[NHCOLL-L:1120] NEW: MAP Governance Assessment: description and funding informati on

[Beth Merritt]

MAP Governance Assessment: a new service from AAM
The American Association of Museums announces the introduction of Governance
Assessment, a new service available through the Museum Assessment Program
(MAP). Governance Assessment helps the museum's governing authority examine
its structure, roles, and responsibilities. For individual members of the
governing authority, it can clarify the legal, ethical, and fiscal
responsibilities associated with governing a nonprofit. It enhances the
ability of the governing authority as a whole to advance the museum's
mission and engage in effective planning, and can result in:
*	Clearer understanding of the responsibilities of the governing
authority 
*	Improvements in board recruitment, retention, and engagement
*	Increased ability to obtain and manage resources 
*	Clarity regarding the roles of auxiliary groups
*	Better communications among members of the governing authority,
staff, and auxiliary groups.

The assessment uses the existing MAP format of self-study and peer review.
It is flexible, structured to accommodate the needs of organizations with a
variety of governance structures, including those operating within a
government, tribal, college or university framework. Grant support for
museums to undertake Governance Assessment will be available from the
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) starting with the November
1, 2001, grant deadline. As with all MAP assessments, it is also available
year-round on a fee-for-service basis, regardless of whether a museum is
eligible for federal funds. A museum's governing authority is required to
pass a resolution in support of the museum's application to participate in
Governance Assessment. For this reason, directors and governing authorities
should begin to discuss MAP and their goals for the assessment several
months before the application deadline.

To receive more information on Governance Assessment, send your name and
contact information to: Governance Assessment, Museum Assessment Program,
American Association of Museums, 1575 Eye Street NW, Suite 400, Washington,
DC 20005 or email map at aam-us.org <mailto:map at aam-us.org> . Further
information on Governance Assessment, including briefing documents and
extracts from the Governance Assessment Self-Study Workbook, is available on
the AAM Web site at www.aam-us.org. 

Governance Assessment was developed with support from the Institute of
Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and in partnership with the National
Center for Nonprofit Boards (NCNB) and the Museum Trustee Association (MTA).