Board of Directors Duties
I: Philosophy.
The Board of Directors of the Windham Textile and History Museum is a working board and a policy setting board. As the elected representatives of the Museum’s general membership, it is the Board’s responsibility to see that the Museum is managed in a way that comports with State of Connecticut and federal law, with professional standards within the museum field, and in accordance with the wishes and interests of the membership.
II: General Expectations.
- Know the Museum’s mission, purposes, goals, policies, programs, services, strengths, and needs.
- Enhance the Museum’s public standing.
- Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability.
- Ensure effective organizational planning.
- Manage resources effectively.
- Determine, monitor, and strengthen the Museum’s programs and services.
- Serve on at least one Board committee.
- Volunteer to help with Museum programs and activities. Undertake assignments willingly when asked.
- Complete designated tasks in a timely manner.
- Bring a sense of humor to Board and committee meetings.
- Be responsive to fellow Board members and staff and reply to emails and phone calls promptly.
- Recruit and orient new Board members and assess Board performance.
III: Governance Responsibilities.
- Review mission, vision, bylaws, job descriptions, goals, other policies, and programs regularly and consider revisions as needed.
- Appoint new Board members and officers between annual meetings, in accordance with the bylaws.
- Consider and approve an annual Museum budget.
IV: Financial Responsibilities.
- Demonstrate support for the Museum by maintaining at least an individual Museum membership.
- Attend as many programs as possible.
- Make a donation to the Museum’s annual appeal (even if only a small one), supporting our standard of 100% Board participation.
- Take an active role in fundraising activities.
- Be alert and proactive to funding opportunities.
V: Fiduciary Responsibilities.
- Exercise prudence in the control and transfer of funds.
- Ensure adequate resources.
- Faithfully read and understand the Museum’s financial statements and otherwise help the Board fulfill its fiduciary responsibility.
VI: Meetings.
- Prepare, attend, and participate in Board and committee meetings as consistently as possible.
- Maintain confidentiality of the Board’s executive decisions; adhere to the Museum’s Confidentiality Policy.
- Suggest agenda items for Board and committee meetings to ensure that significant issues are addressed regularly.
- Ask timely and substantive questions.
- Support the majority decision.
VII: Relationships with Staff.
- Select the Executive Director.
- Counsel the Executive Director as appropriate and offer support.
- Assess the performance of the Executive Director.
- Reply to emails and phone calls from staff promptly and complete requested tasks.
- Avoid asking for special favors of the staff.
- Recognize when acting as a Board member (in a role that is supervisory of the Executive Director, but not of other paid or unpaid staff) and when acting as volunteer or unpaid staff (in a role that is supervised by the Executive Director, and may be supervisory of other paid or unpaid staff).
VIII: Ethical Responsibilities.
- Abide by the Museum’s Board Conflict of Interest Policy.
- Serve the Museum as a whole, rather than special interest groups.
- Maintain independence and objectivity, and do what fairness, ethics, and personal integrity dictate.
- Never accept or offer substantive favors or gifts from or to anyone who does business with the organization.