Board Committees

By Congregational Life

June 9, 2023

The word committee spelled out in Scrabble tiles

Boards, especially in congregations with 100 or more members, find that delegating part of their fiduciary work to committees and/or task forces helps to free them up for big-picture and visionary discussions. The board reserves decision-making authority.

Board Committees are defined in the board policies. Committees such as Safety, Finance, and Personnel develop and provide detailed expertise and distill information in their reports and recommendations to the board so that the board can make informed decisions in these areas.

Board Task Forces are created by a vote of the board for a specific project and limited period of time. Strategic Planning, Staff Search, Bylaws, and Governance Review are examples.

All committees and task forces should be given a charter, charge or other document communicating their role, tasks and what the board expects in the reports

For standing committees accountable to the congregation as whole, as defined in the congregation's bylaws, see Committees of the Congregation. Examples include Nominating Committees and Endowment Committees.

Safer Congregations Committee

Safe Congregations Team

From LeaderLab

The Safer Congregations Committee is responsible for the overall oversight of the safety ministry and is accountable to the Board. With the Board, the Committee formulates the mission and vision of the safety ministry.
Finance Committee
From LeaderLab

The Finance Committee assists the board and financial officers (i.e. the Treasurer) in monitoring and managing the congregation's financial resources by providing reports and making recommendations. The authority to make decisions from this information rests with the board....
Personnel Committee
From LeaderLab

Personnel Committees don't hire, manage or supervise staff. Instead they advise the board and the senior minister on best practices.
Denominational Affairs Committee
From LeaderLab

The primary responsibility of the denominational affairs committee is to provide a liaison between the congregation and both the Unitarian Universalist Association and the region. The committee meets to discuss issues of denominational concern....