Association Leadership - September/October 2008 - (Page 31)

volunteers: questions to ask Questions to Ask Before Saying YES ou’ve been asked to serve as a volunteer on a board of directors, committee or task force. Before saying “yes,” ask these eight revealing questions of the ofﬁcers or nominating committee and you’ll be able to make a more educated decision. three-year term? Will you be expected to serve multiple terms? Are there term limits? The answers should be in the association’s bylaws. If you hope to move up the volunteer leadership ladder, you could be serving for seven to 10 years. 1. Why me? Find out what skills they are seeking. It might be because of your inﬂuence in the community, your passion and initiative or your unique skills. Has the composition of the board or committee been carefully planned? Stay away if they are just looking for warm bodies. 5. How frequently does the board meet? Some boards or committees meet every month, while others meet just a few times a year. Find out how much time you’ll be expected to set aside for meetings, as well as other activities. Make sure to add time for preparation, travel, meeting/event attendance and follow-up. If you have a supervisor – or spouse – share this information before accepting to ensure you have their support. interests that could rise to conﬂicts?” As a new volunteer, you’ll want to consider any conﬂicts that you will be expected to disclose. 8. Does the organization have a regular financial audit? An annual ﬁnancial audit by an independent CPA ensures that when you take your seat on the board or committee the books have recently been reviewed for discrepancies or mismanagement. An audit tends to remove the opportunities for mismanagement of ﬁnances or fraud. Make sure the association has a recent audit and receive good marks in the management letter. It is perfectly acceptable to ask for a written copy of the audit. Your nomination to a board or committee won’t be revoked because you ask these hard questions. On the contrary, it will reinforce to the association that they have chosen the right person – one who cares enough to fully understand the parameters of the position. If you get the right answers, you’ll be eager to make a favorable impact on the community, members and stakeholders whom you will be representing. ◆ NOTE: Article adapted by Bill McCausland from original version by Bob Harris, CAE, and Eric Featherstone, CAE. The original authors can be contacted at eric@melbycameronhull. com or bob@rchcae.com. 2. What about insurance? Ask about insurance and you’ll probably hear “we’re covered.” But what does that mean? Ask more speciﬁc questions, such as if directors and ofﬁcers (D&O) insurance covers the board or committee and how large is the policy. The group you are volunteering for should at least have D&O insurance, general liability, meeting cancellation insurance and a surety bond. If the response to your insurance question is “don’t worry about insurance, we’re covered by volunteer immunity,” be very cautious! 6. How will I be oriented/ educated? There should be a formal program, with documentation, that will orient you to your new volunteer position. If you will be a board member, there should be, at a minimum, a leadership manual that includes governing documents (bylaws, articles and policies), as well as a clear report of ﬁnances and assets. All volunteer positions should have a written description of responsibilities. 3. Are there pending lawsuits or claims against the association? Nobody wants to get on a board or committee and ﬁnd out the year will be full of depositions, defense strategies and legal concerns. Ask if there are any claims against the association, including employee or member claims. 7. How are conflicts of interest handled? The composition of any board or committee brings together people with different interests, and introduces the potential of a volunteer conﬂict of interest. Effective in 2008, the IRS Form 990 asks, “Does the organization have a written conﬂict of interest policy? If yes, are the ofﬁcers or trustees, and key employees, required to disclose annually 4. How long is my term? It’s a simple question, but not always a simple answer. Is it a one-year or September/October 2008 | Association LEADERSHIP 31

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Association Leadership - September/October 2008

Association Leadership - September/October 2008 Contents President’s Column Homepage 60-Second Solutions An Interview with TSAE’s New Chairperson TSAE’s Newest Board Members Vetting Volunteers Orientation of Volunteer Leaders Get on Board – Qualification Considerations Questions to Ask Before Saying Yes Liability Insurance for Volunteer Leaders Committee Planning TSAE’s Annual Golf Outing Congratulations to Our New CAEs Perspectives Association Case Study New Members Community Spotlight San Antonio Beaumont Index to Advertisers Advertiser.com The Lighter Side of Associations

Association Leadership - September/October 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.