Ratified 2/10/2023 by Medicare for All Everywhere cofounders Terence Cudney, Andre Stackhouse, and Betty Faye

Steering committee

Medicare for All Everywhere is forming a volunteer steering committee to establish its first formal governing body. The goal of this is to create a formal decision-making process facilitating the development of organizing infrastructure, internal engagement, and public awareness for Medicare for All Everywhere.

The expectation of this steering committee is to be the leadership body of a bottom-up mass movement, hence the committee should be representative of the on-the-ground campaigns M4A-E is intending to join into a coalition. The primary priority of the steering committee is to be closely in tune with the needs of these organizations and campaigns and to be actively working to bring them into closer collaboration with M4A-E while organizing our members into highly skilled, productive, and self-sufficient volunteers and local teams.

To learn more about Medicare for All Everywhere please watch our explainer video below:
Video link

Steering committee duties, responsibilities, and limitations

The steering committee is the body that is responsible for any and all functions that are necessary to maintaining the infrastructure of Medicare for All Everywhere as a legally registered nonprofit whose doors are open to the general public to join and volunteer their time and money to.

The steering committee is expected to officially represent Medicare for All Everywhere publicly and in our public communications such as our info@medicareforalleverywhere.org email address, our phone line, and our social media platforms. We should be highly "reachable" as an organization and the steering committee must maintain that public access.

Because this is an entirely volunteer steering committee, you will not be "assigned" work or pressured into taking on work you do not have the capacity or willingness to do - all of your time and labor is donated and you are free (and expected) to set your own work schedule. However you must be able to bottom line at least some work to maintain a position on the committee - we do not have silent/standing/nonvoting positions at this time.

It is also the goal of the steering committee to increase its own capacity and the capacity of Medicare for All Everywhere through the development of infrastructure, the recruitment of volunteers, and the raising of funds. Hence, the steering committee is encouraged to delegate work, expand its numbers, and form additional teams, committees, and processes if they build the capacity of the healthcare justice movement.

Specific responsibilities

The point of this steering committee is to establish a core group of organizers who are committed to supporting one another by dividing up the critical work that needs to be done to run this organization. We recognize that it will not be necessary for every member to do every kind of work, but we want to set some basic expectations on the kinds of work that need to be done.

• Public identification - in accordance with our commitment to transparency, all steering committee members must be willing to publicly identify as a member of the Medicare for All Everywhere steering committee. Your name and photo will be listed on medicareforalleverywhere.org and you will be provided an @medicareforalleverywhere.org email address that you are expected to check and respond to regularly.
• Public representation - steering committee members are expected to serve as the primary public representatives of Medicare for All Everywhere. At a minimum you are expected to help check our info@medicareforalleverywhere.org email inbox and ensure that serious inquiries are responded to. Other opportunities to represent us include at meetings with other orgs, answering our phone, social media, and in media interviews.
• Meeting facilitation - steering committee members are expected to share the work of facilitating regular meetings open to the public and all volunteers on a rotating basis. This serves as a channel of accountability in which anyone and everyone may ask the steering committee what is being worked on.
• Community moderation - Our digital platforms are our organizing spaces. Steering committee members are expected to help us keep these spaces organized, active, and civil. Participation in our online communities like Slack is incumbent on being willing to adhere to our Code of Conduct, which SC members will help enforce as moderators.
• Approve expenses - Steering committee members are expected to view and approve of expenses submitted for reimbursement through Open Collective in accordance with our contributions and reimbursement policies.
• Onboard new members - Medicare for All Everywhere is always working to grow the healthcare justice movement and thus onboarding of new members is a critical role. Until an onboarding team is formed this responsibility lies on the steering committee.
• Set policy - Medicare for All Everywhere is intended to be a "policy and process" light organization, but as it grows and builds capacity more policies will need to be put in place to maintain efficiency and clarity as an organization. The steering committee should be proactive in understanding the needs of the organization at large and maintaining, enforcing, modifying, and enacting policies that lead us to our collective goals.

Application process

• This is an open application process, anyone may apply.
• This is an open nomination process, you may nominate yourself or anyone you would like.
• This application will be open until all five positions are filled.
• All applicants will receive an interview (within our capacity, an unexpectedly high number of applications may make this impossible).
• Members will be approved for a term of six months. Positions are not term-limited and members will be free to re-apply for the position.
• The first five members will be selected from different states/districts/territories in order to help represent the coalition we are aspiring to build.
• The first five members will be approved by the three cofounders of Medicare for All Everywhere: Andre Stackhouse, Terence Cudney, and Betty Faye.

Resignation, removal, and filling open seats

• A member of the steering committee may be removed by a consensus minus one vote of the steering committee excluding the member whose membership is being voted on.
  
• A member may choose to step down from the steering committee at any time for any reason - this is not a contracted position. However, we do ask for two weeks advance notice if possible. This two-week period will be considered a "waiting period" during which the member may choose to reverse their resignation if desired.
• If the steering committee falls below five members, this application is immediately reopened and the committee must choose new members until it is back to at least five members by a consensus minus one vote.

Thank you for your interest in Medicare for All Everywhere and our steering committee positions. If you have any questions please send them to info@medicareforalleverywhere.org.