The recent struggles of the San Diego LGBT Pride organization give The Center and all of our community organizations reason to reflect. While the too-rapid answers that come to mind for many – “That could never happen in this organization” – are sometimes satisfying, they aren’t enough. Instead, the challenges the Pride board encountered give all organizations an opportunity for self-reflection, re-commitment and resolve.

What can we take away from this to make our community organizations and our community itself stronger? The deeper issues have nothing to do with mere personalities and everything to do with the structure and strength of our organizations themselves.

The struggles of San Diego Pride give us all a chance to ask some specific questions and to once again turn our attention to strengthening every organization. This list is only a beginning, many in the community can add to it and the answers to the questions are not static. They are questions that have to be answered, re-asked and re-answered routinely as community needs and the community itself changes.

Accountability and inclusion: While the community is not monolithic and does not often agree on specifics; listening to many voices better informs ultimate decisions.

• Are board of directors’ meetings open (except the executive session for personnel matters) for public participation?

• How often do each of our organizations convene open community meetings or town hall meetings so that any community member may raise any issue or ask any question?

• Do organizations have a community advisory board mechanisms?

• Do interested community members who may not have the ability or time to volunteer in other capacities have an opportunity to offer their thoughts, suggestions and input regarding the organization’s directions, services and decisions?

Transparency: We must make it easy for community members to get information about our organizations.

• Do we have annual audited financials and annual reports in electronic form posted on our organization’s Web site?

• Is our organizational information available on the relevant charity guide websites (Guidestar, Charity Navigator, etc.)?

Community collaboration: There are questions we can ask as we explore whether or not our organizations are working together as often, as meaningfully, and as strategically as possible.

• Do we work together well, maximizing leverage opportunities and forming a community wide infrastructure, or are there some groups that are not yet a routine part of that community continuum of services and activities? How can these groups, if any, be engaged to form meaningful, and ultimately helpful, partnerships?

Internal governance: It is important for our boards to be knowledgeable of their own by-laws and the best practices for non-profit governance.

• Has the board reviewed and revised (if necessary) their by-laws so they are relevant to the times, and fresh in the minds of all board members.

• Has the board ensured that there is clarity in the by-laws that specify that no board member may be paid (if indeed, that is the policy)?

• How often do our organizations take advantage of the wealth of training and education opportunities available on “best practices” for governance? San Diego has some of the nation’s finest not-for-profit academic resources, as well as outstanding professional trainers and consultants.

Finally, do we, as a community, have any mechanisms available to begin to educate interested community members about how not-for-profit organizations operate, how to become effective board members and about best practices for good governance of non-profits? Every community organization should be interested not only in making sure their own board members have such information and training, but in increasing the number of new volunteer board members. How can we increase the number of knowledgeable people willing to serve in these roles?

These questions are important to explore and answer honestly and thoughtfully. We certainly have begun to re-examine them at The Center to make certain we have the systems that can ensure multiple opportunities for community input. Our not-for-profit organizations form a fundamental framework for our collective struggle toward justice and equality. And they need all the strength we can develop.