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Your donation will help us support the efforts of GHI and Care Circles around the globe. Contribute online 
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Or give Us a Call at:
(860) 674-9023
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General Responsibilities
Board directors act on behalf of our constituents, including service recipients, funders, members, the government, and taxpayers. The board of directors has the principal responsibility for fulfillment of our mission and the legal accountability for its operations.
This means that as a group we are in charge of establishing a clear organizational mission, forming the strategic plan to accomplish the mission, overseeing and evaluating the plan's success, hiring a competent director and providing adequate supervision and support to that individual, ensuring financial solvency of the organization, interpreting and representing the community to the organization, and instituting a fair system of policies and procedures for human resource management.
We ask Board members to maintain loyalty to the organization, its staff and other board members. By practicing discretion and accepting decisions made on a majority basis, board unity and confidence will be promoted.
Board members accomplish their functions through regular meetings and by establishing a committee structure that is appropriate to the size of the organization and the board. Ideally, board members arrive at meetings prepared and ready to engage in thoughtful dialogue, and there is a group process which generates and uses the best thinking of its members.
Boards should be open to self-evaluation and regularly review their own composition to ensure constituent representation, and board expertise and commitment.
All board members are expected to:
- Attend monthly board meetings and other events
- Understand and promote Global Harmony Institute programs
- Serve on at least one committee of interest
- Provide insight and support for GHI operations
- Maintain a Supporting Membership in GHI
Position Title: Member, Board of Trustees
Function: Provide governance to the organization, represent it to the community, and accept the ultimate legal authority for it.
Duties:
Planning
- Approve the Institution's philosophy and review management's performance in achieving it.
- Annually assess the environment and approve the Institution's strategy in relation to it.
- Annually review and approve the Institution's plans for funding its strategy.
- Annually review and approve the Institution's budget.
- Approve major policies.
Organization
- Be assured that management succession is properly being provided.
- Be assured that the status of organizational strength and planning is equal to the requirements of the long range goals.
- Propose a slate of directors to members and fill vacancies as needed.
- Determine eligibility for and appoint Board Committees in response to recommendations of the Nominating Committee.
- Annually review the performance of the Board and take steps to improve its performance.
Operations
- Review the results achieved by management as compared with the Institution's philosophy, annual and long range goals, and the performance of similar institutions.
- Be certain that the financial structure of the Institution is adequate for its current needs and its long-range strategy.
- Provide candid and constructive criticism, advice, and comments.
- Approve major actions of the Institution, such as capital expenditures and major program and service changes.
Position Title: President & Chairperson of the Board - Kate Emery
Function
- As Chairperson of the Board, assure that the Board of Trustees fulfills its responsibilities for the governance of the Institution.
- Facilitate a strong relationship between the board and management.
Responsibilities:
- have general active management of the organization.
- preside at meetings of the board and of the members;
- see that orders and resolutions of the board are carried into effect;
- sign and deliver in the name of the corporation deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts or other instruments pertaining to the business of the corporation, except in cases in which the authority to sign and deliver is required by law to be exercised by another person or is expressly delegated by the articles or bylaws or by the board to another officer or agent of the corporation;
- maintain records of and, when necessary, certify proceedings of the board and the members; and,
- perform other duties prescribed by the board.
- Speaks to the media and the community on behalf of the organization; represents the agency in the community.
- Committees: Recommends to the board which committees are to be established. Seeks volunteers for committees and coordinates individual board member assignments. Makes sure each committee has a chairperson, and stays in touch with chairpersons to be sure that their work is carried out; identifies committee recommendations that should be presented to the full board. Determines whether executive committee meetings are necessary and convenes the committee accordingly.
- Present to the Board an evaluation of the pace, direction, and organizational strength of the Institution.
- Annually focus the Board's attention on matters of institutional governance that relate to its own structure, role, and relationship to management. Be assured that the Board is satisfied it has fulfilled all of its responsibilities.
Position Title: Treasurer - Hope Emery
Function
Manages the board's review of, and action related to, the board's financial responsibilities. May work directly with the bookkeeper or other staff in developing and implementing financial procedures and systems.
Duties:
Reports: Ensures that appropriate financial reports are made available to the board. Regularly reports to board on key financial events, trends, concerns, and assessment of fiscal health.
Auditor: Recommends to the board whether the organization should have an audit. If so, selects and meets annually with the auditor in conjunction with the Finance and/or Audit Committees.
Position Title: Secretary - Steve Silk
Function
Maintains records of the board and ensures effective management of organization's records.
Duties:
- Manages minutes of board meetings
- Ensures minutes are distributed to members shortly after each meeting
- Is sufficiently familiar with legal documents (articles, by-laws, IRS letters, etc.) to note applicability during meetings.
Position Title: Committee Chair
Function
Manages the committee functions
Duties
- Sets tone for the committee work.
- Ensures that members have the information needed to do their jobs.
- Oversees the logistics of committee's operations.
- Reports to the Board's Chair.
- Reports to the full Board on committee's decisions/recommendations.
- Assigns work to the committee members, sets the agenda and runs the meetings, and ensures distribution of meeting minutes.
- Initiates and leads the committee's annual evaluation.
| Committees |
| Committee |
Role |
Membership |
| Board Development |
Ensure effective board processes, structures and roles, including retreat planning, committee development, and board evaluation; sometimes includes role of nominating committee, such as keeping list of potential board members, orientation and training |
Full Board Participation |
| Executive |
Oversee operations of the board; often acts on behalf of the board during on-demand activities that occur between meetings, and these acts are later presented for full board review; comprised of board chair, other officers and/or committee chairs (or sometimes just the officers, although this might be too small); often performs evaluation of chief executive |
Officers |
| Fundraising |
Oversees development and implementation of the Fundraising Plan; identifies and solicits funds from external sources of support, working with the Development Officer if available; sometimes called Development Committee |
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