The Houston Audubon Society

“The Executive Committee is made up of the immediate Past Chairperson, the Chairperson, the Chairperson-Elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the President as an ex officio member. Upon recommendation of the Chairperson and a majority vote of the Board, the Executive Committee may be empowered to act on designated matters. The Executive Committee is required to report its activities at each regularly scheduled Board meeting.”

“Houston Audubon Society (HAS) has three classes of members: (1) Life Members, whose membership is effective upon payment in full of the specified lifetime dues; however, no new life memberships were accepted after January 1, 2008; (2) Supporting Members, who pay dues annually to HAS; and (3) Members, who are members of the National Audubon Society (NAS) living within the geographical area of Houston so designated by NAS. Only Life Members and Supporting Members have voting rights in any matter in which members of HAS are entitled or required to vote.”

“Supporting Members and Life Members elect members of the Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting held in May.”

“Changes to the Bylaws require approval by vote of Supporting Members and Life Members, generally at the Annual Meeting held in May.”

“Form 990 is reviewed in detail by the Finance Committee prior to filing. In addition, Form 990 is provided electronically to all members of the Board of Directors before filing. Any questions or concerns by members of those groups are resolved prior to filing the return with the IRS.”

“Houston Audubon directors and committee members sign a Conflict of Interest Policy acknowledgment at the beginning of their term and annually thereafter in which they agree to divulge any situation that is or might be considered a conflict of interest with regard to their duties to the organization. Those acknowledgments are collected by administrative staff, and any potential conflicts divulged therein are reviewed by the President/CEO and Board Chair. Anyone who has a conflict of interest is not permitted to participate in official discussions or vote on the conflicted matter. In addition, the Employee Handbook prohibits employees from using their positions with the organization for private gain or benefit. Failure to comply with this policy may be grounds for disciplinary action.”

“Data from Guidestar and/or compensation surveys is collected by the Treasurer regarding salaries of individuals in comparable positions (CEO or Executive Director) at local non-profits and presented to the Board of Directors' Executive Committee for review. The Board approves the President/CEO's starting salary as well as the annual operating budget which incorporates the President/CEO's compensation as recommended by the Executive Committee.”

“The audited financial statements, Bylaws and Forms 990 are posted on the Houston Audubon website. The Conflict of Interest Policy and all governing documents are available to the public upon request.”