View source for Values-driven policy design

== Values-driven organizational policy design ==

Summary: Introductions, framing, discussion

=== Framing ===

[http://wiki.freegeekchicago.org/wiki/FreeGeekInfo/FreeGeekGovernance/Constitution FreeGeek Chicago Constitution]

* Consensus based leadership structure (1 block per 5 year term... or something)
* Diverse, committed staff
* Direct democracy community council, CC eligibility based solely on hours
* All meetings are f2f
* CC chooses staff people

[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AIyS0DKLHn5LLrJGeTnMDve5paVyp00imNS6oFbrWdA/edit?hl=en_US Constitution v2.0]

* Split staff structure into paid (lots of effective power, relatively little policy power) and unpaid (advisory / keyholder status)
* Formalize current policies (socialist pay structure, privacy policy, funding)

[http://wiki.freegeekchicago.org/wiki/Community/FundingStatement Statement on funding]

Examples

Last summer's intern project, both times we've had massive conflict.



=== Notes ===

Free geek Chicago constitution

* Have a community council governance structure
* There are other free-geek orgs in portland, twin cities
* No overarching structure for all free geek structures
* Been around for 6 years
* Operate on consensus process
* Block - nuclear option - can use once in the career of the blocker
* Agreement that everyone can live with
* Every stakeholder must be at each meeting
* Face-to-face meetings
* volunteer 35 hours - you get a vote. Count renews quarterly (or within the past 3 months)
* Created the constitution from frustration from grand-funded nonprofits
* Learn how to take apart and build up and fix computers, ethical recycling. get credit for volunteering to spend towards getting a computer
* Have a statement on funding. Incentive structure of your funding really matters. Part of the outcome was setting the bar very high for foundation funding.
* Someone else decides priorities
* Fundraising is hard work
* Funding can obscure failure, due to having no chance to fail
* Can be hard to get rid of them
* Funding is an exchange. Somebody wants something from you. Always strings attached
* Funders often follows trends

Questions
* who provides funding?
* plans for when runs out
* how can funding protect org structure

Requirements
* all funding approved by community process
* transparency in what funding you get and how
* set limits on how much % funding your org can have
* Funders sign a memorandum of understanding - abide by all decisions made by community council and all communication will be public

* Sell computers
* Biggest cost is recycling (20k this year, $50-80k next)
* funding comes from our own grassroots campaigns

* Were offered interns (a form of funding)
* Certain strings attached
* Raised our own money to take on our own intern

* Could we do collective borrowing? 
** Creating a bunch of co-signers to sign for a loan
* We are a 501c3 - but board is on paper only - not involved in daily governance at all

* Examples of where policies have saved an org?
** Most people write policy too late
* Large distinction between grant funders, individual funders, and grassroots funding
* [http://www.cjjc.org/ Causa Justa :: Just Cause] example around grassroots funding - that structure means that they can't abandon their mission and have to meet their member goals
** Use volunteers for grassroots fundraising - get read on involvement, remind them of the work they are doing
** Inside funding
* Free Geek doesn't do fundraising like that due to capacity issues
* Earmark money for ethical recycling for funding. Taking money for those sorts of programs seem like they work for us.
* Free Geek hasn't done much internal funding. I think it would be helpful.
* It might work doing a gentle ask for fundraising
* Had an intern that sent out thank you cards
* Allow other kinds of contributions
* Automated process of asking for funds - ask with the intention that you are going to hear no - surprised by how many people say yes
* Ask people who have given money before
* People get paid the same amount - people are into the flat hourly rate or two salary brackets
* A lot of our capacity goes to finding good hardware to refurbish
* Board members should give enough to make them feel invested
* Talk about fundraising as resource mobilization - allows us to value more than just cash
* We are going to require that people come to a couple CC meetings before they can vote