denhac Official Policies

This document details the policies and procedures of DENHAC, approved by the Board of Directors on the recorded date. This version of the Policies replaces any previously-dated Policies.

Updates to these Policies can be made by majority vote of the Board at any Board meeting.

Safety & Compliance

For any emergencies, always call 9-1-1

The Managers shall ensure DENHAC’s compliance with all fire codes, health codes, and relevant safety laws at all times.

It is the responsibility of all persons in the space to provide safe working conditions to every other person in the space at all times. Particularly, any two members can ask another person to stop doing something that makes them feel unsafe, regardless of what it is. Any conflicts that arise should be brought to the attention of a Manager or Board member.

Each particular piece of equipment to be found in DENHAC has its own safety procedures that are required to know before using the equipment. No Member is allowed to use any equipment for which he/she is not trained and approved to operate.

Each person is responsible for any damage caused to the space or equipment, beyond normal wear and tear.

DENHAC is not responsible for the lost or stolen property of the Member or any guest.

Managers

DENHAC’s board appoints – by majority vote – managers who make the day-to-day decisions between board meetings. Each Manager has primary authority over a specific domain, though Managers occasionally share tasks between domains:

Business Manager

• Has a $100 / month discretionary budget.
• Check incoming business correspondence. This may involve routing to the appropriate party. E.g.:
  • a bill goes to the treasurer
  • Conference/Maker Faire event registration goes to events manager
• Respond (and potentially even reach out) to external organizations that might be able to help denhac out, whether that’s through monetary sponsorships, equipment donations, pro bono services, or other mutually beneficial partnerships.
  • The manager can offer discounts to the external organization and let the board/membership know at the next board meeting.
• Possibly writing/coordinating grants as well at some point in the future
• Handle accounts (creation, correspondence, and continuance) and relationships for various essentials related to the business. E.g.
  • Insurance.
  • Power, internet, and other utilities.
  • Lawyer(s) for reviewing important documents

Operations Manager

• Has a $500 / month discretionary budget.
• Oversee tools and equipment, such as repairs, replacements and acquisitions. Consult with member subject matter experts to figure out what needs to be done to keep the space running: metalworking, electronics, woodshop, 3D printing
  • Replace consumables like cutting disks, solder, printer filament, drill bits, welding wire/gas, etc.
  • Fix issues in the space such as replacing broken light bulbs, any wall work (paint, touch up), broken doors, etc.
• Not expected to know how to do every aspect of building/space maintenance themselves, but should delegate tasks to prevent overload. Highly encouraged to solicit help from other managers as well as any subject matter experts in the space regarding anything required to keep the space running smoothly.
• When delegating tasks to other members, follow up on the status of tasks and report on progress to the board if requested.
• Historically, the Ops manager has been a loosely defined role, and responsibilities can be spun out to other roles through discussion with the board when needed.

Treasurer

• Manage recurring expenses
  • Make sure there is enough money in the correct accounts for automatic payments.
  • Review expenses for anomalies such as duplicated payments or unexpected charges/credits.
• Help understand our financial situation
  • How much money is in our various accounts?
  • Financial forecast (gaining/losing money, timeline, runway before bankruptcy, etc)
  • Report on income sources such as members, vending machines, donations, etc.
• Handles reimbursements and tracks receipts
• Handle financial disputes (e.g. member chargebacks)
• Taxes

Safety Manager

• Has a $100 / month budget for safety related supplies.
• Make sure fire extinguishers are up to date.
• Make sure first aid kits are readily available and obvious. Keep first aid roughly inventoried and periodically checked for expired supplies.
• Discuss new and existing equipment with SMEs of the equipment to determine what the safety requirements should be (does this equipment need training? Is this currently safe to use?)
• Periodically facilitate classes on first aid, CPR, AED training. Either by becoming trained/certified and teaching classes, or by requesting that someone like the Red Cross come in and teach classes.
• Consult with SMEs to discuss if any equipment or tools should involve any safety requirements (eg: training, malfunctioning gear, warnings, access control)
• The safety manager can, at their discretion, halt the use of any piece of equipment or machinery in the event that they feel it is unsafe. They are also responsible for clearing the use of the equipment in question and broadcasting when that same equipment is available for use.

Events Manager

• Has a $25 / month discretionary budget.
• Coordinate the scheduling of the different space areas to ensure no events are double booked or otherwise an issue.
• Keep track of any events that may occur in and around the building that may be disruptive to other events (i.e. live music recital next to and at the same time as a quiet coding session).
• Approve any recurring or non-recurring member-led events at the space
• Manage denhac’s meetup.com page and make sure all requested events are posted appropriately.
• For recurring events such as open house and first Fridays, create some documentation around what should be done, when they occur, what responsibilities we have, etc. Increase the bus factor.
• Maintain an awareness of and coordinate with any events such as Maker Faires, cons, STEM events, etc.

It is not required to be a member of the Board to be a Manager, though it is required that a Manager be a Member in good standing. The Managers may from time to time join the Board in Executive Session.

Member Storage

All items are required to be in a bin or storage box. All members are required to label their boxes in Member Storage.

Equipment Use Policy

You must be a member in good standing to operate DENHAC tools or equipment. Do not use tools for which you are not certified.

Privacy Policy

In this Policy, “Personal Data” refers to information such as a member’s name, address, phone number, or other data that could be used to identify him or her. DENHAC shall always take steps to reasonably secure Members’ Personal Data. A Member has the right, upon request, to review and update any Personal Data stored by DENHAC.

DENHAC does not share Personal Data with third-party organizations for any marketing-related purpose. DENHAC will only use members’ Personal Data as it relates to providing the benefits of membership, one example of which is entering the Member’s Name into the Landlord’s security system for the purpose of activating the member’s access card.

Behavior & Discipline Policy

Conflict Resolution

Given that we are not in a perfect world, conflict will occasionally occur. Any Manager can be called upon to address a conflict between two or more members. The Manager’s decision is binding until the next board meeting, at which point the stakeholders have the opportunity to appeal to the Board. If no appeal is made, the Manager’s decision stands. Otherwise the majority vote of the Board regarding the appeal is binding.

Disciplinary Process

DENHAC reserves the right to terminate any membership at any time for any reason, but we strive for the process to be as fair and open as privacy and discretion allow us to be. The disciplinary process against a member can involve one or more of the following steps:

1. The Member will get a verbal warning from a Manager or a Board member.
2. The Member will receive a formal Warning, via letter or email, signed by a Board member or Manager.
3. The Member will be called before the Board to discuss the behavior in question.
4. The Member will be put on probation.
5. Membership will be suspended for a length of time.
6. Membership will be terminated.
7. The Member will be permanently banned from the space.

Minor conflicts would begin with a verbal warning and only proceed further as necessary. For offenses that affect the safety or security of the space, a Manager has the ability to immediately suspend a membership, prohibiting the Member access to the space. This suspension is in effect until the next board meeting, at which time the suspension automatically ends unless the Board votes otherwise.

Note that some offenses – including but not limited to non-payment of dues – can trigger automatic membership suspension or termination, without a formal review by the Board or any other steps listed above.

Signatures

Only authorized parties are allowed to sign for DENHAC. In addition to the Chairman, the Board has vested each Manager with signing authority over a specific domain:

Business & Operations Manager

• Signs contracts, leases, third-party agreements that bind DENHAC
• Signs for equipment checked in or out, such as for fairs/conventions
• Signs for anything shipped to/from the space
• Signs Membership Agreements

Treasurer

• Signs any checks, invoices, or payables
• Signs Membership Agreements

Board Member

• Signs Membership Agreements

 

Financial Policy

Monetary Donations:

From time to time, we will receive monetary donations from a member or third-party charity (Amazon Smile). All donations will be deposited into our general fund for space use unless otherwise directed by the donor. In this case, we will attempt to use the funds as directed and as circumstances permit.

Grants:

From time to time, we will receive grants from organizations. All grants will be spent per the grant documentation. Should no specific use be called out, funds will be deposited into our general fund for space use.

How we Spend our Money

Board Approved Funds (AKA: Project Funds):

Approval:

Any member in good standing can submit a project request to the Board. Should these requests require funds from the general balance, the Treasurer will confirm if the funds are available, and the Board will vote to approve the project and requested funds.

Once approved, an official Project Fund will be created, and the member will be considered the Project Owner. Project Ownership can be transferred between members in good standing as long as both are aware and have confirmed with the Treasurer.

Updates:

The Treasurer will provide a monthly summary of all active Project Funds and their remaining balances. The Treasurer will also check in with the Project Owner every ~3 months to ensure the project is still active and funds are still required. Check-in can be skipped at the Treasurer’s discretion.

Project Closure:

A project will be considered closed when all funds have been dispersed or when the Project Owner has informed the Treasurer that the funds are no longer required. The Treasurer will report any Project closures to the Board monthly and any funds returning to the general balance.

Abandoned Project:

A project will be considered abandoned when no funds have been dispersed after 90 days and no update has been provided to the Treasurer. The Treasurer will report any Abandoned Projects to the Board monthly and any funds returning to the general balance.

Recurring Operating Funds (AKA: Manager Budgets):

Approval:

When requested by an acting Manager, the Board can approve a recurring operating fund that a Manager can use at their discretion for their area of business. The Treasurer will confirm if funds are available in the general balance.

Updates:

The Treasurer will provide a monthly summary of all active Manager Budgets and their spending funds. The Treasurer will also check in with the acting Manager every ~ six months to ensure the funding is appropriate and will help guide a request to increase or decrease funds. Check-in can be skipped at the Treasurer’s discretion.

Vending Machine Pool:

In the case of the denhac-owned vending machines, a pool of funds will be set aside for stocking, maintenance, and general improvements. This pool will generate its funds through the machines’ revenue until the approved cap is reached. Once reached, all collected funds will be added to the general fund. The Treasurer will report on the current funds in the pool monthly.

The currently approved pool is $1,000.

Fund Disbursement:

Project funds will be dispersed through reimbursement, a dedicated project card issued by Stripe, or direct-to-vendor payment made by the Treasurer.

Manager Budgets will be dispersed through a dedicated card issued by Stripe under the Manager’s name, reimbursement, or direct-to-vendor payment made by the Treasurer.

A Project Owner can authorize a member to spend funds on behalf of their project. All reimbursement requests should be sent to treasurer@denhac.org. Reimbursements will be sent through PayPal; however, other reimbursement methods can be requested at the Treasurer’s discretion.

A Manager can authorize a member to spend funds under their budget. All reimbursement requests should be sent to treasurer@denhac.org. Reimbursements will be sent through PayPal; however, other reimbursement methods can be requested at the Treasurer’s discretion.

For reimbursement to be approved, the following will be required:

• Budget Name
• Manager CC’d (if not the submitter)
• Area (If Applicable) (i.e., 3D Printer, Laser, Woodshop…)
• Copy of Receipt
• Total Amount to be reimbursed
• Paypal address or preferred reimbursement method

A receipt will be required for all reimbursements with no exceptions.

Member-Owned Equipment

This section refers specifically to a piece of equipment – such as a laser cutter, 3D printer, leather-stitcher (i.e. something more than just tools) – that a member wishes to locate in the space and share with fellow members. The guidelines of this arrangement are below:

1. The agreement must be approved by the board in advance of its move to the space
2. The equipment must be formally leased to DENHAC (denhac.org/loan)
   
3. The agreement must contain the owner’s guidelines for training and allowed use of the equipment
4. The agreement must contain a time period, or specify the terms of the equipment’s removal

Non-Profit Status

DENHAC does not exist to subsidize for-profit ventures. As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, DENHAC prohibits any for-profit business or operations at DENHAC’s location, as well as any political campaigning or related activities.