The following is a list of roles and responsibilities for the GO LOCAL board of directors and its individual directors. The board meets at least quarterly. In addition, board members may occasionally be asked to join committees to address operational questions.
Sonoma County GO LOCAL Cooperative
Board Member Roles and Responsibilities
As a Board member,
1. I am responsible for the health and well-being of Sonoma County GO LOCAL and understand and am committed to its mission and pledge:
Our Mission: To reclaim our local economic power! We do this by:
- Shifting
- Engaging all community stakeholders by providing ownership in the cooperative and process.
- Formalizing and strengthening community relationships.
- Sustaining well-being through community reinvestment and enterprise incubation.
GO LOCAL Pledge: I pledge to become more aware of my impact and contribution to the community, economy, and environment. I understand the importance of supporting our independent, locally owned businesses and will “think local first” when making daily purchasing decisions.
2. I will actively engage in developing the financial resources for GO LOCAL in whatever ways are best suited to me. These may include providing contacts, recruiting members, writing proposals or letters of support, helping with special events, or individual, corporate, or foundation solicitation.
3. I will attend all board meetings during the year and be available for phone and/or email consultation with other board members or staff. If I cannot attend a board meeting it is my responsibility to notify the President prior to the meeting. It is also my responsibility to find out what occurred during the meeting by reviewing the meeting minutes. I understand that commitment to this board will involve a significant commitment of time during the year.
4. I will actively work to enhance the public image of GO LOCAL.
5. I will bring a sense of humor to the Board’s deliberations.
6. I will maintain confidentiality of the Board’s executive sessions.
7. I will disclose any possible conflicts of interest to the Board in a timely fashion.
8. I will serve on at least one committee of the board.
9. I will maintain independence and objectivity and do what my sense of fairness, ethics, and personal integrity dictates.
10. I will serve for the best interest of GO LOCAL as a whole rather than for any special interest group or constituency.
11. I understand that authority is granted to the board as a whole. I understand that I, as an individual board member, have no authority.
12. I understand that the minimum legal functions of the Board include the following:
- Approves all policies
- Approves job descriptions
- Is active in selection and evaluation of Team Members
- Adopts and monitors annual budget
- Receives financial statements regularly
- Authorizes all bank accounts and all borrowing by the cooperative
- Authorizes all contracts with funding sources
- Monitors and evaluates GO LOCAL’s programs and services
- Develops and helps implement realistic annual funding plan
- Annually elects officers, holds meetings, and evaluates its own performance
- Maintains minutes of all board meetings
- Ensures that annual corporation reports are submitted
- Understands laws regulating cooperative organizations
- Is informed of and approves all political activities
GO LOCAL is responsible to the board for the following:
1. Management will provide clear and current information relating to the mission, strategic plan, programs, policies, legal status, board activities, risks and staffing.
2. Management will provide without request, quarterly financial reports, which allow the board to meet the "prudent person" section of the law.
3. Management will be available to discuss GO LOCAL mission, programs, policies, goals and objectives.
4. Team Members will respond in a straightforward and thorough fashion to any questions board members have, which they feel are necessary to carry out their fiscal, legal or moral responsibilities to the organization.
5. Management will give reasonable notice for all board and committee meetings.