How the Guild Operates.

The National Board

The Graphic Artists Guild is governed by its National Board of Directors, which is made up of representatives elected by the members of each chapter. Every chapter has at least two reps, with one additional rep for each 250 members over 500.

The National Board sets Guild Policy, determines the Guild’s budget, appoints committees to carry out Guild projects and policies, and elects the National officers.

At least once a year, the entire board meets, at a different location each year, for two or three days of intensive discussion, planning, and decision-making. Chapter presidents as well as reps are invited to these annual meetings, and chapters are expected to report on their activities.

Committees

Most projects of the Guild are overseen by committees of members, to whom the National Board delegates the authority necessary to accomplish their stated goals. Currently active committees include: Advocacy, Communications, Constitution, Membership, and Ways and Means. These committees make reports and recommendations to the Board for consideration. Suggestions and ideas from members are often explored by the committees before they are brought to the full Board for its consideration.

The Advocacy Committee focuses on legislation, lobbying, court cases, copyrights, and similar legal and non-legal activities. It also includes the Grievance Sub-Committee. The Advocacy Committee Chair acts as a liaison to other organizations, both nationally and internationally, on advocacy issues.

The Communications Committee is responsible for managing the Guild's editorial content through its publications (including Guild News and Pricing & Ethical Guidelines) and Web site, as well as exploring ideas for new publications.

The Constitution Committee answers constitutional related questions, updates and clarifies the language of the constitution when needed, and reviews motions submitted to the annual meeting for Board consideration.

The Membership Committee focuses on increasing membership, retaining members, and developing existing and emerging chapters.

The Ways and Means Committee, chaired by the Guild Treasurer, considers matters of finance related to the Guild and reviews the draft of the annual operating budget before it is presented to the Executive Committee. 

Officers

The Guild’s Executive Committee is comprised of the National Officers; the chairs of the Advocacy, Communications, and Membership Committees; and two At-Large members in good standing elected by the Board. The Executive Committee meets ten times per year by telephone to formulate recommendations for the Board’s consideration. It also holds a mid-year meeting in New York City in May or June and attends the annual meeting in the fall. The Executive Committee reviews the Guild’s proposed budget with the Treasurer before presenting it to the full Board for consideration and possible changes. The Executive Committee is responsible for implementation of the budget, once it is adopted, and can authorize expenditures consistent with the budget, within guidelines set by the full Board.

The National Officers have no policy-setting power on their own; that’s the prerogative of the full Board, although the Executive Committee may propose policy changes for the Board to accept, modify, or reject.

The National President, who is the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Guild, signs all official documents, directs and is in charge of all collective bargaining, and signs checks and all instruments for payments against the Guild. S/he represents the Guild to the public. The President oversees all aspects of Board activities through appropriate channels and is available to chapters on matters of national business.

The Vice President assists the National President in the Guild’s overall administration and presides at all meetings in the President’s absence or at the President’s discretion. S/he succeeds the President in the event of a vacancy.

The Secretary keeps a true record of all proceedings and performs other related duties as assigned by the Board of Directors and is the custodian of the official Seal of the Guild and its written records and minutes.

The Treasurer supervises the receipt of all monies of the Guild on behalf of the members, supervises the keeping of true and accurate accounts of Guild funds, and submits semi-annual reports thereof. He/she oversees an annual compilation by a Certified Public Accountant and coordinates national functions of the chapter treasurers. The Treasurer prepares, with staff members, the annual fiscal year budget.

The National Staff

At the Guild’s New York headquarters, our day-to-day business in conducted by the national staff. Working under the Executive Director, the staff processes applications, maintains records, and administers the member services outlined in the Member Benefits pullout section. Because all Guild board members and officers are unpaid volunteers, the staff's assistance is essential to the accomplishment of any major task, from the publication of a newsletter to the moving of a legislative mountain. Without the staff, the Guild would cease functioning, since they are the people who carry out the directives of the Board of Directors.

The staff has no policy-setting function in the Guild and serves at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.

Where Your Dues Money Goes

Without the dues support of its members, the Guild could not exist. Because we are a labor organization, we are ineligible for corporate funding or foundation grants. But we still have to pay for the rent, utilities, and our staff’s modest salaries.

Your local chapter receives 20% of your dues from the National Guild in the form of a rebate to fund your local newsletter, educational events, and other programs. The remaining dues money, combined with revenue from the sale of Pricing & Ethical Guidelines, creates an operating budget for the Guild.

Dues are structured fairly, according to your professional status: professional member (working graphic artist deriving more than 50% of income from graphic arts), associate member (any other interested person in a related field or someone not earning more than 50% of his/her income from artwork), student member (full-time graphic arts student carrying at least 12 credits), and lifetime member (age 60 and/or retired with at least 10 years past membership). Each time we mail out renewal notices, we enclose a “status update” which asks you to verify your contact information, discipline, and dues status. Next time you receive your renewal notice, take a moment to verify that you are paying the correct dues amount for your – professional status, and students, please remember to send a photocopy of your current I.D. We assume that our members are honest and willing to pay their fair share; please update your dues status if your membership category changes.

We are always looking for ways to make the Guild’s operations more efficient, so that your dues money goes farther; you can help in one very important area by keeping us informed of your current address. Returned mailings cost money, and we would prefer to invest your dues in areas like improving programs and services. Remember, too, that if we can’t get your renewal notice to you, it could affect your insurance eligibility, and it may waylay your chapter mailings, delay delivery of Guild News and future editions of Pricing & Ethical Guidelines, or in the end cost you your membership itself. So when you move or change your phone number or e-mail address, please put the Guild at the top of your notification list.

Chapter Government

Chapters are governed by a structure that is in many ways similar to the national system. Each chapter has a board of directors which meets regularly to set chapter policy and direct chapter projects. Chapter officers have duties roughly parallel to those of the national officers. The chapter officers are elected directly by the members of the chapter.

Current chapters and their contact information are listed in the 2008 Members’ Guide to Benefits pullout section in the September/October 2008 issue of Guild News.

Want To Start A Chapter In Your Area?

The most important part of establishing and maintaining a chapter is to have artists in your area who are willing to share the responsibility of chapter leadership. You need at least six go-getters who understand and support the goals of the Guild. Chapters can be chartered with as few as 30 members. Funds for chapter development are available. Call the National Office at 212-791-3400 for more information.

The Graphic Artists Guild Foundation also Supports You.

Founded in 1983, the Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation whose goals are to:

• stimulate public interest in the graphic arts;
• afford the general public an opportunity to see and create such works of art;
• foster, promote and advance greater knowledge, appreciation and understanding of the graphic arts; and to
• conduct related activities which are exclusively charitable, literary or educational including the presentation and creation of graphic arts, activities designed to promote, aid and advance the study of existing works, and to promote the creation, presentation and dissemination of new works; to sponsor workshops, training sessions, symposia, lectures and other educational endeavors; and to prepare, publish and disseminate writings, papers, books, periodicals and other educational materials.

The Foundation allows us to broaden our impact in the graphic arts community with new programs that will reach large numbers of emerging professional artists.

In 1983, the Guild Foundation was granted $14,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts to conduct a nationwide survey of art and design competitions which resulted in the establishment of ethical guidelines for the sponsorship of art competitions and contests. The Foundation monitors such competition’s call for entries and encourages the use of the guidelines.

The Graphic Artist Guild Foundation provides an avenue for tax deductible donations and bequests which advance the interests of artists. Donations can be sent to the Guild national office at 32 Broadway, Suite 1114, New York, NY 10004-1612. Please make checks payable to The Graphic Artists Guild Foundation. Call 212-791-3400 for further information.