Language: Español

Broadcast Thursday, September 14, 2023

Hello everyone! 

It is hard to believe that it is mid-September already. Seasonal changes are under way and all the shifts in schedules that brings. I am very much looking forward to upcoming events (conferences in September, October and November – see below). In conversations with members across the organization, I am seeing how you are using sociocracy to organize people in groups and projects from very small nonprofit or worker cooperative groups to regional efforts working across cities. 

It is very exciting to get to “meet” people in Communities of Practice and in the forum (see this icebreaker thread). Conferences and trainings are also great places to meet and explore. As part of our mission, SoFA is focusing on facilitating more contact between existing and new members. Your stories are inspiring and we have a lot to learn from each other. This is how the movement builds–link by link. If you’d like to share your story here, please let us know. We’d love to celebrate and share the world we are creating together. 

Rhonda Baird

Operational Leader

✨ Highlights

Self-governance and Money Conference 2023

Power, Purpose and Pay. Ways to decide about money together. An online mini-conference on Sept 28+29.

In an evolving world where organizations are shifting towards a more resilient, responsive, and decentralized approach, we are finding ourselves in uncharted territories. This transformation has brought along an array of challenges, including around shared decision-making in financial and legal spheres.

Join us as we explore, understand, and elevate the practices that ensure vibrant, interconnected, and dynamic organizations.

Looking for volunteers! We are looking for people that can support the conference as zoom host. Get in touch with Ted if you would like to participate [email protected]

✏️ Circle reports

Mission Circle:

• We are pleased to report that the SoFA/SoPra restorative circle was successfully conducted. This event allowed us to strengthen our internal relationships and reaffirm our commitment to our mission and values.

International Circle:

• Our International Circle has been actively engaged in a complex selection process to prioritize mutual support and evolution ideas for the coming months.
• The SoItalia circle meeting is scheduled to meet this week to strategize for the summer.
• Activities for SoFra and ELC have been completed, and we are now focusing on their promotion.
• The finalization of MVOS-FR is in progress, and we are working on starting outreach efforts, including social media and newsletters.
• SozFA recently hosted a webinar and is exploring potential cooperation around intentional communities. We are also beginning to plan outreach efforts for MVOS and the conference scheduled for February 1, 2024.

Content Circle:

• Fundraising efforts are now part of the Financial Wellbeing Circle’s activities.
• The Outreach Circle is actively engaged in the Collective Power outreach campaign.
• The Training Circle is working on re-doing trainings but is facing challenges due to high demand, limited capacity, and the complexity of issues while striving to generate income.
• In our Publishing House, the Collective Power release date is set for October 10, with final edits, feedback, testimonials, and outreach activities underway.Outreach efforts are primarily conducted through Ted’s LinkedIn profile and his new newsletter. 
• The Org Support Circle reports that the PPP conference went well after initial tech issues.
• Continuing Education is folding into the Training Circle.
• The Web Content Publishing Circle is working on publishing conferences and pages related to Ted’s book. They are also focusing on improving the website’s sitemap and user experience, with plans to implement new Call to Actions (CTAs) based on the calendar. ELC courses are under review for improvement, and technology issues have been resolved. We are now focusing on enhancing messages and sales pages. The Website Circle is facing challenges updating the website due to plugin issues and is actively seeking a website tech.

SoFA Support Services:

• The SoFA Support Services Circle has been diligently working on the budget process in the FWB circle.

Ecosystem Circle:

• Role selections have taken place, and we have reviewed and affirmed the next quarter’s budget for our department.
• We are exploring ways to engage more with the social justice and language equity statements.
• The Permaculture Circle had a productive meeting on September 6, focusing on permaculture/climate regional organizing with sociocracy included in the methods.
• The Intentional Communities Circle is working on a sector conference in November and recently had a successful Community of Practice (CoP) meeting with 15 participants.
• The Nonprofits Circle has set a sector conference for early February, indicating growth in this sector.
• The FOSC (Food, Organics, Sustainability, and Culture) Circle held a supportive meeting with individuals from the Karrot project.

We appreciate your ongoing support and dedication to our organization’s mission. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or require further information regarding these updates.

Thank you for being a vital part of our community.

💙 New members

• Betina Orman (Argentina) – SoPra
• Susan McDowall (US) – Outreach Circle
• Muirén Ní Sídach (US) – Coop Circle
• Olha Simon (Ukraine) – international seeding circle
• Dave Volek (Canada) – supporting member

📰 Announcements

Collective Power book coming soon!
Stay in the Loop with Ted’s Newsletter – Don’t Miss Out! Subscribe Today!