1.1. The name of the club shall be “The International Women’s Club of Torino (IWCT)” (originally founded as the American Women’s Club of Torino), based in Strada Comunale Di Reaglie, 22, 10123 Torino. The Club is registered as an “Associazione Culturale e Ricreativa,” following art. 18 of the Italian Constitution, articles 36-37-38 of the Italian Civil Code.

1.2. The Club is an independently administered organisation, managed by an Executive Board (otherwise known as the Board) democratically elected by the membership and run on a non-profit basis. Any profits shall be reinvested in the activities of the Club, to include the activity of making charitable contributions, and may not be distributed to its members.

1.3. The duration of the Club is established until 2050, unless extended or dissolved, in either case to be decided by an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the members.

1.4. The Club benefits from the status of Associazione Culturale e Ricreativa according to Italian Law.

2.1. The objectives of the Club are to provide opportunities for English-speaking women in and around Torino:
2.1.1. to meet together for social, cultural and sporting purposes;
2.1.2. to take part in community service in and around Torino;
2.1.3. to be the meeting point for all members who wish to pursue its specific objectives.
2.1.4. To pursue its objectives, the Club may use its own structures or structures existing locally.

2.2. If necessary, the Club shall frequent a location catering to members with cafè and restaurant services. The Club could also manage a location with cafè and restaurant services, provided it receives the specific approval of its members.

3.1. The activities of the Club are open to all members, who have the right to participate in them freely, subject to the Rules & Regulations of the Club.

3.2. The main activities of the Club are to organize cultural, educational and recreational activities of general interest, to support women to further integrate into the English-speaking international community of Torino by strengthening their immediate social surrounding, increase their sense of belonging, and to grow multicultural understanding. To that effect, the club:
3.2.1. may organise social events, seminars, cultural activities, etc. to introduce and support its members to become part of the Community of Torino;
3.2.2. may engage in charitable activities to fundraise for projects for organisations that support women and children. In any case these activities cannot be considered distribution of funds.

3.3. The Club might engage in non-core and / or commercial activities, to achieve the objectives set out in items 2.1 and 3.2.

4.1. The official language of the Club shall be English. English shall be spoken at all Club events.

4.2. Members’ rights are to:
4.2.1. be treated equally without any discrimination;
4.2.2. participate in the activities of the Club;
4.2.3. vote to approve and modify the Constitution and Rules & Regulations of the Club;
4.2.4. vote to elect members of the Board of the Club;
4.2.5. raise grievances concerning the board, the individual members of the board or ordinary members of the club to be dealt with trough the Club’s complaint’s procedure (See Rules & Regulations).

4.3. Members responsibilities are to:
4.3.1. pay the yearly membership charge, which is not transferable in any fashion to any other individual;
4.3.2. be aware of and abide by the Constitution and Rules & Regulations of the Club;
4.3.3. abide by the Club’s cancellation policy (including payment of cancellation fees);
4.3.4. participate in AGMs and EGMs;
4.3.5. vote to approve and modify the Constitution and Rules & Regulations of the Club.

4.4. Membership may be lost by:
4.4.1. failure to pay annual fees or other debts to the Club;
4.4.2. failure to respect and adhere to the Constitution and Rules & Regulations;
4.4.3. exclusion by the Board for a serious and justified reason, the member concerned having first presented
her case (see the Rules & Regulations).

4.5. Members can resign from the Club at any time; the resignation does not exempt them from the payment of dues incurred until that moment. Resignations must be sent in writing to the Board, and must be accompanied by the membership card of the member resigning.

4.6. Honorary membership may be proposed by any member of the Club, to be approved by the Board. Honorary members shall have the same rights, privileges and obligations as other members except that:
4.6.1. they shall pay no membership fees (activity fees will be payable at member rates);
4.6.2. they may not vote at meetings.
Their honorary membership shall be reviewed on an annual basis.

The IWCT is committed to the following principles of data protection and processing as laid out in the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 of the European Union and the European Economic Area. The aim is to protect the personal data of or relating to the identity or behaviour of members of the IWCT.

5.1. Lawfulness, fairness and transparency: All personal data are processed according to lawful basis. The club will not misuse personal data or process them in any way that would create negative effects for an individual. The club will notify individuals in a clear and accessible way about the personal data we are collecting and how we are processing them in compliance with the data subject rights.
5.2. Data minimisation: The Club will only collect information that is relevant and necessary for the purposes of processing.
5.3. Purpose limitation: data processing will be limited to those processes defined in the IWCT’s GDPR policy.
5.4. Accuracy: All information will be kept up to date where necessary. Inaccurate data will be deleted or rectified without delay.
5.5. Storage limitation: Information that is no longer being used for the purposes of the processing will be deleted. The data retention period will be appropriate to the specific purpose. We may continue to store anonymized data, however, for scientific or historical research or statistical purposes, as long as the rights of the data subject continue to be safeguarded.
5.6. Integrity and confidentiality: Data will be safeguarded with appropriate security measures (e.g., encryption, authentication and authorisation mechanisms), including protections against unauthorised or unlawful processing, destruction and damage.
5.7. Accountability: The Club will put in place appropriate technical and organisational measures to demonstrate compliance, protect data subject’s rights, not to abuse personal data and to ensure that data subjects’ rights are fulfilled.

These principles are implemented in the club’s GDPR policy (see the Rules & Regulations of the Club).

6.1. GENERAL MEETINGS (AGM / EGM)

● All members have the right to participate in the General Meetings of the Club, provided they are at least 18 years and have paid their fees.
● All members shall be advised of a General Meeting (Ordinary, Annual, Extraordinary) at least 14 (fourteen) days in advance, specifying the date, time, mode (online or face to face) and if applicable venue.
● All members shall be sent the preliminary Agenda and a preliminary report for an AGM and the voting procedure.
● The preliminary Agenda, the preliminary report (for an AGM) and the voting procedure should be sent out at least 14 days in advance of an AGM.
● Members may file a motion or an amendment to a proposed motion in response to the preliminary agenda up to 7 days before the AGM (see the Rules & Regulations of the Club).
● A final agenda should be sent to all members 5 days before the AGM takes place. Absentee ballots will be sent at the same time to those registered. No new motions will be accepted after this deadline.

6.2. The Board shall call at least one General Meeting per year (the Annual General Meeting or AGM).

6.3. The Annual General Meeting shall:

● receive from the President a report on the activities, decisions and actions taken by the Board since the last Annual General Meeting;
● approve the preliminary balance sheet and financial statements for the current year;
● approve the program of activities and the budget for the coming year, including any extraordinary activities;
● approve the amount of the annual membership fee as proposed by the Board;
● approve any changes to the Rules & Regulations of the Club;
● decide on any matters regarding the application of the Rules & Regulations of the Club;
● decide on motions brought forward by ordinary members in response to the preliminary agenda.
● elect the Officers of the Board for the forthcoming term.

6.4. For the election of Board members, a Voting committee must be established (see the Rules & Regulations of the Club). The Voting committee oversees the whole election process including the nomination process, the collation of the election ballot, the counting of the votes and the announcement of the results. The results of the election must be announced no later than 3 working days after the AGM.

6.5. General Meetings (AGM and EGM) are regularly constituted by the presence, in person, online, through other communication media (including absentee ballots) of 25 % of ordinary members.

6.6. Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM) may be called when requested by one quarter (1/4) of the membership or two thirds (2/3) of the Board. In this case the meeting shall take place within 30 days of the request.

6.7. The Extraordinary General Meeting has the following rights and duties:
● to decide upon modifications to the Constitution;
● to deal with legal matters affecting the Club;
● to authorize the voluntary dissolution of the Club.

6.8. Each member of the Club shall be entitled to cast one vote on each motion at a Club General Meeting. If a member is unable to attend a General Meeting she shall cast her vote via the absentee voting procedure (see the Rules & Regulations of the Club).

Voting on motions and the election of board officers will preferably take place by secret ballot unless a show of hands is requested by 1/3 of the members present.

6.9. Votes shall be cast using one or more of the following ballot options:
● Online polling tool;
● Written ballot;
● Polling option provided by an online meeting platform;
● Show of hands.

6.10. Resolution shall be by simple majority for all motions which shall be by a 50% + 1 majority of members present.

6.11. Each General Meeting will be chaired by a president or chairperson, nominated by the members attending, typically the President of the Club. The resolutions taken shall be recorded in the Club’s records (minutes of the meeting).

6.12. The chairperson of a General Meeting may vote unless there is a show of hands requested. She shall vote during a show of hands when there is a tie.

7.1. The Board shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

7.2. Members of the Board must be legally of age and fully paid up Club members.

7.3. The Board shall:
● formulate the program of activities according to the principles of the Constitution and execute the decisions reached during of the General Meeting;
● appoint committees as necessary; allocate them a budget and allow committee members to attend Board meetings when required;
● adjudicate regarding any controversy arising among the membership as per the club’s complaints’ procedure (see the Rules & Regulations of the Club);
● sanction members who do not abide by the Constitution and Rules & Regulations of the Club;
● propose to the AGM the amount of the annual membership fee;
● keep minutes of all its Board Meetings which may be made available to the membership on request.

7.4. The term of office shall be two years.

7.5. No officer should be eligible for more than one consecutive term in the same office unless there is no available candidate.

7.6. The Board shall be composed of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and at least 3 other members.

7.7. Board meetings are chaired by the President or, in her absence, the Vice President or, in her absence, her delegate.

7.8. The Club shall maintain the policy of having an English-speaking President. The Club shall maintain the policy of having a President who has previously served on the Board as far as is possible.

7.9. The Board will meet at least every two months or at any other time upon request of at least 1/3 (one third) of its officers.

7.10. A quorum for voting shall be 50% of fully-elected Board Members with the right to vote present at a Board meeting.

7.11. Resignations from the Board shall be made in writing to the President and the Secretary and shall be acknowledged in writing by the President and the Secretary; when vacancies occur mid-term, they shall be advertised to the membership and filled provisionally at the discretion of the Board, the membership being advised of their status at the next appropriate Club meeting. Members thus voted shall have full voting rights until the following June elections, when the Board positions will come up for re-election in the usual manner.

7.12. After an election, the outgoing Board will manage the ordinary business of the Club until the newly-elected Board takes office.

7.13. Members of the Board shall not be entitled to any form of compensation, with the exception of reimbursement of expenses related to their Board activities.

8.1. The President:
● represents the Club to all external parties, personally or through her delegates;
● is the legal representative and one of the signatories of the Club;
● calls and chairs the meetings of the Board;
● ensures the resolutions taken by the Board are implemented.

8.2. Is responsible for managing all legal issues concerning the functioning of the Club. All decisions that affect the organisational, legal and economic affairs of the club must be guided by a 2/3 majority vote from the board.

8.3. Is substituted by the Vice President when absent. Should the president be unable to fulfil her role as legal representative, the Vice President takes over her responsibilities.

8.4. Must transfer in full the organisational, legal and economic affairs of the Club to the newly-elected President within 30 days of her election. This transfer must be in writing, with the document to be shared with the Board at its first meeting under the new President.

9.1. The capital of the Club is made up of: membership fees; donations by Club members, other individuals using the services of the Club and public or private institutions, provided they do not reduce the independence of the Club; income from events and activities organized by the Club; private and public contributions; tangible and intangible Club assets; other sources in according with the objectives of the Club.

9.2. Accumulated capital shall be reinvested for the benefit of the Club.
9.3. Capital or income may not be distributed, directly or indirectly, to members or third parties.

10.1. The Treasurer shall have legal responsibility to maintain a bank account in the name of the International Women’s Club of Torino with a reputable Italian financial institution and shall be the main and registered signatory for the bank account, together with the President, as required by the bank.

10.2. The names of both signatories shall be published on the website following the AGM.

11.1. Any administrative act requires the signature of the President and another member of the Board.

12.1. The calendar year of the Club runs from the 1st September to the 31st of August of the following year.

12.2. Prior to the end of each calendar year the Treasurer shall prepare the accounts of the Club, to be reviewed by the Board and approved by the membership at the Annual General Meeting.

13.1. The Constitution may be modified by a resolution passed at an Extraordinary General Meeting.

13.2. Modifications require the approval of 50% + 1 of the membership either attending the EGM or voting through the absentee voting procedure (see the Rules & Regulations of the Club).

13.3. Modifications to the Constitution, once ratified, must be registered with the Ufficio del Registro, accompanied by the appropriate fee.

14.1. The dissolution of the Club can be decided by an Extraordinary General Meeting and requires the approval of 50% + 1 of the membership either attending the EGM or voting by proxy.

14.2. In case of Dissolution, the assets of the Club shall be donated to a similar charitable organization recognized by the Italian Government, operating in the recreational, cultural or sports sectors.

14.3. In case of dissolution, the Board shall propose to the Extraordinary General Meeting the name of the Association to which the assets of the Club shall be donated, which shall be approved by 50% + 1 of the membership either attending the EGM or voting by proxy.

For any point not covered in this Constitution, the Club shall refer to the Civil Code from art. 36 to 42-bis for Associazioni Culturali e Ricreative.

1.1. Eligible applicants for membership shall fill out their personal information on the IWCT’s membership form, read the consent and sign it. A new membership shall be activated after full payment of their membership fee, which shall be:

• At the full rate for a year beginning in September;
• At a reduced rate for partial memberships, valid between March and September.

1.2. Members who renew after the deadline shall pay the same full fee as new members;

1.3. The membership renewal campaign shall officially start in September and end in October or November, at the Board’s discretion. The membership renewal deadline shall be decided at the September Board meeting, and shall then be widely announced to members;

1.4. Membership terminates when member does not renew her membership by the deadline. Within 24 hours from the renewal deadline, members who do not renew their membership have their access to the website revoked and their emails removed from the IWCT mailing list.

1.5. Honorary membership in the IWCT is a privilege and a reward to celebrate outstanding support and contributions to the club and its members. Honorary members receive free membership. However, they will have no vote, can hold no office and will pay for all club events like ordinary members. No more than 4 honorary members may be nominated per year.

1.5.1. Selection Criteria
Honorary membership will only be awarded to members meeting both obligatory and at least 1 of the optional selection criteria below.
Obligatory selection criteria:
– Must be a current or former member of the IWCT for at least 3 years;
– Must have an excellent standing within the club and the wider community.
Optional selection criteria:
– Has served as a club officer in at least one major position (board or activity leader etc.);
– Has served as an ordinary member of a committee for at least 2 years;
– Has organised at least 2 major projects for the club, e.g. Xmas bazaar, Spring fling, etc.;
– Is 80 years of age or older.

1.5.2. Nomination and Selection Procedure
At least one active and current IWCT member may nominate a particular candidate for honorary membership using the nomination form.
Members nominating a particular candidate should ensure that the candidate fits the above criteria for honorary membership. They should also provide a short profile of the candidate in support of the nomination.
Nominations can be sent at any time to the club secretary at secretary@iwct.it until March 31st of each year.
If a candidate meets the selection criteria, the Board will propose the candidate to the membership via our communication channels to give them an opportunity to register objections or complaints.
If objections are received, the club’s Complaints Procedure applies.
Voting procedure:
If no objections are received within 4 weeks, the Board will vote on the candidate at the last Board meeting before the AGM. A candidate is confirmed with a simple majority of board members.
If approved, the candidate will be contacted by the secretary and they may refuse or accept the honorary membership by the end of June.
Honorary members will be presented with a commemorative certificate at the September Coffee Morning. If the nominee is unable to attend, a suitable alternative presentation option will be agreed between them and the Board of the IWCT.

1.5.3. Renewal of honorary membership
The membership shall be reviewed by the Board on a yearly basis. If the member still meets the criteria the secretary may propose renewal of the honorary membership at the last Board meeting before the AGM. The same voting procedure applies.

1.5.4. Loss of honorary membership
Honorary membership may be lost by
failure to respect and adhere to the Constitution and Rules & Regulations;
exclusion by the Board for a serious and justified reason, the member concerned having first presented her case (see the Rules & Regulations of the Club).

1.5.5. Honorary Membership Nomination Form. This application needs to be presented by an active IWCT member to the secretary (secretary@iwct.it) before March 31st. The member will then become the “advocate” for this application. The application must be filled out in full for the application to be considered. The advocate is responsible for gathering all information needed from the club secretary.

Name of advocate 1: IWCT member since:

Optional:
Name of advocate 2: IWCT member since:

Name of nominee: IWCT member since:

Current IWCT member (please circle as appropriate): Y / N

Please briefly describe your motivation for nominating the above for honorary membership (no more than 100 words)

Which of the following optional selection criteria apply to the nominee (please circle as appropriate):

Has served as a club officer in at least one major position (board or activity leader): Y / N

Has served as an ordinary member of a committee for at least 2 years: Y / N

Has organised at least 2 major projects for the club, e.g. Xmas bazaar, Spring fling etc.: Y / N

Is 80 years of age or older: Y / N

Date:

Signature of advocate 1:

Optional:
Signature of advocate 2:

1. The Executive Board shall be the governing body of the Club and shall be responsible for the management of all its activities and affairs.

2. The Executive Board positions shall be:
A. President, who shall be the senior officer in the Club and the chairperson. As such, shall
• chair and convene all meetings of the Club and the Executive Board;
• set and distribute the agenda for each meeting and assure that it is adhered to;
• be the Club’s official representative for all legal and administrative matters as an Associazione Culturale e Ricreativa;
• be responsible for ensuring that the Club official documents are kept up to date and disseminated appropriately; and
• uphold the Italian rules and regulations and abide by the IWCT Constitution.
B. Vice-President(s), who
• assist(s) the President to maintain Club rules and regulations and comanage(s) all meetings with the Board and membership;
• Manage(s) with the President the other Board Chairs as well as Ordinary membership;
• manages and coordinates the activities within the Club calendar;
• acts on behalf of the President in her absence;
C. Secretary, who
• shall keep minutes of the Club meetings and of the Executive Board;
• attend to such correspondence as she is requested to handle either by the President or the Executive Board; and
• act on behalf of the Vice-President in her absence.
• She is responsible for maintaining, updating and disseminating all official Club documents together with the Legal Representative.
D. Treasurer, who shall
• be responsible for the Club’s funds
• keep them in the name of the Club in a bank designated by the Club;
• manage payments made through the means of payment used by the Club;
• present an up-to-date statement of the Club’s finances at each meeting of the Executive Board;
• have the authority to pay bills approved by the Executive Board;
• prepare financial statements and budgets as per the Constitution;
• manage the Activity Leaders budget in accordance with the guidance received by the AGM and Executive Board;
E. Membership chairperson, who shall
• be responsible for enrolling all new members according to Club procedures;
• keep a correct list of all Club members and member information and maintain an appropriate archive of the forms that have been filled in by members, with particular regard to the laws that regulate the protection of
privacy in Italy;
• update the Club materials regarding membership.
F. Web/Communications chairperson(s), who shall
• manage the Club’s website;
• create content and graphic material for the website, newsletters and reminders; and be responsible for the Club’s communications strategy and execution.
G. Events chairperson, who shall
• chair the committee responsible for greeting new members and guests;
• chair the committee responsible for moderating all the recreational and educational activities for the Club’s regular meetings;
• plan the coffee mornings; and work together with the Fundraising chair in the organization of venues and arrangements for other functions as required;
• shall manage the Events budget in accordance with the guidance received by the AGM and Executive Board.
H. Social Good chairperson(s), who shall
• Lead on setting goals and a work plan for the Club’s Social Good agenda with input from Board, Co-Chair and wider membership;
• Liaise with local and international charities / non-profit organizations, specifically those selected by the Club Members and communicate information to and from the Club;
• Manage the selection process for Social Good projects with the support of Co-Chair;
• be the Club’s liaison with the local charity and FAWCO; shall be responsible for distribution of FAWCO literature and information to members; and attend FAWCO conferences as a delegate at the discretion
of and according to the means of the Club.
I. Fundraising chairperson, who shall be responsible for all fundraising elements of the club. Specifically, they shall
• form and run a committee for the annual Christmas fundraiser;
• organize and manage a committee for the annual Spring charity event;
• assist any fundraising activities proposed by the board or ordinary members.
J. Sponsor chairperson(s), who shall be the contact point for the Club’s partners and responsible for all partner-related activities; and develop partnership prospects.

3.1. Voting committee and election
3.1.1. The Executive Board shall, at a Board meeting no later than the end of February of each year, appoint a Voting Committee consisting of one Board member and two active members of the Club who are not Board members.

3.1.2. The Voting committee shall be responsible for the entire process of electing new board members. This includes the nomination process, the collation of the election ballot, absentee voting, counting of the votes and the announcement of the results.

3.1.3. Nominations for election of the Executive Board shall be made as follows:
– Nominations for elections shall be called for via e-mail at least thirty days prior to the Annual General Meeting (AGM);
– A candidate may be nominated by any other member of the Club or be self-nominated;
– The candidates shall be announced by the Voting committee on the website and via e-mail. For members unable to attend the AGM the absentee voting procedure applies (Rules and Regulations, Article 3.2.).

3.2. Absentee Voting
3.2.1. If a member is not able to attend a General Meeting, she shall cast her vote via an absentee ballot.

3.2.2. Absentee votes should be cast using one or more of the following options:
– Private messaging app;
– Email;
– Online polling tools;
– Written mail-in ballot.

3.2.3. After having received the preliminary agenda, the candidate list for the Executive Board and the voting procedure, a member may request an absentee ballot via her preferred method of communication, e.g. email, private messaging app, phone.

3.2.4. An absentee ballot should be requested by a member up to 7 days before the AGM.

3.2.5. Absentee voting shall start 5 days before the General Meeting and finish 24h before the start of the meeting.

4.1.1. The Executive Board shall meet once a month from September to June;

4.1.2. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in June;

4.1.3. Extraordinary, Special or General Meetings may be called at any time, following the procedure described in the Constitution;

4.1.4. Members shall be notified of all Club meetings via e-mail, specifying the date and time of the meeting and its agenda. Notice given by e-mail shall count as a Notice for the purpose of this Article;

4.1.5. During decision meetings the following motion procedure will apply:

• Members may raise points by bringing motions to a GM (General Meeting) for discussion by the wider membership.
• Only those motions already proposed to the members in advance of a GM will be discussed during a GM. No new and substantive motions can be introduced from the floor on the day of the meeting.
• Members may also suggest amendments to a proposed motion. An amendment can only be a change to a detail of a proposed motion – an amendment can never negate the original motion. To propose an amendment to a motion, the same procedure as for a new motion applies.
• To bring forward a motion or an amendment, a proposer and a seconder will need to send a draft of the motion (no more than 100 words) to the board up to 7 days before a GM. These will be included in the final agenda and the absentee ballot.
• During the GM, the member bringing forward the motion or an amendment has the first right to speak. The seconder is then invited to speak to the motion. After discussion the motion is put to a vote (the normal voting procedure applies).
• During the GM a motion, or an amendment to a motion, is carried with a simple majority (normal voting procedure applies).

4.2. Social meetings

4.2.1. A meeting for all members shall be held at least once a month, except in July and August, when social meetings may be held at the discretion of the Board and/or activity leaders;

4.2.2. Members may bring guests to any meeting, but no person may be a guest at more than two meetings in one year;

4.2.3. For events with very limited spaces, including but not limited to guided visits and trips, guest participation shall be open on a space-available basis and at the activity leaders’ or event organizer’s discretion;

4.2.4. Club subsidies:

i. For events partially subsidized by the Club:
1. Members shall pay a reduced price;
2. Guests shall pay the full price.
3. A fee related to other services may be charged (i.e., audio guides)
ii. For events in their entirety subsidized by the Club:
1. Members’ participation shall be free;
2. Guests shall pay the full price;
3. A fee related to other services may be charged (i.e., audio guides).

1. Partners shall have their businesses advertised:
A. In the form of banner ads on the website and on the Club’s communications (newsletters and reminders);
B. Directly to members during one or more meetings defined by the Board;
C. In the form of news or forum posts (at the Board’s discretion) announcing discounts to Club members;
D. In no event shall members be pressured by being approached and individually asked to hire any services or purchasing any products;

6.1. As laid out under Article 3 of the Constitution, the IWCT may engage in charitable activities to fundraise for projects / programmes / organisations that support women and children.

6.2. The IWCT’s SG work is based on 6 guiding principles that will form the foundation of the decision-making process. The 6 guiding principles are: Impact, Sustainability, Partnership, Transparency and Accountability.

6.3. The IWCT will support at least one (1) organisation financially through fundraising as well as through subject-specific expertise, mentoring, coaching and general volunteering opportunities for our members. Specifically:

• Every 2 years the membership of the IWCT will choose one main organization/project/program where we will focus at least 85% of the funds raised and our volunteering support for the duration of two (2) years.
• During this period where possible and requested, we should also focus on offering support like subject expertise, consulting, mentoring, coaching and volunteers (IWCT members) with the aim of helping them take steps towards self-sufficiency.
• Applications will be invited either based on an open call for applications or based a call around a specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).

6.4. Any organization / project / program based in the city and province of Turin, working to support and empower women and children living in the city and province of Turin to transform their own lives, may apply for the forms of support offered by the IWCT as outlined under point 6.3.

A call for applications should be announced by the application committee once a year during the AGM and it should specify the nature of the call (open vs. specific theme) and the maximum amount that applicants may apply for.

6.5. The IWCT board will appoint an application committee no later than the beginning of April each year. From the board it will consist of the Social Good chair, the Fundraising chair and the Treasurer. Two ordinary members will join the committee each year. The committee will be responsible for the whole application process.

6.6. Shortlisted applications will be invited to present their proposal during the first coffee morning in September and an anonymous vote will take place to select which organisation / project / programme to support. For members not able to attend the coffee morning, a period of 5 days will be given to cast their vote online following the coffee morning. At the end of this period, the application committee will count the votes and announce the winning application. The partnership will begin as soon as the IWCT membership has voted. As a show of good faith, both parties will enter into a non-legally binding agreement.

6.7. The partnership with project / programme / organisation will end after two years. A final report should be submitted no later than 3 months after the end of the partnership. Additionally, the organisation / project / programme together with the Social Good chair will give a presentation of the final report to the IWCT membership.

6.8. The SG policy and procedure will be reviewed and amended in regular intervals but at least every two years. The full IWCT’s Social Good Policy and Procedure can be accessed here.

Each member has the right to file a complaint and receive an appropriate response to her complaint. 

Concerns about safety and welfare will be addressed immediately and when necessary will be passed on to the responsible authorities e.g. the Police or Social Services.  

A complaint will be handled by the Trusted Third Party (TTP) who is elected by the club membership and is responsible for the whole process, including GDPR-compliant data management.

A complaint may be filed if: 
– a member of the Board or an ordinary member of the IWCT has behaved in a way that is deemed unsafe, discriminatory, offensive or intimidating;
– important rules or policies of the club have not been respected and followed;

Each complaint will be dealt with fairly and with due regard to privacy following this process:

1. The TTP will send a written acknowledgement that a complaint has been received to the complainant. The TTP will also contact the complainee (the person who is alleged to have behaved inappropriately) and inform her about the process.

2. At the first stage, the complaint will be reviewed by the TTP. This involves discussing the complaint with all of the relevant people to gather information that may be relevant to handling the complaint.

3. Once sufficient detail has been gathered and documented, the complainant and the complainee will each be given an opportunity to respond and comment. This can be done in writing or in a meeting depending on both parties’ preferences.

4. The TTP will inform all parties involved in the complaint about the resolution and the Club’s response including related actions / changes.  

5. The aim is to resolve the complaint informally with all parties concerned. A resolution may include
dismissal of the complaint;

– that no action is needed;
– an explanation and / or apology;
– an agreement to communicate and / or act differently in the future.

6. Should the first attempt at a resolution fail, the matter will progress to the second stage of the process. The information gathered during the review will be passed on to the committee formed to handle the complaint.

7. Should the first attempt fail, the TTP can draw on the Board and the membership and may establish a committee to help resolve the complaint. Any members of a committee must be free of any conflict of interest. The committee will review the information gathered and will suggest a course of action regarding the complaint. The TTP will present the committee’s suggestions to the Board and the Board will take a decision on that basis. Possible outcomes of the escalation could include:

– An official warning from the Board;
– Loss or Suspension of membership;
– Removal from the Board.

The TTP will inform all parties involved in the complaint about the resolution and the Club’s response including related actions / changes.  

The complaints procedure will be followed if an official complaint is made, and applies to all members. Anything else, for example feedback and suggestions should be sent to info@iwct.it or the relevant board member(s).

The IWCT is committed to respecting and protecting the data of its members. IWCT privacy policy helps our members to make informed decisions about the data the Club collects and uses and it describes what personal data we manage as part of being a member, especially:

• What data is collected;
• Why the data is collected;
• How the data is collected;
• How the data is processed;
• What each member’s rights as a “data subject” are;
• How the data is protected.

The full policy can be found here.

The GDPR policy will be reviewed and amended in regular intervals but at least every two years.

1. All the Board and members shall ensure the following rules are observed:
A. Nothing shall be sold, advertised or announced at Club functions, unless as a means of raising funds for the IWCT’s selected charities or for FAWCO (Federation of American Women’s Club Overseas), except at designated meetings, previously defined by the Board, to which Club sponsors are invited to advertise their products or services to members and guests;
B. In no event shall members be pressured by being approached and individually asked to hire any services or purchasing any products;
C. No Board member, activity leader or member shall facilitate any kind of business through the Club;
D. Any announcements at Club functions shall be limited to Club events and information and shall be pre- approved by the Board.

1. Bookings for all the events that require sign-ups shall be done:
A. Through the IWCT website; Exception: members who do not use the computer. These members can join the WhatsApp group created exclusively for this purpose. The group is currently led by the Programs chair.
B. At a Coffee Morning or a Newcomers’ Coffee Morning;
C. At any other IWCT event in which there is an activity leader and/or Board chair assigned to sign up members and receive their payment (when applicable).

2. In order to be confirmed, bookings shall be done by the deadline and before the event reaches its capacity;

3. In case bookings exceed the space limit before the deadline, a wait list may be open at the event organizer’s discretion;

4. Bookings for events that require anticipated payment shall be confirmed only after payment has been received;

5. Each member can book one space as member for the club events, but many spaces as desired as guests (when the event is open for guests);

6. The bookings system closes automatically when the maximum number of attendees is reached.

1. Committees shall be appointed by the Board as necessary; shall be allocated a budget and may attend Board meetings when required.

1. The appointed Parliamentarian shall be the authority on all questions of parliamentary law not covered by the Constitution and all Club meetings shall be conducted according to its rules.

1. Proposed amendments or additions to these Bylaws may be made by any member in any Club meeting provided they have been submitted in writing to the Executive Board for publication in the monthly newsletter. They shall not be voted upon in the meeting at which they are first proposed, but can be voted upon at a following, properly convened, extraordinary, special or General Meeting. Resolution shall be by two-thirds majority.