I: Introduction.

The Windham Textile and History Museum (“the Museum”) relies heavily on the unpaid work of volunteers and values their contributions highly.

II: Purpose.

This policy is intended to ensure that volunteers working at the Museum have work that is safe, significant, fulfilling, and appreciated. It supplements the Museum’s Personnel Policy.

III: Policy.

  1. All volunteers shall be treated with respect and with gratitude for their contribution.
  2. Volunteers at the Museum fall into two categories.
  3. Board Members. Members of the Board of Directors serving in their capacity as Board members (including their work on Board committees) are volunteers, and as such are entitled to the same respect and gratitude as other volunteers.
  4. Volunteer Employees. Volunteers who are not members of the Board of Directors, or who are members of the Board but engaged in volunteer activities that are not part of their official Board duties, are deemed “employees” within the meaning of the Museum’s Personnel Policy.
  5. Volunteer employees are employed at the discretion the Executive Director.
  6. Volunteer employees carry out duties assigned by the Executive Director.
  7. All volunteers, whether volunteer employees or Board members, shall be, as far as possible, protected from harm, and shall be relieved of liability for acts performed in the discharge of their volunteer functions.

IV: Responsibilities.

  1. It is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to appoint a Volunteer Coordinator. Although the Volunteer Coordinator may be a member of the Board of Directors, when acting as Volunteer Coordinator she or he is considered an “employee” within the meaning of the Museum’s Personnel Policy and works under the supervision of and reports to the Executive Director.
  2. The Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for organizing the recruitment, training, and supervision of volunteer employees.
  3. The Volunteer Coordinator, in consultation with the Executive Director, assigns supervisors to volunteer employees and monitors the work of the supervisors.
  4. The appointed supervisors ensure that volunteer employees are trained and capable of fulfilling their functions adequately.
  5. The Volunteer Coordinator and Executive Director report regularly to the Board of Directors on the Museum’s volunteer program.

V: Procedures. 

  1. All volunteer employees are subject to the same screening, approval, and probationary procedures set out in the Museum’s Personnel Policy. Recruitment of volunteers shall also take into account the Museum’s commitment to cultural diversity under its Equal Access and Affirmative Action clause of the Museum’s Personnel Policy.
  1. All volunteer employees are offered appropriate information and training to discharge their functions, and successful completion of this training is a condition of carrying out these functions.
  1. All volunteer employees shall receive appropriate supervision in the exercise of their functions.
  1. All volunteer employees will be reimbursed for all approved expenditures incurred in the exercise of their functions.
  2. All volunteer employees are entitled to appeal to the procedures set out in the Museum’s Personnel Policy.