My former employer, in its earliest stage of professional operations, had only 1 paid staff member (the Exec. Dir.).  The Board members each were responsible for the areas you cite below, so they were de facto unpaid staff.  The Exec. Dir. was responsible for day-to-day management and coordination of the work of the Board members through regular meetings and planning sessions. The Board president and the Exec. Dir. were the primary fundraisers.  Eventually sufficient money was raised to replace the Board members’ duties with paid staff, one by one, and the Board “graduated” to performing advisory/policy functions.

 

I don’t know if that helps you, but a structure such as the one you are showing could work IF you and the other volunteer were put on the Board, and the rest of the Board also empowered to split the functional duties.

 

 

I volunteer for a small arts organization that is in the middle of a difficult transition. The organization has been around for about 20 years, but it still floundering.   By floundering I mean the roof leaks, we can't really heat the place, maintenance and janitorial issues are often not taken care in a timely manner, budgets for programs are coming out of volunteer's pockets, programs have low attendance numbers, and various personalities have caused good volunteers to be chased away.   However there is a bright spot,  we have a new Board President, who is committed to turning things around, but so far her efforts have not seen a large return, our latest Gala event barely turned a profit.

 

My dilemma is this.  I and another volunteer have been asked to become "staff", which is to say we are still volunteers, but we are now responsible for outreach, house maintenance, and artistic issues.   The Board President's plan is that our involvement will free her up search out more funding.   However, we still report to her and need her approval before any money is spent or arrangements are finalized.

 

What alarms us is that such a plan prevents us from running any sort of programming.  Last year we managed to run a children's program that not only covered its costs, but made 400% profit.  And the kids are asking when they can come back.   Also, she hasn't mentioned a plan for the remaining Board members, from what we can gather is they will not be taking on any fundraising or administrative duties.   Her plan seems to be a way to take two good volunteers and turning them in to personal assistants, while allowing dysfunctional people to remain that way.

 

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