Caspar Community, Inc. Board

Board Minutes Archive

Caspar Community Inc. Bylaws *

Caspar Community Board
as of September 2026

* The Bylaws story

The Caspar Community, Inc. Bylaws in force in September, 2026, are not explicit about the organization’s original and enduring dedication to consensus. When the Steering Committee wrote Bylaws (from scratch!) in 1998, the idea of ‘consensus’ was new enough that the lawyer that was consulted told us “These aren’t right. All you need to do is agree that when the Bylaws write majority you all agree that means unanimity.” And so, just to get on with more important things (like getting the Headlands into State Parks’ hands) we signed off on the boiler-plate bylaws he provided.

28 years and one revision later (in 2003) the Bylaws still say ‘majority’ . . . but new Directors aren't party to the initial agreement, and so isn’t there reason to update the Bylaws to specify that consensus, not majority rule, is our method?

- Michael Potts
   Founding Board member

What is consensus?

Blue Avocado ( “a forum where the people sharing knowledge and wisdom are people who have actually lived the nonprofit experience, that understand what it means to navigate the hurdles and pitfalls of running a community nonprofit.”) writes:

A consensus nonprofit board uses collaborative decision-making where members discuss and refine proposals until everyone can actively support or at least not block the final choice. Also known as the Process Model or cooperative model, this structure grants all members equal votes, responsibilities, and legal liabilities without a strict internal hierarchy.

Google, when asked “how do consensus organizations incorporate consensus into their bylaws?” replied,

Consensus organizations incorporate consensus into their bylaws by explicitly replacing or supplementing traditional majority-voting rules with a defined framework for collaborative agreement, blockages, and stand-asides.

Core Structural Approaches

The Consensus Clause: Bylaws typically feature a dedicated decision-making article stating that consensus is the primary method for governance, except where state non-profit law or specific provisions require a formal vote. [source]

Defining the Rules of Dissent: Rather than counting simple ayes and nays, the bylaws or an incorporated Consensus Policy define what happens when a member disagrees—differentiating between approval, standing aside (allowing a decision to pass with documented reservations), and blocking (vetoing a proposal because it violates core organizational values or mission). [source, source]

Reference to External Guidelines: Many groups keep high-level rules brief in the legal bylaws and incorporate a dynamic operational addendum or facilitation guide by reference. This allows the group to refine meeting steps (such as straw polls, 'fist-to-five' voting, or designated cooling periods) without constantly filing formal bylaw amendments. [source, source]

Fallback Voting Provisions: To prevent total operational paralysis, well-drafted consensus bylaws include a safety valve—such as a high threshold vote (e.g., 75% or a supermajority) required to pass a motion if absolute consensus cannot be reached after a specified number of repeated attempts. [source, source]