Unitarian Universalist Animal Ministry (UUAM) Board Member Responsibilities

We are delighted to know that you may be interested to serve on the UUAM Board.

UUAM empowers individuals, chapters and congregations to build justice and compassion for animals. As a Board member, you would have the unique opportunity to help shape the direction of the organization as well as share your unique gifts and talents, and contribute to its success. Thank you for considering being a part of this important work.

Here are responsibilities of UUAM Board members:

  1. Serve as a fiduciary, meaning carry out your Board service in a manner that serves UUAM’s mission and prioritizes the organization’s best interests.

  2. Consistently attend and participate in the virtual UUAM Board meetings, using Zoom, generally once per month, currently on the third Wednesday of the month from 7 PM–8:30 PM Eastern. If a board member cannot attend a meeting, they must read the minutes and respond to them on the Board email list.

  3. Volunteer up to 5 hours per month, including time spent at UUAM Board meetings (so about 3.5 hours per month outside of Board meetings). For example, this time might be spent reviewing materials, participating in Board email discussions, serving on a working group, or executing a project.

  4. The Board is responsible for the financial health of the organization. Board members are expected to:

    1. Prioritize UUAM in their charitable giving, that is, make a generous annual monetary contribution, in accordance with their financial means, that reflects UUAM's high priority in their charitable giving.

    2. Participate in fundraising efforts and campaigns.

  5. Know what the organization is doing. At a minimum, all Board members should read our monthly newsletter and the monthly reports of the officers and staff.

  6. Fulfill the criteria outlined in “Article V” in our bylaws, including but not limited to identifying as a Unitarian, Universalist, or Unitarian Universalist, and to the extent practical, aiming to live their lives and conduct their business matters in a way that does not negatively impact animals.

  7. Disclose any conflict of interest, potential or perceived conflicts of interest, as relates to Article V Section 5 in the bylaws, or to the board member's, their relative's or business's potential to financially gain from decisions or actions of UUAM, or to their having an interest that could be seen to impair their objectivity or independence in discharging their duties as a board member.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Please let our Executive Director or Nominating Committee know if you have any questions or concerns that you would like to discuss. 

You are welcome (and encouraged!) to participate in one or two meetings before making a decision about becoming a Board member.  

Questions for Potential UUAM Board Members

  1. Please submit a resume or a biographical statement so that we can begin to get to know you.

  2. How would you describe your interest in, or philosophy of, human responsibilities to other animals? How does the work on our Board align with and support your values and passions in life? 

  3. Are you willing to make UUAM a priority in your charitable giving, and carry out the responsibilities of serving as a UUAM Board member as described above?

If you are interested to learn more, please drop an email to info@uuam.org to express your interest. If you feel ready to apply, please include your answers to the three questions above. We look forward to the conversation!

December 2025