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Indivisible Mansfield and Beyond (IMAB) Policies

(Created: December 22, 2025 / Amended: April 30, 2026, June 2026)

Values

Goals and Objectives

Goal

Act locally as part of a national movement to save democracy.

Objectives

Group Norms

IMAB Organizational Structure

Indivisible Mansfield and Beyond (IMAB) is a grassroots organization that is part of a larger movement to elect progressive leaders, rebuild democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda. Our specific goal is to act locally as part of a national movement to save democracy. IMAB began operating in January 2025. We are not currently a 501(c)(3) as defined by the IRS tax code, nor are we a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). We are an organized group of people committed to this work.

IMAB Leadership

IMAB is overseen by a Steering Committee led by two IMAB co-chairs and is made up of the leaders of the various geographic regions of IMAB. These include:

The Steering Committee is responsible for making decisions related to membership, leadership, and the operations of IMAB, including meeting agendas, what activities are sanctioned, and how said activities are carried out. When appropriate, the Steering Committee will solicit feedback from a subsection of the membership before making decisions. The Steering Committee uses the five-finger consensus model when making decisions. Only Steering Committee members serve as organizational representatives to the media.

The IMAB Steering Committee may ask any IMAB member or an attendee at an IMAB event to leave the event, leave a subcommittee, leave a leadership role, and/or leave the organization if that person is deemed to be engaging in inappropriate behavior or behavior that does not align with IMAB’s values and group norms. Promoting or encouraging violence, or engaging in verbal attacks are grounds for immediate removal.

IMAB Subcommittees

Subcommittees carry out the work of the IMAB organization. Subcommittees are formed when several members agree to work on a specific topic, and someone has agreed to lead the committee. Subcommittees must be approved by the Steering Committee, and a Steering Committee member must sit on each subcommittee to ensure that the work of the committee is aligned with the overall mission and values of IMAB. All activities of a subcommittee must be approved by the Steering Committee. Current subcommittees include one for each of the geographic regions as well as specific actions/topics, Signs of Fascism, Reproductive Rights, Bridge Brigade, Mutual Aid, Social Media, Chalking for Change, and Legislative Advocacy.

IMAB subcommittees set up their own Signal channel and conduct their business on that channel while keeping the steering committee updated on their meetings and activities. At least one Steering Committee member must be an administrator on the chat.

IMAB Funding

To maximize fundraising efforts, IMAB uses Indivisible National’s connection to Act Blue. Through this collaboration, IMAB has a separate Act Blue account to collect financial donations. The IMAB Treasurer is responsible for the oversight of this account. Donations to the account are “loaded” onto a debit card that can be used to pay for necessary items.

Decisions regarding spending are made by the Steering Committee. The Treasurer has access to the debit card and pays for needed goods or services, once approved. If an approved expense is paid by a member, the member must provide a receipt to the Treasurer by 5th of each month to be reimbursed. Reimbursements are made through Venmo. The Treasurer submits monthly reports to Indivisible National by the 15th of each month. IMAB follows all of the guidelines and spending restrictions put forth by Indivisible National. If any specific guidance is required, the Treasurer will consult with Indivisible National. The Treasurer/Steering Committee is the only person/entity authorized to apply for grants for IMAB, or under the IMAB name.

Legislative Action, Candidate Endorsements, Boycotts, and General Advocacy

IMAB adopts policy positions and advocacy actions supported by Indivisible and the Indivisible Massachusetts Coalition (IMC). The decision to endorse additional policies and actions can be made by the Steering Committee, or by a majority of the members in attendance at a monthly meeting if the Steering Committee puts those additions on the agenda. Any further requests to sign onto particular legislation and/or actions will be submitted to the Steering Committee to decide on the best course of action. Additionally, IMAB may decide to request support from other Indivisible groups or any other group. Such actions also require approval by the Steering Committee. IMAB follows Indivisible National’s guidelines regarding candidate endorsement and support.

Signal Groups

IMAB uses Signal, an encrypted messaging platform, to communicate with members and build community. Ideas or posts shared on Signal do not necessarily represent official IMAB endorsement. At the same time, IMAB Group Norms apply in Signal chats. Steering Committee members are administrators of the overall IMAB Signal channel. IMAB subcommittee members are asked to create their own Signal channel to conduct their business, ensuring that at least one member of the Steering Committee is an administrator of that channel. Decisions made or initiatives proposed without any Steering Committee representatives need to be submitted to the Steering Committee for IMAB support and/or sponsorship.

If a member of a Signal Chat would like to suggest donations to a person or organization, they should provide a direct link to that person or organization that people can use to donate. No person should be a conduit for such donations.

IMAB co-chairs and/or the Steering Committee have the authority to remove someone from any IMAB chat if that person is deemed to be engaging in inappropriate behavior or behavior that does not align with IMAB’s values. Anyone promoting or encouraging violence or engaging in verbal attacks are grounds for immediate removal from the platform. If members post rude or insulting comments, name-calling, or any kind of incitement to violence on IMAB Signal chats, the Steering Committee will remove them from the chat.

Safety and Security

This section is designed to keep events safe, peaceful, and organized.

Reminder: IMAB uses a non-violent framework and does not condone any violence. This policy can help to de-escalate tension and serve as a bridge between participants, organizers, police (if present), and outside agitators.

All IMAB-sponsored actions should have one member of the Steering Committee present. The Steering Committee member is the official IMAB point person responsible for making the decision to call the police and interact with the media and the police. Each action should also have a minimum of one marshal to deal with any problems/harrassers. This person serves as a back up spokesperson, if necessary. Anyone wanting to be a marshal must attend training. We recommend trainings provided by the following organizations: Worcester Indivisible, LUCE, and/or ACLU. Participation in training does not guarantee you will be chosen as a marshal.

The marshal’s job, generally, is to: