WFFM Statutes
WFFM STATUTES
Adopted in 1976 by the WFFM General Assembly, amended by the WFFM General Assembly on March 22, 1985 in Paris and modified on October 21, 1996 in Oaxaca, Mexico. Latest modifications of the WFFM Statutes adopted by the General Assembly in Santiago, Chile on April 23, 2006.
I. History, purpose and function
Article 1.
Fédération Mondiale des Amis des Musées - World Federation of Friends of Museums (“Federation”), an international nonprofit association under the Belgian law of June 27, 1921, was formed by contract on June 15, 1975 under a 1919 law and its By-laws were published in the annexes of the Moniteur Belge on June 24, 1976 under number 5530. Thereafter the By-laws were amended in 1985 and 1996, were approved by a Royal Decree of December 9, 1997 and were published in the Moniteur Belge on April 30, 1998 under number 7938.
The Belgian Law of May 2, 2002 on Nonprofit Associations, International Nonprofit Associations and Foundations repealed the Law of October 25, 1919, under which the Federation was established originally, and introduced a new Title III on international nonprofit associations in the Law of June 27, 1921. The Belgian Law of December 27, 2004 then amended the Law of June 27, 1921 with respect to the procedural requirements for changing the by-laws of an international association.
These By-laws are therefore adopted in conformity with the Law of June 27, 1921, as amended by the Law of May 2, 2002.
The registered office of the Federation is located in the Musée des Beaux Arts at 9 rue du Musée, 1000 Brussels, Belgium. The Council may decide from time to time to establish an administrative office or a permanent secretariat in another country.
The Federation is formed for an indefinite period.
Article 2.
The purpose of the Federation is to foster international co-operation between Associations of Friends of Museums in order to promote mutual understanding, to exchange information and to pool the experience acquired with the purpose of intensifying the life and developing the function of such associations to benefit museums and the public.
“Associations of Friends of Museums” means any nonprofit group constituted to support a museum or museums, and “museum” means a nonprofit, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their environment. In addition to museums designated as such, the following institutions comply with this definition:
a) natural, archaeological and ethnographic monuments and sites and historical monuments and sites of a museum nature that acquire, conserve and communicate material evidence of people and their environment;
b) institutions holding collections of and displaying live specimens of plants and animals, such as botanical and zoological gardens, aquaria and vivaria;
c) science centres and planetaria;
d) nonprofit art exhibition galleries; conservation institutes and exhibition galleries permanently maintained by libraries and archives centres;
e) nature reserves;
f) international or national or regional or local museum organizations, ministries or departments or public agencies responsible for museums;
g) nonprofit institutions or organizations undertaking conservation, research, education, training, documentation and other activities relating to museums and museology;
h) cultural centers and other entities that facilitate the preservation, continuation and management of tangible or intangible heritage resources (living heritage and digital creative activity); and
i) such other institutions as the Council considers as having some or all of the characteristics of a museum, or as supporting museums through museological research, education or training.
Article 3.
The function of the Federation is to collect and circulate among its members, by all appropriate means, information from every part of the world of interest to Friends of Museums, to make and develop contacts and exchanges between national and regional federations and Associations of Friends of Museums and, in general, to take all necessary steps in the way of information and organization to foster the corporate purpose.
The official languages of the Federation are three: English, French and Spanish. Communications to members shall be made in English or French and where appropriate may be translated into other United Nations languages. In the event of an inconsistency between the Dutch, English or French language versions of these By-laws, the English text shall govern.
II. Members
Article 4.
The Federation consists of Active Members, Associate Members, Honorary Members, Benefactor Members, Donor Members and Individual Members.
The following are eligible to become members:
Active Members:
All national federations or groups of Associations of Friends of Museums, each duly constituted according to the regulations in its country and having legal personality, provided that only one national federation in each country may be an Active Member.
In the absence of a national federation in any country, one other association in that country may become an Active Member until there is such a national federation that becomes an Active Member.
Associate Members:
All Associations of Friends of Museums that are duly constituted and have legal personality and that are not national federations or are national federations in a country where there is already an Active Member.
Honorary Members:
All individuals or corporate members to whom the Council has granted honorary membership. Individual Honorary Members are appointed for life. All former Presidents are Honorary Members.
Benefactor Members:
All individuals or corporate members who give material support to the Federation and on whom the Council confers “benefactor” membership or whose annual contribution is in the amount prescribed by the General Assembly for benefactor membership.
Donor Members:
All individual or corporate members whose annual contribution is in the amount prescribed by the General Assembly for donor membership.
Individual Members:
All individuals who have paid the annual subscription for the current year.
Article 5.
In order to become an Active or Associate Member of the Federation, a national or regional federation or association must send a written application to the Secretary General, together with a copy of its by-laws and any other information that the Executive Committee requests. An applicant shall become such a member after an application has been approved by the Executive Committee and the appropriate subscription paid to the Federation.
Article 6.
Membership may be forfeited by resignation; by failing to pay the annual subscription; by failing, in the case of Active and Associate Members, to participate in the activities of the Federation; and by exclusion for any serious reason decided by the Council, subject to the right of appeal to the General Assembly.
Article 7.
Active Members, Associate Members, Benefactor Members, Donor Members and Individual Members shall pay an annual subscription to the Federation in an amount proposed by the Council and adopted by the General Assembly.
III. General Assembly
Article 8.
The General Assembly shall exercise all the powers of the Federation to achieve its purposes, including the adoption of policies, the approval of annual budgets and other accounts, the amendment of its by-laws and its dissolution.
The General Assembly is composed of the officers of the Federation, the delegates appointed by Active and Associate Members, the Honorary, Benefactor, Donor and Individual Members, and the individual members of Active and Associate Members of WFFM. The officers of the Federation, the delegates of Active and Associate Members and the Benefactor Members shall each have one vote. The Council may authorize an Active Member from a particular country to appoint more than one delegate to the General Assembly, but only one such delegate may vote. The individual members of Active and Associate Members and the Honorary, Donor and Individual Members of the Federation who participate in the meetings of the General Assembly do not have a vote.
A majority of the Active Members either present or voting by proxy shall constitute a quorum of the General Assembly. Except as provided in Articles 19 and 20 hereof, decisions of the General Assembly shall be taken by a simple majority of the votes of the officers, delegates and Benefactor Members eligible to vote, provided the majority of votes includes a majority of the votes of the Active Members voting.
A delegate or a Benefactor Member who cannot be present at a meeting of the General Assembly may give a written (including e-mail) proxy to the Secretary General or to another individual including officers, except that an individual including the Secretary General may not exercise more than four proxies.
Article 9.
The General Assembly shall meet annually during the first six months of the calendar year at a place determined by the Council and at such other times as may be determined by the Council. The Council shall also convene a General Assembly within four months of the receipt of a written request by one-fourth of the Active Members of the Federation.
Notice of the annual and any other meeting of the General Assembly shall be delivered in writing to all members of the Federation not less than three months in advance of the meeting. Such notice shall include an agenda of items to be discussed or decided at the meeting.
The President of the Federation shall preside at the General Assembly. In the absence of the President, the President shall designate another officer to preside and in the absence of such a designation the Executive Committee shall designate an officer to preside.
At its annual meetings the General Assembly shall hear the report of the Council concerning the financial condition and activities of the Federation, approve the accounts for the preceding year, approve the budget for the current year and, when necessary, elect or confirm members of the Council.
Decisions of the General Assembly may only be taken with respect to items on the agenda distributed in advance for the meeting, except that, when all Council Members are present or voting by proxy, decision on an item that was not on the agenda may be taken by a unanimous vote of the persons authorized in Article 8 to vote.
Article 10.
A copy of the report of the Council to the General Assembly, of any decisions taken by the General Assembly and of the accounts and budget of the Federation shall be sent to all members of the Federation within two months of the annual meeting of the General Assembly.
General Assembly meetings shall be recorded in minutes signed by the President and by another member of the General Assembly designated for this purpose by the General Assembly. Minutes shall be kept in a minute book, without blanks or crossings out, which shall be kept at the registered office of the Federation and held at the disposal of all members of the Federation.
IV. Council
Article 11.
The Council shall manage the business affairs of the Federation, subject to the approval of the General Assembly. The Council shall have not less than fifteen members.
The Council is composed of the officers of the Federation, the delegates designated by Active Members and four delegates designated by Associate Members. The General Assembly shall from time to time select the four Associate Members authorized to designate such delegates. The General Assembly may also elect the editor of the Bulletin as a member of the Council.
A delegate to the Council from an Active or Associate Member shall be designated by such Member for a term of three years and may be designated for an unlimited number of additional three-year terms. A person designated to replace a delegate who has not completed a three-year term shall serve initially for the balance of the unexpired term. Likewise the General Assembly may elect the editor of the Bulletin for one or more three year terms.
A majority of the members, either present or voting by written proxy, shall constitute a quorum of the Council. Decisions of the Council shall be taken by a simple majority of the votes of those present or voting by proxy.
The Council may authorize an officer or delegate to bring a note-taker to Council meeting.
Article 12.
The Council shall meet at least once a year and whenever else it deems necessary, upon notice of the President or a Vice President, or at the request of one-fourth of the members of the Council. Notices of meetings shall be delivered in writing to all Council members not less than three months in advance. Such notices shall include an agenda of items to be discussed or decided at the meeting.
Council meetings shall be recorded in minutes signed by the President and the Secretary General or by another member of the Council designated for this purpose by the Council. Minutes shall be kept in a minute book, without blanks or crossings out, which shall be kept at the registered office of the Federation and held at the disposal of all members of the Federation.
Council members who are delegates of an Active or Associate Member may give a proxy to a member of their federation to represent them at a Council meeting and the Council member shall notify the Secretary General in advance in writing accordingly.
The Council may adopt such internal rules as it deems appropriate for the conduct of its business and obligations.
All documents engaging the Federation must be signed jointly by two members of the Council unless the Council has specifically authorized in writing one individual to act on its authority in a particular case.
The conduct of lawsuits, either as plaintiff or defendant, shall be monitored by the Council either as represented by the President or by one of its members designated by the Council for such purpose.
A member of the Council may be dismissed at any time by the General Assembly by a two-thirds majority of the votes of persons authorized to vote in the General Assembly present or voting by written proxy.
V. Officers
Article 13.
The officers of the Federation are a President; one Vice President for each of the regions established by the General Assembly (currently four: Africa-Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America and South America) upon the recommendations of the Active Members in that region; a Secretary General; and a Treasurer. The officers are elected by the Council by a simple majority of the votes on a secret ballot.
The officers are elected for a term of three years from the date of the meeting, or until the Council meeting three years later, whichever shall first occur. The officers may be re-elected once to an additional three-year term, provided, however, that a person in office when this term limitation was adopted may be re-elected for one or two additional three-year terms, or for one term of less than three years.
In order to ensure the continuity of the executive, however, it is deemed preferable that the terms of offices of the President and of the Secretary General not expire at the same time. To this end, if the President is not re-elected and the term of office of the incumbent Secretary General would expire when the term of the incumbent President ends, the newly elected President may request the Council to extend, and the Council may extend, the term of the incumbent Secretary General for an additional year or until the next annual meeting of the Council, whichever shall first occur.
If a vacancy in any office occurs between scheduled meetings of the Council, the Council shall elect a temporary successor whose term of office shall expire when the term of the departed officer would have expired or at such earlier time as the Council shall determine.
Officers and individual members of the Federation are not remunerated for their work for the Federation. The Council may, however, acting in the absence of the persons concerned, authorize the reimbursement of specific expenses incurred by officers or individual members, provided they are duly supported by documents.
Any person who is compensated for expenses by the Federation may be called upon by the President, with the consent of the Council, to attend Council meetings and the General Assembly in an advisory capacity.
VI. Executive Committee
Article 14.
The Council shall have an Executive Committee composed of the President, the Vice Presidents, the Secretary General and the Treasurer. The Council may delegate the day-to-day management of the Federation to the Executive Committee. The persons thus delegated may be entrusted with the administration of the Federation, may deal with the current income and expenses and shall take any necessary steps in order to carry out the general policy of the Council. In all such situations, however, the Council remains fully responsible for the acts of the Executive Committee.
The main tasks of the Executive Committee are to recommend an annual budget to the Council and to approve the admission of new Active and Associate Members. The approval of such new members requires a simple majority of the votes of the members of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee may confer and take decisions in whatever manner is practical and it need not meet physically in order to take decisions. The Secretary General shall maintain a written record of all decisions taken by the Executive Committee, which record shall be available to the Council.
VII. Annual accounts
Article 15.
The fiscal year of the Federation is the calendar year, January 1 to December 31.
Article 16.
The funds of the Federation comprise subscriptions paid by its members, any subsidies, gifts and legacies it may be given, any funds generated by the Federation and any payments for services rendered.
Article 17.
The Treasurer shall maintain the annual accounts showing the receipts and expenditures, shall prepare a balance sheet as at December 31 each year and shall submit such accounts and balance sheet to the Council and to the General Assembly for approval at their first meetings after the year in question.
VIII. Triennial Congress
Article 18.
Every three years a Congress shall be held in one of the countries with an Active or Associate Member. Any Active or Associate Member that is interested in hosting a Congress in its country following the next scheduled Congress shall inform the President of its candidacy at the earliest time possible, and not less than six months before the next scheduled Congress, in order to permit discussion of the candidacy and a decision by the Council. The Council may consider candidates submitting an application after that date in the event it has not already selected a candidate.
Upon receipt of such an expression of interest the President shall notify the Council of the member's candidacy, if there is more than one candidate the Council shall select a preferred candidate, and the Executive Committee and the preferred candidate shall agree on guidelines for the location, dates and budget of the proposed Congress. The Executive Committee shall then report on the selection process to the next General Assembly, which not later than the next Congress shall make a decision concerning the location and dates of the following Congress.
The member selected to host a Congress shall bear the full financial responsibility for the Congress and shall contribute to the WFFM an amount determined from time to time by the Executive Committee.
IX. Modification of By-laws and dissolution of the Federation
Article 19.
Any proposal to amend these By-laws shall be made to the General Assembly by the Council, or by one-tenth of the Active Members, in which latter case the proposal shall first be communicated in writing to the Council not less than two months before its next scheduled meeting. In either case the proposal shall be put on the agenda of the next General Assembly or of an extraordinary general meeting called by the President not less than three months in advance for the purpose of considering the proposal.
The quorum for consideration of any proposed amendment to these By-laws by the General Assembly or an extraordinary general meeting convened for that purposes shall be two-thirds of the Active Members either present or voting by proxy. If such quorum is not attained, a second meeting shall be held at the same place within 24 hours. A simple majority of the votes of the aggregate number of Active Members present or voting by proxy on either of the two days shall determine whether the requisite quorum was present for consideration of the proposed amendment. The notice of a meeting convened to consider amendments to these By-laws shall mention the possibility of such a second meeting.
Any decision to amend these By-laws shall be made by a two-thirds majority of the votes of the Active Members present or voting by proxy at such meeting or meetings.
Article 20.
The procedure for dissolving the Federation shall be the same as the procedure for amending these By-laws by the General Assembly.
In the event dissolution has been approved by the General Assembly, the Council shall designate one or more liquidators of the assets of the Federation, shall determine their powers and shall designate an organization with a similar purpose to that of the Federation to which the assets shall be transferred.
CODE OF ETHICS FOR MUSEUMS FRIENDS AND VOLUNTEERS
The purpose of the “Code of Ethics for Friends and Volunteers of Museums”, adopted unanimously by the World Federation of Friends of Museums at its IX Congress held in Oaxaca, Mexico in 1996, is to provide all members with a guide that contribute towards reinforcing and strengthening the relations between Friends and volunteers of museums and museum professionals.
Its pages contain the basic principles to which each member formally needs to comply when acting on behalf of his/her association. The authority and creditability of an organisation is measured, among other things, by the way each member, be it a collective or individual subject, behaves when dealing with society and its various elements.
In joining the organisation, WFFM members undertake to abide by the WFFM Code.
Introduction
Friends and volunteers of museums pursue noble objectives in cultural development. They bring to museums their support, their knowledge, their experience and their competence. In so doing, they contribute to the advancement both of museums and of museology. Their commitment is the voluntary expression of a solidarity that actively engages their role as citizens in the community.
As members of the museum community, and at the heart of the museum’s public, friends and volunteers constitute a privileged audience, able to represent the public’s interests to the best advantage of museum institutions.
Moreover, the status of friends and volunteers in museums implies certain obligations toward the institution of which they bear the name and to which they declare adherence. They agree, therefore, to meet a number of requirements conducive to ensuring a fruitful collaboration.
It is important that the institution, for its part, acknowledges the value of their contribution and assists in its implementation, in that a fully productive collaboration depends on the quality of their mutual relationship.
By using this Code of Ethics, friends and volunteers of museums will establish the principles that inspire their partnership and express their expectations regarding the institutions they serve.
Section 1: Definitions
Friend, Volunteer
Those who contribute in any way to the support of museums, to their development and to their public presence and influence are called “friends of museums”. They act on a voluntary and non-remunerative basis. Their support is moral, financial or consists of voluntary work or expertise. Benefactors, donors, volunteers, museum board members and members of museums are all considered friends of museums.
Association
The word “association” covers all forms of organization that bring together friends and volunteers of museums and structure their activities. Whether judicially constituted or not, these associations, societies or committees can operate only with official recognition from the institution concerned.
Museum, Museum Institution, Institution
In this document, the terms “museum”, “museum institution” and “institution” are synonymous. They refer to a museum as recognized and defined by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), that is to say a permanent non-profit making institution administered for the common good and accessible to the public, which conserves, studies and exhibits objects and specimens of educational and cultural value, including works of art, scientific materials, animate and inanimate, and historical and technical material.
The terms “museum”, “museum institution” and “institution” include any institution having some or all of the characteristics of a museum, namely ecological museums, interpretation centres, exhibition centres, heritage sites and buildings, botanical gardens libraries, zoos, aquariums and other institutions of museological type.
Section 2: Status and Mandate
2.1 Partners
Friends and volunteers carry out their activities in an open manner and in a spirit of co-operation with the institution of which they are partners.
2.2 Support
Friends and volunteers of a museum institution undertake to support it and its activities with generosity and enthusiasm.
2.3 Respect for the museum’s mandate
The goals they set, the sphere within which they operate and the programs they adopt should be developed with the participation and agreement of the museum authorities and in accordance with the museum’s mission.
2.4 Satisfaction
Friends and volunteers expect no benefit, financial, or other, save the satisfaction of contributing to the maintenance and development of the institution to which they belong and to the satisfaction of the public which it serves.
Section 3: Organization
3.1 Organization
In order to promote a fully beneficial partnership as well as continuity in their relationship with their institution, it is recommended that they be organized within a structured framework such as an Association.
3.2 Operational link
To guarantee a direct and permanent link with the institution, it is vital that friends and volunteers be able to rely on an operational link with it. To that end, the institution should delegate a representative of management to the association, friends and volunteers doing the same in regard to management.
3.3 Action plans and agreements
It is desirable that friends and volunteers, together with the institution, develop action plans and agreements defining the terms on which their partnership with the institution is based.
Section 4: Duties
4.1 Requirements and regulations
Museum friends and volunteers should recognize the need to respect the requirements and regulations of the institution.
4.2 Loyalty
In the actions they take, friends and volunteers should show their loyalty to both the institution they support, and to their association.
4.3 Confidentiality
They should respect the confidentiality of any information they may have regarding the management of the institution and activities to come or as yet unannounced; the same applies to their association’s projects.
4.4 Conflicts of interest
They should make it a point of honour to avoid conflicts of interest and to abide by the rules laid down by both their institution and their association.
4.5 Gifts and acquisitions
When friends and volunteers donate works of art, collection specimens and objects, they should make every effort to ensure their authenticity and their origin. They should follow the regulations of the museum.
4.6 Full approval of the institution
Donations to the institution from friends and volunteers should be made with the full approval of the institution and in accordance with its acquisition policy. It is recommended that the institution inform donors beforehand of the particular works, objects, or specimens it wishes to acquire.
4.7 Fund Raising
Friends and volunteers should co-ordinate their fund-raising activities with the plans and programs of their institution.
4.8 Media
In their relations with the media, friends and volunteers should act with the agreement of their museum’s relevant departments.
4.9 Health and safety
They should conform to the health and safety regulations of the institution, taking care that no intervention threatens their application.
Section 5: Areas of Operation
5.1 Areas of operation
Friends and volunteers may have numerous areas of operation. These should be designed for the specific character of each institution, its mission and individual goals, and for the programs it offers.
5.2 Areas of operation limited to permanent staff
When carrying out voluntary work in areas of operation controlled by permanent staff, particularly in curatorship, research and publicity, friends and volunteers should act only with the agreement of the relevant staff. They should respect the obligations to which permanent staff is subjected.
5.3 Avoiding overlapping
In areas of operation not limited to permanent staff, friends and volunteers may discover a fertile ground in which to launch their initiatives. They must be careful their activities do not overlap with staff responsibilities.
5.4 Definition of tasks
As a general rule, in all operations friends and volunteers are asked to accomplish, it is advisable that they act upon a definition of the tasks and of their means of execution.
Section 6: Expectations with Regard to the Institution
6.1 Recognition
Friends and volunteers expect the museum and its staff to recognize, encourage and make good use of their commitment and contribution, both inside and outside the institution.
6.2 Support
The museum institution should encourage the formation of associations of friends and volunteers, and should support their ventures. It may put at their disposal the necessary resources to pursue goals common to the institution and the association.
6.3 Harmony
The museum should foster a harmonious relationship between itself and the association, stressing solidarity and a feeling of belonging.
6.4 Information
To ensure that friends and volunteers act on acceptable grounds, the institution should ensure that they are fully informed of its mission, short and long-term goals, future plans, programs and administrative procedures.
6.5 Training
To ensure that the contribution of friends and volunteers is as effective as possible, the museum should provide training in those areas where the latter are called on to help. It should encourage them to take part in workshops, seminars and lectures to increase their proficiency.
Section 7: The Association
7.1 Membership
Friends and volunteers should focus on maintaining and expanding the membership of their association.
7.2 Democratic principles
Within the association, friends and volunteers must respect democratic principles, ensuring fair representation of the points of view shared by members.
7.3 Sharing
Associations of friends and volunteers consider it a duty to co-operate with each other, sharing knowledge and experience.
7.4 Co-operation with associations of museums and museum professionals
Friends and volunteers should co-operate with the various associations of museums and museum professionals, particularly by taking part in their activities, when appropriate.
7.5 Co-operation between associations of friends and volunteers
In order to make their voluntary contribution even more valuable and far–reaching, and to demonstrate the extent of public support for museums, local associations of friends and volunteers should support the activities of regional and national groups of friends and volunteers.
7.6 International activities
At the international level, friends and volunteers support the World Federation of Friends of Museums (WFFM) and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) of which the Federation is the counterpart.
Comment
In this Code of Ethics, articles are to be interpreted in relation to each other. The general nature of one may impinge on the specific nature of others. For instance, the general rules concerning confidentiality and conflicts of interest mentioned in articles 4.3 and 4.4. apply to articles 4.5 and 4.6 concerning donations and acquisitions, even if this is not explicitly stated.
This Code of Ethics was adopted by the World Federation of Friends of Museums at its 9th International Congress held at Oaxaca, Mexico, October 21 to 25, 1996. It constitutes a general framework for application, each federation and each association being invited to refer to it for drawing up its own rules of ethics based on their specific needs.
Acknowledgements
For their contribution to the drafting of this Code of Ethics, the World Federation of Friends of Museums gratefully acknowledges the support of the Department of Culture and Communications of the Government of Québec, the Ethics Committee of the Regroupement québecois des amis et bénévoles de musées, the Canadian Federation of Friends of Museums, the Federación Mexicana de Asociaciones de Amigos de los Museos, the Members of the Ethics Committee of the WFFM and all those who took part in its preparation.
WHO ARE FRIENDS OF MUSEUMS?
First, what is a museum?
Museum means a nonprofit, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their environment.
Once, a museum was exclusively “a building used for storage and exhibition of objects illustrating antiquities, natural history, art, etc.” While many museums still fall under the latter description, today a wide spectrum of institutions may be included in the former, broader definition of museum:
natural, archaeological, ethnographic and museum-like historical monuments and sites; botanical and zoological gardens, aquaria and vivaria; science centres and planetaria; nonprofit art exhibition galleries; conservation institutes and exhibition galleries permanently maintained by libraries and archival centres; nature reserves; cultural centres and other organisations that facilitate the preservation, continuation and management of tangible or intangible heritage resources (living heritage and digital creative activity) and so on.
And just as museums are different, so are their Friends.
All “Friends of museums” share the objective to support museums and contribute to their development, acknowledgment and influence among the general public. They act on a voluntary and non-remunerative basis. Their support may be moral, financial or provided through voluntary work or expertise.
Volunteers, trustees, members of museum boards, benefactors, donors, as well as research fellows or honorary curators are all considered Friends of museums.
The term “support”
, however, might sound too passive, for what the Friends have achieved is to bring the voice of the lay person, the non-specialist, into the museums. And over the years, their hard work and ideas have brought about a change in museums themselves, bringing museums closer to the people, and people closer to museums.
Friends can take on a wide variety of tasks on public programmes and behind the scenes, either raising funds directly or supporting the museum’s own fundraising projects. They know their way around the local community and can match up people, ideas and money as well as influence the local press and raise local state and government awareness; they can take on new challenges and many support their museum in addressing social issues. Their aims and objectives differ from country to country.
The term “association”
covers all forms of organisation that bring together Friends and volunteers of museums and structure their activities. Whether legally constituted or not, these associations, societies or committees can operate only with official recognition from the institution concerned.