Website Report
Western Michigan Region, NSP
January 12, 2005 Brann’s Grand
Rapids
Highlights
q Region website launched November 24, 2004
q Website Updated
q Password protection of download files
q Directory information
Region Website Launched
Our website was successfully launched on November 24, 2004. The website address is:
http://www.nspc203.org
It is hosted by OnTime Services L.L.C., 960 Kings Highway, Kalamazoo, MI 49001, phone (269) 226-8500, website http://www.OnTimeService.com . The annual cost is $120. One time software costs were $150 for Marcomedia Contribute 2, $79 for Contribute 3 update, and $106 for Adobe Acrobat 6.0. Our cost is reduced more than 50% because we are a non-profit organization. Because I was able to setup the website by myself, we will not spend the proposed $500 for website design.
By establishing a website, we have tremendously improved our ability to communicate with our members. They can visit our website 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and find Region information. The key to long-term website success depends on your willingness to maintain and contribute content.
Website Updated
Five comments were received from Region officers and staff. Two comments expressed concerns about disclosing financial, Federal Tax Identification number, and directory information on the website.
No financial information was ever shown on our public pages, other than the Region meeting minutes. Three Treasurer’s Reports have been added to the website as Microsoft Word downloads with password protection.
The Federal Tax Identification number has been removed from all website files. It does not provide any additional or necessary information and can be handled by other means. To obtain the number, members must contact the Region Treasurer, Region Director, Region Advisors, or Patrol Representatives.
However, it is important that subunits comply with National Policies and Procedures regarding the use of Federal Tax Identification numbers. We can handle the matter in the normal course of year-end financial reporting.
The Eastern Division website has their Financial Report form with their Federal Tax Identification Number on a public page. See http://www.nspeast.org/images/form990nsp.pdf .
The sales tax forms on the website do not show Central Division’s Federal Tax Identification number or the names of the National, Division and Region units. The sales tax form on the website is a public record on the Michigan Treasury website.
The Federal Tax ID is in the Region Policies and Procedures, which is not necessary. I recommend that we amend Region Policies and Procedures to remove the Federal Tax Identification number. The Region P&P available on the website has the Federal Tax Identification edited out.
The IRS 501c3 tax determination letter was removed from the website. The letter was issued in 1984 and pertains to all subunits of the National organization, i.e. all Divisions and their subunits. Apparently, someone wrote the Central Division and National Federal Tax numbers on the form. All subunits must have access to this letter. It must be attached to the Michigan Sales Tax Exemption form for non-profit organization. It is also required by banks to open checking and savings accounts. Charitable organizations and other donors may also require the document before they will make donations. When time permits, I will rescan or edit the 501c3 letter to remove the handwritten Federal Tax ID number.
Password Protection to Download Files
Password protection to download files has been implemented. On the “Site Map” page, the files are designated “password required”. The password encryption type is “Office 97/2000 Compatible”. This may block access of members using software versions earlier then Office 97. The Region file protection is identical to the Timber Ridge Ski Patrol website file protection.
Currently, only a few files are password protected on the Region website. The Region Advisory committee will need to consider what files should be password protected, and how and to whom the keys will be distributed. You will need to enter the password to open protected download files. The passwords are case sensitive.
Directory Information
The National website publicly lists email addresses for all Division Directors, Region Directors, and Patrol Representatives. It also publicly lists email addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses for all National Directors, Officers, Staff, Program Supervisors and Advisors.
The Central Division website publicly lists email addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses for the following members:
q Division Director;
q Assistant Division Directors;
q Division Administrative Staff;
q Division Supervisors/Advisors;
q Region Directors;
q Assistant Region Directors,
q Region Treasurers;
q Section Chiefs; and
q Patrol Representative.
The Eastern, Intermountain, Rocky Mountain, and Southern Divisions publicly lists the same contact information as the Central Division. The Far West Division publicly lists only the email addresses. The Pacific Northwest Division contact pages are under construction. The Alaska, Northern, and Professional Divisions do not have websites and use the National pages, which publicly lists email addresses.
I surveyed 23 Region websites on the National website. Twenty (20) provided email addresses, eighteen (18) provided phone numbers, ten (10) provided mailing addresses, and three (3) had “member only” access to the their website. Ninety (90) percent of Region websites provide their email and phone numbers to their members through public pages, and fifty (50) percent provide postal mailing addresses.
The Central Division’s Patrols restrict contact information to members only. Of 153 patrols, 39 (25%) have websites. Of the 24 (16%) website that are working, 17 (11%) are restricted to members only. In Central Division, seventy-one (71%) percent of patrol websites are member only access. There is no need to disclose individual patrollers contact information and making their website member only access is an easy way to protect our members contact information.
Webmasters Recommendation
Our members must be able to contact their Region Officers, Region Staff, Region Advisors, Section Chiefs, and Patrol Representatives. The current directory pages on our website provide our members with the contact information they need. Our website directory policy follows National policy and the policies of a majority of the Divisions and Central Division’s regions. The contact information we provide publicly is already available from other NSP websites. I recommend that we continue to post our directory pages without change. Region Officers, Region Staff, Region Advisors, Section Chiefs, and Patrol Representatives may request that their contact information not be posted on the website.
Respectfully submitted,
Larry Klose, Web Site Editor
Western Michigan Region, NSP
M: 7706 Hampton Oaks Drive, Portage, MI 49024-5004
E: lklose@charter.net
H: 269-323-2786