Overview

The ARE Leadership Collective is committed to operating in a way that empowers all members to have a voice in decision making and governance and to maintaining “horizontal” organizational systems wherever possible. Horizontal organizations seek to enable everyone to directly participate in decision-making about issues that affect them and focus on autonomous, voluntary participation that honors the diverse needs and skill-sets of those involved.  

This necessitates a minimal, formalized structure to clearly delineate accountability, facilitate clear communications, and guard against the concentration of power that can accompany such a decentralized structure.

All affairs of ARE shall be managed by the ARE Steering Team, who shall have and may exercise all the powers of the organization, including but not limited to:

• approving all proposals and applications for funding
  
• entering into agreements and contracts consistent with the purposes of the organization
  
• forming additional teams to serve the organization
  
• hiring staff
  
• electing the President, Treasurer, Clerk, and any other officers of the organization

The ARE Steering Team consists of Team Leads and other volunteer members of semi-autonomous and interconnected teams, each with individual focus on specific organizational functions, in line with the ARE Mission.

The “Team of Teams” is the ARE Leadership Collective. The Steering Team is its decision-making body. Leadership is intentionally decentralized and collaborative, and Accountability is mutual among all members, who work in covenant with one another.

The Organizational Model document clarifies structure, responsibilities, operations, and intentionality, but is meant to be amended when needed in order to maintain the flexibility and adaptability that the nature of our work requires; this is a living document.