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ChapterResources
Welcome to CMAA's Regional Chapter Resources Page
As a chapter leader, information is often your best resource. CMAA provides materials on administering your chapter through important tips and tools as well as instruction on starting a new chapter or a student chapter. This resource page will be updated often in order to enhance its value to you. Recognizing the importance of its chapters and the need to provide them with more immediate and direct assistance, the regional chapter relations manager position is another valuable resource offered to you. As a chapter leader, if there is something you and your chapter need to be successful, contact Martha Montague (336-492-6028) with questions or comments.
At the 2009 CMAA National Conference & Trade Show, six chapters were recognized during the Awards Luncheon. Please congratulate your colleagues on achieving this well-deserved recognition!
2008-2009 Chapter of the Year and Award of Excellence Recipients
Chapter of the Year (Population Division III-200 to 400 members): San Diego Chapter
Chapter of the Year (Population Division II-100 to 200 members): Arizona Chapter
Excellence in Student Focus: South Atlantic Chapter
Excellence in Membership Development: New England Chapter
Excellence in Owner Involvement: Colorado Chapter
Excellence in Professional Development: Northern California Chapter
I. CHAPTER ADMINISTRATION
A. Chapter Leadership Information Kit:
In order to provide the necessary tools for chapter presidents and leaders to use in managing the day-to-day operations of the chapter, CMAA provides the Chapter Leadership Information Kit. The Kit is updated in conjunction with the Chapter Leaders Meetings held at the National Conference & Trade Show and updated throughout the year as necessary.
B. Calendar of Important Dates and Deadlines: (updated 14 December 2009)
The calendar is updated continually with new items. Check the calendar often!
C. Chapter Leadership Meetings, Chapter Communiques, and National Meetings
Chapter Leaders Meeting
Meetings for chapter leaders are conducted during the CMAA Spring Leadership Forum and the CMAA National Conference & Trade Show. CMAA encourages chapters to send representatives to these meetings, usually the president and one or more chapter officers or interested chapter members. The meetings consist of visits from various Board of Directors members including the Chairman of the Board and also from CMAA staff, discussions among the chapter attendees on topics of current interest, and explanation of administrative issues regarding chapters.
The minutes from past Chapter Leaders meetings are available for your review:
October 2009
May 2009
October 2008
May 2008
Chapter Communique
A new program, the Chapter Communique, has begun. This program uses a conference call format for the chapter presidents and the topics to be covered include subjects of interest to chapter officers. Short tutorials on the apecific subject will be given and then a discussion period will follow. The Communique will always take place from 1:00-2:00pm Eastern time and will be held every few months.
The minutes from past Communiques are available for your review:
-- May 2008 -- Fundraising roundtable discussion
-- February 2008 -- Various tax, financial, and issurance issues
National Meetings and Conferences
The 2010 Owners Forum is being held on 2-4 May in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Westin Buckhead Hotel. This conference is the first one to put CMAA's owner member priorities, questions, and needs in the spotlight. More information on the Owners Forum is available here. Additional details such as the preliminary brochure, hotel information, and links to online and hardcopy registration are included.
The second Annual Water Summit is being held in Kansas City, Missouri, on 18-20 July 2010. Watch CMAA's home page for more information!
D. Chapter Insurance Information:
Several types of insurance are available to the chapters. Select those that are most beneficial.
Event Cancellation Insurance: Contact Reggie Moses of The Novick Group at 301-795-6600 or rmoses@novickgroup.com for a quote.
Chapter General Liability Insurance: General liability insurance covers claims against the chapter such as personal injury and for proof of liability insurance often requested from venues the chapter wishes to use for meetings/events. CMAA does not provide this insurance for the chapters. Contact Susanne Lytle of The Novick Group at 301-795-6600 or slytle@novickgroup.com for a quote and/or to determine if the chapter needs this insurance. This insurance may also be purchased from an agent in the state where the chapter is incorporated.
Special Event Coverage: Complete and submit the application form or apply online through Gales Creek Insurance Services. If you have questions, contact Brigitt Whitescarver at 503-227-0491, x234 or brigitt@galescreek.com.
Directors & Officers Insurance: The chapters are covered under the CMAA National insurance policy in an aggregate amount of $1 million. This coverage protects the board members from wrongful action claims, i.e. breach of fiduciary duty, harassment, discrimination, wrongful firing of staff, financial insolvency/debts/bankruptcy, and slander or libel. Embezzlement is not covered in any way by this policy. Possible examples of the types of suits that could be brought include mismanagement of chapter assets; defamation between Board members; defamation of a supplier; and defamation or perceived mistreatment of a member by the Board or the Chapter. The insurance covers judgments, costs of defense (attorney fees, court costs, etc), and settlement fees if needed.
Event Participant Release Form: This form, created by Webster, Chamberlain & Bean, can be used for participants in chapter events.
E. Financial Procedures:
Sample Financial Forms
For the chapters' use, a sample receipt and sample invoice have been created. Since both forms are samples, chapters will need to alter them, inserting their own mailing address, phone, fax, Federal ID (EIN) number, and payment address into the header/footer areas of the documents.
Online Credit Card Payment
Several chapters are utilizing the services of outside vendors to provide online credit card payment by members. Although thre are costs associated with the use of these services, the participating chapters feel the benefits of allowing members to pay in advance online with a credit card far outway the cost of the service. Additionally, the cost of these services can be added to the admission fees in order to recoup that cost.
Eventville - registration process. For more information, contact Steve Bohlayer (301-570-7096; stephenbohlayer@eventville.com) and view the website at www.eventville.com.
PayPal - payment process. For more information on Small Not-for-Profit Groups, contact Heather (866-445-3167, x38713)
Acteva - registration and payment process. For more information, contact a salesperson (877-933-4730) or view the website at www.acteva.com.
Federal and State Tax Information
Each chapter is covered under a group tax exemption filed by CMAA National with the IRS. This tax status exempts the chapters from paying income tax on the gross receipts reported each year to the IRS. Only the CMAA Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization, meaning that monies donated to the Foundation can be declared tax exempt on the donator's income tax filing. CMAA and all of its chapters are 501(c)6 organizations and not eligible as charitable organizations. Each chapter has been assigned an EIN (Employer Identification Number) by the IRS, which identifies the chapter as a social security number identifies an individual.
In order to assist chapters in determining which type of tax form to submit for the 2009 tax year, the IRS created a grid showing the changes through 2010 in the forms to use. You can access that grid here. The IRS has published information about the 990N
e-postcard, the Annual Electronic Filing Requirement for Small Tax-Exempt Organizations with gross receipts of less than $25,000 for the 2009 tax year and for the 2010 tax year, that amount changes to gross receipts of less than $50,000. For more details, you can access this particular area of the IRS website. For additional information regarding the various forms (990N e-postcard, 990EZ, 990) that need to be filed based upon the chapter's gross receipts, refer to the minutes of the February 2008 Chapter Communique linked above or contact Martha Montague.
A request for state tax exemption status must be filed by each chapter in the state of its incorporation. The same EIN is also valid with each state government. In many states, the proof of Federal tax exemption status is sufficient to receive state tax exemption status, but other states do require specific action to acquire the tax exempt status. A list of states and their requirements is available here. Some states require a copy of CMAA's Group Tax Exemption Determination letter. If needed, the IRS 2009 Chapter Exempt Status Determination letter is available as proof of the chapter's Federal tax exempt status; contact Martha Montague for that. Once the state tax exemption status is acquired, annual filings will be done with the appropriate state as with the IRS.
The Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT) is a yearly tax on net income from commercial activity performed by associations and other organizations otherwise exempt from federal income taxation, including CMAA chapters. This tax is charged regardless of the chapter’s incorporated status. For the most part, CMAA’s chapters’ activities are not considered to be “commercial” and, therefore, are not subject to UBIT; the major exception to that is when chapters sell advertising in their newsletters and websites. This is entirely appropriate and a legitimate source of revenue. However, receipt of advertising income can trigger the UBIT reporting requirements and tax liability.
Assorted Tax Forms
Occasionally, chapters are asked to complete the IRS Form W-9. This form may be requested when a firm is purchasing goods or services from the chapter, i.e. tickets or admission to events and programs. Oftentimes firms and agencies will not make payment to the chapter without this form in its accounts payable files. You will need to use the chapter's EIN number on the form in place of the requested TIN number; the list of EIN numbers is accessible here.
Chapters may be required to file an IRS Form 1099-MISC for various reasons, but primarily when services are purchased from an independent consultant or contractor. It is similar to the Form W-2 used for employees and is submitted to both the service provider and the IRS. Information on the Form 1099 can be located on the IRS website. Two abridged documents are also available: the IRS Guidelines for Form 1099 and the IRS Reasons for Filing Form 1099. You can also view a copy of the Form, but it must be ordered through the IRS as this copy is for informational purposes only.
QuickBooks from CMAA
For information on QuickBooks, the financial software program that can be provided by CMAA National to its chapters, contact Martha Montague or Chief Operating Officer Laura Blake directly at 703-677-3362.
Use of the CMAA Foundation
Chapters using the CMAA Foundation for management of their scholarship fundraising efforts are welcome to move those funds from the Foundation to a chapter local account. If chapters wish to continue using the Foundation to manage their scholarship funds, the Foundation Activity Form is to be submitted to Laura Blake when the fundraising event is planned by the chapter. This same form is submitted to Ms. Blake to have the funds disbursed back to the chapter for its distribution or cor disbursement directly to the recipients.
F. Chapter Webpage Assistance
Many chapters utilize CMAA to host their chapter's webpage. Your web page is one of the chapter's public faces -- prospective members can access your web page from the national webpage. It's important the information placed there is up-to-date. You may contact Martha Montague (336-492-6028) for assistance with questions or to submit materials for your webpage. Review the Chapter Website Guidelines for suggestions prior to submitting materials.
G. Member Recruitment:
Refer a Friend Program
CMAA's "Refer a Friend" program has begun! Each time a member refers a friend for membership in CMAA, the referring member's name is entered into a drawing for one of two grand prizes and also quarterly prizes. More information is available here. A grand prize drawing takes place before the National Conference, but the quarterly drawings continue throughout the year.
Membership Categories
CMAA has several categories of membership, some are for corporations/firms and others are for individuals. You can view a grid that shows the various categories, the costs, and the additional memberships available within each category. A Large Owner Member category was established for organizations such as USACE and GSA. You can review the benefits for these organizations here.
For further membership information, contact Angeles Cervantes at 703-677-3371 or Noelle Borman at 703-677-3368.
Recruiting Materials
CMAA National is offering materials to make recruiting new members to your chapter easier! You can customize these materials to your chapter's needs and individualize them for your audience. Other recruitment tools include:
CMAA National Membership Brochure (PDF) and Membership Application (PDF) or Membership Application (writeable PDF).
-- Letter to send to individual (updated Jan 2010)
-- Letter to send to group (updated Jan 2010)
-- Tips on a face to face interview (updated Jan 2010)
In order to assist with recruiting Owner members, CMAA provides a template of a letter for your use as well as a specific Owner member application (PDF) or Owner Membership Application (writeable PDF). A PowerPoint presentation aimed at member recruitment of owner organizations has been created for your use. Take advantage of these three Owner recruitment tools!
For conveying the benefits of construction management to potential clients, project team members, and other audiences, CMAA created a PowerPoint slide presentation members can use. Click on the links to download the Construction Management Presentation Flyer and a PowerPoint presentation that can be tailored by a firm for an Owner presentation.
Student Recruitment
Encouraging students to join CMAA is another important aspect of membership recruitment. Courtesy of the CMAA San Diego Chapter, a student recruitment poster is available for CMAA chapters to edit and use in their own college and university campuses. Contact Martha Montague for a copy.
Complimentary Owner Membership
CMAA offers a special, one-year honorary membership to any owner practitioner who serves as a speaker at a chapter event. The owner cannot, however, have been a member of CMAA. When planning for the event, you should submit the Honorary Membership Application to CMAA's Member Services Department two weeks in advance so a Member Welcome Kit can be made available for presentation to the owner at the event.
Chapter Membership Committee and Chapter Administrators' Role
The Membership Committee in each chapter can play a significant role in the management and monitoring of the chapter's membership throughout the year. The Chapter Administrators, designated by the chapter president, have online access to the chapter's member roster and usually the Membership Committee chair is one of the Administrators. For record-keeping purposes, a membership roster should be downloaded at least monthly from CMAA's database and turned into an Excel file. The Excel file can then be sorted by Original Join Date to determine the new members added. Sorting the Excel file by Status allows a review of the members under suspension and the members who have been terminated. A monthly accounting of the number of new members and terminated members should be maintained. Training on how to interpret and use the roster is provided by staff each year for the Chapter Administrators; the PowerPoint presentation is available here. Questions about the report arising throughout the year can be directed to Martha Montague or Angeles Cervantes.
It's a good practice to download a member roster prior to sending mail or emails to the chapter members. This ensures all the members are included and includes any changes made to those members' records, i.e. email or mail address changes.
Beginning in 2010, a new service is available for the chapters. All designated Chapter Administrators will receive emails whenever a new member joins the chapter, a current member renews his/her dues, a current member is suspended, or a current member is terminated. These emails will be in "real time," giving the chapter the opportunity to respond quickly to these member status changes. Contact with new members and welcoming them to the chapter is a great method for getting those new individuals involved in the chapter. Follow up by the chapters with suspended and terminated members is an excellent way to retain those members.
Allied Organizations
CMAA has established relationships with several allied organizations. A list of those allied organizations is available.
H. Best Practices for Regional Chapters:
Membership Program Plans
During this year, briefings will be made by chapters to the CMAA Membership Committee about the successful ways in which members are recruited and retained. The first presentation was made by the San Diego Chapter; notes on these Best Practices are available here. As additional chapters present their recruitment plans, those notes will be added to the Best Practices for creating a membership plan.
Chapter Visitation Program
Visits to chapters by CMAA guests are an important aspect of the service provided to the chapters. A visitation program has begun and it is hoped each chapter will receive a visit from a CMAA guest each year. In order to properly schedule and then track the visits, a Visitation Request Form must be submitted 60-90 days prior to the date of the requested visit. The form is a writeable PDF, which should be completed, saved to the computer's hard drive, and then emailed to Martha Montague. The form is to be accompanied by a summary, an agenda, or a promotional piece about the event/program the guest is invited to attend.
It's important to get the most value possible from a visiting CMAA guest. When planning a visit to a Chapter function, be sure to also schedule one-on-one meetings with prospective corporate or owner members either before or after the chapter event. Without these meetings, it is likely the chapter visit will not be approved.
Officer Transition & Job Descriptions
Chapters should always provide a transistion between the incoming and outgoing chapter administrations. Even in the event a chapter uses a succession ladder, it's helpful for the incoming officers to learn the challenges and successes of their predecessors. A sample transistion document by officer is available for chapters to use in setting up a transistion/succession briefing session. In addition, it's helpful to incoming officers and chairs to have job descriptions to guide them as they begin their year. Courtesy of the Southern California Chapter, job description samples are available. Additional samples of roles and responsibilities are also available.
Programming at Chapter Meetings
Holding programs at chapter meetings is one good way to attract members to attend. The CMAA Professional Development Department did a member survey in late 2009, asking what would be good topics for Webinars. The results of that survey are also applicable to the live programs held at chapter meetings. The list is available here. Having owners speak about their current and/or future projects/programs is another good way to attract members to attend.
Alliance Between CMAA Chapters and SAME Posts
The CMAA Northern California Chapter and the SAME Sacramento Post formed a strategic alliance to facilitate collaboration and information sharing at the local level. Arising from this alliance is a template other chapters and posts can use to facilitate an agreement of this type. CMAA thanks Northern California Chapter Past President Ron Price and SAME Sacramento Post Director Larry Smith for allowing this template to be offered as a guideline. The template for forming an alliance is available here.
Reckless Antitrust Conduct
It's important to remember that improper member conversation can be construed as a violation of antitrust statutes. There is to be no talk about pricing, bidding, or dividing territories at any CMAA meeting or on any conference call. CMAA's legal counsel has provided CMAA with a memorandum regarding a recent FTC case addressing association meetings. These antitrust issues are very important and attention must be paid to how conversation is conducted.
Paid Staff
No hard and fast rules seem to exist on when to hire a paid staff person. To start, you should ask yourself some questions. Look at the skill set of your members and ask what skills are missing that could be outsourced to enhance the chapter’s operations. Another question to ask is where is the key revenue source? This answer may drive where a chapter needs to put its efforts. For many chapters, the answer is meeting revenue and you may find a paid executive can build this revenue. Obviously one of the major deciding factors is whether the chapter can afford a paid executive/consultant and whether that person or company would be paid a flat fee or be commission-based from income they generate; both means of payment are valid ways to manage this staff salary. The AMC Institute is an association comprised of companies who are in the business of supporting chapters; the website is www.amcinstitute.org. This website has a RFP component allowing you to submit your requirements and receive responses from AMCs that assist in your areas of need. A caution to be considered when hiring this position is how to maintain quality control and handle evaluation of the support services.
Several of CMAA’s chapters already have or did have paid executives: Southern California,
I. CMIT and Mentor Programs
The Construction Manager in Training program (CMIT) is offered by CMAA as a professional designation to recognize young practitioners who have displayed high educational achievement and have the desire to learn how to become competent construction managers. Information is available in the CMIT Updates. The CMIT application can also be downloaded. To learn more about becoming a CMIT, contact Vice President of Professional Development Dennis Doran at 703-677-3367.
In conjunction with the CMIT program, CMAA is offering a mentoring program. To learn more about becoming a mentor, read the Mentor Program Guide. To become a mentor, complete and submit the Mentor Application. To learn more about becoming a mentor, contact Vice President of Professional Development Dennis Doran at 703-677-3367.
J. Professional Development:
The CMAA University, CMAA's professional development department, offers training throughout the year via face-to-face conferences, customized training, and online Webinars. The Professional Development Brochure and Poster outline CMAA's career-long offerings.
The Standards of Practice Course is provided by CMAA to amplify an individual's construction management knowledge. The course can be a valuable aid to CCM applicants in preparing for the examination, but it is not mandatory and participants in a SoP Course do not receive preferred or accelerated processing of their CCM applications. The information contained in the Course is valuable to all CMs and includes the established and fundamental construction management concepts, principles, and procedures based on the CMAA Standards of Practice and the CMAA Core Competencies. Regional Chapters are encouraged to host a SOP Course; for more information on this, contact Vice President of Professional Development Dennis Doran (703-677-3367).
Chapters can apply for AIA continuing education credit to be granted for educational seminars. There is a form to complete for review and consideration by AIA, which must be submitted to CMAA a minimum of three weeks in advance of the course. Your staff contact is Noelle Borman.
The Standards of Practice Certificate Courses are now available online. CMAA presents a comprehensive basic course in Construction Management core competencies, based on CMAA's Standards of Practice. Take one course...or all eight, for a complete curriculum. Courses are self-paced and include assessments. The Chapter-hosted live Standards of Practice Course continue to be offered; contact Vice President of Professional Development Dennis Doran at 703-677-3367 for additional information
Information concerning upcoming programs and webinars can be found on the CMAA University webpage and on the Professional Development Schedule at a Glance. Contact Vice President of Professional Development Dennis Doran at 703-677-3367 for additional information on CMAA's professional development offerings.
K. CMAA Advertisements and Logos:
As of 2010, CMAA has a new logo incorporating the new tag line. Several versions of the logo are available and accessible to the chapters for their use. A Logo Manual was created, which explains how to best use the new logos. Click on the links below to download these logos.
All Blue Logos - two-line stacked, three-line stacked, side by side
Blue and Black logos - two-line stacked, three-line stacked, side by side
All Black Logos - two-line stacked, three-line stacked, side by side
These versions are all in JPEG format. Contact Martha Montague (336-492-6028) if you need a logo in a different format.
Many chapters have expressed interest in publishing "house" advertisements in their newsletters about CMAA programs and events. Click on the links below to download these advertisements. This section will be updated periodically with new advertisements.
-- Find the Right CM (Find a CM/PM ad)
-- For Everything you Want to Build (updated June 2007)
-- Value of CM - with print specifications (as of 2007)
"Boilerplate" text (updated January 2010) is available for the chapters' use in newsletters for promoting CMAA or the chapter itself. Keep in mind the number of members continues to grow and, therefore, this text will be updated; be sure to use the most recent version.
L. CCM Certification and Logos:
The Construction Manager Certification Institute (CMCI) is an ANSI-Certified designation for construction and program managers. The CMCI area on CMAA's website contains all the pertinent information regarding the CCM designation and how to obtain it. A brochure about the CCM designation is also available.
Several materials can be used to assist in promoting the CCM designation to the chapter members as well as to promote the value of the designation to your clients.
-- A list of owners and employers recognizing the CCM designation is available.
-- CM Certification brochure (PDF version) contains information on promoting to owners and others the CCM
designation and its value. The brochure can be copied from the online version for local distribution.
-- CM Certification advertisement for use in chapter publications
-- Sample session on the value of CCM for presentation to owner firms (courtesy of CMAA San Diego Chapter)
The CCM designation has now been registered as a trademark and it is, therefore, important to utilize the registration mark whenever possible. The mark should accompany the CCM initials when they appear in newsletters, press releases, narratives, etc. CCMs are encouraged to use the mark whenever using the initials after their name, but immediately reprinting business cards or other personal materials containing the CCM designation is not necessary. The mark can be added in the normal course of reprinting. New logos including the registration mark are now available.
-- CCM logo (PNG)
-- CCM logo-high resolution (TIF)
-- CCM logo-web (TIF)
Additional information on CMCI and the CCM designation is available from Kate Brundage, certification manager, at 703-677-3372, or Tabitha Costello, certification associate, at 703-677-3374.
M. CMAA Foundation Scholarship Program
CMAA's Foundation provides scholarships yearly for selected students plus an all-expenses-paid trip to the National Conference & Trade Show. Scholarships may be awarded by the CMAA Foundation to students enrolled in a full-time undergraduate or graduate student program in a construction management or CM-related program for the next school year. Candidates must have completed a minimum of one full academic year and have a minimum of one full year remaining in their course of study. Scholarships are for one year.
The Foundation has incorporated the Regional Chapter scholarship recipients into its selection process for awarding Foundation scholarships. However, students without a regional chapter may still submit directly to the Foundation for consideration. Regional Chapters are to forward the application from the top undergraduate and graduate scholarship recipient on to the Foundation to Amber Million (703-677-3360) as soon as the information is available but not later than 30 June 2010. Chapters may utilize their own scholarship application, but are encouraged to use the Foundation's application. The main reason for this is that the chapter scholarship recipients submitted on must use the Foundation application; use of this application by the chapters saves student applicants from completing two separate applications. In addition, the Foundation application is very thorough and provides a good basis for decision-making in the scholarship judging process. The Foundation's application is available here.
