Annual Reports

Incredible India IN Day

Conversation Groups Coordinator

Conversation Groups have always been the “work horses” of International Neighbors because they meet every week.  The women who participate practice speaking English, learn about Ann Arbor and make friends.  This past year we have had five Conversation Groups, three on ZOOM, with occasional in-person events  and two meetings in-person.  Before covid, the groups had field trips and went out to lunch.  These outings are gradually returning.

I am grateful to excellent leaders:  Marcy T., Sara G., Carole W., Martha F., Kari M., Barb Z., Julia F., Justine B., Lonni V. and Rachel B.  We would love to offer more Conversation Groups, and new leaders are appreciated!!   For in-person meetings, we rent meeting space. 

Dale

Discussion Groups Coordinator

My duties as coordinator of discussion groups were twofold. 

1. Forwarding requests to join a discussion group to the acting group leader for approval. All requests were replied to and forwarded within 24 hours of receiving them. Several discussion groups are not accepting new members. In those cases, I suggested alternative groups to new members of IN. 

2. Contacting acting group leaders to request updates on their respective groups. This was met with varying degrees of success. For the most part, group leaders act independently and respond occasionally. 

The discussion groups include two film groups, three conversation groups and two topic oriented discussion groups. 

Gretchen

IN Day Committee

Our IN Day group continues to be a cohesive group that gets along well , and enjoys planning events over delicious lunches at our members homes on the first Monday of the month.  This year we were able to deliver variety of activities each month for the membership at large:

We are so grateful to the Indian and Japanese community for presenting their beautiful culture in October and April.

The Thanksgiving Feast in November;  the holiday sing along and treats around the world in December; and the Craft event in January were all very successful and fun.

Also the IN Day committee helped the board events for Open house in September and the Winter Welcome in February. 

We have some new members to our group who are wonderful additions , and unfortunately some of our old members left us due to moving to their country or working full time.

With the help of the Zero Waste Group we were able to change our supplies to reusable plates instead of paper plates, reusable silverware, metal and ceramic  cups and cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.

We are planning to have a couple of cultural events from different countries next year.

We will submit the next year's events calendar to the board by the beginning of summer.

Currently we are looking for new members to plan and serve the international neighbors much better in 2024/2025.

The IN Day Committee will continue to meet once a month over the summer to enjoy each other's company , and exchange ideas for next year.

Respectfully

Mojgan

Mailing/Neighbor Committee

At the end of August, 417 annual letters were mailed out using our most current and edited member list. After an extensive review over the past 5 years worth of data, eliminating those who by committee were deemed inactive, our member list was reduced by almost half.

In previous years 800-900 letters were mailed out for some perspective.

Of those 417 letters mailed out, 87 were returned (21%) with completed pink sheets and most with donations.

Just 31 were returned as undeliverable which is a drastic decrease compared with previous years prior to our extensive editing efforts.

All changes noted on pink sheets were submitted to Member Data to keep our list as current as possible. Those mailings returned as undeliverable were also noted and eliminated from the database if no current address was available or if moved away.

All donations were recorded and passed on to our treasurer continuing our two point recording of incoming funds.

Our mailbox at UPS/Plymouth Road will be renewed for 15 months in July 2025, the previous cost was $420 for renewal. I have not received any indication of a price increase for the next renewal period.

At IN Day member sign in table, a new system of checking in members with a preprinted list has been working effectively.

Most of those checking in are on the list. These not are newer members or those who have never registered on the website. It is a good way to remind those members to visit the website and register.

Budget Estimates

I anticipate a similar budget to that of last year.

I did purchase postage stamps last year which were not used (approx 200 were left over) There will however be an increase in postal rates in July from 73 to 78 cents. I will purchase stamps for our mailing in advance of this increase.

Printing expenses should be similar as well.

Post Office Box renewal is $420

Submitted by

Janine

Neighbors Follow-Up Coordinator

The number of new members who registered from August 13, 2024-April 26, 2025 were 130 (with 11 who were already members) from 31 countries.  The countries and their numbers were the following:  The U.S.- 34, Korea - 16 (with 2 already members), India - 10, Japan - 11 (with 1 already a member), Taiwan - 4, The U.K. - 1, France - 1, Iran - 17 (with 3 already members), South Africa - 1, Malaysia - 1, Tunisia - 1, Puerto Rico - 1, Zimbabwe - 1, Saudi Arabia - 1, Indonesia - 4 (with 1 already a member), Germany - 1, Brazil - 3 (with 2 already members), Turkey - 2 (with 1 already a member), Portugal - 1, Italy - 1, Hong Kong - 1, Vietnam - 1, Chile - 1, Colombia - 3, Panama - 1, China - 5 (with 1 already a member), Hungary - 2, Russia - 1, Thailand - 1, and Egypt  - 1.

In addition, several membership meetings were held with the Membership Committee to go through the Membership Lists to decide who were still active members and who should be deleted.  We are still in the process of going through the Membership Lists to further decide the final results (including who are Neighbors, Newcomers, and Graduates).  Many thanks to Janine, Melissa, Gretchen, Robyn, Veronica and Ariana for this often frustrating and tedious job!!!

Respectfully submitted, 

Carole

Newsletter Team

This year the IN Newsletter was published from September through December and from March through May. 

It was a difficult year for the Newsletter as our group of writers has diminished substantially. That meant that all the work necessary to produce and publish the Newsletter was done by just a few core individuals assisted by contributing writers.

In the Spring, the Members Data Committee decided to change the communications platform during the Summer and IN president and the board suggested several changes to the Newsletter in the coming year.

In expectation of changes to come, the current Newsletter editor-in-chief, Shirley, is stepping down at the end of May 2025.

Thank you to all members who contributed to the Newsletter this year. We couldn’t have made it without you! And thank you to all our readers - current and past members! 

Shirley

Nominating Committee

This year there were two open executive board positions:  Vice President and Treasurer.

The new Vice President will be Rose Y., an active member of several years in International Neighbors. Rose is from S. Korea. 

The new Treasurer will be Joanna S., another long time member of International Neighbors. Joanna is from Ireland.

I'm especially pleased that the new board members are from the international community.

The final approval of the new board members will take place at the annual meeting in May. I don't expect any opposition to the approval. 

Many thanks to Veronica H., Adriana R. and Stephanie B. for their assistance in recruiting and orientation of Rose and Joanna.  

Gretchen 

Reading Groups Coordinator

There were four Reading Groups again this year.  Happily, a total of all eight leaders and co-leaders continued!  And fortunately some new members joined all the groups this year! So there were approximately 55 members total.

--Intermediate Reading Group (1st and 3rd Thursday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Zoom):  There are 10 members with 2 co-leaders and 4 new members, so 12 members total.  Books read this year were:  Astor by Anderson Cooper, The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See and starting The Housemaid by Freida McFadden in May.

--High-Intermediate Reading Group (2nd and 4th Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. on Zoom):  There are 11 members with 2 co-leaders, 2 sometime members and 2 new members, so 17 members total.  Books read this year were Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, Small Things Like Us by Claire Keegan, Lila by Marilynne Robinson, Daddy Was a Number Runner by Louise Meriweather and The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colson (current read).

--Advanced Reading Group 1 (2nd and 4th Thursday from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in person):  There are 12 members total,  with 2 co-leaders, with 2 new members.  Books read were:  A Single Rose by Muriel Barbery, House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, and Brotherless Night by B.B. Ganeshanathan.  They also had one field trip to the Edsel Ford House.

--Advanced Reading Group 2 (2nd Thursday from 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m., 1 time/month, in person):  There are 12 members with 2 co-leaders.  Books read were:  Educated by Tara Westover, Crying in H Mart by Mchelle Zauner, Loving Frank by Nancy Horan, The Centre by Ayesha Marzir Siddiqi, Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, Commonwealth by Ann Pattchett and for next month Candide by Voltaire.

A HUGE thanks to all of the leaders for their dedication and enthusiasm this year!!!  The Reading Groups could not have existed with them!!!

Respectfully submitted, 

Carole

Secretary

The secretary attended all Board meetings except March when Stephanie kindly recorded the Minutes. Copies of the corrected Minutes of the monthly Board meetings, including Board members’ monthly reports, were shared via Google Drive with the Board and Emeritus before the next monthly meeting.

The secretary helped with and attended the fall Open House, the Winter Welcome and other International Days with the exception of March when she was in New Zealand. As a member of the zero waste committee she helped by taking home reusables to be washed.

The secretary maintained a file of International Neighbors materials to be deposited in the Bentley Library. Board Minutes from 2024-25 and Minutes of the Annual Meeting will also be deposited with the Bentley Library on a thumb drive. 

Respectfully submitted

Adrienne

Special Interests Coordinator

It has been another successful year for our Special Interest Groups.  Our most important purpose is to provide friendship and that is the core of all of our gatherings.

All groups have healthy levels of membership except for our Thursday hiking group.  We have advertised on Facebook and in the newsletter to attract new women.

Food Groups

Persian Fun - Our newest group is off to an excellent first year with a great deal of interest. Thanks to Mojgan for her leadership.

International Cooking has finished the year with great participation. Thanks to Carmen for her many years as the group leader.

Vegetarian Cooking - A great way to add plant-based food to your diet. Thanks to Ammu for her leadership and to those who have hosted the group in their homes.

Arts and Crafts

Knitting Group - We have welcomed many new women this year. Attendance fluctuates, but we have a healthy core group. Coordinator - Melissa

Exercise and Fitness

Monday Hiking - The year-round hikes have been well attended. We have explored the wonderful parks in Ann Arbor and made use of Briarwood Mall throughout the winter months. Coordinator - Melissa

Thursday Hiking - Mostly year-round, with a break from November - March. Attendance has been low, but we hope to increase the membership. Nadeera leads the hikes twice a month at local Ann Arbor area parks.

Stroller Walking Group - A great option for mothers with young children, but open to all. Thanks to Azusa for leading the group. Now that her daughter is older, she will turn over leadership to one of the other members.

Excursions

Chat and Chew - A simple concept that is enjoyed by all, meet once a month at a local restaurant and enjoy the company of others. Good option for working women. Coordinated by Gretchen

Fun and Games - Meets in the evening and is a popular group, full for now. Coordinated by Lianne.

Pop-Ups - Random activities open to all members - suggestions from Lianne, Dilek, the Thursday Reading Group, etc. 

Submitted by Melissa

Tea Groups Coordinator

My duties as Tea Groups Coordinator were twofold.

1. Reply to and forward all requests to join a tea group to the appropriate tea group leader. All requests were forwarded within 24 hours of receiving them.

2. Contact and communicate with the tea group leaders throughout the year. This was very successful and I found the tea group leaders to be very welcoming to new members. 

There are three tea groups  in IN:  Ann Arbor Hills, Angell and Wildwood. In September, I would like to recruit one or two volunteers who would like to start a new tea group. 

Gretchen

Treasurer

As we near the end of the fiscal year, International Neighbors remains on strong financial footing. As of May 1st, total assets stand at $33,318, consisting of $13,689 in cash reserves and $19,629 invested in two short-term certificates of deposit (CDs). By year end, the amount should be reduced by $1,000 due to uncleared checks and anticipated expenses. The reserves could cover approximately four to five years of expenses at the present spending rate.

Despite the year’s budget anticipating a spending deficit, reserves increased by $6,384—or $5,384 by year end. This positive variance resulted from three main factors:

1. A one-time $5,000 donation from a community member,

2. Interest income from two CDs, and

3. Unspent funds of approximately $1,000 in outreach and marketing.

Income

Total anticipated income for the year is $10,857. Excluding the unexpected $5,000 donation, the remaining $5,942 is largely in line with the planned budget.

Member donations totaled $4,457, continuing to serve as the organization’s primary source of funding for operations and activities. A total of 72 members contributed, narrowly missing the goal of 75. Individual donations ranged from $5 to $300, with an average of $60 and a median of $50, consistent with last year’s trends.

A $1,000 grant from the Japan Business Society of Greater Detroit Foundation supported the Conversation Groups and International Days.

Interest income totaled $485, of which $422 came from the two short-term CDs initiated in September with an investment of $18,200. The remainder was earned from the organization’s savings account.

In November, International Neighbors received a one-time unrestricted $5,000 donation from the surviving spouse of Frankie Simmonds, a Founding Mother. Rather than apply these funds toward general operating expenses, the Board created the Frankie Fund to be used for projects that reflect Frankie’s spirit of warmth and international hospitality.

Expenditures

Total expenditures to date amount to $6,061, with an additional $1,000 anticipated in May. This brings the projected year-end total to approximately $7,061.

Annual mailing costs were $773, slightly over budget due to rising printing and postage rates. However, the work of the membership database and mailing teams to streamline the address list actually reduced costs compared to previous years. This in turn improved the mailing’s return on investment (ROI) to $4.77, up from $4.50 the prior year.

The largest expense category was Membership Meetings, which include events open to all members (and often guests). These included:

• Open House (September): $387

• Winter Welcome (February): $200

• Six International Days: $1,548

  • Including October’s Incredible India and April’s Cherry Blossom Festival

• Annual Meeting (May): $905, estimated 

The second largest expense was for Activity Groups, including $1,430 for Conversation Groups. These funds cover facility rental costs, allowing volunteers to lead English learners in an engaging and welcoming environment.

Looking Ahead

With solid financial reserves, International Neighbors is well positioned to expand its outreach and broaden program offerings to better support the diverse community of women we serve. The newly established Frankie Fund will further strengthen our mission by enhancing efforts rooted in international hospitality. Strategic deployment of these resources presents exciting opportunities for impactful growth in the year ahead.

Adriana

Webmaster

My first year as webmaster for International Neighbors has been quite the learning curve. In lieu of writing 10 pages, I can pretty much just say that I made a lot of small and large changes to the website, but only after learning how to enact those changes. These included updating forms, menus, notification settings, images, group details and availability, automations, event notifications and the related rsvp system, and problem solving why certain things aren’t working – i.e. why some women aren’t receiving

the newsletter or aren’t able to access certain pages, etc.

All in all, I tried to make things as user friendly and up to date as possible. Perhaps the biggest change was creating one new sign-up page for all IN groups, and making that page only available to members. This addresses the problem of Activity Coordinators receiving requests to join groups without receiving any of the contact info of the women asking to join. The only thing to be desired on this page is that members’ info be auto filled into the various signup forms, so it doesn’t have to be written out for each different activity group. However, this feature is not yet available on Wix, our editing platform.

Along with other members of the IN-data committee, we’ve discovered how much Wix has to offer our organization in terms of communicating more efficiently with our members. We are working on using Wix to handle more of our members’ data and email communications going forward.

Lianne

Zero Waste Committee

The Zero Waste Committee continued working to reduce International Neighbors’ carbon footprint and bringing awareness to ways to be more environmentally responsible.

This year, we used cloth napkins, reusable aluminum cold beverage cups, ceramic hot beverage cups, reusable plates, and silverware that we will use and reuse for years to come. We are now fully equipt to have an IN Day without having to use any one-use article. 

We encountered a little bump on the road when the city of Ann Arbor stopped collecting compost materials at the Zion Church. We are optimistic that we will find a way to continue composting the waste at IN Day events when we reconvene in September.

We will continue to strive to educate our members on how to compost our waste, and how to fully take advantage of the tableware we have now.