Heard Museum

“The executive committee shall consist of the board officers, the immediate past board chair, if still a trustee, and the committee chair of each standing committee other than the audit committee. Whenever, in the judgment of the board chair, board action is necessary or appropriate and it is not practical to call a special meeting of the board, the executive committee shall have and may exercise all the authority of the board, except that the executive committee shall not have authority to: (i) appoint or remove the director; (ii) elect or remove trustees; (iii) amend the bylaws; (iv) sell, lease or otherwise dispose of real or personal property with a value in excess of $1,000,000; or (v) incur any debt or other obligation or liability in excess of $500,000.”

“Membership in the heard museum shall be open to all persons upon payment of such dues as the board of trustees may from time to time establish.”

“There is a support organization within the heard museum, the heard museum guild, that elects its officers. The president of the guild is designated as a trustee of the museum per the governing documents. The president of the guild is the only member of the museum board that is not elected by the trustees of the museum.”

“The form 990 is prepared by an outside accounting firm and reviewed by the cfo, coo and president/ceo, with a final review by the audit committee and distribution to the board of trustees before filing with the irs.”

“In connection with any actual or possible conflicts of interest, an interested person must disclose the existence and nature of his or her financial interest to the trustees and members of committees with board delegated powers considering the proposed transaction or arrangement. After disclosure of the financial interest, the interested person shall leave the board or committee meeting while the financial interest is discussed and voted upon. The remaining board or committee members shall decide if a conflict of interest exists. In any case where the heard enters into a transaction in which a trustee is an interested party, the trustee shall not participate in any decisions concerning the source of the conflict. This provision shall also apply in any case where a family member of a trustee is employed by or is a contractor to the museum and shall include any discussions or decisions related to employment or other association, performance evaluation or compensation of a family member. Each trustee and member of a committee with board delegated powers shall annually sign a statement which affirms that such person (a) has received a copy of the conflicts of interest policy,(b) has read and understands the policy,(c) has agreed to comply with the policy, and(d) understands that the heard is a tax-exempt organization and that in order to maintain its federal tax exemption it must engage primarily in activities which accomplish one or more of its tax-exempt purposes. The minutes of the board and all committees with board delegated powers shall contain a record of any votes taken in connection therewith.”

“The search and executive committees of the board of trustees review the salary of the director/ceo prior to employment initiations. Executive compensation is reviewed against the most recent american alliance of museums national museum salary survey report and against compensation of other non-profit organizations. The committees reviewed the director's salary in 2015 prior to the hiring of the new director/ceo who started january 2016. After discussion with the director/ceo, it was decided that the salary of the director/ceo would remain unchanged through september 2018 and that a review would be performed before the end of the fiscal year ending september 2019. The director/ceo reviews salary of key employees annually including a comparison of the compensation of other local not-for-profit organizations. The process was last reviewed in 2018.”

“The articles of incorporation, by-laws, conflict of interest policy and financial statements are made available to the public upon request.”

“Since its founding in 1929, the heard museum has grown in size and stature to become recognized internationally for the quality of its collections, world-class exhibitions, educational programming and its unmatched festivals. Dedicated to the advancement of american indian art, the heard successfully presents the stories of american indian people from a first-person perspective, as well as exhibitions that showcase the beauty and vitality of traditional and contemporary art. The heard museum sets the standard for collaborating with american indian artists and tribal communities to provide visitors with a distinctive perspective about the art of native people, especially those from the southwest. The heard accomplishes its mission by: organizing exhibits that showcase both its collection of more than 40,000 fine artworks and cultural artifacts in its permanent collection and artworks from others; holding special events that highlight one or more aspects of native art, cultures, and/or history; hosting approximately 8,500 school children touring the museum each year; supporting the careers of american indian artists in the heard museum shops and books & more, a boutique bookstore and gift shop; offering indigenous ingredients within the menu of the museum's cafe and coffee cantina; and offering programming such as lectures, book signings and presentations by experts in art, history, and cultures. Approximately 131,000 people visited the museum during the year.”

“Change in gift annuity -6,526.”

“There has been no change in either the oversight process or the selection process during the tax year.”