Structure 101
Organizational Structures
Business Entities
Some societies choose to operate as businesses, either as sole proprietorships, partnerships, or incorporated entities.
Key Benefits:
Profit Generation: You can generate and reinvest profits into your mission without needing to rely solely on donations or grants.
Flexibility: Fewer restrictions on activities compared to nonprofits.
Personal Control: Founders often maintain more autonomy over decisions.
Challenges:
Taxation: Businesses are subject to income taxes, unlike nonprofit organizations.
Public Perception: Societies operating as businesses may face skepticism from those who associate the psychedelic movement with nonprofit ideals.
Considerations for Incorporation: Incorporating offers liability protection and legitimacy. However, it comes with legal and financial obligations, such as filing annual reports, taxes, and keeping records of activities and finances.
Nonprofits and Charities
Nonprofit structures are common for Psychedelic Societies because they align well with missions focused on education, harm reduction, and community support.
USA: 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
Tax-exempt organizations that serve educational, scientific, or charitable purposes.
Must maintain at least three distinct roles:
President/Executive Director: Oversees the organization’s mission and strategy.
Treasurer: Manages finances, ensures transparency, and compliance with tax laws.
Secretary: Maintains records, meeting minutes, and legal filings.
Canada: Registered Charities
Registered charities in Canada are tax-exempt and can issue tax-deductible receipts to donors.
Require a board of directors with specific roles (e.g., President, Treasurer, Secretary).
Directors should expect a significant time commitment, as roles are labor-intensive.
You can learn about how to register as a charity in Canada here.
Key Considerations for Nonprofits:
Volunteer Dependence: Maintaining board roles can be challenging for volunteer-run organizations, so long-term recruitment strategies are essential.
Labor-Intensive Setup: While beneficial, the process of registering as a charity or 501(c)(3) requires thorough documentation and compliance with legal standards.
Note: Forming a nonprofit can be advantageous, but it’s not always necessary for operating a successful Psychedelic Society. Assess your capacity for compliance before committing.
Decentralized Structures
When starting a Psychedelic Society, it's important to think about how to create a sustainable organization that can last for years to come. Decentralization can be a useful approach to achieve this, as it involves having multiple stakeholders and rotating roles instead of relying on one leader.
Benefits of Decentralization:
Sustainability: Reduces burnout by sharing responsibilities among members.
Diversity of Ideas: Encourages collaboration and the inclusion of diverse perspectives.
Adaptability: Enables the organization to respond quickly to changing circumstances or member needs.
This allows for a more inclusive and collaborative approach to leadership, giving everyone a voice and promoting accountability among team members.
Having multiple stakeholders could be a valuable idea where people take on different roles versus one leader having the ball and running the ship on their own.
You can also set up rotating roles so that different people on the team can take the lead at different times.
The president does not participate in all of the groups, but rather facilitates a structure where members of the board can plug in and organize events according to their interests and strengths.
To make a decentralized society work, it's important to establish clear roles for team members and foster a culture of accountability and support.
Check out resources such as "Reinventing Organizations" to learn how to create nonhierarchical, emergent organizations.
Common Roles
Establishing foundational roles is critical. Below are key roles that support the operational success of a society:
Social media outreach: managing social media platforms to effectively communicate with members and the broader community
Volunteer coordinator: overseeing volunteer recruitment, training, and management
Community outreach: building connections with other organizations and individuals, staying up-to-date with the movement, and identifying local needs and opportunities for engagement
Finances: managing accounting and bookkeeping, payroll, and fundraising efforts
Technology: maintaining the organization's website and online platforms, managing event registrations and payments
Event organizer coordinator: overseeing event logistics, such as securing a venue, coordinating volunteers, and ensuring adequate supplies and refreshments
Membership coordinator: managing the organization's membership program, including outreach, engagement, and developing member benefits and discounts
Volunteers, supporters, members, and other individuals who help with events and support the organization's mission.
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