The Polish Center of Wisconsin (PCW) opened in 2000. Paid for by the toil and
treasure of members and friends, it was meant to be a venue for promoting
knowledge and appreciation of Polish heritage and culture.

We believe that the PHA and the Polish Center of Wisconsin belong to the entire Polish community and the first priority should be serving that community. The PHA should embrace a variety of viewpoints. Polish organizations and individual members of the Polish community should all be made to feel welcome.

Open and Transparent Governance

The success or failure of any non-profit charitable institution depends in large measure on its commitment to open governance. Is the mission of the organization carried out with clear actions, goals and messages? Does the board not only invite participation by its members but actively encourage it? Are board meetings open to all members? Is the schedule of committee meetings posted on line in advance to encourage general members to attend if they are interested? Are any meetings held behind closed and locked doors? Are financial statements for the organization clearly stated in understandable terms, or do the details overwhelm the big picture? Do the financial statements separately and clearly set out the results of major special events or are they buried in the general financials? Does the organization recognize the right of every member to know and understand where every dollar in revenue comes from and where every dollar spent goes?

The history of the PHA has been a commitment to open governance. Our bylaws have always contained a guarantee that every member of the organization has the right to attend all board meetings and all committee meetings and speak to the issues presented. Members can attend, speak to the issues, and do everything except vote. This critically important provision has been ignored at times in recent years. If the participation of all members is not respected and encouraged, our members will lose interest and their commitment to the mission and goals of the PHA will likely wane and be compromised. We must continue to ask all these questions about our organization and how it measures up to the standards set in our bylaws. We will try to address these questions in future issues of The Polish Beacon.

The commitment to open governance must be steadfast, secure and even
strengthened during difficult times. The current pandemic throughout this country and our state has impacted the Polish Center in severe ways. The administration and board should be increasing the level of communication with all members about the issues we face and the efforts to overcome or at least cope with these troubled times. This is not the time to cut back on outreach efforts to keep members informed. Email and web sites make it easy, fast and inexpensive. Members should know what issues are being discussed, and what possible solutions are under consideration. The board should be open to suggestions from members. You never know where the next good idea might arise!

Promoting Polish Culture

When the Polish Center was built more than 20 years ago, its purpose was to serve as a venue for presenting Polish culture. Before the Center opened in August 2000, a Cultural Committee was formed to develop programming that would promote understanding and appreciation of Polish culture and heritage. Committee members possessed a range of professional expertise in Polish language, history, culture, folk art, music and visual art. During its eighteen-year existence, this dedicated committee of volunteer experts produced hundreds of events including exhibits of Polish art, Polish music concerts, historical exhibits, lectures on Polish history and culture, language classes, folk art workshops, cooking demonstrations, holiday celebrations, and more. The committee developed collaborations with other community organizations, raised thousands of dollars in sponsorships, obtained substantial nonprofit grants, funded improvements to the cultural facilities, and generated a net profit for the PHA.

In 2017, this hard-working committee was dismissed by the PHA board. Both the
quantity and quality of cultural programming at the Polish Center have suffered as a result. The few historical presentations held since 2017 are only one piece of a deeper and broader vision of Polish culture, art, history and tradition that should guide the Cultural Committee’s work.

During the current pandemic, all individuals, businesses and organizations have been forced to curtail their activities. However, other successful nonprofits have shown great creativity in devising new ways to get their message out. Webinars and Zoom events take the place of in-person presentations. There are virtual concerts and dance performances. Irish Fest live-streamed an entire 4-day festival, complete with music and dance performances, cooking demonstrations, cultural segments, children’s programming and more. The Polish Heritage Alliance represents one of the largest ethnic groups in Milwaukee. It could and should be doing much more to fulfill its mission. Unfortunately, many PHA members interested in authentic Polish culture now find little at the Polish Center. It is time to bring back the Polish Center’s original purpose – to provide a distinctive venue that will serve as a beacon for Wisconsin’s Polish community and enlighten people of all ethnic backgrounds about the positive contributions of the Polish people to world culture.

Our Tax-Exempt Status in the Campaign Season

As you may be aware, the Polish Center enjoys tax-exempt status under sec. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as a nonprofit organization. This means that we are excused from certain income taxes and real estate taxes, thereby saving tens of thousands of dollars every year. This status should not be confused with 501 c(4) organizations which are also non-profit, but because c(4) organizations are allowed to lobby for political changes, donations to c(4) organizations are not tax deductible for a donor.

In order to maintain our favorable tax treatment as a 501 c(3) organization, certain rules must be followed. One is that we cannot become involved in partisan political campaigns. Small things like allowing political signs on our property can cause trouble with the IRS. Likewise, the donation of free or reduced-rate use of our building for political events could place us in jeopardy with the IRS. The use of PCW for a partisan political event is only permissible if the host pays a fair market rental, which would be subject to income tax. Even the appearance of partisanship could be detrimental to our public image and should be avoided. No campaign signs and no subsidized political events should be a guiding principle for the Polish Center.

PHA Election

The PHA’s annual election is coming up on September 24. The board of directors for a 501(c)(3) organization actively oversees the operation of the organization to ensure that its volunteers and staff carry out the organization’s mission legally and ethically.

Board members should be elected based on their qualifications and ability to contribute to the welfare of the PHA. Because the PHA enjoys tax-exempt status, it must follow certain guidelines. It is especially important to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest. Board members should not profit from their knowledge of the organization’s business and they should be independent of personal or family ties that could influence their ability to make objective decisions. Any potential conflicts of interest that do exist must be clearly disclosed. Click here https://www.501c3.org/avoiding-conflicts-of-interest/ for more information. A conflict of interest can arise when a board member is related to an employee or when two or more family members serve on the same board of directors. Those situations should be avoided. The nominating committee for the PHA has made at least two nominations which could bring these issues into IRS review.

Even though the process for this election has been affected by the Covid 19 virus, it is still not as fair as it could be. The election is scheduled to be a “drive through” process. The voters will not be in the same room. The PHA bylaws provide for nominations from the floor. That will not happen at this election. An allowance for “write in” votes is close to useless because no one will hear the write in nominations. The PHA could have opted to hold an informational meeting with appropriate social distancing for those who choose to attend. Instead, members are asked to drop off their ballots in the parking lot and are then invited to proceed into the Polish Center for food and drinks. Under these circumstances the nominating committee should have broadened its search for independent candidates for board positions. We urge you to vote for independent candidates to avoid any conflict of interest issues.

We welcome your interest, feedback, suggestions and comments. Let us know
what you think at polishbeacon@gmail.com.

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