New Director Agreement

Purpose of this document

Members of the Board of Directors of Free Geek have certain responsibilities under federal and state law, as well as under the Free Geek bylaws. This document is not intended to--and should not be construed to--create additional legal obligations or duties for Directors. It intended to emphasize and illustrate some of the social and legal obligations and commitments carried by Directors: a "job description" for the position so that people will know what to expect. This is the baseline agreement for all directors. Specific seats and positions will have further responsibilities, as described in their job descriptions.

Candidates for Board membership should be familiar and comfortable with the activities outlined in this document prior to declaring their intention to stand for a Board position or accepting a nomination by another member of the community. To this end, this document should be referred to when making announcements of Board position vacancies or discussing nominations for those positions.

Agreement

1. I understand that I and the other board members are responsible for the legal, financial and organizational health of Free Geek, Inc. (Free Geek). It is my responsibility to remain informed of and involved in the programs, policies and finances of Free Geek.
2. As a director, I understand that I will be responsible for creating strategic plans for the organization. Visioning work will be conducted on a regular basis, with results presented in a timely manner.
3. I understand that Free Geek is an organization that emphasizes consensus-based decision making. Accordingly, I promise not to act in a way that is detrimental to the consensus process, or otherwise create unreasonable obstructions to the decision making process. I will work to be a consensus builder, exercising diplomatic skills, creating relationships, and building consensus among diverse individuals.
4. As a director, it is my responsibility to ensure that Free Geek adheres to all local, state, and federal laws. I will exercise care and diligence when it comes to dealing with legal issues. Should I become aware of any legal problem, I will do my best to see that it is addressed promptly.
5. My focus as a board member is to promote Free Geek's mission.
6. While promoting the mission of the organization, I will do my best to uphold values which reflect positively on Free Geek, and demonstrate these values whenever representing the organization.
7. My commitment to this board is for a 2-year term. I will manage my time so as to guarantee attendance and participation in scheduled Board activities, including board meetings, committee meetings, town hall meetings, Board orientation meetings and trainings, key conferences and other special meetings.
8. I will come prepared to meetings by following through on my commitments and reading any pertinent materials.
9. I will actively outreach for Free Geek, and participate in fund-raising efforts to the best of my ability.
10. I will make what is for me a significant financial donation to the organization annually.
11. I will inform this board of any conflicts of interest either actual or perceived. The focus of my involvement on this board is to further our mutual mission rather than any personal agenda.
12. I recognize that each board member brings with them valuable skills and talents, unique information, experiences and community affiliations. I will respect the contributions of others as I extend contributions of my own to carry out the mission.
13. I may also need to seek out further information or learn new skills, as necessary, to protect the legal and financial health of Free Geek.
14. I will take time to enjoy the Free Geek community, and will strive to make board participation a fun and fulfilling project for myself and others.

No quotas have been set; no rigid standards of measurement and achievement have been formed. We trust each other to carry out the above agreements to the best of our ability, each in our own way, with knowledge, approval and support of all.

As a member of the Free Geek Board, I agree to the above:

Signed:

Date:

About this document

This document was originally adopted by Free Geek Board of Directors on April 19, 2006. The policy is to have new directors sign this agreement when they joined the board.

It was then refined and developed by the Board recruitment committee pursuant to board instructions, April 2011 and the approved 2011 governance proposal. It was approved by the board on May 18.

(OpenOffice version of this document)