Sangha Meeting Notes – September 12

September 17, 2021

September’s sangha meeting was devoted to reporting on and receiving sangha input for the KCC administrative reorganization planning process
– Background: The proposed reorganization addresses technical administrative issues. A later process to address fundamental issues, including examination of deep values, will be presented soon.
– Intent: Clarify responsibilities and decision-making authority; improve communication and transparency; and enhance functionality as the sangha evolves.
– Process: The proposal builds on KCC member Cliff Lenton’s proposal for an administrative reorganization and board revision. Subject matter experts in each administrative area discussed options and proposed revisions to the board; the board incorporated revisions and sent the proposal to the sangha for review and input.
– Components: Six work groups have been formed from existing committees and teams, with a coordinator for each group. Spiritual matters remain the purview of the Resident Lama. Board of Directors would become Board of Trustees and would focus on vision, strategy, and other overarching concerns. This proposed reorganization would free the board up to concentrate on fundamental issues. Six working groups would be Dharma Programming Support; SCOL; Urban Facilities and Grounds; Volunteer and Staff Support; Finance and Development; and Communication. Each group would have yearly objectives and dedicated budget. Authority and responsibility for day to day operations would be held by each group, conforming to annual operation plans and budgets. Work Group Coordinators would meet regularly and would report regularly to the Board. This Coordinator Group would take on many responsibilities currently held by the Executive Director. The work groups would get advice from technical experts and from people affected by decisions.
– Concern: By-laws revisions would be required to change the Board of Directors to Board of Trustees. Board authority would remain the same. other by-laws revisions would be made after we have a mechanism for sangha input on identification of fundamental issues.
– Next: Board will incorporate sangha input and will endeavor to implement the plan soon. If we move forward, a year of experimentation with the new structure is anticipated.

Input from those present at the sangha meeting along with input received in advance of the meeting:
– The plan multiplies number of volunteers needed to take on these responsibilities. Can we find enough people to fill positions? This highlights the need to encourage a sense of community and individual responsibility. Sangha involvement in the planning process could encourage volunteering.
– Appreciation for Cliff Lenton, who brought the working group model to us.
– A primarily volunteer organization needs to tend to one another’s suffering, to take care of one another, and should not sweep issues under the carpet. We should attend to other concerns besides administration, operations, and programming. We also need to communicate about actions and decisions that impact other teams and departments. Feedback: Board realizes we want to be better at taking care of volunteers and sees this as a fundamental issue. Within the next couple of months the sangha will gather to address these.
– Coordinators should provide monthly reports to sangha as well as board.
– Keep in mind the age of the sangha and our individual capacity
– Executive Director Linda Grove provided a link to a presentation by Frederic Laloux about “Reinventing Organizations” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcS04BI2sbk which provides background on the reorganization’s proposed structure.