Education

Governance Support Program

The Governance Support Program supports the boards of small Saskatchewan museums in understanding and developing sound, responsible governance practices by offering three-hour modules on a range of topics: the roles and responsibilities of board members, museum mission statements, basic strategic planning, introduction to human resources, and different governance models.

How it Works

MAS staff work with a MAS member museum to select a date and one or more training modules that will meet the museum’s needs. MAS staff deliver the program to the museum’s board in the museum’s home community.

Module Descriptions:

Strategic planning is a critical part of the life cycle of an organization. While the mission statement defines the organization’s purpose, the strategic planning process asks the question: “In order to achieve our mission, what are the primary things we need to do?” The strategic plan is typically developed by the organization’s Board of Directors and senior management, and will provide direction at the highest level to the staff and volunteers of your organization. The strategic plan will typically provide 3 or 4 key result areas or strategic directions for the organization that would be the priorities for the organization for the next 3 to 5 years.

Not all Saskatchewan museums are constituted the same way. Public museums may be not-for-profit corporations, or they may be governed by a level of government with a management or advisory board. This course will explore some of the different models of governance, introduce the concept of governing authority and discuss how this has an impact on decision making.

The practice of good governance is critical to support the effective operation of Saskatchewan museums. This course introduces the roles and responsibilities of volunteer board members and explores good practices and tools to support the board’s governance function.

Mission statements succinctly articulate the purpose of an organization. They are an important aspect of the governance framework for Saskatchewan museums. This course introduces the concept of mission statements and explores their purpose, identifies aspects of effective ones and how a board can effective use the organization’s mission statement in its decision making.

Human resource management typically involves the development of job descriptions, hiring and firing employees, training and orientation, performance evaluations and managing volunteers. In this workshop, we will look at the basics of each of these areas

Having challenges recruiting and retaining board members? This module might be for you. It covers topics like:

  • What succession planning is and why it is important
  • How to attract and maintain board members
  • What boards need to have: balance, commitment, equity, skills, a good “fit” and relevance
  • Tools to support the succession planning process

 

 

This module covers your questions about dissolving a nonprofit organization, including:

  • What happens when a nonprofit dissolves?
  • When should a nonprofit consider dissolution?
  • Who can dissolve a nonprofit, and how?
  • What happens to the assets of a nonprofit when it dissolves?

Cost

$ 100 For One Module
  • An additional $50 for any additional module that takes place at the same location and on the same day.
  • To get more information, or to book training for your museum, email [email protected] or call 306-780-9279.