Governance

Purpose: The Advancement Committee’s ultimate purpose is the long-term success of the School through effective fundraising and communication. In collaboration with the Advancement staff, the Advancement Committee oversees the planning and execution of fundraising activities for the International School of Prague. These activities may include cultivation and stewardship of donors, face-to-face solicitation, various forms of communication, and events.

 Responsibilities: In addition to the Responsibilities listed above, Advancement Committee members will:

• Ensure that fund-raising goals are achieved through oversight of fund-raising activities;
• Help identify and cultivate prospective donors;
• Participate in face-to-face solicitations in support of the various campaigns;
• Recruit other Trustees to assist with solicitations;
• Develop fund-raising strategies in partnership with the Advancement staff;
• Encourage friends to attend/participate in the School’s special events/fundraisers;
• Serve as ambassadors for ISP in the community.

Purpose: The Building and Grounds Committee shall assist the Board of Trustees in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to the School’s land, buildings, and equipment: ensuring the adequacy and condition of capital assets; developing and keeping current physical planning policies for land, buildings, and equipment; providing new structures, rehabilitating or removing older structures as dictated by general Board policies; controlling plant debt and assuring adequate levels of funding for plant maintenance; and such other matters as and Board of Trustees may from time to time determine.

Responsibilities: The responsibilities of the Building and Grounds Committee shall include the following:

• Review physical plant and grounds operations, maintenance schedules and preventative maintenance programs.
• Review and recommend major capital items regarding buildings and grounds, as well as the replacement of depreciable property.
• Develop a master plan for the School campus.
• Advise the School on the selection of architects and general contractors regarding building projects.

Purpose: The Finance Committee shall assist the Board of Trustees in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to: reviewing and monitoring income and spending policy for the School and its entities consistent with the School’s long term goals; reviewing and monitoring the School’s budget, including program and management appropriations and capital spending; reviewing and monitoring investment and audit policy; and such other matters as and Board of Trustees may from time to time determine.

Responsibilities: The responsibilities of the Finance Committee shall include the following:

• Review and make recommendations to the Board with respect to long range financial planning and the yearly operational budget.
• Monitor the implementation of the budget.
• Make periodic reports to the Board on the School’s financial status.
• Educate the Board on nonprofit financial reporting and trends affecting the School’s finances.
• Review financial aspects of major proposed transactions.
• Recommend and monitor any corrective actions taken to bring the School and its entities into compliance with financial goals.
• Develop and recommend to the Board for approval policies that delineate how the School will invest its financial resources and what amount of return on investment the School will use in its yearly operating budget.
• Monitor the investment portfolio’s return, including setting investment objectives and recommending and meeting with a professional adviser.
• Periodically report to the Board on the Endowment’s performance.
• Ensure that appropriate governance policies and practices are designed and implemented to minimize financial risk.
• Periodically review and assess the adequacy of this Committee charter and make recommendations to the Trustees’ Committee of changes.
• Conduct an annual performance evaluation of the Committee and report its findings to the Board.
• Attend to such other matters as the Board of Trustees may from time to time determine.
• Maintain minutes of Committee meetings and report regularly to the Board.

Purpose: The purpose of the Governance Committee is to ensure that the board fulfills its legal, ethical, and functional responsibilities through adequate governance policy development, recruitment strategies, training programs, monitoring of board activities, and facilitating the board performance evaluation. The governance committee monitors the development and progress of the ISP Strategic Plan.

Responsibilities: The responsibilities of the Governance Committee shall include the following:

• Determine the composition of the board – identifying, recruiting, and proposing new trustees. 
• Facilitate the board’s evaluation; provide tools for evaluating individual trustee performance; plans for trustee professional development through orientation, training, and ongoing education. 
• Ensure all legal documents and by-laws of the organization are current and honored in board decisions. 
• Ensure the strategic plan acts as a bridge between ISP’s mission and vision and its policies; the strategic plan sets forth what the school must accomplish in the next five years in order for the school to thrive and achieve its mission.