Association of Writers & Writing

“The Organization has individual and institutional members.”

“The Bylaws of the Organization require a rotation of two types of elections: (1) elections by which the Organization's member programs, grouped by region, choose their representatives on the Board; and (2) elections by which the Organization's individual members choose their representatives on the Board. The Organization's Board of Directors consists of up to 21 members who are elected or appointed to serve four-year terms. Five Board members are elected by the individual members of the Organization; five Board members are elected by the member writing programs, grouped by region; and up to ten Board members may be appointed to the Board by a majority vote of the board.”

“Members elect Board members and vote to amend bylaws.”

“The Form 990 is reviewed by the board treasurer & the finance committee.”

“Board members and senior staff will annually disclose and promptly update any disclosures previously made via their signed conflict of interest form, which asks Board members and staff to identify any potential conflicts of interest. Board and staff are also required to disclose conflicts as they arise as well as to disclose those situations that are evolving that may result in a conflict of interest. Advance disclosure must occur so that a determination may be made as to the appropriate plan of action to manage the conflict. Staff should disclose to their supervisor or Executive Director and Board members should disclose to the full Board or President of the Board as soon as the person with the conflict is aware of the conflict/potential conflict or appearance of a conflict exists. For each interest disclosed, the full Board, or the Executive Director or the President of the Board, as appropriate, will determine whether the organization should: (a) take no action or (b) disclose the situation more broadly and invite discussion/resolution by the full Board of what action to take, or (c) refrain from taking action and otherwise avoid the conflict. In most cases the broadest disclosure possible is advisable so that decision-makers can make informed decisions that are in the best interests of the organization. The President of the Board/Executive Director will monitor proposed or ongoing transactions of the organization (e.g., contracts with vendors and collaborations with third parties) for conflicts of interest and disclose them to the board and staff, as appropriate, whether discovered before or after the transaction has occurred.”

“Every five years, the Organization purchases a compensation study from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). Management and board use the study to compare organizations of similar missions and budget size to the Organization. Additionally, management looks at a number of factors in the study, including regional and industry standards. Using data gathered from the study and other resources, the Executive Director, Associate Director, and Board of Directors review compensation of all employees. Staff compensation levels are proposed by the Executive Director and Associate Director and approved by the Board of Directors during the Board of Director meetings held bi-annually and during Finance Committee meetings. The Board of Directors solely reviews compensation of the Executive Director. The Board of Directors is the only body that can authorize compensation levels.”

“It is the intent of the Organization to fully disclose and make available all governing documents, conflict of interest policies, and financial statements. An overview of the financial statements and governance changes is issued in the Organization's annual report. In addition, some documents of governance are available on the Organization's website. Lastly, all governance documents, conflict of interest policies, and financial statements are available by a written request to the Organization's main office.”

“The Organization's Board of Directors assumes responsibility for oversight of the audit, including selection of independent accountant. This process is consistent with the prior year.”