Question 6

All need to proceed within the bounds of overall Sierra Club policy as established by the Board. Where a project or decision’s impact is solely within the territory of a Chapter the Chapter has the decision-making authority and the role of national (staff and volunteers) is advisory. That advise should be sought and considered.  When a project or decision’s impact is national in scope those roles are reversed. Wherever the ultimate authority is granted, consultation with the other should be the watch word. We need each-other’s expertise.

The role of national staff and representatives is to support the choices and decisions made by the chapter ex com members and the vote of the volunteer leaders. While the staff are hired by the organization, and are able to help weigh in through their hired expertise, it is their duty to work within the discretion of the volunteer arm of the Sierra Club. I fully support this method of partnership, as I believe it stays true to the grassroot beginnings of the Sierra Club and prohibits conflicts of interest from arising. 

Checks and balances are the key for any democracy, and believe that the staff arm and the volunteer arm help maintain this balance. However, I believe it important that staff are valued, as their role is to carry out the functions of the Sierra Club that allow it to operate at its fullest potential. Since Sierra Club members are volunteers, we need engaged and present staff to stay vigilant in our blind spots.

I think it is important that the Sierra Club remains a volunteer-led, volunteer-run organization. That is our power base. It’s what we bring to the broader movement that no other national organization can provide. But we also have to be “One Club,” and that Club includes our talented, committed staff.

Carl Pope used to say that the Sierra Club was structurally like a bumblebee – on paper, it shouldn’t be able to fly. And yet it does. One thing I learned from home was that the frictions between staff and volunteer leadership are “dynamic tensions.” They are always going to be there. They can be productive, but only if you continue to build and maintain trust and solidarity.

The role of national staff and representatives in the affairs of Chapter decision-making is in consultation with volunteer leadership and local Chapter staff. All national staff and representatives should be working alongside volunteer leadership and local Chapter staff in the affairs of Chapter decision-making. Local leadership has the best knowledge of local issues and needs of the local communities they serve.

National staff and representatives are knowledgeable organizers, lobbyists, and have keen insight into Club priorities and focus areas. Yet, the skill of national staff and representatives cannot replace the fact that grassroots leaders—often Executive Committee members of local Groups and Chapters—know their communities best and are knowledgeable and skillful in their own rights. As has always been the case with the Sierra Club’s grassroots structure, local leaders should be at the center of Club strategies and campaigns. Rather than serving as an afterthought once strategy is decided upon, volunteers should serve at the nexus of decision making locally. National staff and representatives can play a key role in ensuring that volunteers have the resources they need, that their questions are answered, and that volunteer-led campaigns are impact-driven.

Furthermore, national staff and representatives have a key role to play in translating local victories into national success stories. The grassroots nature of the Sierra Club means that local campaigns are borne from local issues, but the national fabric of the organization enables a connectedness that can expand the impact of what we do as local volunteers. Staff have a key role in recognizing local campaigns that have the potential to be transformed into national ones and helping connect volunteers in one region with volunteers from across the country.

To summarize, serving as facilitators of change is the most efficient and effective role for national staff and representatives.

Sierra Club has become an increasingly multifaceted organization with many layers. Without dedicated, professional staff, it would be impossible to meet the goals set by Chapters and other volunteer entities. The job description, role and duties of hired staff has traditionally been created and managed by the Chapter Chair and personnel committee. Staff help to amplify the goals set by the ExCom, assist with fundraising and provide support for the day-to-day functions of the Chapter. For a Chapter to flourish, it is critical that the interaction of staff and the volunteer leadership be amicable and functional, with both staff and volunteers fostering mutual respect.

It is a balancing act when it comes to staff involvement in Chapter affairs. Volunteer leaders should not be made to feel that their role as decision makers for Chapter affairs is being compromised. Volunteers who perceive over-reach by top-level National staff, feel they are excluded from decision-making processes that may adversely change the mode of operation of their Chapter. Chapter leaders feel powerless if the roles are switched and they feel they are providing free labor for staff. When trust is lost between Chapter ExComs and National staff due to top-down decision making, the volunteer leaders may become demoralized, causing Chapter dysfunction. The role of staff should be one of supporting the work of the volunteers while also providing input that is for the good of the Chapter.

National staff and representatives help support the vital work done in Chapters with resources like funding, training, guidance, and can include communications assistance, legal support for challenges to bad local projects, and more. Chapters are the experts on the ground for local issues and help raise the alarm for key issues that the Sierra Club should put its resources behind. By working together, local and national leaders amplify critical environmental fights and create campaigns to win them. These campaigns are most successful when they are guided by grassroots experiences and strengthened by national resources.