Community Garden Leadership Recovery Workbook

Roadmap #63 field tool. Use this workbook when a coordinator, founder, officer, board member, staff liaison, or other key garden leader leaves unexpectedly, becomes unavailable, is removed, or no longer has clear authority.

This workbook does not create legal authority. Bylaws, host policies, municipal or school rules, contracts, articles, board actions, fiscal-sponsorship terms, and applicable law control formal authority. If control of money, contracts, employment, official records, or property is disputed, obtain the appropriate host, board, accounting, or legal review.

1. What happened?

Item	Record
Date leadership break identified
Person/role affected
Type	☐ Planned departure ☐ Resignation ☐ Illness/absence ☐ Death ☐ Removal ☐ Disputed authority ☐ Host reassignment ☐ Other:
Verified by
Current operating impact

2. Governing authority map

Document or authority source	Where located	What it controls	Current?
Bylaws / rules
Host agreement / program policy
Articles / board resolutions if applicable
Land agreement
Fiscal sponsor / bank authority
Other

Who has authority to convene the transition?

Which decisions are explicitly authorized during the interim?

3. Critical-function map

Function	Primary before failure	Backup	Records exist?	Status
Coordination / meetings				Healthy / Watch / Correct / Stop
Money / bills
Records / minutes
Keys / site access
Water / utilities
Membership / waitlist
Official communications
Host / land liaison
Insurance / incidents
Seasonal operations

4. First 72-hour obligations

Due date	Obligation	Authorized person	Complete
	Safety / water / access
	Bill / insurance / land requirement
	Member or host notice
	Workday / harvest / donation commitment
	Grant / reporting deadline

5. Records recovery checklist

☐ Current rules/bylaws ☐ Minutes ☐ Land agreement ☐ Insurance ☐ Member/plot list ☐ Waitlist ☐ Budget ☐ Bank statements ☐ Receipts ☐ Grant files ☐ Donor records ☐ Vendor contacts ☐ Utility records ☐ Site map ☐ Irrigation map ☐ Tool/key inventory ☐ Incident records ☐ Annual calendar ☐ Official email/social admin list ☐ Other:

Shared institutional repository:

Authorized custodians:

6. Financial reconciliation

Account / fund	Legal/host owner	Balance date	Authorized users/signers	Second-person reviewer

Outstanding obligation	Amount	Due	Authorized?	Status

☐ Statements obtained ☐ Receipts matched ☐ Cash documented ☐ Grant restrictions reviewed ☐ Discretionary spending paused if needed ☐ Independent review completed

7. Keys, codes and digital access

Asset/account	Current custodian/admin	Backup	Recovery method documented?	Change needed?
Gate / shed
Water / utility
Official email
Website / social
Shared drive
Payment / banking admin

Do not record personal passwords in this workbook. Record authorized custodians and institutional recovery methods.

8. Interim leadership bridge

Interim function	Person	Authority source	Start	End/review	Limits
Coordinator
Finance steward
Records/access custodian
Host liaison

9. Transition communication

What we know:

What remains unresolved:

What continues:

What is paused:

Next update date and responsible person:

10. Permanent leadership selection

Role	Selection method	Eligibility/skills	Chosen person	Term
Coordinator/chair
Finance/treasurer
Secretary/records
Other

11. Handoff record

Function	Procedure exists?	Primary trained?	Backup trained?	Access tested?
Money
Records
Keys/access
Communications
Host/land
Operations calendar

12. 30-day recovery review

☐ Authority is clear ☐ Balances reconciled ☐ Bills current ☐ Records shared ☐ Keys/accounts current ☐ Member communication functioning ☐ Routine operations completed without emergency rescue ☐ Backups trained

Remaining Correct or Stop conditions:

13. 90-day continuity proof

Run the missing-leader drill: choose one current leader. Can the garden operate for two weeks without that person's memory, personal password, device, or private files?

Function	Passed?	Evidence	Correction needed
Authority
Money
Records
Access
Communications
Host relationship

14. Program-quality closeout

What caused the leadership failure?

Which controls or succession practices changed?

Who will review them annually?

Prepared by New World Survival. Review date: September 6, 2026. Evidence foundation: Cooperative Extension community-garden organization and troubleshooting guidance, supplemented by nonprofit succession, internal-control, and record-retention resources. Verify governance, banking, privacy, employment, and legal requirements for the actual garden structure and jurisdiction.

Community Garden Leadership Recovery: Authority, Records and Transition Workbook