Page 5 - The Battery Spring 2020

Spring 2020
5
I hope everyone is staying as safe as possible in these trying times brought on by COVID-19. FMHA recorded quite a bit of progress before the state emergency went into effect.
Museum, DSP committees
We have had tremendous success in the new committee structure developed by FMHA and Delaware State Parks. The committee structure consists of Coordinating, Operating, Collections, Interpretation, and Fiscal Management and Fund Raising. All committees have met at least once (except for Collections, which hasn’t sorted out membership), and some have met multiple times. Members have reviewed and approved committee charters and membership, and each has designated a leader and agendas. A collaborative database will hold meeting notes, etc., to help us share information.
The acquisition of the Arizona artifact gave us a chance to work on a cross-committee basis and shows much early success getting several committees together (Fiscal Management and Fund Raising, Interpretation, Operations).
Budgeting
Our budgeting and forecasting efforts continue to move forward. FMHA and DSP have shared their budgets and budgeting processes with each other
as part of the Fiscal Management and Fund Raising Committee activities. We reviewed how state budgeting works when DSP secures funding for its capital and operations activities and how FMHA can be a part of this. We look forward to working with DSP to understand our financial requirements for Fort Miles and to secure funding.
Grant-in-Aid
While the COVID-19 pandemic will slow some of our grant-funded efforts this spring, we had begun to use the grand-in-aid funds we received last year.
• We have been working on an exhibit refresh in Battery 519, including improved lighting, exhibit placement and construction, and improved signs.
• We have increased our social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, etc., and are ensuring that these media will be updated regularly.
• We have contracted with a bookkeeper to help us with accounting, reporting and procedures for operations and capital activity.
• Several members of FMHA leadership met with Jason Smith, a senior legislative analyst in Dover and state grant-in-aid coordinator. We took him for a tour of Fort Miles Museum and Historic Area. We told him how we spend our GIA dollars and what we have on our to-do list for future grant funding. Jason was very impressed by our hard work and good use of funds. He encouraged us to “keep doing what we’re doing” and to continue to request funding through the GIA process. He provided us with very useful guidance. It was a very positive and useful session that keeps us on the radar in the Delaware Legislature.
Structuring Committees,
Learning About Budgets
By Lary Boyer - FMHA Treasurer