GetQuorum helped us reach quorum for the first time in six years, pass a Standard Unit Bylaw, and save thousands of dollars on meeting notice distribution costs.
-- Board of Directors, 50 Absolute
When we first spoke with our newest client, 50 Absolute (also known as the Marilyn Monroe condominiums), a 430 unit building located in Mississauga, we were not surprised to hear that they struggled to achieve quorum at their past annual general meetings (AGMs). After all, we had specifically developed GetQuorum knowing that most condos have a difficult time convincing owners to attend meetings. These struggles can be attributed to a number of factors, including:
- Large numbers of owners may live off-site
- That many condominium owners are busy and do not have the time to participate in owner meetings
- A lack of understanding, on the part of owners, of their legal rights
- The inconvenient and confusing nature of the current paper-based proxy system
What was unique about 50 Absolute, however, was that they had failed to achieve quorum in each of the past six years. Last year alone, 50 Absolute held two AGMs in an attempt to obtain quorum, however both came up short and only a few dozen unit owners attended in person with only a few paper proxies submitted.
To make matters even more challenging this year, 50 Absolute also needed to pass a Standard Unit Bylaw, which required approval from more than 50% of all unit owners. That said, GetQuorum never shies away from a challenge and happily accepted our new client and got to work.
We partnered with DigiNotice, digital signage providers for 50 Absolute and experts in condominium communications strategies, to develop a solicitation campaign. Our goal was to educate owners on the importance of meeting quorum, why the Standard Unit Bylaw was needed, and how the Standard Unit Bylaw would benefit their community and help protect their investments.
50 Absolute (pic courtesy of Peter Kudlacz - flickr.com)
Lots and Lots of Paper
Having never reached quorum, our client was required to approve six years of financial statements. Their AGM meeting package contained over 130 pages! Our printers half-jokingly commented that they “struggled to put a staple through it”. It would have cost 50 Absolute over $5000 to print and mail these packages to all of their owners. Fortunately, GetQuorum has a solution for expensive printing costs too.
The Pre-Consent and Online AGM Package Distribution
Condo corporations are statutorily obligated to provide written copies of AGM meeting packages to their owners and such packages must be served no later than 15 days before the meeting date. With a single ‘click’ on a mobile or desktop device, GetQuorum gathers owner consent (or “pre-consent”) for the electronic distribution of the AGM meeting package.
We typically obtain owner consent rates for online distribution from upwards of 65% of owners in any given condo, something that helps drastically reduce printing and mailing costs. Our pre-consent technology also helps condominium corporations and their property managers realize operational efficiencies - that is, it allows them to focus their energies on important projects rather than spend time and energy physically collecting and recording consent.
With the pre-consents we collected for 50 Absolute, were able to immediately save our clients over $3,400 in printing and mailing costs. The remaining owners that did not provide their pre-consent were mailed hard copies through GetQuorum’s printing and mailing service.
Educational Campaign and Solicitation of Proxies
Now that the AGM package had been distributed, it was time to gather proxies and votes. To accomplish this, GetQuorum provides owners with access to its guided online proxy voting tool, giving owners a super simple and convenient way to submit their proxies online. GetQuorum also provides condominium corporations with the technology to run an effective proxy solicitation campaign.
GetQuorum's simple and guided online proxy voting tool for owners
Through GetQuorum's platform, 50 Absolute's management team sent educational emails designed to help owners understand the importance of both passing the Standard Unit Bylaw and also attending the meeting, in-person or via proxy.
Our partners, DigiNotice, designed eye-catching and educational infographics that explained the the cost-savings of the Standard Unit Bylaw. Our email solicitation campaign was targeted, meaning that those owners who responded to our solicitation are removed from subsequent communications while those who do not respond continue to receive reminder emails leading up to the day of the meeting.
DigiNotice’s creative and timely digital notices
For our client, the results were tremendous. We were able to surpass the threshold for quorum, one full week in advance of their AGM.
The Final Push - Passing The Bylaw
With quorum already reached, our focus shifted to passing the Standard Unit Bylaw, no easy feat considering the challenge of trying to achieve this at the same time as getting quorum.
Using GetQuorum’s proxy platform, we kept a running tally on the proxies that were needed to pass the bylaw - and used this information to help the management team solicit additional proxies up to an hour before the meeting. The results were better than anyone could have expected!
Using GetQuorum’s proxy platform, and several of DigiNotice’s creative notices on 50 Absolute’s elevator screens, we kept a running tally on the proxies that were needed to pass the bylaw - and used this information to solicit additional proxies up to an hour before the meeting.
Year-over-year AGM attendance results, with GetQuorum in 2016
When the dust settled, GetQuorum and DigiNotice were able to help our client collect 232 proxies and realize immediate savings of over $3,000 in AGM package distribution costs, while at the same time reaching quorum and passing a crucial bylaw potentially saving our client and its owners tens of thousands of dollars.