5 Top Resources for Board Members
You may be new to your board and not know where to begin, or a returning board member who feels that you are not contributing enough because you don’t know what to do. Well, then this is your lucky day, because we are going to tell you about not one, not two, but 5ive(!) excellent resources for all condo and coop board members!
The site and its newsprint version are a must for all board members. It discusses virtually every aspect of running a building and sitting on a board, from regular duties to special projects and legal issues and resident problems. In addition, it has a great directory with vendors and service providers available on the website and mailed in the form of a handy little catalogue every year.
The Cooperator also holds two must see EXPOS every year (minus 2020 due to the pandemic). Jam-packed with three entire floors of coop and condo vendor tables, this is also a chance for coop and condo professionals to meet and greet with other building and service professionals. Self-proclaimed as the “Biggest & Best Co-op, Condo & Apt Expo! Where Buildings Meet Services,” the next EXPO is scheduled for September 23, 2021. This full-day event will be held at its usual location, the New York Hilton Midtown on 53rd Street.
Habitat is another board member-centric resource, with invaluable information and helpful and instructive content. As its name implies, this is a magazine. What makes Habitat different and so interesting is that majority of its articles are real-life stories. Typical articles are about buildings, supers, board members, property managers, problems, and solutions.
The Council of New York Cooperatives & Condominiums
CNYC is a not-for-profit membership organization for coops and condominiums. They also lobby on behalf of coops and condos on various issues such as the annual struggle to reduce real estate taxes and provide relief for coops and condominiums. CNYC sponsors educational classes for coop and condo board members. With the exception of 2020, CNYC sponsors a yearly full-day EXPO on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. This EXPO is jam-packed with classes on every topic that you can imagine.
Community Associations Institute
The CAI is an international membership organization dedicated to building better communities. It is an advocacy group promoting “strength in numbers.” There are local chapters and the one in New York is called CAI Big Apple. The organization provides resources, education, forums, links, and networking.
This site is a general real estate infotainment gumbo of advice, with topics from buying/selling, renovations, board topics, and general interest articles. Our interview with Brick Underground on our energy efficiency services here.
If your association or corporation needs to reduce its greenhouse gas output, The Folson Group provides energy efficiency consulting services for apartment buildings. Email us at info@thefolsongroup.com or call us at (917) 648-8154 to find out more.