a cause or experts in a field draw scrutiny from detractors. The OAC

is no exception and, despite its image in the press, there is a minority opposition that

challenges the motives and intention of the OAC’s expressed mission to “represent

individuals affected by obesity.”

9 http://www.obesityaction.org/about-us/oac-position-statements 10 www.obesity action.org/OAC in the news


http://www.obesityaction.org/about-us/oac-position-statements

http://www.obesity/

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

That seems to be compelling evidence of success by OAC.


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Local

Headquartered in Tampa, Florida the OAC is a nonprofit that invests in the local

community. In an article datelined in their hometown, the OAC is positively portrayed as

an organization that eagerly joins in partnerships with local organizations who, like

themselves, have taken an interest in helping the obese and overweight11. For example,

the central Florida YMCA welcomed the shared resources of the OAC’s YWM brand and

integrated them into their own obesity programs. The YMCA of central Florida is a

powerhouse within itself whose health programs assist the 25% of Floridian population

who are obese. These kinds of partnerships further the values of the OAC to eradicate

obesity, educate and support those who suffer from its effects.

Regional

The reach of the OAC’s advocacy program extends to all regions across the

United States. Drawing on their substantial membership as pool of potential advocates,

the OAC provides data and information on contacts in local and state governments and

monitors bills that are introduced that would fall within the purview of their cause. The

programs, events such as Walk from Obesity that stem from the YWM arm of the

organization are captured as newsworthy events in major news outlets in nearly every

region of the country12.

11 http://news.yahoo.com/obesity-action-coalition-oac-joins-forces-ymca-central-141000610.html 12 http://www.deseretnews.com/article/680192698/Insurance-for-gastric-bypass-is-sought.html , http://www.reviewjournal.com/life/health/obesity-linked-inactivity?ref=394 http://walkfromobesity.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventList


http://news.yahoo.com/obesity-action-coalition-oac-joins-forces-ymca-central-141000610.html

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/680192698/Insurance-for-gastric-bypass-is-sought.html

http://www.reviewjournal.com/life/health/obesity-linked-inactivity?ref=394

http://walkfromobesity.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventList


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National and Online

Making obesity issues a national priority is the main thrust of the OAC’s vision to

eradicate obesity. Visibility in Washington, D.C. is key to snagging media attention and

the advocacy and research efforts of the OAC have paid off in landing significant

legislation for its causes from the Capitol that include a wide variety of Senators from

individual states13.

Social Media Presence

The OAC has developed a strong PR presence online utilizing all major social

media platforms to an advantage. Beginning with a website burgeoning with information

and links to its branded program’s separate sites, the OAC makes it presence known

through timely press releases, twitter presence, blogs and YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook,

podcasts, Podcast etc. and can be found in popular online news aggregate services like

the Huffington Post.14

Blogs and YouTube

OAC has a strong, proactive positive presence in social media. The OAC’s

YouTube channel15 and blog promote the education and support aspect of their mission

statement and offers advice for common problems experienced with obesity weight loss

diets and procedures and how to evaluate weight loss products. Videos of highlights of

the National YWM convention give their membership support and also provide a channel

for others to refer friends and loved ones who may need the services and support of the

OAC. Information on evidence based diets with instructions on how to start them and

13 http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2008-news-releases/bipartisan-group-of-42-united-states-senators-sends- strong-message 14 http://www.weightlosssurgerypodcast.com/008-joseph-nadglowski-and-obesity-action-coalition/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/24/fattest-states-lawmakers_n_511706.html 15 https://www.youtube.com/user/ObesityAction


http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2008-news-releases/bipartisan-group-of-42-united-states-senators-sends-%20%20%20%20%20%20strong-message

http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2008-news-releases/bipartisan-group-of-42-united-states-senators-sends-%20%20%20%20%20%20strong-message

http://www.weightlosssurgerypodcast.com/008-joseph-nadglowski-and-obesity-action-coalition/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/24/fattest-states-lawmakers_n_511706.html

https://www.youtube.com/user/ObesityAction


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what to expect are also available via YouTube. Interview clips from national news shows

like Fox News, and archives of their six educational series webinars are accessible

through this channel and lend prestige and credibility to the veracity of the organization.

Twitter Facebook and Partnerships Platforms

The OAC has 4700 followers on their Twitter account and as of December 1,

2014 has over 6500 tweets that mirror Facebook fundraising and corporate sponsor posts,

to encouraging members to tweet what they are thankful to be part of this community16.

After their National Convention they tweeted a hash tag for their obesity

challenge winner and use this platform to promote the convention and keep the members

updated preconvention and with ongoing issues.

The OAC has leveraged large commercial outlet programs like Amazon Smile

and salsalabs.com to promote financial and online donor support. Industry partners that

provide services and products for the obese are thanked for their contributions

individually on Facebook. Recognition of these partnerships and support are current on

their active and up-to-date Facebook page17.

The OAC has inspired others to create spin-offs through social media, podcasts

and blogging. A winner of the prestigious OAC award for obesity advocacy is one such

spin-off18.

16 https://twitter.com/ObesityAction/status/539421441222246401 17 https://www.facebook.com/ObesityActionCoalition 18 http://formerfatdudes.com/dash-from-obesity-introducing-the-oac/


https://twitter.com/ObesityAction/status/539421441222246401

https://www.facebook.com/ObesityActionCoalition

http://formerfatdudes.com/dash-from-obesity-introducing-the-oac/


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OAC’s Industry Image

The OAC can count itself a partner among the giants of well-funded and

active organizations that share their values and passion for the obesity epidemic. A

sample of these groups include the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale

University, a research and advocacy group with connections to global organizations like

the World Health Organization (WHO); The Obesity Society, a similar nonprofit whose

mission and vision are remarkable similar to the OAC and lastly, two medical societies

that specialize in surgeries and treatments for the obese, the American Society of

Bariatric Physicians (AMSP) and its sister, the American Society for Metabolic and

Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)19.

These affiliations suggest compatible integrity and sympathetic goals with

peers in this arena of obesity advocacy. Internet searches linking OAC with prominent

obesity advocates and bariatric surgery associations reveals that the OAC is part of a

larger force of colleagues who have similar missions and visions. Given the obvious

potential for self- serving bias and mutual guarantee, it is tentatively observed that OAC

has a good reputation among its fellows.

Opposing Viewpoints

Opposition to the activities and mission of the OAC rest on two main arguments:

Eradicating obesity as an affront to acceptance of the obese as they are and the OAC and

their colleagues are economic shills for the bariatric medical community and

pharmaceutical companies. The first argument cuts to the purity of the OAC’s intention.

19 The Rudd Center: www.yaleruddcenter.org The Obesity Society (TOS) http://www.obesity.org/ The ASBP: http://www.asbp.org The ASMBS: http://www.asmbs.org


http://www.obesity.org/

http://www.asbp.org/

http://www.asmbs.org/

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

An impressive amount of research on your part about OAC. Bravo.


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Detractors accuse entities like the OAC of

negatively judging an entire population and

objectifying obese people when they state in their

mission statements they are in favor of “eradicating”

obesity. A subtext to this objection is that

inadvertently the OAC perpetuates the very stigma

and victim mentality that they claim to be against. In

the second argument, personal bloggers, advocacy watchdogs and minor obesity societies

and groups claim that transparency in conflict of interest is impossible because the board

of the OAC is filled with bariatric surgeons with a financial interest in increased surgery

for the obese and OAC’s top tier donors are companies with drugs and medical

procedures to sell.

Negative Blogs About the OAC

Stacy Bias, an obesity blogger, wrote about these twin complaints, citing a study on

weight focused paradigms and facts from the OAC website about the composition

of their board:

“The OAC further omits the contribution of the weight loss industry (of which it is a

participant) in the creation of the very stigma that it claims to seek to eradicate. A

recent study indicates a growing concern about the ethics of a weight focused

paradigm as “not only ineffective at producing thinner, healthier bodies, but also

damaging, contributing to food and body preoccupation, repeated cycles of weight

loss and regain, distraction from other personal health goals and wider health

determinants, reduced self-esteem, eating disorders, other health decrement, and


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

I am glad you are delving into these issues. I can see how they could hijack the OAC mission and goals.


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weight stigmatization and discrimination.” Joe Nadglowski, OAC President and

CEO, is also the Executive Director of the American Society for Metabolic and

Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), the stated purpose of which is to “improve public

health and well-being by lessening the burden of the disease of obesity.” Further,

all additional members of the board of the OAC are also bariatric doctors, nurses

or related professionals…” And concluded this: “the OAC attempts to create an

alibi of trustworthiness for its unspoken agenda, the legitimization of its bariatric

(weight-loss) surgery.”20 (emphasis added)

The author of the: “Dances with Fat” blog, takes issues with the OAC initiative

to eliminate fat shaming apps and advocates her followers boycott signing the OAC

petition:

“The petition [fat shaming apps] was started by the Obesity Action Coalition… The

problem with this group is that they lie, misinform, and make a profit on the backs

of fat people by perpetuating the message that fat people are a problem that needs

to be eradicated.”21 (emphasis added)

In response to these types of accusations, Ms. Davis stated emphatically that it is

made clear to industry partners that the OAC “is not an infomercial for their sponsor’s

materials. We provide unbiased, evidence based education to the consumers. Donors will

not tell us how to write or how to educate and may not expect to use the OAC as an

infomercial platform.” This declaration is not easily found on the OAC website.

20 http://stacybias.net/2011/11/the-obesity-action-coalition-busting-the-bias-of-“bias-busters” 21 http://danceswithfact.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/why-im-not-signing-the-oac-petition


http://stacybias.net/2011/11/the-obesity-action-coalition-busting-the-bias-of-

http://danceswithfact.wordpress.com/2014/05/15

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Ouch....

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Really? That seems like an oversight on OAC's part.


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Advocacy Watchdogs

A Google search of “advocacy watchdog and OAC” turned up only one such group

and it opposes the activities of the OAC and others like it. The Activists Facts organization

claims to be interested in only the facts, but cannot help but draw its own conclusions for

its readers by perpetuating a class biased argument that organizations like the OAC and its

associate The Rudd Center are really only self-interested, elitist do-gooders. 22 Charity

Watch23, a website that preserves a database of nonprofits for donors and the public to check

the veracity and integrity of non profits’ ethical behavior yielded no entries for the OAC.

Guidestar.com24, a repository for information on nonprofits that promotes transparency,

especially in financial areas, has rated the OAC as a Silver Participant for providing

important, up-to-date financial information.

Summary

The image of the OAC in local, regional and national arenas fares very well as an

organization that is contributing good to society with their programs, initiatives and

advocacy efforts. This positive image is buoyed by solid funding by those who have a

stake in the outcome of their efforts. The issues of transparency and questionable motives

brought up by the opposing side examples are valid and should be considered as a guideline

to continued honesty because they are a small minority without a strong voice for their

viewpoints. Later in this study, we will examine the legal strictures placed on nonprofits

that advocate and the OAC will be examined for compliance. The moral issues can only be

22 https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/523-rudd-center-for-food-policy-and-obesity/ watchdog for activist and advocacy groups. 23 www.charitywatch.org 24 www.guidestar.org


http://www.charitywatch.org/

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

This is a good start. You have identified a few key issues that OAC needs to address. Sponsorship from industry can obviously problematic but as long as OAC is being transparent about how it funds its operations and independently develops its program they should be able to remain credible.


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addressed by policy statements and full disclosure of financial contributions and

expenditures coming from the OAC and other oversight controls that will be discussed in

the budget and policy section.



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The OAC Board: Responsible or Exceptional?

Nonprofit boards run a gamut of functionality, but all boards can be measured by

accepted standards of performance in the nonprofit sector. Typical measures of an

exceptional board are strong bylaws and their level of adherence to them, an orientation of

new board members, good strategic planning around the mission statement, and a highly

quality relationship between the CEO and the board.

This section will provide examples of how the OAC meets accepted standards for

a well- rounded, responsible and exceptional board by summarizing strategic planning

processes, noting the efficacy and frequency of meetings, and explore the expectations for

this board’s performance to successfully support the mission of the OAC.

Board Structure

According to the bylaws, the OAC board comprises at least nine active members

and no more than fifteen. Emeritus directors serve as unpaid advisory consultants and are

subject to the authority of the active board and have no voting privileges. Nominating,

voting on new candidates are stipulated in the by-laws. Directors serve three year terms

and Officers serve two year terms.

Orientation of New Board Members

At the bare minimum, responsible boards should have orientation procedures for

new members. Exceptional boards go further in developing new members to acculturate to

the organization and participation in self-assessments on their own performances.

The OAC performs as an exceptional board in this area. A binder that contains the

bylaws, the history of the organization, financial information, materials from previous



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board retreats, the strategic plan and any pertinent committee reports is kept to bring new

board members up to speed on the organization.

Self-assessments for board members performance are completed at the annual

retreat followed by a discussion of the general board performance and sharing of insights

into other board members actions or behaviors. New board members are oriented to their

responsibilities to be active and passionate about the work of the OAC. Ms. Davis

describes this orientation as a “come to Jesus talk” for board members to be on board. OAC

board members are expected to roll up their sleeves and exert effort to effectively head and

work on committees, actively plan and execute the annual convention, commit to

teleconference calls for board meetings and more frequent calls when the annual

convention draws near. Board members are obliged to be on the call to help plan the

annual YWM convention.

A Mature Organization

The OAC has been in existence since 2005 and has an annual operating budget of

over two million dollars. In a four stage organizational life cycle scale, the OAC has

reached stage three, the mature stage, which is characterized by well-established and well-

regarded programs, formalized operations and systems with a board capable of directing a

complex organization that is mission-driven25.

An Exceptional Board is Mission Driven

Strong mission and vision statements are the hallmark and foundation of successful

nonprofits. A board that governs, plans and strategizes around the mission and vision are

25 HNPG. p 17


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Good and maybe you will get to this later, but how are board members recruited or end up on the OAC board?

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Good analysis and reference to the readings on life cycle.


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considered mission driven boards that effectively move the organization in the direction of

their vision.

The OAC board is composed of people who share an enthusiasm and passion to

support the mission. Board members are considered volunteers and do not receive a stipend

and are expected to ‘roll up their sleeves’ and actively work for the organization.

Early in their life cycle, the OAC recognized the need for more structure and

brought in an outside consultant to train the board in strategic planning and orientation to

their duties. This structure set the stage for a habit of holding regular and timely retreats,

meetings and actions that has kept the OAC mission a focal for their activities.

In a telephone interview26 Pam Davis, Immediate Past Chairman, discussed the

dedicated and excitement the OAC board members exhibit in planning around the mission

of the organization. She used the analogy of feral cats to describe the way the board

introduces many great and innovative ideas that could be adopted to fill the mission.

Without a strategic structure and valuable input from the staff and CEO to reign in these

ideas un-channeled passions would rule and the mission would become a scatter-gun

approach with little chance of anything significant hitting the target.

Strategic Thinking and Planning

Retaining an outside consultant to assist in training the OAC board to create a

strategic plan, implement it and measure it was a good investment and has served to make

the OAC a highly functional organization when it comes to moving in the direction of the

mission.

26 personal telephone interview


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

That's an impressive move.

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Huh? Sorry, I'm not getting this analogy. :)

BillByrnes

Highlight


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The annual retreat is a pivotal meeting for training of the board and setting the

strategic plan with the Executive Director/President and the staff. Staff members are

included in this meeting and their input is crucial to reigning in the feral cat activity of

passionate board members. The board sends out “homework” to staff prior to the retreat to

give them time to prepare their thoughts and ideas about strategy.

The review of strategic planning is not finished at the annual retreat. Staff and

board meet monthly to report on activity and make adjustments. A sample of the minutes

of this monthly minute show that an agenda has been prepared and distributed, reports from

the various committees are discussed and plans for future action written down. This

particular meeting lasted one hour.

One definition of a responsible board is that they establish and review strategic

plans at regularly planned meetings and in between meetings27.

Sustaining Resources

The staff offers valuable insight into the implementation costs of proposed

programs in money and human resources. Tapping into this viewpoint assists the board in

their duty to care for the resources of the organization. The board approves the final

strategy. The OAC board and the staff are highly involved in the strategic planning.

Results Oriented

As a matter of procedure, a review of the bylaws and a necessary updates are

discussed, the actions of board are reviewed and compared to the strategic plan and the

mission statement. According to Davis, the OAC board works more from the strategic plan

27 HNPG p.25


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Good level of detail.

BillByrnes

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Yep, check and done!


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than they do from the policies. Setting up metrics for measurement of those actions has

been a growing process. At the 2013 retreat, new metrics were developed to suit each

program. For example, typically metrics for annual conventions are about fundraising, but

the OAC adjusted their metric to coincide with their mission values of increasing awareness

and education. Instead of measuring increase of funds, they looked at members in

attendance, how many people are engaged in social media, how many new members joined

and retention of current membership. They do follow their bylaws and review them

annually at the board retreat and discuss necessary updates.

The CEO and Board

Joe Nagdowski, the President and CEO of the OAC is characterized by Ms. Davis

as the architect and face of the OAC and an active liaison to board. Mr. Nagdowski engages

in an active schedule of public speaking, presentations and meeting with influential people

who will assist the OAC in their mission. As liaison to board he communicates with the

board in a weekly conference call every Tuesday at 10am that lasts anywhere from 10 to

45 minutes depending on what needs to be discussed. Not only does he report his activities

he asks advice from the board on how to proceed or to be updated on anything new he

should know about. The reciprocal nature of the liaison role acts as a monitor on the

advancement of the strategic goals and keeps both the board and the CEO informed and

ready to make adjustments as needed. This kind of regular follow-up communication also

presents a united front for the staff to be able to place confidence in the leadership. Mr.

Nagdowski communicates information and updates directly with the staff.28

Board Communication for Meeting Agendas and Minutes

28 Telephone interview with Pam Davis


BillByrnes

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Very interesting. Good for them.

BillByrnes

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That's a good practice.


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According to Ms Davis, she would like to see the minutes of the board meeting

within 24 hours of the meeting so an agenda can be set for the weekly call. Currently the

minutes are available about week after the meeting. This inhibits setting a timely agenda

because staff does not have enough time to clarify questions and get them on the agenda.

Summary

Table 1 Summary and Scorecard29

Responsible and Exceptional Boards Scorecard Responsible Boards…. Exceptional Boards… Establish and Review Strategic Plans Allocate time at meetings and between

meetings to address what matters most and engage in strategic thinking on a regular basis.

Adopt a conflict of interest policy Include guidelines for disclosure review and recusal and require members to sign it annually and rigorously adhere to it.

Monitor financial performance and receive programmatic updates

Measure overall organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and impact using various tools and including dashboards

Orient new board members Invest in ongoing board development to deepen the commitment of board members, and have board members reflect on their own performance by conducting regular board self-assessments

This section has highlighted only a few of the twelve principles that describe how

the OAC is an example of a well-functioning board that incorporates responsibility and

exceptionality into their activities.

29 HNPG p. 25


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Still, not bad. Organizations often don't get the meeting minutes ready until the week before the next board meeting.

BillByrnes

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Good idea to insert this image in the text. Bravo.


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Human Resources

Board

Activities of Board

The OAC Board members are responsible for the following tasks: establishing the

mission, goals and policies of the organization, developing long-range plans, ensuring the

financial stability and strength, ensuring organizational stability, maintaining the integrity,

independence and ideals of the organization and overseeing the chief executive. In

addition, Board members are also responsible for attending four Board meetings annually

and participating in conference calls as needed.30

The OAC Advisory Board is comprised of a diverse group of individuals from a

wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. Advisory Board members may be called

upon to serve on committees, write articles, review materials developed by the OAC and/or

assist with other activities as requested by the OAC. All members of the Advisory Board

will serve as volunteers for renewable one-year terms.31

Profiles of Board Members

Table 2. Current Members of the OAC National Board of Directors

30 http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2005-news-releases/oac-requests-nominations-for-national-board-of-directors 31 http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2006-news-releases/oac-announces-2006-advisory-board


http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2005-news-releases/oac-requests-nominations-for-national-board-of-directors


http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2006-news-releases/oac-announces-2006-advisory-board

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Thanks for including this info. Very helpful. One thing that's immediately apparent is there doesn't appear to be a lot of ethnic/racial diversity.

BillByrnes

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I'm still missing how people they get on this board in the first place.


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Name and Title Committees Ted Kyle, RPh, MBA, OAC Chairman

Award Nomination(S), Nominating, Weight Bias “I enjoy the pure gifts of encouragement that come to me from people who care about the work of the OAC. I also get great satisfaction from contributing to the essential work that the OAC does.”

Pam Davis, RN, BSN, CBN, Immediate-Past Chairman

Executive, Program Agenda (S), Award Nomination(S), Education, Nominating, Weight Bias “I work with such a dedicated, passionate and compassionate group of experts who come together for a common goal, to educate, support and empower those affected by obesity.”

Georgeann Mallory, RD, Treasurer

Executive, Membership, Revenue “ I would love to see weight biases eliminated, but would be happy to see a big dent in the beginning.”

Jacqueline Jacques, ND, Secretary

Nominating “I want to see us have 10 times the members we have today. That may not happen in my board term, I want that for the organization.”

Tammy Beaumont, BSN, RN, CBN

Program Agenda, Convention Welcoming and Promotions Committee Revenue “I’m learning about new resources that I can use to better help my patients and to help become an even better advocate myself.”

Jaime Fivecoat, MBA Executive, Award Nomination(Sub), Nominating “I want to ensure that anyone who wants and needs treatment for obesity will be able to get it. We still have a long way to go.”

Amber Huett-Garcia, BS, MPA

Program Agenda, Chair, Award Nomination(S), Revenue “It is such a privilege to be a voice for our membership. The idealist in me loves and is affirmed by a small group of folks making a huge difference.”

Robert Kushner, MD Program Agenda, Education, Nominating “One of the most unique aspects of the OAC is the passion and excitement that all board members bring to the table. The mix of professional who care for persons with obesity along with individual who are affected by obesity provides a rich environment for dialogue, creativity and action.



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Holly F. Lofton, MD Chair, Education “I enjoy the diverse backgrounds of our board that allow us to delve deep into these issues. We are a group of “doers”,not just talkers.”

Tracy Martinez, RN, BSN, CBN

Chair, Revenue, Program Agenda (S) “I love being a voice for the individual who is affected and the opportunity to educate others who don’t understand this disease.”

Walter Medlin, MD, FACS “I love spending time with WONDERFUL people in this organization; staff, board and regular members all inspire me. The enthusiasm and empowerment is infectious all around.”

Lloyd Stegemann, MD, FASMBS

Program Agenda, Chair, Membership “I would like to help the organization continue to grow in numbers and influence. I hope to play a role in getting more individuals to understand there is power in numbers and the OAC can lead the way.”

Michelle Vicari Co-Chair, Convention Welcoming and Promotions Committee, Membership “My main goal is to raise awareness. I would love to have people in every town in America know about the OAC and its mission and want to join in on that mission.”

Melinda J. Watman, BSN, MSN, CNM, MBA

Chair, Weight Bias “I want to find ways to expand our reach and voice. I believe it is time to become more proactive and visible when “controversial” topics come up.”

Christopher D. Still, DO, FACN, FACP Emeritus

Education, Revenue

Robin Blackstone, DO, FACN, FAP,Emeritus



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Staff

In terms of capacity, the OAC organization is presently working at capacity with

prospects for adding additional staff as their programs expand. Ms Davis attributes the

current success and continued growth of the organization to the effectiveness of board and

CEO communication and a culture of mutual respect and a flattened hierarchy. The board

has pursued team-building training, and strategic planning skills that has enabled them to

foster this kind of “family environment” where roles are clearly defined and everyone’s

input is seen as valuable. The synergy and collectively passion of the board has drawn

people of similar mind to their organization and this openness fosters an ideal culture of

growth and inquiry. The board actively involves the staff input at every possible

opportunity and work side-by-side with them on committees. In the notes from a meeting,

there are references to knowledge about the staff’s personal lives and the impact that has

on their work. This board recognizes the reality of a balance between work and family that

everyone in the organization lives under and seeks to take that into account, thus cultivating

strong bonds and relationships.

The bylaws state that only duly elected board members have voting rights.

However, board members may delegate these rights to board created committees.32

32 OAC Code of Regulations p. 3



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Table 3. OAC Staff

Joseph Nagdowlski, President/CEO

Executive, Nominating, Revenue Generating “Every day I get a chance to make a meaningful difference in the lives of other. Our supporters and members inspire me everyday.”

Krista Kuna Director of Programs and Membership

Program Agenda (S), Awards Nomination (S), Membership “I love that we have a real opportunity to impact significant change that needs to happy with how our society views individuals with obesity. On a personal note, being on staff at the OAC is like being part of a family.”

James Zervios, Director of Communications

Education, Weight Bias “I consider everyone I work with a friend first and co-worker second. It’s also an incredible pleasure to work with the OAC Board. It is exceptional.”

Lindsay McGhay Marketing Manager

Revenue Generation “I love going out into the community and telling people who we are and what we do. People often ask me, “What’s the catch?” I love to respond that there is no catch, the OAC truly exists to people and that is all.”

Lisa Gresco-White Administrative and Member Services Coordinator

“I love to meet members face-to-face at the convention. It’s always a pleasure to have that personal interaction.”

Eileen Blake Outreach

“I love our great community of members, the other staff members and OAC National Board of Directors. The people I work with are pretty amazing.”


BillByrnes

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I offer the same comment about the apparent lack of diversity among the staff. I count 19 people - that's a pretty good sized staff.


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Kim Zahradnick Office Assistant 1

“I work with people who are caring, passionate and amazing in each of their areas. When they come together and their efforts overlap MAGIC happens. I love being in an environment where I learn something every day.”



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OAC Staff cont.

Matt Gunther Graphic Designer and Multimedia Coordinator

“I get to help people while working with one of the most genuinely kind, caring, and dedicated individuals with who I’ve ever had the privilege of working.”

Rob Portinga, “Fat-Dudes” Blog and winner of the

3rd Annual “Barbara Thompson Award

for Advocacy” 2014

Convention Welcoming and Convention Promotions, Weight Bias

*no image available

Nanette Wilson Adams Convention Welcoming and Convention Promotions

Tracy Baker Education, Weight Bias

Mari Broome Education, Weight Bias

Melissa Davis, RN, MSN,ANP,CNS,CNOR, RNFA

Education

Nadia B. Peitrzykowska, MD, FACP

Education

Karen Flanders Education

Kim Cundick Revenue Generation

Tom Kinder Revenue Generation



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Maria Caprigno Convention Welcome and Convention Promotions

Eliza Kingsford, MA,LPC Weight Bias



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Figure 3. OAC Committees

Executive

• The responsibilities and operations of the Executive Committee are outlined by the Code of the Regulations of the Association.

Advocacy

• The Advocacy Committee is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization’s advocacy efforts. encouraging participation in advocacy, training volunteers to be effective advocates and ensuring the OAC has the necessary infrastructure to be successful engaging in advocacy. In addition, the committee will develop advocacy efforts outside the traditional legislative/regulatory arena. Committee will coordinate closely with the OAC’s CEO and Policy Consultant to assist in efforts in expanding the OAC’s advocacy reach.

Convention

• The Convention Committee is responsible for developing the Annual Your Weight Matters National Convention. The committee works to develop the Convention, its theme, program agenda and much more. Within the Convention Committee, are many other committees and sub committees responsible for various aspects of the Convention.

Award Nomination

• Make recommendations for annual awards at the convention

Education

• The Education Committee will assist in the development of comprehensive and robust educational resources for our members and constituents. Such materials should reflect the diverse nature of our membership and constituents and be made available in multiple formats to best accommodate the needs of our targeted population. Educational resources should include health information but also expand beyond.

Weight Bias

• The weight bias committee will focus on identifying weight bias in the general public and engaging the OAC constituency in combating bias through various OAC-based tactics. The committee will coordinate closely with the public relations and education committees on developing, producing and distributing resources on weight bias to educate the general public. The committee will work with various partners on furthering the committee’s understanding of weight bias and stigma and how it affects the population at large.

Membership

• The Membership Committee is responsible for overseeing all aspects of OAC Membership. The committee will focus its efforts on membership structure, cost, recruitment, retention and member engagement. The membership committee also forms relationships with related groups and organizations to communicate OAC membership efforts and ways to engage others in the OAC and its membership. In addition, it will work in conjunction with the OAC’s Director of Membership and serve as a resource to her.

Board Nominating

• The Nominating Committee bears two major responsibilities. The first is to prepare a slate of candidates annually for consideration of the Board and Members for the Board of Directors as detailed in the code of regulations. The second is a review of all potential member volunteers that may serve on the OAC’s committees. The Nominating Committee will present such candidates for final approval to the Board of Directors.

Revenue Generation

• The purpose of the Revenue Generation Committee is to ensure the OAC has adequate resources to effectively carry out its mission and programs. The Committee will actively evaluate opportunities for fund raising including direct mail, planned giving, special events, grants and more.


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Is this your graphic or theirs? Regardless, it looks pretty good.


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Volunteers

As a membership organization, the OAC encourages its members to participate in

the organization by serving on committees and being trained as an advocate in the State

Advocacy Resource (STAR) program. Both committee appointment and advocacy training

require a nominating process that can be either self-nominated or someone can nominate

you. The candidate fills out an initial request form for the Advocacy Committee and board

to review. If accepted, the candidate must then fill out a more in-depth application. The

board makes the final approval. The board may also initiate contact with members who

may have special skills and ask them to become an advocate. Advocates typically serve a

two year term with options for infinite renewal at the end of each term. Encouraging the

members to participate in this way is part of the way the OAC fulfills their mission to

empower and educate those afflicted by obesity.

STAR Program

The purpose of the STAR Program is to support and communicate the mission and

goals of the OAC before the state legislature and regulatory agencies.33 Volunteers become

the eyes and ears of the OAC in their individual’s state legislatures and report back to the

OAC any issues that the OAC should know about and they represent the OAC in their state

legislatures by attending and testifying at hearings, meeting with elected officials and

monitoring legislation.

Specific training materials to become a STAR cannot be found on the application page.

However, the downloadable application asks if the applicant has had “ A Day On The Hill”

33 www.obesityaction.org/advocacy/star-program


http://www.obesityaction.org/advocacy/star-program

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Great way to put volunteers to work.

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

As I think about it, is there member profile available? E.G. Men, women? Race/ethnicity? Education levels? Also, assuming OAC can pull the data, what's the zip code distribution of the membership? What are the income levels of the members? And so forth...


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training or another type of advocacy training. “A Day on the Hill” is an intensive day of

group advocacy where members of OAC make the rounds to elected official offices to

advocate for current obesity issues. Links to “Advocacy Training Sessions” on a 2012

OAC blog entry and articles about convention activities are broken.34 Another blog entry

for the 2013 convention contains an unlinked mention about the “National Advocacy

Training Session” but no specific information.

The National Advocacy Training is a session conducted at the annual convention each

year. Hands-on and interactive exhibits like this one pictured below give potential

advocates an introduction to the world of advocacy. In 2014, more than 80 attendees were

trained advocates.

Advocacy for Beginners attendees practice exhibiting for the OAC.

34 http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/general-articles/your-weight-matters-inaugural-convention


BillByrnes

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Impressive


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More general information about advocacy is found on the ‘Get Involved’ advocacy page

on the OAC website.35

Volunteer Recognition The annual convention is main event to

support members. The“Bias Buster of the Year” is

one of many awards which is presented at the

convention awards dinner. Members, advocates and

volunteers are recognized for their outstanding

efforts. The OAC Chairman Award and the OAC

Member of the Year Award are two others. The

highlights and the details of the convention are then posted on the website, social media

with photos of the convention posted on flickr36 and sent out to news outlets as a press

release and featured in the YWM Magazine.

35 http://www.obesityaction.org/get-involved/become-an-advocate

36 https://www.flickr.com/photos/obesityactioncoalition/

Abby Lentz Honored with the

Obesity Action Coalition’s “Bias Buster of the Year” Award

2014


http://www.obesityaction.org/get-involved/become-an-advocate

https://www.flickr.com/photos/obesityactioncoalition/

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Good connection to OAC mission too.


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II. Financial Profile



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Fiscal Accountability and Practices

Financial Oversight The financial figures in Table 3 reflect an adequate current financial oversight by

the Board of Directors. The OAC runs a tight margin between income and outgo with only

a few days short of one month cash on hand, but nearly a 3 to 1 ration of assets to liabilities

provides some confidence in staying in the black should a downturn require immediate

cash. The debt to equity ratio shows a picture of good debt management that does not

strain the assets and contributes favorably to the OAC’s ability to be financially solvent

through a crisis.

Obesity Action Coalition Balance Sheet Snapshot*

Table 3. Balance Sheet Snapshot

Criteria Year Ending December 31, 2013 Days of cash on hand 26.48 Days Current Ratio Assets to Liabilities 2.81 Working capital 22.3 Days Change in unrestricted funds ($55,975) Debt to Equity Ratio .50 Temporarily restricted assets 0

*OAC Financial Statements Year ended December 31, 2013


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Nice work. No one else did a table like this. Very helpful.


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Budget

The OAC financial practices are generally sound with only a few areas of possible

improvement. The clean record of financial reporting and lack of complaints against this

organization suggests that they operate with acceptable parameters for financial control.

Official OAC documents and correspondence provided by the Pam Davis and Outreach

Coordinator, Eileen Blake (see Appendix A) to questions specifically about budgets and

finances, reveal two areas that could be strengthened: documentation of operational

policies which would include a separation of financial responsibilities policy, the column

for “unknowns” may also contain policies to be included in the manual.

The OAC board does regular, monthly review of the financials and the budget

review is part of the strategic planning session and facilitates the coordination of activities

with current financial information. The committee chairs prepare initial budget items for

their area of responsibility and present them to the board for approval before the end of

calendar year. The board discusses the proposals and approves the initial draft of the entire

budget by December. The Budget is then re-evaluated after the strategic planning retreat

in January and revisions are approved at that time.


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

OAC's financial report does indicate they get a lot of $$ from "corporate" grants. I could see that might raise some Red flags with the OAC critics.


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Table 4. Checklist for OAC Sound Financial Control Measures*

Criteria Yes Need Improvement

Unknown

Computerized Bookkeeping x Clear & Secure Procedures for spending money

x Regular Budget Review x Regular Financial reports with budget comparisons

x Regular examination of KPI, and a bias for action

x Regular Reconciliation of bank accounts x Tight account receivable policies with regular reviews

x Clear account payable standards with regular reviews

x Regular cash forecasting, and sound cash management

x Regular insurance reviews x Clear and documented operational policies, for delegation & training

x Logical separation of responsibilities to minimize fraud risk

x x *http://www.businessplanninghub.com/financial_control.html

When it comes to policies concerning Sarbanes-Oxley, the OAC has attached

somewhat generic articles and policies that address critical areas of the act to their Code

of Regulations, (see Appendix) but have not made them specific to the OAC. Ms. Blake

and Ms. Davis have personal knowledge that board is aware of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

issues and are circumspect about following them.


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Again, nice work. This was a very quick and clear way to communicate a lot of information.


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Income & Expense Patterns

Income for the OAC consists of earned income in the form of donations,

membership dues, special events and grants which are classified as unrestricted. A

significant financial cushion in the operating account in mentioned in correspondence with

OAC, but a line item for it is not apparent in the audit or other financials. Another item

that is incongruent with the financials and the knowledge of Ms. Davis and Blake is that

the OAC has a twelve month window of operating expenses to rely on should their income

be interrupted.

The financial history of the OAC has been one of fortunate support from an

anonymous ‘angel donor’. In its early years, when most nonprofits struggle to gain their

financial stability, the OAC was supported through its initial growth phase by this generous

donor until they reached a capacity to be more independent. To date, the OAC relies on

membership fees from its 50,000 member base, and fifty major corporate donors to support

its work and programs. (See Appendix) In addition, diligent financial oversight and

strategic planning have kept the OAC from operating in deficit. Contingency plans for a

possibility of deficit have been discussed, but not found in the documents received for this

study.

With good strategic planning for at least five years out and annual reviews and

modifications, the OAC has goals to reduce risk of financial downturns by diversifying

their donor base and eventually establishing an endowment fund. Their commitment to

disciplined spending and foresight through planning has helped them weather economic

vicissitudes that are beyond their control.


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

There didn't seem to be as much detail in this section of the report.


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IV. Activities and Programs



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Programming Context

Diversity in the Program

The OAC, by definition serves a narrow constituency as it focuses on people who suffer

from obesity. Within that context, there is no evidence that any sub group is prohibited

from participating in their organization.

Economic Downturns

Many factors contribute to the OAC being able to weather economic downturns

without it affecting their programs. One factor is a good strategic plan with regular

monitoring for adjustments that the board follows. Another is open communication

channels between the CEO and the board which keeps pertinent information flowing so if

adjustments are necessary they can be caught in time. By the far the most important factor

is one of solid funding and diligent financial oversight.

Program Planning and the Board

Early in OAC’s formation, someone had the foresight to engage an outside

consultant to train the board members on how to plan and build a team. This training has

paid off as the OAC board is a high functioning, active board with solid relationships with

the CEO and the staff.

The annual board retreat is the planning meeting for the year where program

resources are discussed and allocated in relation to the strategic plan. Staff and board

members meet for a three day intensive of examining the needs for the coming years and


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

OK, but this is a bit vague. Did OAC cut its budget during the peak of the recession on 2008, 2009 and 2010? Did they lay off staff? What, if anything happened to how OAC managed in resources in partnership with it's board? I see later in the report you mention they actually grew during the recession. Good for them.

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

OK, but this section is a little light on content. For example, you could have shared info about how they respond to their 50,000 members with their programming or the sessions at their conference.


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making adjustments according to the 5 year strategic plan. Committees, which are chaired

by a board member also meet and plan for their programs and bring their planning work to

these board retreats. The only evidence of this planning is the Strategic Plan, minutes from

the monthly meeting, and first hand anecdotal information from a board member. The solid

financial standing points to effective planning that are working. This board retreat as well

as monthly meetings is the mechanism by which the board keeps tabs on what the programs

are doing.

Financial Cushions

The OAC is committed to sound financial oversight and practice. They use the 5

year strategic plan along with regular budget reviews to monitor their financials. To date,

the OAC has a perfect record of staying in the black since they opened up shop in 2005.

They are vigilant in planning for the unexpected and decide ahead of time what programs

they can scale back should things change. Their commitment to disciplined spending and

anticipating drops in donor activities always keeps them looking to diversify and find new

sources for income to maintain as much independence as possible. Using these financial

management tools effectively is what keeps them on solid financial footing.

Their membership actually grew during the 2008 downturn which kept their

financials in good shape. They have a 5 year plan that is reviewed and adjusted annual at

their retreat. They are fortunate that the sector they serve tends to do better during hard

economic times which lessen the impact on the budget.


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

So I gather you couldn't track down any info about how OAC assessed the impact of it's program or how it used that information to help shape their plan? This would have been a good section of the report to include one or two examples of how board oversight is taking place via info in the minutes.

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

That is indeed impressive.

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Even more impressive


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V. Planning and Evaluation



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The OAC has grown to a strong competitive position due to wealthy donor

support. Realizing this could easily change, the OAC board has begun to look for options

to maintain their competitive edge in the obesity field. OAC looks to compatible

partnerships to strengthening this edge and overall improve the entire obesity advocacy

field. Much of their strength lies in the commitment of the staff and board members to

the OAC and the passion and dedication to the cause of obesity eradication. They attract

professionals to their organization with the solid programs they offer and their mission

and vision but also by the stringent requirements to join their board. This selective

process brings prestige to serving on the OAC as an honor and vetting candidates for

their commitment to the cause brings together and extraordinary synergy for

growth. Coming from this position of strength, the OAC’s programs are aligned with

their mission and attract resources and interest from others. At their board retreats they

assess their programs regularly with staff input included. Table 5 Gives an overview

report card for OAC strategic planning process.


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

I looked at the financial report and I don't see "wealthy donors" listed, as you call them. I see corporate grants and a big in-kind and contributed revenue, but there isn't a category of individual donors on page 5 in the financial report.


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Table 5. Overview of Strategic Plan Process

Overview of the Strategic Plan Process Yes No

Strategic Plan

Guidance for short and long term priorities X

Helps allocate resources X

Plain and understandable to others outside the organization X

Includes understanding of internal and external environments X

Developed by consensus and commitment building process ? Formally adopted by the board of directors X Annual Operating Plan Specifies both process and outcome objectives X Developed by staff members who are responsible for implementation

X

A tool for easy implementation, monitoring and reference X Operationalizes the strategic plan X

Realistic Budget Support X

Planning Process Criteria

Consensus building ? SWOT X Supported achievement of outcomes for successful planning ?



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PART B – Recommendations

I. MISSION, IMAGE AND PURPOSE II. HUMAN RESOURCES III. FINANCIAL PROFILE

IV. ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS V. PLANNING AND EVALUATION



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I. Mission, Image & Purpose

From the information I could glean, the OAC has built an image of integrity and

human dignity that centers on a sound mission and clear vision that expresses their purpose

clearly. They affiliate within a group of similar organizations that lend credence to their

work. Detractors are few and consist of speculation about the OAC’s motives; expressing

a different viewpoint about what is effective for framing the issue of obesity, and personal

opinion on how they go about it. The only recommendation I would make is an echo of

an item on the OAC Strategic Plan and that is to retool the word “obesity” as it is

emotionally charged in a negative way.

Recommendations: None

II. Human Resources

In the human resources area the following are recommended as additions or

creation of a policy handbook and on the website where appropriate. These items may

already be in existence. This recommendation is made after looking through the materials

provided by contacts at the OAC for this study. Employee training on these areas would

also be appropriate. One common and efficient way of adding these policies are to adopts

policies from similar organizations and customize them for the OAC.

Recommendations: Strengthen Human Resource Practices

Ethics and Accountability • Code of ethics: Make explicit in writing and especially on the website clear and

meaningful statements that address the issue of due diligence of the OAC in remaining

ethically objective when it comes to donors who stand to gain financially by the


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

OK, fair enough.

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

This would be a good idea especially in light of the criticism about their motives as a organization.


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activities of the OAC. Adopting a system of periodic review by an uninterested third

party and prominently posted those findings where they would be easy to find on the

website would add to the substantiation of credibility that already exists in the OAC

organizational culture. An additional suggestion would be to post ‘badges’ from

reputable nonprofit watchdog organizations on your website so visitors to your website

would clearly see and easily find the high ethical standards that the OAC maintains and

holds as an organizational value.

• Diversity and Inclusion statements

• Confidentiality: It would be prudent to add these policies to its handbook to protect

members, employees, board members and the organization. Staff, board, new hires and

exiting employees should be aware of their obligations when it comes to the handling of

sensitive information pertaining to the organization, its members, employees or board

members and donors. Securing membership information in files on computers and in

file cabinets would also be recommended.

Personnel • Human resources responsibilities: Implement policies of acceptable and legal hiring

practices and procedures, including compensation plans, vacation time, sick leave and

family leave policies. Ensure maintenance of policy and procedure manual.

• EEO: Recommendations would be to include statement of compliance with

government regulations in the policy handbook and posting in work areas (this may

already be in place.


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

In light of how un-diverse the staff and board appear, it appears to me that they have some work to do on this front.

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Agreed.


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• Sexual harassment: Implementing and defining unacceptable behaviors,

procedures for complaints, documentation, consequences for violation, and retaliation

policy.

• Workplace environment: Establish standards of conduct to ensure physical,

emotional safety of employees and others in the organization. Define guidelines for

behaviors that constitute a hostile work environment and implement procedures and

consequences for violations. This may also include evacuation and emergency plans, first

aid stations and CPR certification and steps to follow in the event of emergencies.

• Policies for substance abuse: Establish conditions for employment, periodic drug

testing, description of a drug free work place and/or consequences for violations.

• Complaints: Systems and protocols should be implemented for handling

complaints with board and CEO, complaints between board and CEO and between board

members in an environment of confidentiality and trust.

• Electronic communication: Guidelines for handling, flagging and distributing

electronic communication and acceptable use of internet and the organization’s computers.

• Performance Reviews: Regular employee performance reviews which also includes

guidelines for performance review of CEO and procedures and reasons for termination.



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III. Financial Profile

Recommendations: Update policy book to include guidelines, procedures and rules for

these areas:

Finance and Investments • Budgeting • Financial Controls: More protective procedures for the accepting of funds and

accountability. (See Fig. # in “Financial Profile Section)

• Reserves and Endowments (when they come on-line) • Risk Management: How the OAC provides protection of liquid and hard assets,

intellectual property, public image and credibility, etc.

Activities and Programs Recommendation: Make communication protocols explicit in a policy manual. Communications

• Media Relations: Who can speak for the organization, procedure for sheparding

communications to the appropriate person, consequences for failure to comply with

established policies

• Crisis communication

• Electronic Media

• Lobbying and political activity


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

I would suggest they also consider expanding their donor base to include individual giving.

BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Yes, if they don't already have this established then getting this sorted out is important.


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Fundraising

• Sponsorships and Endorsements: Make explicit the policy of independence and integrity

when it comes to endorsements of bariatric services and equipment suppliers who

donation to the OAC.

V. Planning and Evaluation

Recommendations: None


BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Yes, being able to keep an arm-length distance from the services and supplier industry will give OAC greater credibility.


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References: Activist Facts (n.d.) Retrieved December 11, 2014 from https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/523-rudd-center-for-food-policy-and-obesity/ watchdog for activist and advocacy groups.

Allison, M., & Kaye, J. (2005). Strategic planning for nonprofit organizations a practical guide and workbook (2nd ed.). Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.

The ASBP: (n.d.) Retrieved October 10, 2014 http://www.asbp.org

The ASMBS: (n.d.) Retrieved October 10, 2014 http://www.asmbs.org

Bias, Stacy (2011, Nov.). The Obesity Action Coalition Busting the Bias of “bias busters”. [Web log comment] Retrieved October 8, 2014 from: http://stacybias.net/2011/11/the-obesity-action-coalition-busting-the-bias-of-“bias-busters” Charity Watch (n.d) Retrieved December 11, 2014 from http://www.charitywatch.org

Dances with Fat (2014, May 15). Why I’m Not Signing the OAC Petition [Web log comment] Retrieved October 8, 2014 from: http://danceswithfact.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/why-im-not-signing-the-oac-petition Davis, Pam personal telephone interview October, 2014 Cedar City,Utah Eaton, Christy (2010, June 8) Obesity linked to inactivity. Review Journal. Retrieved from: http://www.reviewjournal.com/life/health/obesity-linked-inactivity?ref=394 Felix, Devin & Welling, Angie (2007, June 21). Insurance from gastric bypass is sought. Deseret Morning News. Retrieved from: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/680192698/Insurance-for-gastric-bypass-is-sought.html Former Fat Dudes, (2011, May 25) Dash from obesity, introducing the OAC. [Web log comment] Retrieved from: http://formerfatdudes.com/dash-from-obesity-introducing-the-oac/ Guidestar (n.d.) Retrieved October 10, 2014 from http://www.guidestar.org

HNPG The handbook of nonprofit governance (First ed.). (2010). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. p.25, 17


https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/523-rudd-center-for-food-policy-and-obesity/%20watchdog%20for%20activist%20and%20advocacy%20groups



http://www.asbp.org/

http://www.asmbs.org/



http://www.charitywatch.org/

http://danceswithfact.wordpress.com/2014/05/15/why-im-not-signing-the-oac-petition

http://www.reviewjournal.com/life/health/obesity-linked-inactivity?ref=394





BillByrnes

Sticky Note

Thanks for providing a clear reference list. Very helpful.


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Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) Joins Forces with the YMCA of Central Florida to Tackle the Obesity Epidemic (2014, July 31).PR Newswire. Retrieved October 9, 2014 from: http://news.yahoo.com/obesity-action-coalition-oac-joins-forces-ymca-central-141000610.html The Obesity Society (TOS) (n.d.) Retrieved October 10, 2014 http://www.obesity.org/

Pettus, Emily Wagster (2010, Mar. 3) Fattest lawmakers shed pounds, fried stuff. Huffington Post. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/24/fattest-states-lawmakers_n_511706.html The Rudd Center (n.d.) Retrieved October 10, 2014 from http://www.yaleruddcenter.org

Walk from Obesity Retrieved October 9, 2014 from: http://walkfromobesity.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventList OAC Website Pages: http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2010-news-releases/oac-celebrates-five-year-anniversary http://www.obesityaction.org/weight-bias-and-stigma/bias-busters/fat-shaming-app http://www.obesityaction.org/weight-bias-and-stigma/people-first-language-for-obesity. http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2010-news-releases/oac-asks-all-americans-to-sign-on-to-a-national-petition-calling-for-an-end-to-childhood-obesity-discrimination-and-bullying http://www.obesityaction.org/wp-content/uploads/060914-OCC-Comments-on-USPSTF-CVD-Recommendations-on-Counseling-Diet-and-Exercise.pdf http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/your-weight-matters-magazinehttp://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/your-weight-matters-magazine http://www.obesityaction.org/understanding-obesity-in-children/kids-corner http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/oac-in-the-news/2013-2 http://www.obesityaction.org/about-us/oac-position-statements http://www.obesityaction.org/OAC in the news/




http://www.obesity.org/



http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/

http://walkfromobesity.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventList



http://www.obesityaction.org/weight-bias-and-stigma/bias-busters/fat-shaming-app

http://www.obesityaction.org/weight-bias-and-stigma/people-first-language-for-obesity










http://www.obesityaction.org/understanding-obesity-in-children/kids-corner

http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/oac-in-the-news/2013-2

http://www.obesityaction.org/about-us/oac-position-statements

http://www.obesity/


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OAC Website pages continued http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2005-news-releases/oac-requests-nominations-for-national-board-of-directors http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2006-news-releases/oac-announces-2006-advisory-board http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2008-news-releases/bipartisan-group-of-42-united-states-senators-sends-strong-message www.obesityaction.org/advocacy/star-program http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/general-articles/your-weight-matters-inaugural-convention http://www.obesityaction.org/get-involved/become-an-advocate OAC Podcast and Youtube http://www.weightlosssurgerypodcast.com/008-joseph-nadglowski-and-obesity-action-coalition/ https://www.youtube.com/user/ObesityAction https://twitter.com/ObesityAction/status/539421441222246401 https://www.facebook.com/ObesityActionCoalition






http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2008-news-releases/bipartisan-group-of-42-united-states-senators-sends-strong-message

http://www.obesityaction.org/newsroom/news-releases/2008-news-releases/bipartisan-group-of-42-united-states-senators-sends-strong-message

http://www.obesityaction.org/advocacy/star-program

http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/general-articles/your-weight-matters-inaugural-convention

http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/general-articles/your-weight-matters-inaugural-convention

http://www.obesityaction.org/get-involved/become-an-advocate



https://www.youtube.com/user/ObesityAction

https://twitter.com/ObesityAction/status/539421441222246401

https://www.facebook.com/ObesityActionCoalition


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Appendix A Documents

Email Correspondences

Financial Questions for OAC Case Study

All responses are confidential. Questions Fiscal Accountability and Practices 1. Do you have financial and budgets controls in place? What are they? Yes. Monthly Board review of financials. Treasurer co-signs checks over $10,000. Annual outside financial audit. 2. How is the board involved in the budget approval and revision process? Board approves initial draft of budget in December of each year after Committee Chairs are asked for input on their areas of the budget. Budget is then re-evaluated after the OAC Board Strategic Planning retreat which takes place each January and revisions are approved as necessary at that time. 3.Do you have an investment management or endowment committee? If so, has this committee done a good job at managing the portfolio? How has OAC fared through the stock market ups and down in the last few years? OAC does not hold investments or have an endowment. 4. Does your organization coordinate financial planning with its strategic and operational plans? Do these different entities closely cooperate with each other? In what way? See question 2 above. With the budget review included in our strategic planning session, we’ve been able to coordinate such activities without challenges. 5. What type of year-to-date budget report is given to the board? Do they receive monthly or quarterly revenue and expenses reports? Board receives monthly budget, profit and loss and Balance Sheet statements. Each Board meeting has agenda time assigned to discuss the financials. 6. Is the board aware of the Sarbanes-Oxley requirements for non-profits? They are and have adopted several formal policies related to them (COI, document destruction, partnership, etc. – these should have been provided to you previously). Such policies are reviewed annually at Board Strategic Planning Retreat. Income & Expense Patterns 1. Is there relative stable balance between earned and unearned income? Do you know the percentages between them? Have they changed much in the last 5 years?



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I believe nearly all of OAC’s income is considered unearned under definition (donations, dues, special events and grants). 2.Are there sufficient available unrestricted funds? Do you have cash available for emergencies? Do you have a sufficient line of credit? OAC holds no restricted or temporarily restricted funds and has a significant financial cushion in our operating account. We do not hold a line of credit. 3. Based on the ratios of monthly expenses to cash on hand, how long could the organization operate if its cash flows were interrupted? 12 months. 4.Are you dependent on a few major donors or income sources, or is there a broad base of support for the organization? This has changed over the years, OAC was in in our first two years reliant on a single “angel” donor that helped us start the organization. Today, we have nearly 50,000 members and more than 50 major corporate donors. 5. Have expenses come under or over budget? How are deficits covered? Expenses have always come in under budget. If we were to come in over budget, we’d scale back in other areas unless income was higher than expected. 2. How did the organization fare through the 2008-09 economic downturn? Are there plans in place to adjust to the next 2 to 5 years? We saw some decreased support from a handful of our coporate donors but other new donors stepped in during that time . We saw growth throughout that time period in the number of members and overall finances. 3.How far ahead does the organize plan? Does it have a long- range plan? Is there a 5 to 10 year vision trajectory? A multi-year financial plan? How is the organization meeting its financial goals? OAC has 5-year plan and goals that were developed several years ago that are reviewed and modified as necessary during our annual Board retreat. One of our major goals was being independent of any one type of industry support (bariatric, medical, pharmaceutical, etc.) and with our diversity of funding sources met this goal. Establishment of an endowment is another goal that we hope to meet in the next 3 years. 6. What adjustments have you had to make during the recent recession? How has the recent economic downturn impacted your income, expense and investment activity? While the economy struggled, attention and interest in obesity seemed to rise meaning we had relatively modest impact during the recession. Our commitment to disciplined spending and finding new sources of income helped weather the changes.



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1. Email correspondence with Pam Davis October 29, 2014 **All statements and information on this document are confidential and only shared with permission from Obesity Action Coalition (OAC)**

Board, Staff and Human Resources

Board 1. Does the organization pay attention to its bylaws? Is there evidence of responsible trusteeship relative to the dictates of the bylaws and operating manuals? We do follow our bylaws. We also review them annually for any necessary updates. 2. Are their unpublished Board manuals describing how the Board goes about its business? We have a binder we review with new board members that includes our bylaws, how and why our organization was formed, our financials, the presentations from previous board retreats and our strategic plan. We also include pertinent committee reports. 3. How does the Board track and report what happens between meetings? Each subcommittee is chaired by a board member, those subcommittees are expected to meet between board calls. There is a set period of time on each board agenda for the committee chairs to give updates on their committee’s progress. 4. Are actions of the Board summarized on a yearly basis? Yes at our annual board retreat held every January. 5. How is progress measured when it comes to meetings and the work of the Board? We just began this past year setting different metrics based on the project. For example, initially you would think the goal of an annual conference would be to raise money. That is not our goal, our goal is not to lose money, but to increase awareness and education; therefore, our metric looks at how many people attend the conference, not how much revenue was generated. We also look at how many people are engaged with our social media, how many new members do we have, how many existing members did we retain? 6.Does the board use some version of the New Roberts Rules of Order (NRRO) to run their meetings? We do-we begin each call with review, discussion and approval of the minutes. Agenda items are discussed, motion made and seconded, voted on and passed/failed. 7. Does the management team work from established policies? We work more from our strategic plan than from policies. 8. Has the Board enacted special stewardship activity in response to the turbulent economy of the last few years? We sought to diversify our funding sources. Initially we felt our reliance was to heavily focused on one industry. We sought additional sources of funding and now feel more secure should any one area receive a devastating financial blow, we would still be able to function although at a more modest level.



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9. Has the Board had to step up their own financial commitment to OAC? We do not require a set amount of financial commitment by our board members although they are strongly encouraged to support our organization. 10. Have they had any special retreats in response to internal or external pressures they have faced recently? We have not had a “special” retreat, we do have an annual retreat every year in January-the location is the same location as our annual convention so we can become familiar with the location and space. 11. Does the Board distribute their planning documents? We send out “homework” prior to the retreat and incorporate thoughts and ideas into our strategy. We then send the strategy to the board and it is reviewed during board calls. 12. How is the Board involved in planning process? See above. 13. What is the relationship between the staff planning function and the board planning function? We discussed this-very involved. 14. Is the staff aware that there is a plan? absolutely 15. Is the plan mostly strategic, operational or a mixture of both? Mainly strategic 16. How long after the meeting are the board minutes distributed? Would it be possible to get a copy of a Board meeting minutes? At the next meeting, see attached Human Resources 1. What are the Board profiles? (demographic info) A mixture of healthcare providers (RNs, MDs) and individuals affected by obesity 2. Does the Board demographic mirror the community? If not, is there a reason why? yes 3. Does the Board have an executive committee? Who is on this committee? Yes, the chair, co-chair, secretary and treasurer and immediate past chair 4. What other committees and task forces or work groups are there? Please see the website for committee descriptions and chairs 5. Does OAC have an honorary board? What is its purpose, processes and impacts We have emeritus members-those who founded our organization and other “lifetime” board members that no longer actively serve. We value their input and turn to them as the organizational historians. 6. Are there job descriptions for the various board positions and committees? yes 7. What is attendance like at Board meetings? The annual retreat we have nearly 100% attendance-it’s an expectation when you apply to serve. Our monthly calls we usually have 1-2 unable to attend. If you miss more than 3 calls in a year or miss the annual retreat, we question your



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commitment and offer you the option to “step it up and attend” or to step down from serving. 8. Does the Board have annual review process for the CEO or ED? Is there more than one person who reports to the board and that the board evaluates? We discussed this on the call 9. Does the CEO have a voting position on the board or are they ex officio members of the board without voting rights? ex officio members of the board without voting rights 10. Has there been any history of problems with the relationship between the leader and the board? Elaborate? None-thank goodness 11. Where is the list of board members available to the public? website 12 Annual reports? website 13. Does the board do any of its business via the website? Virtual meetings, email or conference calling? We’ve used webex when we were redesigning the website and to walk the board through the convention registration process Staff 1. Is the OAC sufficiently staffed to carry out its mission? Yes-it’s remarkable how much work so few people are able to accomplish 2. Is there a good ratio between capacity growth and the number of staff? As we grow, we will need to add staff 3. If there is a gap between capacity and number of staff what is being done to address the issue or close the gap? What might be the causes for this discrepancy? None at present 4. Do staff members serve as non-voting exofficio on board committees or do they have voting rights on various committees? ex officio members without voting rights 5. Which committees does the CEO serve on? Finance, Nominating 6. What does the staff generally think of the board? What does the board generally think of the staff? Very positive dynamics 7. Has there been any history of board and staff discord? Please explain Very rarely 8. Has there been use of outside consultants in the recent past (or now) to help the board staff work together more effectively? The first several years we used a consultant to run our retreats to assist with team building and to work us through the process of developing a mission and vision and strategy Volunteers 1. are there separate groups of volunteers who are not board members



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yes Activities and Programs 1. Any adjustment in the level of programming offered since the economic downturn? No, actually we’ve began our convention since the economy tanked 2. How are programming plans integrated into the strategic planning process or planning process? We discussed this on the call 3. Do the specific programs do their own planning? How do they report and track the program's impact? How is it measured? We discussed this on the call 4. How is the board involved with its oversight function of the programmatic activity? Is there a reporting mechanism in place to keep the board informed of the programs activities and progress? We discussed this on the call Planning and Evaluation 1. Does the board have a plan in place that they are working from? if not, please describe how they function. We discussed this on the call 2. Are there operational plans in place? (marketing, education, development, etc.) How are they developed and monitored? Does the board have any connection to the operations through board committees? Is there a "firewall" between the board planning committees and the staff planning process? We discussed this on the call 2. Has the organization made use of outside consultants in the last three to five years or does it plan to do so in the near future? Please see above Evaluation/Assessment and Accountability 1. How are programs and activities evaluated or assessed? Based on participation and utilization 2. ,Has the organization added or discontinued any of its programmatic activity in the

last five years? If yes, why? We added the convention-this year was our 3rd one 3. Are the evaluations of a quantitative nature? What metrics are used? (milestones,

KPI, Key performance indicators) We discussed this on the call 4. How is the overall effectiveness of the organization evaluated? for example, if you

asked the CEO of the OAC to describe what mission fulfillment looks like in the organization, who'd o you think he, or she would say?



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OAC Code of Regulations: attached to assignment

OAC 2012 Strategic Plan : attached to assignment

OAC Budget and Audit Financial Report contact: attached to assignment

OAC Board Minutes: attached to assignment

OAC Governance Policy(Conflict of Interest): attached to assignment



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Appendix B Figures and Tables

Figure 1. Examples of Fat Shaming Apps

Fat Booth Fatify

Figure 2. Membership Support Programs



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Figure 3. OAC Committees

Executive

• The responsibilities and operations of the Executive Committee are outlined by the Code of the Regulations of the Association.

Advocacy

• The Advocacy Committee is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization’s advocacy efforts. encouraging participation in advocacy, training volunteers to be effective advocates and ensuring the OAC has the necessary infrastructure to be successful engaging in advocacy. In addition, the committee will develop advocacy efforts outside the traditional legislative/regulatory arena. Committee will coordinate closely with the OAC’s CEO and Policy Consultant to assist in efforts in expanding the OAC’s advocacy reach.

Convention

• The Convention Committee is responsible for developing the Annual Your Weight Matters National Convention. The committee works to develop the Convention, its theme, program agenda and much more. Within the Convention Committee, are many other committees and sub committees responsible for various aspects of the Convention.

Award Nomination

• Make recommendations for annual awards at the convention

Education

• The Education Committee will assist in the development of comprehensive and robust educational resources for our members and constituents. Such materials should reflect the diverse nature of our membership and constituents and be made available in multiple formats to best accommodate the needs of our targeted population. Educational resources should include health information but also expand beyond.

Weight Bias

• The weight bias committee will focus on identifying weight bias in the general public and engaging the OAC constituency in combating bias through various OAC-based tactics. The committee will coordinate closely with the public relations and education committees on developing, producing and distributing resources on weight bias to educate the general public. The committee will work with various partners on furthering the committee’s understanding of weight bias and stigma and how it affects the population at large.

Membership

• The Membership Committee is responsible for overseeing all aspects of OAC Membership. The committee will focus its efforts on membership structure, cost, recruitment, retention and member engagement. The membership committee also forms relationships with related groups and organizations to communicate OAC membership efforts and ways to engage others in the OAC and its membership. In addition, it will work in conjunction with the OAC’s Director of Membership and serve as a resource to her.

Board Nominating

• The Nominating Committee bears two major responsibilities. The first is to prepare a slate of candidates annually for consideration of the Board and Members for the Board of Directors as detailed in the code of regulations. The second is a review of all potential member volunteers that may serve on the OAC’s committees. The Nominating Committee will present such candidates for final approval to the Board of Directors.

Revenue Generation

• The purpose of the Revenue Generation Committee is to ensure the OAC has adequate resources to effectively carry out its mission and programs. The Committee will actively evaluate opportunities for fund raising including direct mail, planned giving, special events, grants and more.



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Table 1 Summary and Scorecard37

Responsible and Exceptional Boards Scorecard Responsible Boards…. Exceptional Boards… Establish and Review Strategic Plans Allocate time at meetings and between

meetings to address what matters most and engage in strategic thinking on a regular basis.

Adopt a conflict of interest policy Include guidelines for disclosure review and recusal and require members to sign it annually and rigorously adhere to it.

Monitor financial performance and receive programmatic updates

Measure overall organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and impact using various tools and including dashboards

Orient new board members Invest in ongoing board development to deepen the commitment of board members, and have board members reflect on their own performance by conducting regular board self-assessments

37 HNPG p. 25



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Table 2. Current Members of the OAC National Board of Directors

Name and Title Committees Ted Kyle, RPh, MBA, OAC Chairman

Award Nomination(S), Nominating, Weight Bias “I enjoy the pure gifts of encouragement that come to me from people who care about the work of the OAC. I also get great satisfaction from contributing to the essential work that the OAC does.”

Pam Davis, RN, BSN, CBN, Immediate-Past Chairman

Executive, Program Agenda (S), Award Nomination(S), Education, Nominating, Weight Bias “I work with such a dedicated, passionate and compassionate group of experts who come together for a common goal, to educate, support and empower those affected by obesity.”

Georgeann Mallory, RD, Treasurer

Executive, Membership, Revenue “ I would love to see weight biases eliminated, but would be happy to see a big dent in the beginning.”

Jacqueline Jacques, ND, Secretary

Nominating “I want to see us have 10 times the members we have today. That may not happen in my board term, I want that for the organization.”

Tammy Beaumont, BSN, RN, CBN

Program Agenda, Convention Welcoming and Promotions Committee Revenue “I’m learning about new resources that I can use to better help my patients and to help become an even better advocate myself.”

Jaime Fivecoat, MBA Executive, Award Nomination(Sub), Nominating “I want to ensure that anyone who wants and needs treatment for obesity will be able to get it. We still have a long way to go.”

Amber Huett-Garcia, BS, MPA

Program Agenda, Chair, Award Nomination(S), Revenue “It is such a privilege to be a voice for our membership. The idealist in me loves and is affirmed by a small group of folks making a huge difference.”

Robert Kushner, MD Program Agenda, Education, Nominating “One of the most unique aspects of the OAC is the passion and excitement that all board members bring to the table. The mix of professional who care for persons with obesity along with individual who are affected by obesity provides a rich environment for dialogue, creativity and action.



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Holly F. Lofton, MD Chair, Education “I enjoy the diverse backgrounds of our board that allow us to delve deep into these issues. We are a group of “doers”,not just talkers.”

Tracy Martinez, RN, BSN, CBN

Chair, Revenue, Program Agenda (S) “I love being a voice for the individual who is affected and the opportunity to educate others who don’t understand this disease.”

Walter Medlin, MD, FACS “I love spending time with WONDERFUL people in this organization; staff, board and regular members all inspire me. The enthusiasm and empowerment is infectious all around.”

Lloyd Stegemann, MD, FASMBS

Program Agenda, Chair, Membership “I would like to help the organization continue to grow in numbers and influence. I hope to play a role in getting more individuals to understand there is power in numbers and the OAC can lead the way.”

Michelle Vicari Co-Chair, Convention Welcoming and Promotions Committee, Membership “My main goal is to raise awareness. I would love to have people in every town in America know about the OAC and its mission and want to join in on that mission.”

Melinda J. Watman, BSN, MSN, CNM, MBA

Chair, Weight Bias “I want to find ways to expand our reach and voice. I believe it is time to become more proactive and visible when “controversial” topics come up.”

Christopher D. Still, DO, FACN, FACP Emeritus

Education, Revenue

Robin Blackstone, DO, FACN, FAP,Emeritus

Barbara Thomson, MLS, Emeritus



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Table 3. OAC Staff

Joseph Nagdowlski, President/CEO

Executive, Nominating, Revenue Generating “Every day I get a chance to make a meaningful difference in the lives of other. Our supporters and members inspire me everyday.”

Krista Kuna Director of Programs and Membership

Program Agenda (S), Awards Nomination (S), Membership “I love that we have a real opportunity to impact significant change that needs to happy with how our society views individuals with obesity. On a personal note, being on staff at the OAC is like being part of a family.”

James Zervios, Director of Communications

Education, Weight Bias “I consider everyone I work with a friend first and co-worker second. It’s also an incredible pleasure to work with the OAC Board. It is exceptional.”

Lindsay McGhay Marketing Manager

Revenue Generation “I love going out into the community and telling people who we are and what we do. People often ask me, “What’s the catch?” I love to respond that there is no catch, the OAC truly exists to people and that is all.”

Lisa Gresco-White Administrative and Member Services Coordinator

“I love to meet members face-to-face at the convention. It’s always a pleasure to have that personal interaction.”

Eileen Blake Outreach

“I love our great community of members, the other staff members and OAC National Board of Directors. The people I work with are pretty amazing.”



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Kim Zahradnick Office Assistant 1

“I work with people who are caring, passionate and amazing in each of their areas. When they come together and their efforts overlap MAGIC happens. I love being in an environment where I learn something every day.”



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Matt Gunther Graphic Designer and Multimedia Coordinator

“I get to help people while working with one of the most genuinely kind, caring, and dedicated individuals with who I’ve ever had the privilege of working.”

Rob Portinga, “Fat-Dudes” Blog and winner of the

3rd Annual “Barbara Thompson Award

for Advocacy” 2014

Convention Welcoming and Convention Promotions, Weight Bias

*no image available

Nanette Wilson Adams Convention Welcoming and Convention Promotions

Tracy Baker Education, Weight Bias

Mari Broome Education, Weight Bias

Melissa Davis, RN, MSN,ANP,CNS,CNOR, RNFA

Education

Nadia B. Peitrzykowska, MD, FACP

Education

Karen Flanders Education

Kim Cundick Revenue Generation

Tom Kinder Revenue Generation



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Maria Caprigno Convention Welcome and Convention Promotions

Eliza Kingsford, MA,LPC Weight Bias

Table 3. Balance Sheet Snapshot

Days of cash on hand 26.48 Days Current Ratio Assets to Liabilities 2.81 Working capital 22.3 Days Change in unrestricted funds ($55,975) Debt to Equity Ratio .50 Temporarily restricted assets 0

*OAC Financial Statements Year ended December 31, 2013



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Table 4. Checklist for OAC Sound Financial Control Measures*

Criteria Yes Need Improvement

Unknown

Computerized Bookkeeping x Clear & Secure Procedures for spending money

x Regular Budget Review x Regular Financial reports with budget comparisons

x Regular examination of KPI, and a bias for action

x Regular Reconciliation of bank accounts x Tight account receivable policies with regular reviews

x Clear account payable standards with regular reviews

x Regular cash forecasting, and sound cash management

x Regular insurance reviews x Clear and documented operational policies, for delegation & training

x Logical separation of responsibilities to minimize fraud risk

x x *http://www.businessplanninghub.com/financial_control.html



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Table 5 . Overview of Strategic Plan Process

Overview of the Strategic Plan Process Yes No Strategic Plan

Guidance for short and long term priorities X

Helps allocate resources X

Plain and understandable to others outside the organization X

Includes understanding of internal and external environments X

Developed by consensus and commitment building process ? Formally adopted by the board of directors X Annual Operating Plan Specifies both process and outcome objectives X Developed by staff members who are responsible for implementation

X

A tool for easy implementation, monitoring and reference X Operationalizes the strategic plan X

Realistic Budget Support X

Planning Process Criteria

Consensus building ? SWOT X Supported achievement of outcomes for successful planning ?


strickling_oac_casestudy_final-3

Documents

oac image local

oac initiatives

oac history

activities of board

profiles of board members

case study peggy

board relations bill

oacs industry image