A dilema for your consideration.

[cassa333]

You are the elected head of a voluntary charity organisation.
Your organisation is afiliated to a specific place and group of people
Your organisation although 20 years old is no longer 'in' with the place and as a result is unable to attract new members and therefore fundraising has dwindled.
You do however have a healthy bank balance.
The people who run the establishment you are affiliated to are MORE THAN HAPPY to take your money but do not want any further contact with you.
The support your organisation used to give is now given by a rival orgsnisation. (note the above).
Duering a high profile campaign to stop closure of the establishment, you offered your organisations help.
Although you were initialy invited to join a campaign to help the affiliated establishment you were very quickly ignored, sidelined and marginalised and eventualy kept in the dark but were, on a number of occations, asked to fund the campaign.

QUESTION TIME...

Would you:

1. Just get on with the campaign as best you could and pretend everyone gets on?
2. Tell them where to poke it?
3. Get on with the campaign AND tell them where to poke it?

[Jan1957]

Sorry cassa but to me definitely 2.

[mike11111]

2 for me too. A more altruistic person might opt for 3. 1 is ruled out because of the notion of "pretence".

[samak]

2

[cassa333]

The only problem with option 2 is that you are representing a group of people and not yourself. the group you represent are unaware of the problems and they expect you to be fully engaged with the campaign.

If you had only a couple of days left of you being in charge (when a new chair takes over) and up til now you have had to put up with it because, amongst other things they ignore your offers of help, would you then tell them to poke it and leave it up to the new, incomeing chair to pick up the pieces?

TBH I could fill the whole board up with things that have happened but I have summed it up already and the rest would be labouring the point lol Although I have had a bit of a go today. They contacted an organisation for help but were told to go away as they were not a member group. We are and they had to come and ask for my help. I managed to get one of the few digs I could get in :)

Would it be totaly out of order to let them know exactly what I thought of them when the new chair takes over or should I just forget it?

[carmalee]

haven't tried to really get under the skin of all the ins and outs of your original post as past experience tells me it's very difficult for an outsider to understand all the politics of something they haven't been involved with and there are always two sides to every story. Having said that my opinion would be for the outgoing chair to offer an objective report on the status quo - no emotions or tit for tat, just the way things stand and let him/her take it from there. Clearly the present set up is unable to reach agreement and as the charity is for the benefit of others (I assume!) it needs sorting so that those for whom it was set up are not deprived of whatever support the charity offers.

[Davethedog]

I would call a general meeting, present the facts and put it to a vote.

No point in funding something you have no input into or recive no output from.

If you don't tell the rank and file and they find out it wouldn't do your reputation as a manager any good. It syour organisation that should come first.

[redman41]

It seems to me that the persons running this Charity are running it for their own benefit rather than for the benefit of the Charity which they represent.
If you suspect that there is wrongdoing afoot then you should expose this Charity as not fit for purpose.

[Jemisa]

Yes it certainly is a dilema and I'm so glad its not mine. I don't want to get involved here but I do want to wish you my very best wishes on which-ever decision you come to or decide on. Good Luck cassa.

jem

[cassa333]

It is difficult.

The rank and file members don't want to get involved. They have been told on many occations what state the charity is in but still do not respond.

With the best will in the world the committee has been abandond by the membership and the establishment it was set up to help. It wasn't until something happened with the establishent and a campaign was started that anyone gave a stuff.

The members are still unaware of the true situation simply because they don't hear what they don't want to.

Redman, I think you may have miswsunderstood. The committee do as much s they can. But are stumped at every turn.

[redman41]

A new Committee needs to be appointed cassa, it's obvious that the current one is not working !

[cassa333]

Redman you are so right. However the problem is NO ONE wants to be bothered. Ifthe present committee resinged the charity would fold as no one else is bothered!

[carmalee]

cassa333 then if that's the case let it die - it's sad I know but charities rely on volunteer support and if the genuine support isn't there then it must fold. No point in flogging a dead horse - it sounds as though there's an unhealthy attitide so maybe it's time to shut up shop.