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ONYX National Council

Vision
ONYX is the world’s leading resource for the empowerment of gay and bi-sexual Men of Color in the Leather Lifestyle.

Mission
The mission of ONYX is to educate and empower gay and bi-sexual Men of Color who explore the Leather Lifestyle.

ONYX is a resource that centers the needs and desires of gay and bisexual Men of Color while welcoming everyone. We are a safe space to EDUCATE yourself about the Leather Lifestyle and Leather/Kink/Fetish Play. We provide a welcoming place to EXPLORE your Kinks and Fetishes in an affirming judgment-free environment, which EMPOWERS all people and ESPECIALLY Men of Color to live their lives more freely, safely, and happily as Leathermen and Kinksters.

General Purpose
ONYX has been formed and will be operated for educational and other purposes consistent with its non-profit nature and structure as well as charitable activities. ONYX is not for pecuniary benefit and shall not make or declare dividends. The ONYX National Council (ONC) provides value-added oversight that enables the entire ONYX organization and its chapters to make consistent progress toward our mission. The ONC is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a 509(a)(2) public charity. ONC oversight includes such areas as:

  1. Guardianship of the ONYX Vision, Mission and the ONYX Code;
  2. Focus on strategic planning, initiatives and policy rather than tactical operations of chapters;
  3. Providing ONYX chapters with guidance and recommendations on best practices;
  4. Enhancement of the organization’s public standing through public relations & communications. This includes management of trademarks, copyrights, patents, intellectual property and branding;
  5. Responsibility for guiding and approving new chapter formation / ratification. Oversight of chapter dissolution;
  6. Collect chapter information regarding rolls, financial status, initiatives and accomplishments to produce an ONYX Annual Report for use by all chapters; and
  7. Maintenance of external partnerships and sponsorships that further our mission and support our standing as a valued contributor to the LGBTQIA+ community.

ONYX is a resource that centers the needs and desires of gay and bisexual Men of Color while welcoming everyone. We are a safe space to EDUCATE yourself about the Leather Lifestyle and Leather/Kink/Fetish Play. We provide a welcoming place to EXPLORE your Kinks and Fetishes in an affirming judgment-free environment, which EMPOWERS all people and ESPECIALLY Men of Color to live their lives more freely, safely, and happily as Leathermen and Kinksters.

Specific Purpose

The goal of ONYX is to provide an informational and social organization to address the issues specific to gay/bisexual men of color who choose to discuss and/or participate in the Leather/SM/Fetish lifestyle. Support, spirituality, safety and consent are key to achieving our goal.

Within the scope of the foregoing general purpose, the ONC has been formed for, and may engage as provided hereinafter, in the following specific purpose:

  1. Charity/Education. To engage in various charitable and educational endeavors where there is chapter representation with a Chapters’ respective territory;
  2. Social. As a social/leather/levi club for the membership of the ONC. The ONC provides guidance and support for all ONYX chapters;
  3. Brotherhood. To develop friendships and promote brotherhood between all members of the ONYX family and with similar organizations in the United States and abroad;
  4. Assets. To collect, invest, transfer, transact, spend, donate, receive and maintain a fund or funds, including personal and real property, by subscription, donation or otherwise, and apply the principal and/or income therefrom to the promotion and purposes of this Organization, which will include, if necessary, the payment of all necessary expenses in furtherance of such purposes;
  5. Charitable Assistance. To distribute money or other property, or direct assistance to other organizations whose aims and purposes are in furtherance of the purposes of the ONC or who would qualify for charitable assistance as provided herein. The assistance provided for herein shall be given by the ONC to an individual or organization without charge and without discrimination on the basis of social, political, religious, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnic heritage or origin, race, color, creed, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or medical conditions or any other characteristic;
  6. Domicile. To establish and maintain offices and promote and carry on its objects and purposes within the States or Territories of the United States.

Values
Our ONYX values are formed from our principles or standards of behavior. They are our collective judgment of what is important in life, in our community, and in our personal journeys. We hold true to our values regardless of the situation or our regard for an individual, organization, or situation.

  1. Brotherhood. We value the bonds of Chosen Family and the obligations of Loyalty, Dedication, Discipline, Sacrifice, and Achievement to which we have freely bound ourselves;
  2. Trust. We value the need and desire for one’s words and actions to be reliable and based in truth, to the best of one’s ability and knowledge;
  3. Loyalty. We value the faithfulness owed by one’s duty or obligation, or by one’s pledge or promise;
  4. Dedication. We value the willingness to freely give of one’s time and talent toward one’s duty, obligation, pledge, or promise;
  5. Discipline. We value control of one’s self (evidenced through words and actions) towards personal and/or collective goals;
  6. Sacrifice. We value the giving of one’s time and talent toward or for the sake of a greater good;
  7. Achievement. We value the accomplishments of our Brotherhood through their efforts, skills, and courage;
  8. Integrity. We value principle-centered actions, honesty, and being true to one’s word; and
  9. Accountability. We value the taking of responsibility for one’s own words and actions, and we value the process of course-correcting to bring oneself back in line with personal and/or shared core principles.

Beliefs
Our ONYX beliefs are key facts, statements, and truths that we collectively hold as self-evident or as goals toward which we continually strive.

  1. Consent. We believe in the inalienable right to one’s own personal agency and ability to agree (or not) to some proposal or activity;
  2. Safety. We believe in the right to safety and comfort, whether as an individual or as part of a group;
  3. Diversity. We believe in, celebrate, and respect the dignity of all ethnicities, body types, levels of ability, ages, sexual identities, gender expressions and medical conditions. We believe in and celebrate all gender expressions and identifications;
  4. Inclusion. We believe in the inclusion, celebration, and integration of all People of Color, including Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Latinx, and People of the African Diaspora into all aspects of ONYX; and
  5. Education. We believe in the importance of education to provide informed consent, for personal or collective safety, or for personal growth.

Education
The ONC provides a wide range of support on a National and Chapter level in a number of education areas related to the following causes:

  1. HIV/AIDS Awareness and Training;
  2. Sexual Health Education;
  3. Mental Health Awareness & Advocacy and;
  4. Safe, Sane and Consensual Kink Educational Workshops.

Financial Management
The ONC shall meet the following requirements for Financial Management:

  1. Ensure effective organizational planning;
  2. Ensure long-term financial stability, monitor the use of funds, and ensure that controls are in place to protect the organization against error or fraud;
  3. Provide proper financial oversight;
  4. Provide transparency to the membership body as well as the ONYX Chapters;
  5. Make sure the Organization fulfills legal obligations; and
  6. Improve the Organization’s public standing.

Board Responsibilities
The Board has legally mandated fiduciary duties to the ONC organization. These duties describe the manner in which board members are required to carry out their roles and responsibilities.  The fiduciary duties are Obedience, Care and Loyalty.

  • Duty of Obedience:  The board must ensure the organization is obedient to its central purposes as described in its articles of incorporation and mission.
  • Duty of Care: The board must be knowledgeable of all reasonably available information before taking action, and then act with prudence and care appropriate under the circumstances.
  • Duty of Loyalty: The board must discharge duties unselfishly, to the benefit of the organization only, and disclose potential conflicts of interest.

However, the Board does not exist solely to fulfill legal duties and serve as a fiduciary of the Organization’s assets. Board members also play very significant roles providing guidance to Organization’s culture, strategic focus, effectiveness, and financial sustainability, as well as serving as ambassadors and advocates.

  1. Key values that are required by the Board include:
  2. Openness;
  3. Transparency;
  4. Integrity; and
  5. Collaboration Across Chapters.

Community Outreach and Partnership
The ONC shall be responsible for identifying, building, and maintaining relationships with large scale community organizations and business partnerships directly related to the mission. This function shall supplement ongoing work by chapters but will not interfere with those activities.

Fundraising
The ONC shall be responsible for defining, planning, and executing its own fundraising initiatives. This function shall supplement ongoing work by chapters but will not interfere with those activities.

Chapter Oversight
How the ONC interacts with each ONYX Chapter is of critical importance to the success of the overall ONYX organization. Chapters are expected to adhere to their bylaws in the conduct of business and operations. The ONC:

  1. Provide Onyx chapters with guidance and recommendations on best practices;
  2. Promote the sharing of materials, documents, templates, tools and education across chapters;
  3. Assist chapters where practical with matters related to chapter business and initiatives. A chapter may request assistance on a subject with the ONC once that engagement has been approved by the board of the chapter;
  4. Not engage with individual members of a chapter. The ONC does not have jurisdiction or authority over issues occurring within a chapter. As separate legal entities, chapters are governed by their individual bylaws and legal requirements driven by Federal, State and Local laws; and
  5. Not interfere with chapter financial planning and management. The assets (funds, materials, etc.) remain solely in control of that chapter with no rights bestowed to the Organization.

Chapter Formation and Chapter Revocation
The ONC also has responsibility for the formation of new ONYX chapters, as well the removal of existing chapters. These responsibilities are defined in the ONC Bylaws and other published policy documents.

 

Key ONC Documents
ONC Bylaws
Chapter In Formation (CIF) Policy

 

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