In the past there has not been much emphasis from National on collaborations with other organizations, with perhaps the exception of co-signing on letters with various other environmental organizations to address environmental issues. Over the last several years that position has changed, with the latest strategic framework specifically calling for joining forces with other environmental and environmental justice groups in order to elevate all of our voices and thereby increase our potential for impact.
We have not seen a policy to establish guidelines, however, other than one which defines conditions which require Chapters to seek National approval. That policy is called National’s Affiliation Policy, and is given directly below. Other aspects of co-operation are open to interpretation, and the Loma Prieta Chapter’s guidelines are given following National’s. The revised policy from National is:
Affiliation Policy
Revised version adopted by the Board of Directors
August 18, 2016
Policy (Terms being defined are in bold type.)
An Affiliation occurs when the Sierra Club or one of its constituent entities formally or informally becomes part of another Organization. The Organization into which the Club affiliates is usually an informal, unincorporated organization or coalition with other organizations or individuals as Members of the Organization.
The Sierra Club is in favor of Affiliations when they support the Club’s goals and purposes. It has adopted the Approval Process outlined below because occasionally Affiliations may not be in the Club’s best interest. Chapters, groups, regional or national teams and campaigns (Club Entities) must obtain approval for Affiliations, but not for less formal associations. It is sometimes difficult to determine whether a particular proposed association is an Affiliation. In those cases the Entity should seek approval of the relationship using the Approval Process below.
Examples:
- The Shadow Hills Group wants to work along with several other local organizations and individuals in an unnamed informal coalition to fight a housing project proposed to be built in open space near a city. The Group plans to sign coalition letters jointly with other coalition members opposing the project. The coalition is not an Affiliation. (emphasis ours)
- The San Francisco Bay Chapter wants to participate in a coalition of bay-area organizations fighting the TPP. The coalition will be called Bay Environmentalists Asking for Sustainable Trade (BEAST). Other members will be the SEIU and a local group called Bayers for Democracy. BEAST will issue communications under its own name, listing the Sierra Club as a member. This is an Affiliation.
A Club Entity might wish to affiliate with an Organization to demonstrate support, to coordinate efforts, to help the Organization gain a higher profile, or to aggregate resources. Alternatives to affiliation include donating money to the Organization, Club members joining the Organization as individuals, publicity or other help for the Organization, and holding joint workshops or press conferences.”
Two big issues of concern are that the entity we join must not undertake any legal actions which could embroil us in the action, and also must not issue any political endorsements. The policy continues with requirements that Chapters must undertake if they wish to pursue an affiliation, which will not be repeated here because for the most part what we will be working with are various forms of collaborating with other organizations. For more information on affiliations you can find the remainder of the policy on Campfire.
Chapter Guidelines For Collaboration
Examples of collaborations that don’t trigger the need for Affiliation paperwork include:
- Displaying our Chapter logo with other organizations on Conservation letters,
- Co-sponsoring or co-hosting an event with other organizations
For entering into collaborations, our Chapter requires ExCom approval except if all of the following conditions are met, and the member taking the action has authority to speak for the Chapter under our Communications Policy Standing Rule:
- The collaboration is temporary or one-off in nature (e.g. signing onto letters, hosting single events, etc.),
- The collaboration is with known organizations the Chapter ExCom has already approved collaborations with, and
- The collaboration involves a Conservation issue our Chapter, SC California or National is already involved with via a pre-existing committee
Volunteers seeking to establish one-off collaborations with organizations that are not covered by 2 or 3 can appeal to the Chapter Chair and ask for a timely ExCom electronic vote for approval. Under Chapter bylaws, e-votes have to be open for one week, so the expected turnaround time should be a minimum of a week and a half. Ideally, volunteers would ask for one-off collaboration approvals more than a month in advance so that the ExCom can be briefed and give their approval at a regular meeting. Notice of all such collaborations and copies of any written material produced shall be provided to the Chapter Director for approval before any action is taken.
This expedited approval only covers collaboration specifically. Letters that set new policy must still go through a new-policy approval process. All letters must be sent to the Chapter Coordinator for record-keeping.
Volunteers seeking to establish ongoing approval to collaborate with certain organizations can ask the Chapter Director and Chair to agendize discussion and approval of it at the next ExCom meeting. At the January or February ExCom meetings, ExCom should re-affirm or discontinue ongoing collaborations with organizations, and staff should maintain a list that is easily accessible to other Chapter members.
Examples
We are approached by Green Foothills to co-sign a letter with them on protecting open space at the edge of a community within our Chapter geography. ExCom has authorized ongoing collaboration with GF and this is one letter. No ExCom vote required.
A new environmental justice organization approaches us to co-sign a letter opposing an industrial development in their city. Since they are a new organization that we have no established relationship with, ExCom should vote on whether to co-sign the letter. This can be done electronically and we should let the organization know it will take a week for us to respond.
The previously mentioned EJ organization wants to continue collaborating with our Chapter. Since they want to establish an ongoing relationship, the ExCom should discuss and vote on whether to fast-track future ongoing collaborations with them at a scheduled meeting.