Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
day-to-day operation of the garden, or even decide to garden; they may be more of an oversight body to
provide outside perspective on a separate leadership team's decisions for the organization.
Board members—generally a president, vice president, and treasurer—serve as officers of the cor-
poration, although anyone on the board could be designated an officer. Each officer is required to sign
legal documents, such as contracts, MOUs, or other legally binding agreements, and provide a level of
responsibility for the organization's actions if an issue were to be brought to court. If you have board
members that come from a corporation and are serving on your board as part of their professional devel-
opment, their employers may require the garden organization to have directors and operators insurance.
This insurance protects board members—and by extension their employers—from any legal or financial
repercussions during their board tenure.
Aside from governance, one of the main roles of many boards is fundraising. This could include
seeking out funders, introducing them to the organization, exploring possible donations from personal
or family resources, and participating in fundraising efforts. Many organizations make some fiscal com-
mitment a requirement of board membership—requiring potential board members to pony up a set dol-
lar amount before being allowed on the board, or guaranteeing introductions to prospective donors or
others groups that will potentially fulfill a certain quota.
If your organization doesn't have nonprofit status, it is still a wise idea to have a board or leadership
team involved in your group's activities because, much like the garden itself, a community of doers has
a lot more to offer than a single, lone leader. Plus, it is more fun to have comrades who share an interest
in the garden's success.
LIVING BY THE (BY)LAWS
Any nonprofit status requiring a board will also require bylaws to govern that board and, by extension,
the organization in general. Bylaws are a series of, well, laws. They govern how the organization will
behave and what actions to take should agreed-upon behavior not happen. Bylaws can be simple or
complex, and really reflect the nature of your organization. They are required to be part of your applic-
ation for state and federal nonprofit status.
For the purposes of application and compliance with nonprofit status, bylaws can include the num-
ber and titles of board members, frequency of elections, terms for removing people from the board, and
terms of fiscal oversight. If the organization is small, or doesn't need state or federal nonprofit status,
bylaws are still a good idea. As with most things regarding your group, they should be decided upon
communally.
FINANCING YOUR PROJECT: PUTTING THE FUN IN
FUNDRAISING
Chances are, the largest expenses you will encounter with the garden will come during the initial build-
ing phase. All that soil, lumber, and infrastructure cost money! But whatever you're spending organ-
ization funds on, you'll need to be prepared to tell the story of your garden—and what you're doing
with your budget—to potential donors, sponsors, and funders. Here is where the community work on
the mission questionnaire and mission statement developed in your initial meetings takes on another
