farewell to my non-profit board
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
Tonight was my last night of service on the board of directors of Cycle Toronto, an advocacy organization with a vision of a future city that's safe for cyclists. I served on the fundraising committee for a year, on the governance and IT committees for three years, as board vice-president for a year, and as chair of the IT committee for two years. During that time I witnessed a major project run into the ground, was pushed into a couple of temper tantrums, and managed to move the dial but a little. None of the strategic ideas with which I went into it got the time of day from the board, and I found myself mostly in a care-taker role. Still, it was an invaluable experience and a very good opportunity to learn how boards do and do not function.