All VHMA offices are non-paid volunteer positions. Officers and Directors must be able to attend all VHMA meetings of the Board of Directors (currently three in-person meetings per year held in conjunction with our regularly scheduled meetings and conferences, and four to six virtual meetings), as well as, the Annual General Membership Meeting. Limited travel reimbursement is provided for each Board Meeting, and complimentary registration to the Annual Conference and Management Exchange is provided to Board Members.
Below is a general job description for all VHMA Board Members. Officers (President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer) have additional duties as outlined in the Association Bylaws.
General Duties:
- Attend all board meetings and functions.
- Be intimately knowledgeable about the organization's mission, services, policies, and programs.
- Assist the board in setting policy consistent with the mission and purpose of the association.
- Assist the board in carrying out its fiduciary responsibilities, such as reviewing the organization's financial statements.
- Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability.
- Ensure effective organizational planning. Actively participate in an overall planning process and assist in implementing and monitoring the plan's goals.
- Serve on committees or task forces and offer to take on special assignments.
- Keep up-to-date on developments in the organization's field.
- Adhere to the association's policies and procedures.
- Review agenda and supporting materials prior to board and committee meetings.
- Respond to Board and staff communications in a timely manner.
- Bring potential conflicts of interest to the attention of the Ethics Committee for review.
- Plan for growth and continuation on the Board.
- Suggest possible nominees to the board who can make significant contributions to the work of the board and the organization.
- Support the executive director and assess his or her performance.
Legal Responsibilities
Under well-established principles of nonprofit corporation law, a board member must meet certain standards of conduct and attention in carrying out his or her responsibilities to the organization. These standards are usually described as the duty of care, the duty of loyalty and the duty of obedience.
Duty of Care
The duty of care describes the level of competence that is expected of a board member and is commonly expressed as the duty of "care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise in a like position and under similar circumstances." This means that a board member owes the duty to exercise reasonable care when he or she makes a decision as a steward of the organization.
Duty of Loyalty
The duty of loyalty is a standard of faithfulness; a board member must give undivided allegiance when making decisions affecting the organization. This means that a board member can never use information obtained as a member for personal gain but must act in the best interests of the organization.
Duty of Obedience
The duty of obedience requires board members to be faithful to the organization's mission. They are not permitted to act in a way that is inconsistent with the central goals of the organization. A basis for this rule lies in the public's trust that the organization will manage donated funds to fulfill the organization's mission.
Board Policies:
All Office and Director candidates must review and sign the following policy forms in order to be considered for nomination.
VHMA Board Conflict of Interest Policy and Disclosure
VHMA Code of Conduct Policy
VHMA Nondisclosure and Confidentiality