Contract Services

FNPS has paid contractors that provide membership services, and program support, and ensure compliance with the required legal and financial documentation of the organization. All paid contractors are supervised by the Executive Director and the Vice President of Administration, and their contracts are currently renewed or re-advertised at the pleasure of the Board on an annual basis. In some cases, multiple services are provided by the same contractor. At the time of this Handbook edition, Administrative Services and Membership Services are included in a single “Administrative Services” contract. Miscellaneous services, such as web page development and updates, bulk mailing, grant writing, and grant services may also be contracted on an as-needed basis. All contracts are reviewed and approved by the FNPS Board of Directors.

Consolidated Administrative Services

As of 2015, Administrative Services and Memberships Services are combined in a single contract for Consolidated Administrative Services.

Administrative Services. The administrator is responsible for receiving all communications and payments to FNPS sent to the mailing address. The administrator also responds to questions and requests via mail, email, and telephone for the items listed below:

  • Membership dues
  • New/Renewal memberships
  • Membership brochures
  • Processing Donations (Endowment Fund, Earthshare, or other)
  • Distributes and manages year-end Annual Fund Campaign.
  • FNPS stationery
  • Maintaining the inventory of Palmetto back issues


Membership Service. The contractor for this service enrolls and communicates with members, manages membership funds, collects data on members, including preferences and enrollment in Action Alerts. The Membership Service contract encompasses maintaining the FNPS membership database and reports for mailings, quarterly FNPS Chapter Support Summaries, and monthly FNPS Chapter membership reports. Reports are sent to the Executive Director, bookkeeper, the FNPS VP of Administration and the Membership Committee Chair.

  • Updates membership and Board of Directors information (name, address, telephone number, or email)
  • Files reports with the bookkeeper, FNPS Vice President of Administration, and FNPS Membership Committee Chair
  • Provides mailing lists or labels for FNPS activities
  • Tracks preferences of members regarding participation in action alert program and electronic distribution of Sabal minor.

 

Conference Registration

The FNPS annual conference is one of the main educational program and fundraising events. It is hosted annually by FNPS, each year in a different region of the state, to offer educational seminars for members and the public. Conference registration services include: processing registration forms, oversight of on-line registration and the database of registrations, providing updates of the database to conference chairs, and providing a final report of the conference data. FNPS may handle these internally or let a contract for them.

Accounting Services

The contractor for Accounting Services provides bookkeeping services, accounts payable, and accounts receivable for the Society. Working with the FNPS Treasurer, the accountant performs the following duties:

  • Disbursing FNPS funds as approved by the Treasurer and/or the Board of Directors.
  • Filing all financial reports required by local, state, or federal laws, such as Form 990 with the state Department of Internal Revenue, solicitation reports, excise and intangible tax reports, and an annual report to the State of Florida.
  • Providing all needed copies of reports to grantors or allied organizations.
  • Ensuring that the financial records of the Society are audited annually by an independent Certified Public Accountant.
  • Being available as a resource to assist local chapters with bookkeeping or financial questions.
  • When requested, giving the president and the Board a report and account of the foregoing transactions.

Financial Audit Services

The Society contracts annually for may contract for professional independent review and certification of accounting practices.

Palmetto Editor

The Palmetto is the quarterly magazine of the Society. It includes articles on native plants, landscaping, invasive species and their control, native plant research, conservation, and restoration projects, and other subjects of interest to FNPS members. Hard copies are mailed to members as a benefit of belonging to the Society. 

Sabal Minor Editor

The Sabal minor is the organizational newsletter for the Society and is published every other month. The Sabal minor editor solicits and manages submissions from the FNPS Board, Chapters and members, and provides editorial and distribution services. The Sabal minor is distributed electronically via the Society’s listserv and website. Electronic distribution is currently coordinated with the FNPS Communications Committee.

Lobbyist

Subject to availability of funds, FNPS purchases the services of a lobbyist to follow, analyze and interpret the activity in the Florida Legislature. This includes identifying bills and proposed legislative action directly related to the FNPS mission. The lobbyist offers information to the Legislature throughout the session on priorities for advocacy and action, and works closely with the Policy and Legislation Committee.

Social Media Coordinator

FNPS may contract for someone to maintain its social media sites and update content on those sites.  This coordinator solicits content from FNPS members and may repost relevant information from other social media sites.

Current social media sites managed:

 

 

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