All national and large organizations know that branches, chapters, affiliates, and local groups form a network with huge benefits and strengths. But such a network can also present real management challenges.

Are branches too powerful and uncontrollable, bringing unacceptable degrees of risk into an organization? Or do they represent the true heart and soul of the organization, bringing levels of support and experience (and sometimes money) that are impossible to get from elsewhere?

Very little has been written about how branch networks operate, even though such networks are widespread in the sector.  This book from Volunteering England fills this gap by looking at how a range of different organizations work with their networks.  It examines structure and governance, autonomy and dependence, democracy and power, the influence of style, the critical importance of communication, and issues of raising money – with numerous case studies.
This is essential reading for any large organization working with branches, chapters, affiliates, and other local groups. Written in the UK but concepts are universally applicable.

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Local community action, p. 9

If you’re based in a national or even a regional office of a large organisation, it’s all too easy to lose sight of what’s going on outside the office walls. Even if you spend as much time in the field as possible, you can never be as closely connected to local
communities as those who live and work in them. Focus groups are great, but even better is a readymade group of people who’ll come to you with new ideas based on what they see going on around them – whether for fundraising, new services, or an issue that needs a campaign. And who’ll tell you when your fabulous new initiative simply isn’t going to work, of course….

In any organisation, local people quite simply have a degree of local knowledge and understanding that is impossible to replicate at the centre.

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