I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII

VI. The Structure

Organizing Common Sense California

The Structure: Organizing Common Sense California

Table 1: Roles and Responsibilities of the Board and the Organizing Committee

Conclusion: The Time is Now

A Fuller Discussion Roadmap (PDF)

Common Sense California is currently structured in two parts: a Board of Directors and an Organizing Committee. While the Board is responsible for the overall governance of the effort, the Organizing Committee is charged with conducting the outreach that enables us to connect with Californians and develop our list of priorities that reflect the long term concerns of the citizens of this state.

Members of the Organizing Committee are bound together by some common principles:

Individually, we are Democrats, Republicans and Independents but Common Sense California, as a group, is independent of any political party.¹
We join in creating Common Sense California as individuals not as representatives of institutions or organizations with whom we have either current or past affiliations.
We will not endorse candidates for public office.
We will remain focused on issues and institutions, not individual personalities.
We welcome participation from every region of California and we strive to reflect the human diversity of our state.²

We have also agreed that we are committed to this work over the long haul - we don't intend to disappear when a foundation grant runs out, a key legislator is "termed out" of the Legislature, or a new governor is elected.

On June 10, 2005 the Organizing Committee of Common Sense California³ authorized the Planning Committee (the precursor to the Board of Directors) to create Common Sense California as a non-profit corporation in California and apply for federal 501c(3) tax status. During the balance of 2005, under the Board's direction, additional members of the Organizing Committee were identified to bring the size of the Organizing Committee to 40 individuals. We anticipate continued expansion of the Organizing Committee in 2006 so that its membership will reflect the demographic and regional diversity of the state. (Table 1)

In addition, the Board has been authorized to seek funding for the initial operations of Common Sense California. In January of 2006, the Board of Directors will established permanent by-laws, elected its own officers, determine the composition of the Organizing Committee, and began to set policy for Common Sense California; later in the year the Board hopes to appoint an executive director to direct CSC and its small staff.

A critical role of the Board will be to develop, with the advice of the Organizing Committee, a Critical Agenda of issues vital to the future of California. Based upon the Critical Agenda, the Board would commission professionally designed and led dialogues focused on specific issues using the criteria described earlier in this prospectus. (see V. The Process, a.) Stimulate Dialogue)

Here is our current understanding of the criteria for members of the Board and Organizing Committee and their roles:

In addition to the Board and the Organizing Committee, we anticipate that interested Californians will be invited to support the work of Common Sense California through financial contributions.

Day to day operations of CSC will be managed by a professional staff. The organization's executive director will be responsible to the Board of Directors for the conduct of the organization's affairs and will serve as chief spokesperson. In addition to overseeing the process of public dialogue, the executive director will carry prime responsibility for supporting and directing the work of the Organizing Committee. The criteria for the recruitment of an executive director will determined by the Board of Directors. We anticipate that the executive director will be a person knowledgeable about California government and public policy; committed to the mission and beliefs of Common Sense California; experienced in the leadership of non-profit organizations; skilled in organizing and serving as a public spokesperson; experienced in fund-raising.

¹ The current quarrels between representatives of the two major political parties avoids the major issues facing our state more than it engages them. But achieving a measure of bi-partisan cooperation on important issues is essential. Little that is substantial and enduring in California, whether it be the California water project, freeways, universities or effective means to protect the coast, has been created without broad-based support from citizens who are Republicans, Democrats and Independents.
² See "Organizing Common Sense California" later in this document.
³ Once Common Sense California is fully launched, we anticipate changing the name of the Organizing Committee to reflect that it is composed of community leaders committed to an on-going process of public dialogue and respect for the common sense of Californians.