LCC Policy

Board of Directors Job Description

longfellowcarly

Neighborhoods Stacked with HeartLongfellow Community Council
Board of Directors
Job Description

Updated: March 2018

Title:   Member, Longfellow Community Council Board of Directors
Reports to:   Membership
Objective:   To protect the assets of the Longfellow community, to represent the interests of identified constituencies, to promote the steady growth of the Longfellow Community Council, and to be catalysts for active citizen participation in the community.

Responsibilities:
(These responsibilities are outlined in detail below)

  • Hire and supervise Executive Director (Executive Committee)
  • Set the strategic direction and policies of the Longfellow Community Council
  • Monitor and understand the organization’s financial condition
  • Secure a fundraising plan
  • Represent the organization appropriately at both neighborhood and city-wide events
  • Create a manageable structure
  • Operate within legal and ethical guidelines
  • Set a positive example for current and potential board members
  • Make annual personal [and/or professional] financial commitment to LCC

Time Commitment:

  • Attend regularly scheduled board meeting – 10-11 per year, held on the third Thursday of every month
  • Participate actively in one or more committees
  • Attend General Membership Meetings (2 times per year), held in April and October.
  • Attend scheduled board retreats, planning meetings, workshops or other board development activities
  • Attend, support and participate in special events

Detailed Responsibilities:
I.  Hire and supervise the Executive Director

  • Determine the qualifications necessary for the position and prepare or review a written job description
  • Develop a compensation system
  • Provide yearly performance review

II.  Set strategic direction and policies

  • Develop values, vision, and mission statements
  • Set realistic goals and objectives to accomplish the mission
  • Review the mission and goals at least annually
  • Work with the staff to prepare a long-range plan for the organization
  • Spend at least one day per year developing annual and long-range plans for the organization
  • Adopt policies to guide the staff, and record them in board meeting minutes and board policy book
  • Maintain and review personnel policies

III.  Monitor and understand the organization’s financial condition

  • Approve the budget for the organization
  • Regularly review the organization’s overall financial condition; take corrective action if financial condition is less than desired:
  • Financial statements (monthly)
  • Financial projections
  • Audits
  • Compare monthly and annual performance to established budgets and forecasts; find ways to reward achievement of established operating goals; determine reasons for, and take measures to improve poor performance
  • Safeguard and manage the organization’s assets
  • Internal control (segregation of duties and financial policies and procedures)
  • Compliance with federal and state regulations [501(c)3]
  • Oversight of financial record keeping

IV.  Fundraising

  • Create a fundraising plan
  • Help with the organization’s fundraising
  • Help to diversify fundraising sources
  • Look for creative ways to raise money
  • Oversee fundraising records

V.  Represent the Organization

  • Work to maintain and extend public image – all board members are ambassadors
  • Represent the community’s interests by collecting information on their needs and sharing information on the organization’s goals and plans
  • Provide the community with reports on annual performance by working with the staff to plan and conduct annual meetings
  • Work with LCC staff to distribute Welcome Packets, flyers and other communications in the community

VI.  Create a Manageable Structure

  • Have job descriptions for directors and officers
  • Delegate responsibilities to committees
  • Follow articles and bylaws
  • Orient new board members
  • Evaluate performance of the board
  • Maintain board records, including minutes
  • Follow Roberts Rules of Order

VII.  Operate within Legal and Ethical Guidelines

  • Read, understand, and conduct business according to the organization articles and bylaws
  • Understand all contracts in which the organization enters with board authority
  • Do not compete with the organization to its detriment or stand in the way of an organization opportunity
  • Do not act independently on matters which should be decided by the entire board
  • Hold all matters involving the organization in confidence until they have been publicly disclosed, or unless you are sure the information is a matter of public record or common knowledge

VIII.  Set a Positive Example for Current and Future Board Members

  • Attend all board meetings if possible and be prompt and attentive; absences from board meetings does not constitute freedom from responsibility for board decisions; actively participate in board decision-making process
  • Attend regular training to keep abreast of current trends and practices
  • Give as careful attention to the affairs of the organization as you would to your own business
  • Work as a team with other board members
  • Support the decisions made by the majority of the board, unless the actions are unethical, irresponsible, or illegal; if you disagree with a board action, have your dissenting vote recorded in the meeting minutes
  • Read and understand the policies, articles, and bylaws of the organization
  • Read and review the monthly financial statements and related information prior to board meeting
  • Participate in Longfellow Community Council activities
  • Participate in at least one LCC Committee

Proposed Bylaw Amendments

longfellowcarlyLeave a comment

Proposed Bylaw amendments to be voted on at the April 24th General Membership Meeting.

The LCC Board of Directors is recommending the following amendments to the LCC Bylaws.  These amendments will help LCC to add more neighborhood represented seats on the Board (section IV) and remove language from the Bylaws (Section V) that is more appropriate for the Board Job Description used to guide the work of Board members.

Deletions are indicated with a strikethrough and additions are indicated by bold type.  Full Bylaws can be found here.

The General Membership of Greater Longfellow will vote on these recommended amendments at the April 24th No Pie Charts Only Pies General Membership meeting.  A copy of the Bylaws can also be provided upon request.

Proposed Amendments

Article V.  Membership Meetings, Subsection B.2

The LCC also encourages neighborhood representatives to hold one meeting in their neighborhood per year and will provide logistical support for those meetings.

Article VI. Board of Directors

A.  SIZE OF THE BOARD The Board of Directors (the Board) shall have no more than 15 voting seats.

  1. Eight Twelve seats shall be reserved for two three members from each of the four neighborhoods (Longfellow, Cooper, Howe, and Hiawatha).
  2. Three Two seats shall be reserved for community representatives and one seat shall be reserved for a business representative.
  3. Three seats shall be reserved for community members of LCC elected at large from the membership.
  4. All chairpersons of LCC committees who are not Directors shall be ex-officio non-voting members of the Board during their terms as chairpersons.

B.  TERMS AND TIMES OF ELECTION

  1. Two of the neighborhood seats will have two-year terms, and one of the neighborhood seats will have a one-year term.   At-large seats will have three-year terms and cCommunity and business seats will have one-year terms. If a neighborhood is unable to fill all three seats during the annual election, that seat will become a community seat as a one-year term until the next election.
  2. All multi-year seats will be staggered.
  3. Director elections will be held at the annual election meeting.
  4. New terms begin and old terms expire at the annual election meeting with the election of new Directors.
  5. Members of the expiring Executive Committee will develop the agenda for the first meeting of the new Board. They will also identify a facilitator for the first portion of the first Board meeting.
  6. No Director may serve more than six consecutive years on the Board as a voting member.

C.  ELECTION OF THE BOARD

  1. At each meeting at which a seat for a neighborhood representative is s are to be elected, the neighborhood shall caucus to nominate a candidates for its the seats. Nominations may be made from the floor for seats for which there is no recommendation from a caucus. Members must be present to be nominated or indicate their willingness to be nominated in writing.
  2. The membership shall consider and may approve the nominations by two-thirds vote for at-large seats and by majority vote for all other seats. If a nomination from a caucus is not approved, the caucus shall reconvene to make a new nomination.