Congratulations!  You’re a council delegate.  So now what?

I hear and read from delegates and volunteers who want to have some kind of voice in their council, but they are unsure how to go about this.  The process can be very intimidating and overwhelming.  Many delegates and volunteers become frustrated and discouraged when they attend meetings with board and staff members, but in many cases, it’s because they are not familiar with the way these business meetings work or understand the relationships within a non-profit.   Or they are facing difficult people and politics are being played.  Regardless, you have to know the system in order to work within it.  With this new category called Delegate Duties, I would like to share what I have learned as someone who had no prior experience with non-profits and no real knowledge about governance.  I’m sure the fact that I’m still nowhere close to being an authority on these matters inspires confidence.  Yes, I’m being sarcastic.  But after hours and hours of poring through extremely boring jargon, procedures, and organizational charts, you too can be a non-authority, just like me!  Continue reading