Collin County Homeless Coalition Bylaws
Approved June 7, 2012
I. Criteria for Membership
a. Organizational membership – Any viable organization or institution with an interest in the Collin County Homeless Coalition may apply. Examples include non-profit groups, faith organizations, government entities, ISD or educational institution, civic groups, business organizations, health care agency, etc… Membership is approved by the executive leadership of the Collin County Homeless Coalition.
b. Individual advocate membership – Any person with an interest in homelessness in Collin County may apply. Membership is approved by the executive leadership of the Collin County Homeless Coalition.
c. Members agree to abide by the policies, procedures and bylaws of the Collin County Homeless Coalition.
II. Purpose of the Collin County Homeless Coalition (CCHC)
a. Members of the CCHC agree to advocate for or provide services to the homeless and those impacted by it and improve the community’s awareness of and response to homelessness. To meet this objective, the member agrees to participate in the following:
i. Routine participation in the CCHC monthly meetings.
ii. Sharing non-proprietary statistics and demographic information regarding homelessness.
iii. Contribute to public awareness and community education opportunities.
iv. Conduct business in a manner of transparency in the spirit of collaboration.
III. Quorum
a. Ten members in good standing shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
b. Good standing is defined as a person, organization or institution who has applied and been accepted as a member of CCHC and attended three CCHC meetings within the last 6 months.
IV. Voting
a. Any action may be taken by a majority of the members in good standing voting, except the amendment of bylaws, which require a 2/3 majority.
b. Each member organization or institution shall select one representative as their primary attendee who will serve as its voting member and an alternate delegate for voting.
c. Each individual advocate vote will be assigned on a proportional basis as follows:
i. 1-10 advocates voting will constitute 2 votes
ii. 11-25 advocates voting will constitute 3 votes
iii. 26-50 advocates voting will constitute 4 votes
iv. 50+ advocates voting will constitute 5 votes
d. Voting by proxy by members in good standing will be allowed if the motion to be voted on is of a significant nature (election, bylaws, items involving money, support of a project to provide services for people experiencing homelessness or extreme poverty) and is communicated through regular publicity channels. In such a case, the voting will be recorded with each organization, institution and individual advocate member publicly declaring their vote.
V. Leadership Team – all positions elected by membership except Chairman.
a. Chairman of the CCHC shall serve as the administrative chair and shall supervise and preside over the business of the CCHC. This person will be selected and contracted by mutual agreement among the Cities of Allen, Frisco, McKinney and Plano. There are no term specifications for this position.
b. Vice Chairman-Organizational Development presides in the absence of the Chairman. This position will focus on developing the depth and breadth of the CCHC to meet its mission. This position will be elected at the July membership meeting. The Vice Chairman-Organizational Development will serve for one year and may be reelected to serve consecutive terms.
c. Vice Chairman-Membership focuses on encouraging new organizations, institutions and individual advocates to join the CCHC. This position will be elected at the July membership meeting. The Vice Chairman-Membership will serve for one year and may be reelected to serve consecutive terms.
d. Vice Chairman – Advocacy and Education focuses on collecting and disseminating information and soliciting support from elected officials, community leaders and the community at large about homelessness in Collin County.
e. Vice Chairman – Local Government works with city, county and ISDs on a wide range of policy initiatives that affect homelessness. Focuses on sharing information about city planning and resources as well as suggesting ways policies can be changed to better serve the homeless.
f. Vice Chairman – Faith Outreach works to engage the faith community in the work of the CCHC and use their house of worship as a means to further educate the community.
g. Vice Chairman – Education/Institutions/At-risk Youth works to raise awareness about youth and family needs and advocate for a closer partnership with these groups to help identify and serve youth and families experiencing homelessness.
h. Secretary provides minutes of the meetings and input on issues facing the CCHC.
