Skye Bridge

Committees in a Community Association serve several different benefits.

Many hands. In some Communities, it may be difficult to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors because the work load is “too much” for a volunteer position. One way to lighten the load on Board Members is to create Committees. Committees can be tasked with a specific assignment (like an Ad Hoc Committee reviewing the Governing Documents). Or, Committees can be ongoing such as Architectural Review, Budget, or Finance. Sometimes, a Committee may take on a large task, such as creating a draft budget, where the Board only then has to review the information versus performing the work themselves.

More Opinions. Sometimes, a Board doesn’t necessarily NEED more help, but it is important to WANT it. By having Committees, the Board of Directors is in touch with more Homeowners throughout the Community. This enables the Board to receive more feedback and understanding of the Community’s needs.

A Place for Volunteers. Many Homeowners want to volunteer but they don’t know how to get involved. Committees are an excellent step.

Renters, Residents, and Occupants may be able to be involved. A lot of Community Associations require Board Members to be a Homeowner on the deed of the house. But often, Committee members are open to anyone over the age of 18, who lives within the community. These groups would be otherwise excluded from volunteering within the community in which they live, if Committees did not exist.

• Renters. Renters are those adults who rent a unit (or house) in the community and they have a lease, with their name on it.
• Occupants or Residents. These two terms are used interchangeably. An Occupant or Resident, is an adult, 18 or older, who does not have a lease, and who’s name is not on the deed. An example may be an 18 (or older) “child” living with their parents. It is also common for one party to buy a house, and have another relative live in the house. This is common for parents who are buying a home for their “adult” child to occupy because the child’s credit may not yet be established. Another example is when an adult is taking care of their aging parent, and for tax reasons (or some other reason) the name of the house is in the adult “child” but occupied by their parent. 

Training of Future Board Members. Not everyone is familiar with HOA or Condo living. A Homeowner may want to volunteer and get involved in the Community, but they are not feeling secure with their knowledge of HOA / Condominium day-to-day operations. Volunteering on a Committee is a great step for the training of interested Homeowners in becoming future Board Members.

Shorter Commitment. Some Homeowners want to volunteer but may not be prepared for a two or three year Commitment. Sometimes, joining a Committee (especially an Ad Hoc Committee) is a shorter volunteer period.

Less Meetings and Emails. Some Committees meet quarterly, or seasonally. The day-to-day management of the Association does not fall onto their shoulders, so they may not have to meet as frequently as the Board of Directors does.

More Involvement. Some Committees are VERY involved. This may include a Budget or Finance Committee who spends months gathering information analyzing it, and preparing a draft budget. Or, an Architectural Committee in a Community where they receive a lot of Architectural Requests. Board Members often appreciate these Committees for taking the work off of their own plate, but some Committee Members truly enjoy being involved on a regular basis.

Solves a Passion. Many Committee members are very passionate about the Committee in which they volunteered. An example is a Pool Committee, who may be very dedicated to pool furniture set up, check ins, and monitoring, or being a liaison for the lifeguard. They are at the pool anyway, and their involvement helps the season run smoothly.

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Summary: The Board of Directors only has so many places for volunteers. By adding Committees to your community, you can include more members of the Community which is a great way to train future Board Members, receive a large sampling of feedback from the community, and enable Renters and Residents to also participate.