Trustee - American Museum & Gardens - Volunteer

The American Museum & Gardens is looking for new trustees to join us in shaping our future as we embark on a period of significant growth. The only museum of Americana outside of the US, the Museum offers a unique platform for cultural exchange, storytelling, and public engagement.

What difference will you make?

The Museum is a registered charity and carries out its charitable objectives through the presentation of its historic rooms, its decorative art and folk-art collections, and its special exhibitions, learning programmes, and gardens. Our organisation is the only one of its kind outside the boundaries of the United States. We welcomed over 60,000 visitors last year, most of them British.

The American Museum & Gardens is looking for new trustees to join us in shaping our future as we embark on a period of significant growth. You will help us to achieve our mission to educate, stimulate and inspire our visitors to further the understanding of American history and culture. Building on the success of the development of our magnificent gardens the Museum now has ambitious plans to develop our historic rooms, displays of decorative art and folk-art collections, exhibitions and learning programmes.

You will be working alongside our Chair, Thomas Sheppard DL, who was appointed in 2025, and our new Director Lucy Littlewood who joined us in March of this year.

This is an opportunity to see behind the scenes of the only Museum dedicated to American arts and culture outside of the USA, and to shape its future. You’ll be sharing your expertise with and learning from fellow trustees as well as our exceptionally talented staff and volunteers. Most importantly you will be playing a key role in the Museum’s future.

What are we looking for?

The Museum is adapting to a fast changing economic, social and cultural environment and has ambitious capital plans. We are currently shaping a new vision for the future of the organisation which will help us to achieve bold ambitions and long-term sustainability.

Three experienced Trustees have recently come to the ends of their terms, and we wish to renew and diversify the skills represented on our Board.

We welcome applications from anyone who has the skills and expertise to make a strong contribution to the oversight and governance of the charity and support the next phase of the Museum’s development, especially those with experience of philanthropy, commercial income generation and financial investment, marketing and communications. We are keen to receive applications from people with a wide range of life experiences.

Hybrid

What will you be doing?

Board members of the American Museum & Gardens will be expected to

Recognise the ambassadorial role of a Trustee and positively promote the Museum whenever possible; Display commitment in keeping up to date with relevant changes in the internal and external environment; Manage time to ensure attendance at all or most board meetings; Commit adequate time to prepare for meetings; Actively contribute towards the success of meetings; Be willing to challenge constructively what is presented at board meetings; Stimulate robust, high-level thinking to develop ideas and strategies; Accept the need to hold the Museum ‘line’ even where there is personal disagreement; Contribute positively to the development of and maintenance of a high performing board team; Build positive relationships with other Trustees, the Executive Chair, staff and volunteers; Contribute to the effectiveness of the Board by participating or taking a lead on an area of special interest; Contribute pro-actively to building a diverse (across a range of dimensions) board; Seek and respond positively to discussions and provide feedback on individual and collective performance of Trustees; Regard being a Trustee as a learning opportunity to develop new knowledge and skills; Take responsibility as a Trustee for all aspects of the Museum’s work and performance, including those outside your own area of expertise;

Main Duties And Responsibilities

To provide collective governance leadership of the Museum, in support of its charitable objectives and ensuring that the Museum is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit. Under charity law Trustees of the Museum have the ultimate responsibility for directing the affairs of the Museum, and ensuring it is solvent, well run and delivering the charitable outcomes for which it has been set up. In law, Trustees of the board have three duties compliance, care and prudence.

Each Trustee Has The Following General Responsibilities

Contribute actively to the Board in giving a clear steer about strategic direction of the Museum; agreeing goals and targets; evaluating performance against agreed targets. Oversight of risks and opportunities for the Museum’s main activities, including safeguarding the Museum’s good name and reputation, ethos and values, and assets including the collections. Oversight to ensure the financial stability of the Museum and proper investment of its funds. Act with integrity and declare any conflict of interest or loyalty in carrying out the duties of a Trustee. Be collectively responsible for the actions of the Museum. Exercise oversight of the effective and efficient administration of the Museum, ensure the Museum applies its resources exclusively in pursuing its objectives, and protection of the assets of the Museum.

In carrying out the general responsibilities, a Trustee can be expected to assume a pro-active engagement with the Museum’s business so that Trustees attend most if not all board meetings, read board papers, contribute to discussions on key issues, provide guidance on new initiatives as far as possible, and contribute particularly on issues on which the Trustee has special expertise.