On 8/10/11 7:22 PM, Birgitte_sb@yahoo.com wrote:
As for the rest I encourage you to exercise your moral duty by helping the chapters fulfill the reporting requirements, implement the financial controls, and operate transparently. You have been through this all before. You were the chairman of the board when WMF was struggling with all of these items, so why not use your experience directing WMF through being out of compliance with such things to mentor those chapter which are struggling?
Of course. My past experiences are what allow me to approach these difficult issues without blaming anyone, and I think that the chapters should not feel blamed.
Growing from a barely functioning chapter - usually just a group of people who made a proposal and did all the hard work to get through the chapter approval process - into a successful, effective nonprofit organization with strong financial controls, transparency, training, oversight is really hard work. Delphine has spoken eloquently about it.
A model which dumps too much money/responsibility onto a chapter before they are ready for it is not a valid service to anyone. A model which allows chapters to go off the rails with little or no recourse other than some kind of disastrous legal battle or something would also not be a valid service to anyone.
When I look at the track record of many chapters to date, I see that we've asked too much, too soon, and it's not causing happiness.
I think the new approach, if thoughtfully pursued with lots of good-faith input and collaboration by all, can really make a huge difference.
--Jimbo