As a Board we weigh the input of the Executive Director extremely carefully, as she is the most in tune with SF WoW's needs as an organization. SF WoW has many opportunities for member input. We are just an email away. What SFWoW does not have is a mechanism for member governance, which some nonprofits have and others do not. In order to set a very low barrier to entry into this organization, SF WoW currently defines a member as anyone who subscribes to the mailing list.
People subscribe and unsubscribe based on their schedule and needs.
Some beneficiaries of the organization aren't on the mailing list at all but do come to some events. The group has gotten so large that many members aren't intimately familiar with the workings and programs of the group, and often don't even know the background behind certain policies. Our feeling is that it works for SF WoW to have a volunteer body that votes into place its executives rather than having members vote those people into place and make policy decisions. Considering our average response rate to surveys, we aren't convinced that a membership governance structure would be right for us. What we do have is a very vital body of people who do want to direct the future of the group - and those are people who actively participate on the list and at events, and at the next level, who serve as volunteers.