The Baha’i worldwide community is organized from the grassroots up. Every local area or region, where nine or more Baha’is live, come together once a year and elect a Local Spiritual Assembly (LSA). Every country with a significant number of LSA’s then elect a National Spiritual Assembly (NSA). Members of these NSA’s then elect the international assembly that we call the Universal House of Justice. These Assemblies run the material affairs of the communities: organizing the gatherings, managing the resources, and inspiring the efforts of the Baha’is they serve.
The Universal House of Justice directs the activities of these elected bodies. The Baha’i administration is charged with the duties of helping the religion grow while protecting the community from schism and disunity. It is also responsible for gathering the financial contributions of the Baha’is and then for utilizing and/or redistributing these contributions to best serve humanity.
There is also an appointed group of Baha’is called Counselors. These are Baha’is who are appointed by the Universal House of Justice to work throughout the world for the propagation and protection of the Baha’i community. To help them, these Counselors then appoint auxiliaries and assistants. All of these individuals are also volunteers, and they do not have any real tangible power over budgets or administrative matters. Instead, they serve as sources of information, inspiration, and encouragement to the Baha’is.