Seeking Treasurer/Board Member for Community Arts Organization

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Make an impact with your passion for the arts, drive for community service, and professional expertise.

Looking for a place where you can apply your passions and skills to make a difference? The Lexington Arts and Crafts Society (www.LexArt.org) is a non-profit community arts center, located in Lexington, MA., whose mission is to spark joy, enrich lives, and build community through the practice, teaching, and sharing of art and craft. Our Nominating Committee seeks to identify candidates to join our board of directors, serve as treasurer, and help us further the transformation begun in recent years.

About LexArt

LexArt has a rich history; a growing and committed membership; and an 11,000 sf. building in an enviable location near Lexington Center that houses a gallery and fully equipped ceramics, woodworking, metalworking and weaving/fiber workshops, along with adaptive space for painting, photography, needle arts, polymer clay and bead work, and decorative arts. Teens to seniors can learn new craft techniques, become painters or sculptors, or advance their knowledge of favorite pastimes. They can join a community of like-minded people who are passionate about making beautiful objects with their hands and passing on their know-how to others.

Though started in 1935, LexArt has undergone a renaissance in recent years. In 2019, the organization adopted new bylaws, reorganizing the Board of Directors, bringing in outsiders and experienced professionals, and reducing boar turnover. In 2020, despite the pandemic, LexArt raised funds for and successfully completed the renovation of its main gallery space, rechristened the Molly Harding Nye Gallery, creating a clean, modern and professionally equipped space to host exhibits and sales. In November 2020, LexArt’s first full-time executive director, Matthew Siegal, assumed his role. Matthew, a LexArt board member since 2019, had been Chair of the Department of Conservation and Collections Management at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Since then, we've continued to transition from a volunteer-managed to professionally-managed organization, ramped up development efforts, and expanded the breadth and depth of classes and exhibits.

Board Priorities Generally

Our Executive Director and Board aspire to preserve and improve the physical plant, while extending the organization’s reach and impact by greatly enlarging its membership, expanding and improving its educational offerings, diversifying and professionalizing its gallery operations and building professional advancement (fundraising, education, and member relations) capacity. We are particularly committed to extending and broadening our reach beyond our traditional base to individuals and groups under-served by public cultural resources. We firmly believe that one of the best and most important ways to build community is for people to make and share art together. We have been updating our membership, operating, and physical structures so that we can significantly expand the audiences we serve and make it much easier for people to engage with LexArt. To these ends, we have recently added professional studio managers in our equipped studios and launched a Universal Access initiative, including building renovations, new equipment purchases, and the addition of special classes all to enable students of varying physical and cognitive abilities to participate in our learning and making community.

Role Summary for Treasurer/Board Member

The Treasurer plays a critical role in ensuring the financial health and integrity of the organization. As a board member and financial officer, the Treasurer works closely with the Executive Director and Finance Committee to manage the organization’s finances, maintain accurate records, and help the board make informed financial decisions that align with the organization’s mission and goals.

In recent years, we have strengthened our financial systems: adopting a more robust budgeting process, outsourcing our bookkeeping to a professional firm, rationalizing our chart of accounts and reporting, implementing investment management and gift acceptance policies, and introducing a new donation management CRM. While much of the major structural change is behind us, there is a continuing need for incremental improvement and adapting to changing circumstances.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial Oversight

• Oversee the organization’s financial administration and ensure accurate record-keeping.
• Review and present regular financial reports (quarterly and annually) to the board.
• Monitor the budget and advise on financial implications of strategic decisions.
• Work with and oversee the organization’s bookkeeping and auditing firms
• Ensure proper financial controls are in place.
• Chair the Finance Committee, convening meetings at least quarterly.

Budgeting and Planning

• Participate in the development of the annual operating budget in collaboration with the Executive Director (who prepares the budget) and Finance Committee.
• Monitor progress against the budget and recommend adjustments when necessary.

Compliance and Reporting

• Ensure timely filing of nonprofit tax returns (e.g., IRS Form 990).
• Oversee compliance with all federal, state, and local financial regulations.
• Maintain familiarity with financial laws, regulations, and best practices relevant to non-profits.

Financial Policy and Risk Management

• Recommend and implement financial policies and internal controls.
• Assist with annual audits or financial reviews, and ensure recommendations are implemented.

Collaboration and Communication

• Serve as the liaison between the board and external financial professionals (accountants, auditors, bankers).
• Support fundraising efforts by providing financial data and insight.
• Help build financial literacy among board members and staff.
• Participate on the Executive Committee

Qualifications

• Experience in accounting, finance, or related field.
• Familiarity with non-profit financial practices and reporting standards (e.g., GAAP for non-profits).
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to explain complex financial information clearly to a non-financial audience.
• Previous board experience or knowledge of nonprofit governance is a plus.
• Following are qualities we seek in all board members:
• Passionate about the arts and excited by the particular contributions that small community arts-organizations can make
• High integrity
• Curious, strategic thinkers
• Willing and able to "roll up their sleeves" to get the job done

Time Commitment

• Attend quarterly board meetings (2 hours).
• Prepare and lead quarterly Finance Committee meetings (4 hours)
• Estimated 4-6 hours per month for treasurer duties, including reporting, communication, and budget oversight.
• Additional time commitment during budgeting season or annual reporting.

Location. Although much of the work will be done off-site, the Treasurer must be available for occasional in-person meetings and on-site tasks. Applicants should live within reasonable driving distance of Lexington, MA.