Operating Manual for Karmayog Clubs
A) Guidelines for Area Clubs:
1. It is expected that each Club will have 4-10 members, of which 2-3 members will be the co-ordinators of the Club, and (up to) 5 members will form the Core Group for the Club.
2. Members to contribute Rs.100 per year as membership fees for the Club.
3. Coordinators / Core Group Members may also consider the option of collecting a one-time meeting cost of Rs. 20/- per head per meeting to cover meeting and follow up expenses.
B) Role of Coordinators / Members:
1. Make a complete list of issues to be addressed / of interest to the members.
2. Fill up online SATYA (Suggest Action to Transform Your Area) forms on the Karmayog website for any civic complaints / problems being faced by members.
3. Visit and invite local NGOs to the Area Club Meetings, and fill out NGO profiles on the Karmayog website to assist the local NGOs to increase their visibility and reach.
4. Meet and interact with volunteers of your local area who can assist the Club in the various activities that it undertakes. (for e.g.: blood donation drives, awareness campaigns, etc)
5. Meet and interact with the Educational Institutes in your local area, so as to involve students in activities of the Club, and to collaborate with the institutes for local issues.
6. Meet and interact with the local Government officials (Ward Officers, Police, MTNL, etc.) who will be directly able to address local issues faced by citizens
7. Develop and circulate widely (e.g.: to Housing Societies) a list of local Useful Contact Numbers.
C) What Karmayog can offer to Area Clubs
Karmayog can create and host a web-section for each Area Club, where details of meetings, activities undertaken, etc, can be put up.
D) Suggested Guidelines for Weekly Meetings:
1. Identify 2 issues to be taken up at each meeting
2. Conduct awareness drives for the citizens of the area on local issues..
3. Develop and circulate a monthly newsletter for your local area; this can also include classified ads that will bring some income for the Clubs activities. (not for Karmayog)
E) Structure of the Club
1. Each Karmayog Area Club is intended to be an independent, open and inclusive group of local citizens who take up issues and activities that are of interest and concern to them.
2. Karmayog Clubs may use the larger platform of the Karmayog website and e-group to discuss and inform a larger audience of issues / activities of the Club as sharing of experiences enables better solutions to be found to several problems that are commonly faced by citizens from all over.
3. Karmayog.org can provide some assistance to the Clubs during its initial stages, and as required later; however it is desirable that each Club function and work independently.
4. In the initial stage (say the first one year of operation), it is not expected that an Area Club becomes a registered body. Basic accounts of expenses to be maintained.
5. The official address of the Area Club (for correspondence with Government offices, etc.) is to be decided by the coordinators of the Club. It should be a local address, such as the residence / office / shop, etc. of one of the coordinators / core club members. Address of Karmayog.org should also be provided on the letterhead. (as per a specified format only)
F) Expenditure and Income Estimates
i) Expenditure
1. Estimated Expenditure for each weekly meeting: Rs.200/-
(refreshments, stationery, photo-copying, phones, internet)
2. Estimated expenditure for weekly follow-up: Rs.300/-
(travel, postage, photo-copying, stationery, phone, email)
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Estimated monthly expenditure for a Karmayog Club: Rs.2000/-
Basic (written) accounts of the above to be maintained by one of the coordinators.
ii) Income
Possible Sources of Income:
1. Karmayog
2. Core / Founding Club Members
3. Club members
4. Those who would like certain issues to be taken up
5. Attendees at meetings
6. Concerned local citizens, businesses, sponsors
Karmayog can support the Area Club for an initial period (as per the estimated figures above) after which, it is expected that each club becomes self-sustaining, and hence each club must work out its own mechanism to be self-financing.