Establishing Organizations

Advocating for change in the structure of public education requires an organized and resourced campaign. Community organizations lend credibility to the cause and provide a focus for support. Through organizations, the work on the issue can be distributed and progress can be evaluated. Accountability to the community can be assured through the formalized structure of the organization. Both power and responsibility increase as the organization grows. It should be remembered that community organizations take considerable volunteer effort to establish and maintain, and this work increases as the organization grows in size and complexity. Registered societies and charities entail legal responsibilities, which include regular meetings, the payment of annual fees and the submission of reports. Officers of formal organizations must be willing to accept these responsibilities and to hold the organization accountable to its mission. The general membership of community organizations must guard against the complacent assumption that the executive is doing all the work of the organization. To maintain an effective organization in the long term all members must contribute to the work.

Organizing a community effort may involve varying levels of formal organization at different stages of the effort or according to the situation. The main types are described below.

Ad Hoc Committees:

• An "ad hoc" committee is a group of self-selected people that come together to achieve a specific purpose.
• The committee members should agree to a set of goals and objectives and select a name that reflects the group's purpose.
• The committee is free to conduct its affairs any way it wishes, as there are no legal requirements for meetings, officers, fees or reports.
• To function effectively the committee should appoint a chairperson to run the meetings, a secretary to record the minutes and handle correspondence, and a treasurer to manage the funds.
• Spokespeople to represent the committee may be selected from the officers or from the general committee membership.
• Individual members of an ad hoc committee are legally responsible for their own actions.
• Ad hoc committees with more than 15 members should consider dividing into sub-committees or becoming a more formal organization.

Associations and Societies:

• By establishing a registered association or society, community organizations can remove liability from individuals and transfer responsibility for the activities of the group to the legally established organization.
• In Nova Scotia organizations may become registered with the Registry of Joint Stock Companies under the provincial Societies Act.
• In Prince Edward Island non-profit organizations are registered under Part 2 of the Companies Act with the Corporations Division of the Dept. of Provincial Affairs.