28 May How We Do It: Dividing Labor (Full Document)

This next document is about the position system, or how we divvy up the work of running this place. The system was originally devised by Andrew in his role as Coordinator (which you can read more about below). He proposed it to the group a few years ago, to replace what had been a much less organized division of labor. We ran it through the consensus process and we’ve been using it since, making alterations as we go.

The Position System
Lupinewood Collective
v2 :: 02-028-2026

I | POSITIONS

We manage Lupinewood collectively by each taking a different position of responsibility in what needs to happen and meeting regularly to coordinate about it. Anyone can end up holding a position of labor at Lupinewood and positions can be added, subtracted, or changed over time as decided by the group.

Currently the positions are:

House—Responsible for the upkeep of the interior of the buildings, including things like keeping supplies stocked, doing house laundry, keeping the wood stoves running, and directing other members in weekly chores.

Grounds—Responsible for most everything outside that isn’t a building, including things like mowing the lawn, caring for plants, removing snow, repairing machinery, stacking and storing firewood, and organizing work days.

Store—Responsible for developing, marketing, and selling art and objects through our online store and at in-person markets, including things like coordinating with garment makers, documenting products, packaging and shipping, and promotion.

Communications—Responsible for storytelling and collective relationships, including things like donor thank you packages, collaboratively editing member’s writing for our weekly blog, posting to social media, overseeing our shared inbox, and publishing our monthly newsletter.

Coordinator—Responsible for proposing solutions to our overarching challenges and then facilitating the process of implementing them in the group, including things like developing the mission and main program of the nonprofit or facilitating the group’s adoption of the labor system that we use.

Back End—Responsible for everything money-related as well as our archive and digital security, including things like generating financial reports for discussion, proposing new security measures, and interfacing with our accountant, mortgages, and local government.

Theory—Responsible for facilitating the group’s self-reflection and for the Queer Lineages Project, including hosting discussions, conducting interviews, researching topics and histories relevant to the group’s work, and engaging with contemporary thinkers and ideas.

Media—Responsible for documenting collective life through photos and video, including product documentation for our online store, which involves close coordination with Communications, Store, and Coordinator in producing the collective’s newsletter and blog.

II | HOURS

On average, we each work 15 hours a week in our positions, and we manage our time and responsibilities in whatever way we want providing it doesn’t make the work of other positions harder without their consent.

We each bring a time sheet to our weekly meeting documenting the work we did, which is then collected by Back End and compiled into a monthly report.

Within our hours, it’s our responsibility to track and complete work that is core to running Lupinewood first, like paying taxes or removing snow. However, it’s also each position’s responsibility to leave space for forward-looking projects that grow and build things within their work, not just maintain them.

III | REPORT-BACKS

We each give report-backs at weekly meetings where we share what we did in our position, including personal victories and updates on collaborative projects, using our time sheets as a starting point.

Every season each person reports back about the previous 3 months, reflecting on their work and experience.

Every year we use the previous year’s annual report-back and plan to compare what we intended to accomplish with what we actually did. We also share whatever we’d like to about our personal lives and experience in the position.

IV | PLANNING

Every week we give each other report-backs from our position where we talk about what we intended to accomplish in the previous week and what we intend to accomplish in the coming one.

Every season each person presents about the upcoming 3 months of their position work to the group, reviewing what they had planned to accomplish and making any proposals or other changes to their plans for the upcoming season as needed.

At the end of the year, we each make a plan for the upcoming year that explains the work we’re going to do in our position. Plans are then presented at year-end planning sessions, where collective members receive feedback from the rest of the group about the plans they’re proposing, and plans are then solidified.

V | BUDGETING

Every month positions submit notated receipts to Back End, who inputs the receipts and can return financial reports to positions if needed.

Every season positions make proposals if they want to take on new expenses, drop ones that no longer make sense, or shuffle around where their current budget is going.

At the end of the year, we each make budgets from our different positions for the upcoming year based on our plans, presenting them during our year-end planning sessions. The group then decides where to allocate its resources through consensus.

Spending happens primarily through a shared credit card that everyone has their own copy of.

VI | RESPONSIBILITY

While we each may hold different positions, an expectation we all share is that of being singly responsible for and accountable to whatever work we take on. We call this responsibility for a given labor “bottom-lining”, and expect someone bottom-lining a labor to either complete it without further input or to communicate about challenges and proactively find help or a replacement bottom-liner if needed.

Being responsible in this collective way, for the things that a person has agreed to, allows everyone else to focus on the things they’re responsible for—the things we’ve collaboratively worked out are best for each person to do—instead of needing everyone to spread their focus out over every labor. It’s important to underscore that being collectively responsible and accountable around labor does not mean forcing oneself to push past red lines. It means communicating proactively when those red lines come into view, and not assuming anyone else is going to figure out next steps for you without you asking for it.

VII | ACCOUNTABILITY

If one of us isn’t completing work that we’ve all decided is fundamental to the collective, it’s something we need to talk about and figure out together.

Our starting point is that it’s our individual responsibility to communicate proactively if something isn’t working or needs to change, which can include making proposals or seeking explicit support. If nothing’s been said but critical things are falling through the cracks, anyone can bring it up, which starts a conversation about how to support that collective member following through on their responsibilities while still caring for themselves and Lupinewood.

If critical things continually don’t get done over time despite discussing them and making changes, the group asks the collective member to examine whether or not they genuinely still want to be part of the collective. If the answer is Yes, then the group makes a plan for how that collective member can get to a place of sharing responsibility again, and then supports that collective member in doing whatever has been agreed to.

VIII | MISCELLANEOUS

Some additional expectations about the positions we share:

a. If we want to leave or drastically change our position we give each other a 6 month lead-time.

b. We spend time gathering thoughts before meetings such that we each come with a list of calendar items, quick updates, position report-backs, and agenda items ready to go.

c. We show up to meetings and collective events on time, meaning that we all arrive before the start time.

d. We each bring energy to meetings whenever possible and understand our responsibilities to include caring for the tenor and vibe between us when we get together to meet or work on things collectively.

e. We each hold each other accountable for the expectations we’ve agreed to using the processes we’ve set up to do so.