What exactly is “the” collective?
The collective is a committee that operates under the Board of Directors. The collective handles more active and regular organizational responsibilities like higher-skill level volunteer support, on-call volunteer support, advisory duties in relation to the strategic and programming goals of the organization, as well as material resources and networking on behalf of Back Alley Bikes and The Hub. The 3 main advisory roles of The Collective are outlined below.
Resource Development
One goal of this committee is diversifying our financial resources. The other is maximizing our material resource flow (both in and out of the organizations). This includes finding resources to aid programs, finding potential partners, and fundraising.
Community Engagement
People on this committee should build methods of community engagement by attending neighborhood events, even non-bike-related ones. Meeting potential partners is a main goal. This committee should also work to provide more opportunities for The Collective and organization in general to interface with different communities that may benefit from knowing about Back Alley Bikes/The Hub.
Research
The research committee exists to identify data gaps and address how to fill them, identify ways we can better the shops through knowledge-gathering and making that information available to the relevant staff person. They also deal with comparing data we already have and evaluating its relevance/applicability.
Responsibilities and Membership Requirements
- 1 bi-weekly or monthly collective meeting (depending on need)
- Must join a committee (committees meet more or less regularly depending on need/projects/etc).
- 1 year-long term commitment to the collective and a committee, with winter review.
- 1 (2-3 hour) volunteer shift at a Back Alley Bikes program per month
- Desire and ability to step up when needed at events as a spokesperson for the organization
- Being a volunteer or staff person already is a big plus, and allies are especially encouraged to apply.
How To Join the Collective:
Come hang around the shop! Your second step is to meet a Collective Member. They are handily named on the website, or you can find them at various programming hours and events. The next step is to fill out the application below and submit it to the group. The group will review the application, interview you, and then decide if you should be elected as a member
New Member Questions
Please write out the answer to these questions and make them available to collective members (either in person or via body text of email: info@backalleybikes.org)
- What kind of projects have you worked on in the past with other people? What was your experience like working with other people?
- For how long are you planning on being a collective member of The Hub of Detroit?
- Have you ever been in a group or organization over a long period of time? What was your experience with that kind of commitment and continuity?
- Have you ever been in a collective before?
- Do you have any experience with collective decision-making, consensus, facilitating, etc? Please explain.
- Have you had any other experiences that you think would be relevant to participating in our organization’s activities? (community organizing, working with others, accounting, construction, or anything else?) Please explain.
- What is something that you think you could uniquely contribute to the collective?
- What committee would you prefer to be active in? Why?
- Does your schedule work with the requirements of being a collective member?
- What do you hope to get out of being a collective member? What types of things do you expect to learn? In what ways might you grow?
- Do you agree with our mission statement? “Back Alley Bikes’ mission is to provide cycling education and services with a focus on youth development, sustainable practices, and community access.” Please explain.
- What sort of challenges are you worried about in being a collective member?
- What is your personal story? How long have you lived in Detroit?