Self-Governance: Miscellaneous
Officers:
Communities that elect to organize as Corporations may be legally required to have officers such as a President, VP, Treasurer, Secretary etc. While these offices may be associated with specific duties (i.e. keeping the books or running the annual Shareholders Meeting), they do not carry any decision making authority beyond that necessitated by local law. These are merely support roles for the continued existence of the community. Budgets:
Budgets are established only if some forecast is needed to inform an important decision. For example, a simple projection of expected cash flow may be advisable when deciding whether a prospective project is worth pursuing. Peers can challenge each other’s budgets &/or take them into consideration when evaluating how a proposed project is likely to affect them (via the Advice Process), but they cannot force a project team to change their numbers. Projects Teams are encouraged to seek Expert Advice (under the Advice Process) from Community Members or Consultants with skills in finance / budgeting when preparing budgets |
Outsiders/Consultants:
Can be hired to contribute to the Advice Process, but have no decision-making authority. Similarly support staff (such as Officers of the Corporation, accountants, etc.) can tender advice, but have no direct authority beyond their ordinary voice as members of the Community.
Can be hired to contribute to the Advice Process, but have no decision-making authority. Similarly support staff (such as Officers of the Corporation, accountants, etc.) can tender advice, but have no direct authority beyond their ordinary voice as members of the Community.
Staff Functions:1
The Community can create Support Staff functions as necessary via their standard decision-making process. Support Staff have no direct authority beyond their ordinary voice as members of the Community.
|
[1] “We don’t waste time being busy” – Kristen Regal, Sun Hydraulics |
Investors / Board
Any investors / potential future board members brought in must be aware of and aligned with the Community’s purpose and self-management methodology. They should also be constrained from unilaterally imposing a strategy or reverting the organization to traditional management practices. Consider the use of B-Corporations[1] in states where that is legally possible. |
[1] B-corporations are for-profit companies that explicitly include a social or environmental purpose. (Note that C-Corps have a fiduciary duty to their shareholders and can theoretically be sued for giving environmental / social concerns primacy over profits.) |
Profits:
Please refer to “Community Finances”
Please refer to “Community Finances”
Resource Pools
Communities can establish their own resource pools via the normal decision making process (if they choose to). For example:
Communities can establish their own resource pools via the normal decision making process (if they choose to). For example:
- Community Vehicles
- Community Meals
- Community buildings
- Community “free table”
- Community tools
Purchasing & Investments:
Anyone (or Project Team) can spend any reasonable amount of money, provided the Advice Process is respected & they have sought the necessary advice before making the decision.
Anyone (or Project Team) can spend any reasonable amount of money, provided the Advice Process is respected & they have sought the necessary advice before making the decision.
- The larger the purchase, the more people are typically involved in the Advice Process
- Budgets, expenditures, and time spent as they affect community finances are transparently posted & tracked in the community finances section of the community’s intranet…
- Anyone can challenge a Budget that they believe is out of line
Dissolution:
- Dissolution of the Community forces liquidation of assets & settlement of debts.
- Upon Dissolution, all Equity Shareholders will be bought out according to the terms defined in the Community Startup Finances document.