Seattle Indies Corporate Bylaws
The name of the corporation shall be Seattle Indies. The business of the corporation may be conducted as Seattle Indies, Seattle Indies Foundation, or Seattle Indies Expo.
This corporation is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
Seattle Indies is a community and interest group for self-identified independent video-game developers in the greater Puget Sound area.
The specific objectives and purpose of this organization shall be:
The corporation shall have the power, directly or indirectly, alone or in conjunction or cooperation with others, to do any and all lawful acts which may be necessary or convenient to affect the charitable purposes, for which the corporation is organized, and to aid or assist other organizations or persons whose activities further accomplish, foster, or attain such purposes. The powers of the corporation may include, but not be limited to, the acceptance of contributions from the public and private sectors, whether financial or in-kind contributions.
The corporation shall have no members who have any right to vote or title or interest in or to the corporation, its properties and franchises.
The board of directors may approve classes of non-voting affiliates with rights, privileges, and obligations established by the board. Affiliates may be individuals, businesses, and other organizations that seek to support the mission of the corporation. The board, a designated committee of the board, or any duly elected officer in accordance with board policy, shall have authority to admit any individual or organization as an affiliate, to recognize representatives of affiliates, and to make determinations as to affiliates’ rights, privileges, and obligations. At no time shall affiliate information be shared with or sold to other organizations or groups without the affiliate’s consent. At the discretion of the board of directors, affiliates may be given endorsement, recognition and media coverage at fundraising activities, clinics, other events or at the corporation website. Affiliates have no voting rights, and are not members of the corporation.
Any dues for affiliates shall be determined by the board of directors.
The affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by its Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall have control of and be responsible for the management of the affairs and property of the Corporation, except as otherwise provided by law.
The number of Directors shall be fixed from time-to-time by the Directors but shall consist of no less than five (5) nor more than fifteen (15) including the following officers: the President, the first Vice-President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. Within these limits, the board may increase or decrease the number of directors serving on the board, including for the purpose of staggering the terms of directors.
Directors may be elected at any board meeting by the majority vote of the existing board of directors. The election of directors to replace those who have fulfilled their term of office shall take place in January of each year. No vote on new members of the Board of Directors, or Advisory Council, shall be held unless a quorum of the Board of Directors is present as provided in Section 8 of this Article.
In order to be eligible to serve as a director on the board of directors, the individual must be 18 years of age. They must also have values that align with the organization’s mission statement as defined in Article 2, Section 2. Eligible persons should provide valuable contributions to the community through some form determined by the Board of Directors, such as participating in the organization of community events or be an engaged member of the community or regional game industry. Eligible persons must also be good representatives of the community at all times, acting in accordance with any Code of Conduct adopted by the Board of Directors at all times.
Each member of the Board of Directors must attend at least three (3) quarterly meetings of the Board per year.
Each member of the Board of Directors shall contribute at least five hundred cash dollars ($500) to the organization annually, all or part of which may come from the tax deductible value paid for or solicited by the Board member, and received by the Corporation. No contribution credit shall be given for in-kind donations. Provided, however, that the $500 cash requirement for any member who joins after the beginning of the fiscal year for his or her initial one-year term shall be prorated accordingly. The Board of Directors by a majority vote may waive the dues for an otherwise qualified person.
The board of directors may fill vacancies due to the expiration of a director’s term of office, resignation, death, or removal of a director or may appoint new directors to fill a previously unfilled board position, subject to the maximum number of directors under these Bylaws.
A director may be removed by two-thirds vote of the board of directors then in office, if:
Directors shall receive no compensation for carrying out their duties as directors. The board may adopt policies providing for reasonable reimbursement of directors for expenses incurred in conjunction with carrying out board responsibilities, such as travel expenses to attend board meetings, or for the purchase of equipment and/or supplies needed for board meetings.
Any member of the Board of Directors who fails to fulfill any of his or her requirements as set forth in Section 2 of this Article by the end of their term shall automatically forfeit their seat on the Board. The Secretary shall notify the Director in writing that their seat has been declared vacant, and the Board of Directors may forthwith immediately proceed to fill the vacancy. Members of the Board of Directors who are removed for failure to meet any or all of the requirements of Section 4 of this Article are not entitled to vote at the annual meeting and are not entitled to the procedure outlined in Section 7 of this Article in these by-laws.
The board of directors may, by the resolution adopted by a majority of the directors then in office, designate one or more committees, each consisting of two or more directors, to serve at the pleasure of the board. Any committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the board, shall have all the authority of the board, except that no committee, regardless of board resolution, may:
Meetings and action of the committees shall be governed by and held and taken in accordance with, the provisions of Article IV of these Bylaws concerning meetings of the directors, with such changes in the context of those Bylaws as are necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the board of directors and its members, except that the time for regular meetings of committees may be determined either by resolution of the board of directors or by resolution of the committee. Special meetings of the committee may also be called by resolution of the board of directors. Notice of special meetings of committees shall also be given to any and all alternate members, who shall have the right to attend all meetings of the committee. Minutes shall be kept of each meeting of any committee and shall be filed with the corporate records. The board of directors may adopt rules for the governing of the committee not inconsistent with the provision of these Bylaws.
Any action required or permitted to be taken by the board of directors at a meeting may be taken without a meeting if consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be agreed by the consensus of a quorum. For purposes of this section an e-mail transmission from an e-mail address on record constitutes a valid writing. The intent of this provision is to allow the board of directors to use email to approve actions, as long as a quorum of board members gives consent.
The officers of the corporation shall be a board president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer, all of whom shall be chosen by, and serve at the pleasure of, the board of directors. Each board officer shall have the authority and shall perform the duties set forth in these Bylaws or by resolution of the board or by direction of an officer authorized by the board to prescribe the duties and authority of other officers. The board may also appoint additional vice-presidents and such other officers as it deems expedient for the proper conduct of the business of the corporation, each of whom shall have such authority and shall perform such duties as the board of directors may determine. One person may hold two or more board offices, but no board officer may act in more than one capacity where action of two or more officers is required.
Each officer shall serve a one-year term of office and must be elected by a majority vote of the Board of Directors to continue serving another term. Unless unanimously elected by the board at the end of his/her three (3) year terms or to fill a vacancy in an officer position, each board officer’s term of office shall begin upon the adjournment of the board meeting at which elected and shall end upon the adjournment of the board meeting during which a successor is elected.
The board of directors may remove an officer at any time, with or without cause. Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the corporation without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of the notice or at any later time specified in the notice, unless otherwise specified in the notice. The acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.
The board president shall be the chief volunteer officer of the corporation. The board president shall lead the board of directors in performing its duties and responsibilities, including, if present, presiding at all meetings of the board of directors, and shall perform all other duties incident to the office or properly required by the board of directors.
In the absence or disability of the board president, the ranking vice-president or vice-president designated by the board of directors shall perform the duties of the board president. When so acting, the vice-president shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the board president. The vice-president shall have such other powers and perform such other duties prescribed for them by the board of directors or the board president. The vice-president shall normally accede to the office of board president upon the completion of the board president’s term of office.
The secretary shall keep or cause to be kept a book of minutes of all meetings and actions of directors and committees of directors. The minutes of each meeting shall state the time and place that it was held and such other information as shall be necessary to determine the actions taken and whether the meeting was held in accordance with the law and these Bylaws. The secretary shall cause notice to be given of all meetings of directors and committees as required by the Bylaws. The secretary shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the board of directors or the board president. The secretary may appoint, with approval of the board, a director to assist in performance of all or part of the duties of the secretary.
The treasurer shall be the lead director for oversight of the financial condition and affairs of the corporation. The treasurer shall oversee and keep the board informed of the financial condition of the corporation and of audit or financial review results. In conjunction with other directors or officers, the treasurer shall oversee budget preparation and shall ensure that appropriate financial reports, including an account of major transactions and the financial condition of the corporation, are made available to the board of directors on a timely basis or as may be required by the board of directors. The treasurer shall perform all duties properly required by the board of directors or the board president. The treasurer may appoint, with approval of the board a qualified fiscal agent or member of the staff to assist in performance of all or part of the duties of the treasurer.
The board of directors may designate additional officer positions of the corporation and may appoint and assign duties to other non-director officers of the corporation.
Except as otherwise provided by resolution of the board or board policy, all contracts, deeds, leases, mortgages, grants, and other agreements of the corporation shall be executed on its behalf by the treasurer or other persons to whom the corporation has delegated authority to execute such documents in accordance with policies approved by the board.
All checks, drafts, or other orders for payment of money, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness issued in the name of the corporation, shall be signed by such officer or officers, agent or agents, of the corporation and in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by resolution of the board.
All funds of the corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the corporation in such banks, trust companies, or other depository as the board or a designated committee of the board may select.
No loans shall be contracted on behalf of the corporation and no evidence of indebtedness shall be issued in its name unless authorized by resolution of the board. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.
The Board of Directors and any committee that raises funds to be used for a specific purpose, ie. to finance the operational costs of a particular events or to fund specific activities, may earmark those funds to only be used for said purpose. Any shortfall in funding for a given purpose shall not be be made up for by using other funds that the organization holds without a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Any surplus in funds raised for a given purpose shall not be repurposed for another event or activity without a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
The corporation shall keep correct and complete books and records of account and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of all meetings of its board of directors, a record of all actions taken by board of directors without a meeting, and a record of all actions taken by committees of the board. In addition, the corporation shall keep a copy of the corporation’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws as amended to date.
The fiscal year of the corporation shall be from January 1 to December 31 of each year.
The board shall adopt and periodically review a conflict of interest policy to protect the corporation’s interest when it is contemplating any transaction or arrangement which may benefit any director, officer, employee, affiliate, or member of a committee with board-delegated powers.
The officers, directors, committee members, employees, and persons served by this corporation shall be selected entirely on a nondiscriminatory basis with respect to age, gender, race, religion, national origin, sexual identity, and sexual orientation. It is the policy of Seattle Indies not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, ancestry, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical disability, veteran’s status, political service or affiliation, color, religion, or national origin.
These Bylaws may be amended, altered, repealed, or restated by a vote of the majority of the board of directors then in office at a meeting of the Board, provided, however,
The purpose of this document retention policy is establishing standards for document integrity, retention, and destruction and to promote the proper treatment of Seattle Indies records.
Section 2.1 General Guidelines. Records should not be kept if they are no longer needed for the operation of the business or required by law. Unnecessary records should be eliminated from the files. The cost of maintaining records is an expense which can grow unreasonably if good housekeeping is not performed. A mass of records also makes it more difficult to find pertinent records.
From time to time, Seattle Indies may establish retention or destruction policies or schedules for specific categories of records in order to ensure legal compliance, and also to accomplish other objectives, such as preserving intellectual property and cost management. Several categories of documents that warrant special consideration are identified below. While minimum retention periods are established, the retention of the documents identified below and of documents not included in the identified categories should be determined primarily by the application of the general guidelines affecting document retention, as well as the exception for litigation relevant documents and any other pertinent factors.
Section 2.2. Exception for Litigation Relevant Documents. Seattle Indies expects all officers, directors, and employees to comply fully with any published records retention or destruction policies and schedules, provided that all officers, directors, and employees should note the following general exception to any stated destruction schedule: If you believe, or the Seattle Indies informs you, that corporate records are relevant to litigation, or potential litigation (i.e. a dispute that could result in litigation), then you must preserve those records until it is determined that the records are no longer needed. That exception supersedes any previously or subsequently established destruction schedule for those records.
Section 2.3. Minimum Retention Periods for Specific Categories
The corporation should keep all documents designated as containing trade secret information for at least the life of the trade secret.
Section 2.4. Electronic Mail. E-mail that needs to be saved should be either:
By making full and accurate information about its mission, activities, finances, and governance publicly available, Seattle Indies practices and encourages transparency and accountability to the general public. This policy will:
The details of this policy are as follow:
Seattle Indies shall provide its Internal Revenue forms 990, 990-T, 1023 and 5227, bylaws, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements to the general public for inspection free of charge.
Seattle Indies shall make “Widely Available” the aforementioned documents on its internet website: www.seattleindies.org to be viewed and inspected by the general public.
Seattle Indies shall submit the Form 990 to its board of directors prior to the filing of the Form 990. While neither the approval of the Form 990 or a review of the 990 is required under Federal law, the corporation’s Form 990 shall be submitted to each member of the board of director’s via (hard copy or email) at least ten (10) days before the Form 990 is filed with the IRS.
Seattle Indies requires and encourages directors, officers and employees to observe and practice high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. The employees and representatives of the corporation must practice honesty and integrity in fulfilling their responsibilities and comply with all applicable laws and regulations. It is the intent of Seattle Indies to adhere to all laws and regulations that apply to the corporation and the underlying purpose of this policy is to support the corporation’s goal of legal compliance. The support of all corporate staff is necessary to achieving compliance with various laws and regulations.
If any director, officer, staff or employee reasonably believes that some policy, practice, or activity of Seattle Indies is in violation of law, a written complaint must be filed by that person with the vice president or the board president.
Anyone filing a complaint concerning a violation or suspected violation of the Code must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates a violation of the Code. Any allegations that prove not to be substantiated and which prove to have been made maliciously or knowingly to be false shall be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense.
Said person is protected from retaliation only if she/he brings the alleged unlawful activity, policy, or practice to the attention of Seattle Indies and provides the Seattle Indies with a reasonable opportunity to investigate and correct the alleged unlawful activity. The protection described below is only available to individuals that comply with this requirement.
Seattle Indies shall not retaliate against any director, officer, staff or employee who in good faith, has made a protest or raised a complaint against some practice of Seattle Indies or of another individual or entity with whom Seattle Indies has a business relationship, on the basis of a reasonable belief that the practice is in violation of law, or a clear mandate of public policy.
Seattle Indies shall not retaliate against any director, officer, staff or employee who disclose or threaten to disclose to a supervisor or a public body, any activity, policy, or practice of Seattle Indies that the individual reasonably believes is in violation of a law, or a rule, or regulation mandated pursuant to law or is in violation of a clear mandate of public policy concerning the health, safety, welfare, or protection of the environment.
Violations or suspected violations may be submitted on a confidential basis by the complainant or may be submitted anonymously. Reports of violations or suspected violations shall be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation.
The board president or vice president shall notify the sender and acknowledge receipt of the reported violation or suspected violation within five (5) business days. All reports shall be promptly investigated by the board and its appointed committee and appropriate corrective action shall be taken if warranted by the investigation.
This policy shall be made available to all directors, officers, staffs or employees and they shall have the opportunity to ask questions about the policy.
Any amendment to the Articles of Incorporation may be adopted by approval of two-thirds (2/3) of the board of directors.
I do hereby certify that the above stated Bylaws of Seattle Indies were approved by the Seattle Indies’s board of directors on Sunday, November 13, 2016 and constitute a complete copy of the Bylaws of the corporation.
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Constance Chen, Secretary - Seattle Indies
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