The FIGT Annual Members Meeting went virtual for the first time ever, on 14 September 2020. President Dawn Bryan presented her annual report and future plans for FIGT.
On 14 September 2020, FIGT held its first ever virtual Annual Members Meeting via Zoom. Normally, the annual meeting is held during the FIGT Conference but given the circumstances this year, the FIGT Board decided to take it virtual.
With 50 attendees joining in from 11 different time zones spanning the globe, the meeting—perhaps even unexpectedly—succeeded in recreating that familiar feeling of reunion FIGT members enjoy at the annual Conference. A special thank you to those who met us at 4 a.m. (Pacific Daylight Savings Time) and 11 p.m. (New Zealand Standard Time)!
In opening the meeting, FIGT President Dawn Bryan welcomed everyone and presented her Annual Report.
[The following are the text from the slides. You can download the whole PDF here.]
Summary of FIGT activities from March 2019 to today
Growth of the online FIGT community
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Facebook audience increased 30% to 5,743
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LinkedIn audience increased 116% to 1,049
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Newsletter list increased 5% to 2,497
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Twitter audience has 6,029 followers
Awards won
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EMMAS: Highly Commended for Best Employee Benefits & Family Support
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Think Relocate: Winner of Excellence in Employee or Family Support—the trophy is global, just like us! It has been travelling the world among FIGT members.
Conversations for Change
(Read the report from the Conversations for Change with Ezinne and LaShell.)
(Read the report from the Conversations for Change with Danau and Trisha.)
Dawn acknowledged all those who keep FIGT going:
Our Valued Sponsors
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Platinum Sponsor Summertime Publishing and Springtime Books
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Gold Sponsor CrossBorder Living
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Silver Sponsors American Psychologist, Cross Border Financial Planning, and Senia International
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Plus Patron Sponsors
Our Amazing Affiliates
(The clouds are the shared-interest groups.)
Our Valued Volunteers
Whose activities include:
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Board Members
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Board Committee Members
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Social Media
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Blog Editing
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Newsletter
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Marketing
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App
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Affiliate Leaders
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RFP Readers
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Compliance
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Emcees
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Keynote Speakers
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Presenters
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Bookstore
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Webinars
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Website
Our Valued Members: YOU!!!
Our Board Directors
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Dawn Bryan, President
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Jodi Harris, Vice President
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Trisha Carter, Secretary
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LaShell Tinder, Treasurer
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Vivian Chiona,* Affiliates
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Anne Lessle,* Communications
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Ginny Philps,* Communications
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Tanya Crossman, Logistics
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Mariam Ottimofiore, Membership
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Megan Norton, Nominations
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Valérie Besanceney,* Program
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Anastasia Lijadi, Research and Education
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Matilda Criel-Ewoldt, Scholarship
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Linda Janssen,* Sponsorship
Dawn personally thanked each of the five whom we are about to farewell from the Board (with * next to their names) and welcomed the following to take up their new terms in October:
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Stephen Toole, Program
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Flor Breton-Garcia, Communications
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Petra Shellis, Communications
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Emily Rogers, Affiliates
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Sonja Lopez Arnak, Sponsorship
A retirement on the horizon
A heartfelt thanks also to Judy Rickatson, Board Administrator, as she nears her retirement. Judy has been the backbone of FIGT operations for many years in her current position and as a volunteer before that, and we wish her the very best.
Looking Forward
FIGT will continue to be powered by volunteers
- New opportunities to volunteer
- Opportunities for people to become members
- Board Admin/Operations Role is open
Upcoming
Treasurer LaShell Tinder then shared the organization’s fiscal report.
Fiscal Outlook
Revenue levers
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Conference attendance: 2020 no conference; 2021 plan for virtual
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Financial Support of Membership
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2019: 127 new members compared to 56 YTD in 2020;
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2019: increase of 11% Jan - August; 2020 decrease of 11% Jan - August;
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Membership Drive early October to boost membership with a minimum goal of hitting 40 new members
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Investment by Sponsors: 2020 70% of prior year’s $20K
Financials
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Operating costs yearly: ~$27K comprised primarily of 1 staff member, data management, and professional services for financial reporting and compliance. Conference expenses covered by attendance fees.
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Current holdings: ~$96,000 split into both checking and savings; financial health secured during successful conference in Thailand 2019
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Risk areas: COVID-19 cancellation of 2020 conference; impact on membership and sponsorship with further impact expected for 2021 due to global recession
Looking ahead
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Virtual conference planned for 2021
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Membership drive and expanding reach of the community
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Sponsorship expanded offerings to include Rhodium and Palladium with continued focus on relationship building
Further updates were shared about the Affiliates, the upcoming Membership drive, and Sponsorship.
FIGT Affiliates
The growth of the Affiliates over the past year and their activities has strengthened our presence throughout the world, both in location-based and virtual interest-based groups. These provide opportunities to extend our reach and offer support to a wider global community around the world, while welcoming more people into Membership.
Opportunities to increase participation
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First annual virtual meeting of Affiliate Leaders held on a regional basis due to no conference offering
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Encourage all Affiliate supporters to become members of FIGT
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Offering various virtual connection opportunities
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Collegial based options with shared interest
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Great opportunity to volunteer
Membership Drive
FIGT will be holding a Membership drive in the coming months.
Key activities
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Collaboration with communications for social media campaign
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Current member engagement to share social media posts to extend reach
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Video vignettes of Sponsors to showcase partnership with FIGT
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Video vignettes of Members - “What is your reason for being a member?”
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Highlight various levels and benefits to members
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Friendly competition to encourage new memberships among Affiliates
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What Does it Mean to be a FIGT Member?
Sponsorship
FIGT contributes to the globally mobile community in many ways, all of which make FIGT a worthwhile organization to support.
Connections
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Connecting with others across the world who are members of the globally mobile tribe
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Staying relevant with new virtual connections via Coffee & Connect, FIGT Focus, and Conversations for Change
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Contributions by members to FIGT monthly Newsletter, Focus of the month, and social media
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Connect locally through Affiliates or based on professional shared interest
Knowledge Sharing
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Volunteerism on FIGT committees and the board
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Peruse past conference materials and access to a plethora of content
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Contribute to the newsletter and blog (based on membership level)
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Suggest new offerings through our online bookstore
Financial Support and Investment to Sustain FIGT
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Partner with and share in the story of FIGT’s ongoing success and growth
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Be part of the change - support important issues that influence cultures
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Building bridges through a shared commitment to broader cultural understanding and agility
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Relationships built on trust and mutual benefit with a significant, growing quantifiable word of mouth reach
The meeting concluded with reminders to sign up for the next Conversation for Change, while looking forward to the virtual conference in March 2021.
Dawn thanked Ruth Van Reken, FIGT Founder, for joining us. Ruth thanked all of us in the FIGT community around the world for continuing the work she began 23 years ago, expressing her heartfelt gratitude for us as we feel for her and her work.
Resources
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Download the presentation slides (PDF, 39MB)
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If you would like to get a copy of the Financial Report, please contact LaShell (treasurer@figt.org).
If you’re not yet an FIGT member, we would love you to join us and be a part of our supportive, learning community of globally minded individuals around the world. Find out more at Membership.
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