Trustee-To-Trustee Workshops

These exciting and practical workshops travel to your area at your request delivering needed resources for board education right to your museum doorstep.

The half-day sessions focus on key issues that affect museum governance and offer practical tools that can be tailored to the needs of individual institutions. Experts from the local and national museum community form the speaker roster.

Trustee-to-Trustee workshops address four topics:

Board Basics;

Crafting an Ethics Code for Your Museum;

Building Strong Executive/Board Relationships; and

Reflecting Your Community's Voices and Values on the Board.

Past workshop participants have praised the cutting-edge sessions and useful format that the Trustee-to-Trustee workshops offer, especially the "open exchange of ideas and good candor" in sessions that are "hard-hitting and focused on core issues."
Building better museums begins at the top, and providing trustees with ongoing education programs to enable them to make informed decisions is our area of expertise. The MTA is dedicated to strengthening board/staff partnerships...beginning with your institution. MTA is ready to bring the Trustee-to-Trustee experience to your area. Call to arrange a program today.

Board Basics

This workshop covers the roles and responsibilities of both museum board members and museum staff. It details how a museum board is organized, board communication strategies, and tips for better board meetings. It explores the board/director relationship and the role of assessment in the partnership. It overviews the legal issues and the importance of public accountability. A special section on financial issues includes suggestions for improved financial presentations. Recruiting and activating your board is also covered.

Crafting An Ethics Code for Your Museum

An overview of the ethical principles and problems trustees must understand in order to responsibly govern their institutions. This workshop will address ethical standards that apply to the museum field generally as well as ethical issues that are unique to individual institutions. Participants will receive tools designed to help them craft a code of ethics that is tailored to the needs of their own institution. An understanding of such issues is a "must" for museums seeking AAM accreditation or reaccreditation. Since 1997, all accredited institutions have been required to have a code of ethics in place.

Building Strong Executive/Board Partnerships

A practical exploration of the interrelationship between board and staff leadership, this workshop will use first-hand examples of good governance partnerships to demonstrate the difference between policy making and day-to-day management. Participants will learn the principles of effective assessment and have opportunities to use the Director Assessment Tool and the Board Assessment Tool developed by the MTA to help trustees and directors measure their individual and collective strengths and build stronger leadership partnerships.

Reflecting Your Community's Voices and Values on the Board

This workshop will present examples of exhibits and programs that not only attract new audiences, but actively involve them in the museum. Trustees from diverse communities will share their successes and frustrations working to build mutually rewarding relationships with new communities while continuing to serve established audiences. Participants will learn how to assess their current situation and chart a course for the future of their institution using a special trustee version of the American Association of Museum's New Visions process.

Workshop Format

Half-day interactive sessions on key trustee issues. Each program includes presentations by MTA staff or consultants and local museum leaders. Participants benefit from the opportunity to discuss issues with peers in a comfortable setting. Resource packets will be provided that include readings, bibliographies and practical tools that can be tailored to the needs of individual museums.

	Where:	In your city, state or region. We come to you!
	When:	Scheduled on demand.
	Fees:	The fee for each workshop is $1,000 plus travel expenses.
	Size:	To encourage dialogue, workshops are structured for 25 to 30 participants.
	Who Should Attend:	Trustees, prospective trustees and executive officers
	Length:	Three to four hours.
	Setting:	Roundtable or classroom. (A flexible seating arrangement is preferred.)

Funding Ideas

Grant funding for Trustee-to-Trustee workshops may be available from your regional or state museum association. You might consider co-sponsoring a session with other institutions in your area.

More Resources: