Introduction

The American Association of Museums (AAM) values museums and the service they provide to the public.  Its board, staff, and volunteers embrace fairness, inclusiveness, diversity, innovation, and integrity and work to advance AAM’s mission.

As a nonprofit organization dedicated to the public good, AAM is accountable to the public, transparent in its operations, responsible in its stewardship of resources, and committed to excellence.

This Code of Ethics applies to AAM’s board of directors, staff, and volunteers.  The board of directors is elected by the AAM membership. Staff members include those who are employed by the association on a full-time, part-time, permanent, temporary, or contract basis. 

Volunteers include the elected members of Standing Professional Committees and Professional Interest Committees, AAM/ICOM Board, Accreditation Commission, peer reviewers, National Program Committee, interns, and any individual appointed to serve on an AAM committee, task force, or working group on behalf of the museum community.

AAM is actively committed to informing board, staff, and volunteers about the code of ethics and its application; evaluating the code regularly, and creating policies and procedures that reflect its values.

Mission

The association's mission, approved by its board of directors, is to enhance the value of museums to their communities through leadership, advocacy, and service.

Legal Compliance

AAM’s board, staff and volunteers comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and international conventions.

Personal and Professional Conduct

In their dealings as representatives of the association, AAM’s staff, board, and volunteers act professionally with honesty, integrity, and openness.  They treat each other and AAM constituents fairly and with respect.  Staff, board members, and volunteers are responsible for being aware of and complying with AAM policies that address their conduct.

Conflict of Interest

AAM staff, board members, and volunteers act in the best interest of the association rather than in furtherance of personal interests or the interests of third parties, such as friends and family.  Decisions about the association and the use or disposition of its assets are made solely in terms of the benefits to AAM and are neither influenced nor appear to be influenced, by any private profit, personal gain, or outside benefit for staff, board members, and volunteers; their friends and family members or any organization or company with which they are affiliated.

Board of Directors

AAM has an active board of directors that sets the association’s mission, strategic direction, and policies; and has oversight of its finances and operations.  The board ensures that its members and the staff act for the benefit of AAM and its public purpose with integrity and honesty; that AAM’s resources are responsibly and prudently managed; and that AAM has the capacity to carry out its programs effectively. The board also supervises, evaluates, and determines appropriate compensation for the president and CEO, and ensures that AAM is fair and inclusive in its employment policies.

Staff

All staff members are responsible for understanding the duties of their positions and executing those duties to the best of their abilities.  The association promotes a working environment that values respect, fairness, and integrity.  Its human resource policies are fair, establish clear expectations, and provide for meaningful and effective performance evaluation.  Open communication among staff is highly valued.

To help all staff meet their potential and to sustain the association and encourage its growth, the senior staff model professional conduct and provide leadership, clarity, and respect for individuals and for diverse points of view. 

Volunteers

The association's many volunteers are in direct contact with museums in the field on a daily basis and often are the face of AAM to their peers and the public.  When acting on behalf of AAM, volunteers understand their duties and execute them to the best of their abilities.  They convey the mission and goals of AAM, and as its representatives, refrain from promoting their own institutions or businesses.

Integrity

AAM responds to the needs of the museum field and is committed to improving its organizational effectiveness, programs, products, and services.  It strives to provide the field, the media, policy makers, and the public with content that is accurate, clear, and informed.

Inclusiveness and Diversity

To enhance its effectiveness, AAM promotes inclusiveness, and its staff, board, and volunteers strive to ensure that the diversity of museums and museum professionals is reflected in its programs and committees.  AAM promotes diversity in its hiring, retention, promotion, and board recruitment efforts and in the programs it develops for its constituencies. 

Awards

When granting awards, AAM:

• has guidelines in place to ensure fairness and consistency
• maintains constructive relations with applicants or nominees, based on mutual respect and shared goals;
• communicates clearly and on a timely basis;
• respects applicants’ or nominees’ expertise in their fields of knowledge;
• seeks to understand and respect the needs of those seeking grants and fellowships.

Fiscal Responsibility

AAM manages its funds responsibly and prudently by:

• drawing from its endowment funds consistent with donor intent and to support the endowment’s public purpose;
• ensuring that all spending practices and policies are fair, reasonable, and appropriate to fulfill its mission;
• generating financial reports and annual independent audits that are accurate, complete, and accessible in all material respects.

Fund-Raising and Business Practices

AAM is truthful in its fund-raising solicitation materials.  It handles information about donations with confidentiality to the extent provided by the law, expends funds consistent with donor intent, provides appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.  AAM discloses whether those seeking donations are AAM board members, volunteers, employees, or hired solicitors.

In all cases, and for the protection of the good name of the association and its members, AAM may only enter into agreements with reputable organizations whose image, product, and services do not conflict with its mission or values. 

Disclosure

AAM provides comprehensive information about the association and responds in a timely manner to reasonable requests for information.  Basic data about AAM operations—such as the Form 990, annual reports, audited financial statements, program reports, and policies—are available to the public. 

Confidentiality

AAM staff, board, and volunteers may have access to confidential and privileged information about the association, its members, and other constituents. Loyalty to the association and to the field requires that individuals with access to such information comply with privacy and confidentiality policies and treat all information responsibly and appropriately.

Use of this Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics of the American Association of Museums is a living document, designed to be disseminated, used, and updated.  The AAM Board of Directors will establish a schedule for regular review of the code and its dissemination.  AAM staff will:

• incorporate the code into its staff handbook and board and committee orientation materials
• review the code during new employee orientations
• post the code on iAAM (AAM’s intranet) and on AAM’s public Web site
• disseminate the code to all AAM volunteers via the appropriate vehicles

Resources

For more information about the policies and procedures related to this Code of Ethics, please see the following documents:

AAM Board of Directors’ Code of Conduct
AAM Employee Handbook
AAM Peer Review Manual
Code of Ethics for Museums (AAM, 2000)
AAM Ethics Guidelines
Donor Bill of Rights

Approved by the AAM Board of Directors, November 20, 2004 as amended November 2, 2007.