Art to Change the World

Community Guidelines

ACW Community Engagement Guidelines and New Member Orientation

How ACW works:

    • ACW is a cross cultural/generational/gender collective.
    •  We strive for member equity. 
    • We do our messy best.
    • We ALWAYS assume good intentions as we join together to try and make the world a better place.
    • ALL need to have their voices honored. This includes the youth, power elite, the elders, and our BIPOC/LGBTQIA and underserved members.  
    • We are trying to move ACW away from Transactional (What’s In it for ME) to Relational (What’s in it for US). 
  • Please do not be that person who complains and does nothing to contribute to positive solutions. 
  •  Remember that ACW is a volunteer organization. 
  •  Those members who move the collective forward are the members who are featured.  

Steps for New Members:

  1. Read all the information in your Welcome Email and click on every link.  
  2. Send Kelly your picture and bio so we can start promoting you! 
  3. As you review, think about how ACW can serve you and how you are able to serve ACW with Time, Treasure or Talent. 
  4. Do you need an ACW buddy.(Navigator Program https://www.arttochangetheworld.org/14393-2/ They will answer your questions and help you find the opportunities which will work for you. Get to know your “data processing buddy”.  Check in with each other about issues.  Be vaults for each other.  
  5. Always feel invited to reach out to Barbara.  
  6. Join the Task Force to really get involved!  That is the heartbeat of ACW and where all decisions are made.  Email info@arttochangetheworld.org to join
  7. Follow all the social media accounts:

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtToChangeTheWorld/

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/arttochangetheworld

TikTok https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeYg3u2f

You Tube  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLOGaBhofXGLO4wvqGcCOpg

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The World Belongs to Those Who Show Up – On Time. 

Interpersonal Dynamics

Assume Good Intentions.  Become a data driven person.  When something sounds improbable-it probably is. Collect the data BEFORE you draw conclusions.

If you have an issue with one of your ACW fellow members- approach THEM to resolve.  If that is unsuccessful, then go to your Committee Chair/Project Manager and only then, the director.  If you have a problem with another ACW member,  please ALWAYS feel invited to approach them. Do it FIRST. Before you complain to others. When there is conflict and one person will not come to the table for resolution-THEY are the problem.

When you misstep-we all do- apologize!  If you were the injured party – accept an apology with grace and move on.

If you have an issue with how something is being done. Join the committee which is setting this policy and raise your voice.

When we have reached consensus – then it is time for everyone to get on board and support the outcome.  Please do not keep discussing the decision.  Sometimes your view prevails- sometimes it does not.

Communications

Life happens but in ACW we are respectful to each other.  A no show, no post is unacceptable. It takes 10 seconds to send a text or reply to an email.  Most of us work for little or nothing. When a lot of people each do a little-there is nothing we can not accomplish! No show, no cancel means no participation. 

When asked to RSVP a meeting-   Just “Reply”- no need to “Reply All”.

Generally, do not add people to an email chain without the permission of the originator.

Send a meeting confirmation the day before the meeting  if you are the convener.

If the Subject Changes… change the Subject line on the email.

To, Cc  and Bcc When you are communicating, put the people who need to take action on the “To” line.  Those who may need to know should be put on the “Cc” line. If you are on the Cc line and have relevant data which may impact the topic – then chime in. Use your judgment regarding Reply or Reply All.

Use Bcc when emailing multiple participants in projects.  Privacy Issues. 

 Do not mine project email lists for your own promotional activities.

When you send Copy:  Thanks for not formatting when you send copy  -just leave it all single spaced and tight together.  Word Press makes formatted copy go all kaflooy and it is impossible to fix it. Thanks!  Katie asked for Calibri typestyle so she could read it.

Send and Receive email etiquette. When you send an email with a task attached -include preferred completion date.  When you receive an email with a task attached, please let the sender know you have received it and when you might get to it. You can say” I can’t do this” or “I can get this done by Sunday” or “I am on this”. Just REPLY!  If there is something in the email you do not want to deal with…just ignoring the question is not an effective option. When the sender has to post 3 times to get an answer- it makes their work unmanageable. Thanks so much for this courtesy.   Email is not infallible, and this is also a way for us to beat the poltergeists!

Time and Mode: Barbara arises around 5ish and does all her corresponding. She started this in her academic days- no one bothered her on the phone before 8 ; / 0  Some of you arise at 11:00 AM. That is fine!  We just need to know what our times are. Oftentimes, when  you are asked for something- the person is on hold for what they need to do until you respond. Sometimes it is time sensitive. Become a speedy responder.   Do you prefer Phone, Text or Email?  Make that preference known.

Minutes Procedures for Standing Committees

  1. Initial meeting of interested folks. (Committee) *elect a point of contact person.
  2. Take minutes at meeting, promptly send minutes out to committee for edits.  Cc Barbara
  3. When approved by committee, send minutes to Barbara so she can post them in the Task Force Minutes
  4. Present proposal to task force.

When each project is in the design mode, it is good policy to CC Barbara since she is the one with all the crossover knowledge.

Hope this makes sense.  It prevents a lot of confusion and wasted work.  Questions?  Please feel free to ask.

Stipends and Volunteering

  • Joining A Project – All people involved in an ACW project will be given a one-time membership of at least $50 if they aren’t a member already. If this is their first project they will be paid without volunteering, but must volunteer 6 hours before they are eligible to join a future project. They must also volunteer 6 hours before managing a project.
  • ACW works with the “Many Hands Make Light Work” Model.  There are a lot of people doing a variety of tasks.  If you see an area that you can step in to help we invite you to.  Check out our Volunteer opportunities here: https://www.arttochangetheworld.org/699-programming
  • Many ACW opportunities like exhibits, sales of work and paid teaching opportunities will be given first to ACW members who volunteer 6 hours or more in a 6 month period first.  Send your volunteer hours to Natalie at: nmcguirestudio@gmail.com  
  • The directors are in charge of managing the money.  This needs to be carefully considered on many levels.  What is our long game?  Who are potential major donors?  Who has influence in granting institutions.  Who is doing an extraordinary amount of work. Who is contributing a specialized skill set.

 

  • No one in a non-profit is ever adequately compensated. We are in it for something else.  We ARE working, however, towards the goal of the core staff making a living wage.

 

  • Understand, when we get a large donation or grant, most of it is already spent.

 

  • If you are expecting to be paid for a task, tell Barbara what you are charging.  She will approve or disapprove that amount.  If the amount is approved submit an invoice after the task is complete. 

 

  • Stipends will be paid monthly. Usually the first week of the month for work completed the previous month.  

 

  • Monthly stipends usually range from $50 to $100 for ongoing tasks.  One time tasks like creating a logo or jurying an exhibit are paid between $50 and $100.  

Lastly… EMBRACE COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

 

Cognitive Dissonance occurs when what you believe to be true is in direct conflict with what you see to be true. It happens when you realize that your truth is A truth- not THE truth.

Every community enjoys many different people with different life journeys which have brought them to different belief systems. Conflict emerges when one person or group believes that their truth is THE truth. There are 7 billion people on the planet.  Statistically, it is improbable, and breathtakingly arrogant,  to believe that YOUR truth is THE truth.

REAL social change can be affected when the participants collect data from each other, participate in authentic dialogue AND commit to action plans.

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