Local bike coalition shut down local bike co-op
I'd like to some info from those of you whose shop runs under the umbrella of a bike coalition or other advocacy group. How has this effected your ability to operate autonomously as a collective? I'm involved with a fledgling bike coop that was created as a biproduct of a grant that was managed by the local bike coalition. We were operating under their charter so as to have non-profit status. It was many of the volunteer's understanding that the bike coalition was only helping us manage our finances, helping us access grants, and generally helping us get ourselves established in the community. As soon as they heard complaints from a former volunteer they at first told us that they didn't acknowledge our decision making process (full consent) and told us that they wanted us to run under a manager that they hire. More recently (following more complaints and accusations from potentially the same ex-volunteer) they went in and had the locks changed and shut the whole shop down. We will be meeting with them this week and trying to discuss how to get the place back open. Has anyone else been down this road? Have you hit walls because of a hierarchic organisation not having faith in the collective's ability to make decisions? Should we even go ahead with them if it means not having control of the direction or operation of the shop? What could we do to save the shop and our autonomy? -Enzo not speaking on behalf of the bikerowave but another org.
Enzo, this is quite messy, if I may say so.
First, I think you said that the grant that funds the bike co-op belongs to the local bike coalition. Therefore, it's up to the coalition to decide how to distribute the funds, including the terms (within the terms of the grant, of course). If they say the co-op needs to be run by their manager, the co-op can take it or leave it. Many entrepreneurial startups have faced the same demand by venture capitalists. It's part of business. Money rarely comes without strings.
Second, you say you were operating under their charter in order to have non-profit status. Of the many benefits you realized, this is probably the smallest. You were likely promoted through their publications, covered by their liability insurance and given credibility on the street and with grantors and donors because of your affiliation. This last part is especially important. An organization's reputation is extremely valuable, especially in the nonprofit world. It sounds like the coalition is concerned that the activities of the co-op is damaging their reputation.
Okay, now to the messy part. What was the reporting arrangement between the co-op and the coalition? Did the coalition have a member or two on the co-op's board? On the management committee? How did the co-op keep their most important donor informed? This should have been addressed at the co-op's creation.
Unfortunately, it sounds like the communication from the co-op to the coalition was so poor that the allegations raised by the former volunteer were perceived as credible. Even if they aren't true, the fact that they are plausible is shocking. People at the coalition are realizing that the co-op was operating more independently than they thought.
Okay, so it's decision time for the co-op. Will they turn their back on their support system and go it alone? That's the route to go to preserve the co-op's autonomy, but it may destroy the co-op in the process. They could easily be stigmatized as enemies of the coalition. 'Enemies' isn't the right word, but it's the best I have. They'll lose their money, their space, and their affiliation.
From what you've said, I believe the co-op has no bargaining power here.
They should put their ego aside and listen to what the coalition has to say, and do their best to preserve their organization within the new framework.
My two cents, for what they're worth.
Doug Franz, President
BikeWorks_3_wText
coatesvillebikeworks.org http://coatesvillebikeworks.org/
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From: thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org [mailto:thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org] On Behalf Of Vincenzo loco Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2012 7:24 PM To: The Think Tank Subject: [TheThinkTank] Local bike coalition shut down local bike co-op
I'd like to some info from those of you whose shop runs under the umbrella of a bike coalition or other advocacy group. How has this effected your ability to operate autonomously as a collective? I'm involved with a fledgling bike coop that was created as a biproduct of a grant that was managed by the local bike coalition. We were operating under their charter so as to have non-profit status. It was many of the volunteer's understanding that the bike coalition was only helping us manage our finances, helping us access grants, and generally helping us get ourselves established in the community. As soon as they heard complaints from a former volunteer they at first told us that they didn't acknowledge our decision making process (full consent) and told us that they wanted us to run under a manager that they hire. More recently (following more complaints and accusations from potentially the same ex-volunteer) they went in and had the locks changed and shut the whole shop down. We will be meeting with them this week and trying to discuss how to get the place back open. Has anyone else been down this road? Have you hit walls because of a hierarchic organisation not having faith in the collective's ability to make decisions? Should we even go ahead with them if it means not having control of the direction or operation of the shop? What could we do to save the shop and our autonomy?
-Enzo
not speaking on behalf of the bikerowave but another org.
I'd say don't be afraid to go out on your own. If the tools are the new shops, negotiate getting them from the coalition, and start looking for a new space. If people like your organization you'll be able to grow and stick true to your values, without having to be under an authority you didn't agree to.
If the tools aren't able to come back to the collective, let them go and start over the way your collective would like to operate. When Troy Bike Rescue got swinging in Troy again, it was a few stands in a yard and a couple of filing cabinets. Then it moved into a shared shopfront and is now in its own wheelhouse.
Give it a shot and see what happens and good luck. As Troy Bike Rescue grew and established its own identity, I think it grew more quickly than we ever thought it would and it was/is really amazing.
www.troybikerescue.org "When shall we live if not now?" - M.F.K. Fisher
From: Doug Franz doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org To: 'The Think Tank' thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Sent: Saturday, September 1, 2012 9:30 PM Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Local bike coalition shut down local bike co-op
Enzo, this is quite messy, if I may say so. First, I think you said that the grant that funds the bike co-op belongs to the local bike coalition. Therefore, it’s up to the coalition to decide how to distribute the funds, including the terms (within the terms of the grant, of course). If they say the co-op needs to be run by their manager, the co-op can take it or leave it. Many entrepreneurial startups have faced the same demand by venture capitalists. It’s part of business. Money rarely comes without strings. Second, you say you were operating under their charter in order to have non-profit status. Of the many benefits you realized, this is probably the smallest. You were likely promoted through their publications, covered by their liability insurance and given credibility on the street and with grantors and donors because of your affiliation. This last part is especially important. An organization’s reputation is extremely valuable, especially in the nonprofit world. It sounds like the coalition is concerned that the activities of the co-op is damaging their reputation. Okay, now to the messy part. What was the reporting arrangement between the co-op and the coalition? Did the coalition have a member or two on the co-op’s board? On the management committee? How did the co-op keep their most important donor informed? This should have been addressed at the co-op’s creation. Unfortunately, it sounds like the communication from the co-op to the coalition was so poor that the allegations raised by the former volunteer were perceived as credible. Even if they aren’t true, the fact that they are plausible is shocking. People at the coalition are realizing that the co-op was operating more independently than they thought. Okay, so it’s decision time for the co-op. Will they turn their back on their support system and go it alone? That’s the route to go to preserve the co-op’s autonomy, but it may destroy the co-op in the process. They could easily be stigmatized as enemies of the coalition. ‘Enemies’ isn’t the right word, but it’s the best I have. They’ll lose their money, their space, and their affiliation. From what you’ve said, I believe the co-op has no bargaining power here. They should put their ego aside and listen to what the coalition has to say, and do their best to preserve their organization within the new framework. My two cents, for what they’re worth. Doug Franz, President coatesvillebikeworks.org like us on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/CoatesvilleBikeWorks doug@coatesvillebikeworks.org 610-383-4349 I respect your right to manage the amount of email you receive. If you want to be removed from this email list, please reply to ONLY ME, with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. From:thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org [mailto:thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.org] On Behalf Of Vincenzo loco Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2012 7:24 PM To: The Think Tank Subject: [TheThinkTank] Local bike coalition shut down local bike co-op I'd like to some info from those of you whose shop runs under the umbrella of a bike coalition or other advocacy group. How has this effected your ability to operate autonomously as a collective? I'm involved with a fledgling bike coop that was created as a biproduct of a grant that was managed by the local bike coalition. We were operating under their charter so as to have non-profit status. It was many of the volunteer's understanding that the bike coalition was only helping us manage our finances, helping us access grants, and generally helping us get ourselves established in the community. As soon as they heard complaints from a former volunteer they at first told us that they didn't acknowledge our decision making process (full consent) and told us that they wanted us to run under a manager that they hire. More recently (following more complaints and accusations from potentially the same ex-volunteer) they went in and had the locks changed and shut the whole shop down. We will be meeting with them this week and trying to discuss how to get the place back open. Has anyone else been down this road? Have you hit walls because of a hierarchic organisation not having faith in the collective's ability to make decisions? Should we even go ahead with them if it means not having control of the direction or operation of the shop? What could we do to save the shop and our autonomy? -Enzo not speaking on behalf of the bikerowave but another org. _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Hi Enzo, About 4 years ago, the Durham Bike Co-op got burned by our fiscal sponsor, an umbrella non-profit, in a manner similar to what you are describing, as it folded. We lost our-then 501c3 status, some of our actual operating capital, our liability insurance, a grant that the City had recommended us for, and a few other things. We also got smacked shortly after with accusations from a disgruntled ex-volunteer about some of our operating policies.
Needless to say it was a rocky time for the co-op and our collective. Luckily we had established a bank account, had the keys to the place, and had our tools, and were self sustaining through our set-up, so we were able to pull through.
The best advice I can give to you is to go it alone. Organize yourselves into a board of directors or a core collective, establish non-profit status, buy your own liability insurance, and purchase your own tools. Set firm policies, reach out to the community, and if you're the right fit for the community, you'll soon find demand for your shop and services will exceed supply.
And, not to knock umbrella non-profits, but I've had nothing but bad experiences with them, 2 separate times with 2 separate organizations. The problem with umbrellas is all the organizations underneath them can get screwed if the parent non-profit folds or is mismanaged.
Best, Leslie
On Sat, Sep 1, 2012 at 10:33 PM, Carolyn Braunius brauniusc@yahoo.comwrote:
Go ahead and buy a basic set of tools. You may never earn back the cost of tools in donations, etc... but you will open up an enormous round of opportunities. Once you re-establish yourself as a vital community resource, people will line up to volunteer wrench, promote, or recruit for your cause.
Since founding freebikeshop, I've never asked for or received any cash donations for the repairs that me and my volunteer mechanics have performed. Regardless, we've put at least 2000 bikes back on the road around the world in the past three years and the contribution of time, materials, and promotion that we have received is more than I can tally. And besides, you can always use your tools to fix yer own damn bike.
www.freebikeshop.com do it for the bikes
All the best,
Adams Carroll Walk/Bike Nashville http://www.walkbikenashville.org/
*For thirteen years, Walk/Bike Nashville has sought to make active transportation an option for Nashvillians, no matter where they live or where they're trying to go.**We want our sidewalks and bikeways to support active living, commuting options, and recreational opportunities.**Together, we're building a more walkable, bikeable, livable Nashville.*
On Mon, Sep 3, 2012 at 9:00 PM, Leslie Peteya lesliepeteya@gmail.comwrote:
participants (5)
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Adams Carroll -
Carolyn Braunius -
Doug Franz -
Leslie Peteya -
Vincenzo loco