Nonprofit but Management, Part Two

Dear Reader

Like any other organization, a club can only survive if its leadership succeeds in maintaining a balance between giving and receiving. This can mean, for example, membership dues plus active participation and input on the giving side, and benefiting from infrastructure, expert support, and camaraderie on the receiving side. Clubs are free to decide how they want to achieve this balance—whether by charging higher dues to fund various services—such as airfield maintenance—or by requiring members to contribute their time as stipulated in the bylaws. Concepts that link a member’s annual hours of work to the amount of their dues are interesting but entail a considerable administrative burden. The

balance of an organization is not a static state. On the contrary, it is unstable, especially when resources suddenly become scarce. We’ve all seen how relatively dull general meetings suddenly become lively when money is on the table. It is important that maximum transparency be maintained throughout all these discussions. In this context, flat-rate compensation is rather difficult to justify. After all, this balance only works if individual members go above and beyond the usual level of commitment, thereby compensating for the more “reserved” members. The latter, in turn, are often more “active” at meetings. Let them speak! Nor is the length of an annual report necessarily a measure of what has been accomplished. Nevertheless,

leading a sports and recreation club is one of the most interesting roles in the nonprofit sector, as actions and their impact are more immediately visible than in large organizations. I wish you every success!

Best regards, Emil
Ch. Giezendanner