Board of Trustees Job Descriptions

Duties of the UUFD Board of Trustees

Developed by the Board, November 2016

 The UUFD Board of Trustees is driven by the mission of this congregation in all our decisions. We are responsible, along with the Ministry Council, Minister, and Staff, for the financial health, key programmatic choices, and relational well-being of our Fellowship in its ministries to one another and the wider community.

 Overall Mission of the Board of Trustees:

  1. Clarify the fellowship’s mission and vision, and work to enact that mission through policies.
  2. Support and develop the skills and understanding of the Minister.
  3. Safeguard and develop financial and other resources to support UUFD’s mission.
  4. Oversee finances and ensure adequate risk management (insurance).
  5. Assess the performance of the church’s mission and staff.

 Duties Shared by All Board Members:

1.      Attend Board Meetings. The Board of Trustees meets monthly.  These meetings are a time to hear and vote on proposals, set and apply policy, receive updates from committees, and plan to ensure that necessary administrative functions are proceeding on schedule. 80% minimum attendance is expected. Board meeting can last up to 2 hours.
2.      Attend Annual Board Retreat. Usually held in August or September, this half-day retreat is an opportunity to develop and train leadership with new members, assess and refine current goals, and enjoy some excellent potluck.
3.      Attend Congregational Meetings. These are held in May and November after a Sunday service.
4.      Be a good steward and welcoming to new visitors during services.

 Additional Duties As Needed:

1.      Liaison to Ministry Committee(s). If you are a Board Liaison to a Ministry Committee, you will meet with them in September to assess current goals and in January to set new ones.  Board Liaisons are listed on the UUFD Leadership List.
2.      Building Use Liaison. This role is general held by one of the at-large members. This person will by contacted by the office manager (usually about once or twice a month) to approve building use requests or – if they are complicated or controversial – recommend that the request be reviewed by the entire board.
3.      Assist with Money Counting after Sunday Services or Fundraisers. You will always work with one other church member and will receive training from the Treasurer.
4.      Assist with Service in Case of Volunteer Absence. In case of an unexpected absence during a church service, the worship leader will turn to the board members for assistance.
5.      Other tasks as assigned by the board. May include service on a special committee.

 The Presidential Commitment: 3 years

The Presidential commitment is a three-year commitment, where the individual moves from President-Elect, to President, and finally to Past-President before rotating off the board.

 Specific Duties of the President of the Board

  1. Moderates the Board of Trustees meeting once a month using Roberts Rules of Order.
  2. Assembles and distributes the Meeting Agenda for each monthly Board of Trustees meeting.
  3. Responsible for Meeting Agenda for the Fall and Spring Congregational Meetings.
  4. Works closely with all congregational committees, as well as ministry and office staff.

 Specific Duties of the President-Elect

  1. Call for Leadership Council Meetings, to meet 4 to 6 times over the year.
  2. Serve as President when and if the President cannot serve.
  3. Learn the functions of the President and Past-President through observation to prepare to for the following years.

 Specific Duties of the Past President

 1.      Chair the Nominating Committee.  The Past President convenes the Nominating Committee in August and February to begin the processes of finding candidates for future NCs and the Board of Trustees, respectively.  Further details are available on p.15 of the Policy Manual.

2.      Run the Annual Pledge Drive. Planning begins in December. Pledge Drive begins in February. It is completed and results reported to the Board and Finance Committee in April.  The Pledge Drive (a.k.a. Canvass) is the annual campaign to solicit financial pledges from UUFD members; these commitments are made via paper form or online, and the results inform the budget for the upcoming fiscal year (June 1).  Methods and approach will vary according to the Past President’s ideas and creativity. S/he will have resources of information and advice from the Board Treasurer, the Church Secretary, and previous Past Presidents.  These should be the first people to consult in the Planning Stage.

 Specific Duties of the Treasurer

  1. Prepares budgets as needed for Board of Trustees use.  This includes annual and special budgets.
  2. Prepares monthly financial report.
  3. Pays bills in cooperation with Office Manager.
  4. Counts money on Sunday and prepares documents to assure collections are handled per policies of the Board. Trains other board members and church leaders to assist with money counting.
  5. In cooperation with the Office Manager, deposits collections and allocates special donations into various bank accounts and reserved funds.
  6. Educates congregation about Stewardship and financial aspects of UUFD activities.  This includes reporting to the congregation at the November and May business meetings.
  7. Assists the Board of Trustees of UUFD with understanding money issues and impacts within UUFD and its various operating activities.
  8. Attends Board meetings and other meetings to assist in educating congregational members and Friends and to listen to concerns and hopes and inform the board of these issues.
  9. Assists in payroll preparation on a monthly basis.
  10. Acts as liaison with Stewardship committee and other fundraising committees/task forces.
  11. Time commitment can vary from 7 to 20 hours per month depending on the activities of UUFD and level of support provided by the Office Manager.

 Specific Duties of the Board Secretary

  1. Records minutes for each meeting of the Board of Trustees and distributes minutes to the board and office manager before the following meeting.
  2. Records minutes for each Congregational Meeting and distributes these to the board and office manager before the following Congregational Meeting.
  3. Assists the president with reviewing meeting minutes to determine agenda items for upcoming meetings.
  4. Communicates board decisions (on policies, proposals, hiring, etc.) to the office manager so the office manager can be sure the staff, church documents, and website are up-to-date.

 Specific Duties of At-Large Board Members

  1. Relay comments, critiques, and requests between the board and the congregation.
  2. Serve as a representative of the congregation’s members during board discussions.
  3. One At-Large member is usually assigned the duty of Building Use Liaison. This person work with the office manager to approve building use requests or recommend board oversight of unusual or complicated requests.
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