SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION COVENANT
National Farm Worker Ministry (NFWM) organizes, enables, and advances faith-community support of economic justice and social progress in partnership with farm worker organizations. To do so, it has proven helpful to define two kinds of organizational participation in NFWM, member organizations and supporting organizations. This document defines the role of supporting organizations in terms of a covenant between each one and NFWM. The covenant consists of the three major items listed below. Every three years it is subject to mutual review by NFWM and the supporting organization regarding renewal.
DEFINITION
A supporting organization is a faith community which has an active interest in supporting and advancing the work and resources of NFWM and which commits to doing so but without the formal obligations of being a member organization.
NFWM COMMITMENTS
- Provide each supporting organization with educational materials and opportunities to participate in justice ministry with and among farm workers who are struggling for justice, empowerment, and self- determination.
- Provide each supporting organization ample notice of regular and special Board meetings, with the opportunity for sending one or more representatives as guests without vote and at the expense of the supporting organization.Typically such notice will be least 21 days for the two regular meetings per year and 10 days in the case of special meetings.
- Provide email alerts, social media opportunities, and phone notifications of farm worker efforts with which NFWM is engaging, organizing, and/or enabling support. Also provide newsletters and items which the supporting organization can use in its own internal and public communications.
- Provide clear and reliable information about the financial needs of NFWM.
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION COMMITMENTS
- Provide a yearly monetary donation that is commensurate with the size and socio-economic status of the organization’s membership or the constituency, which the organization represents.
- Report action requests and information items from NFWM to the organizational membership and urge timely responses.
- Work with communications specialist(s) within the organization to achieve timely, prominent dissemination of information about NFWM and to promote participation in farm worker support efforts.
- Apprise NFWM of special events and other opportunities for making the work of NFWM visible within the organization.
- Be advocates for farm workers and their causes, consistent with the mission and priorities of NFWM.