Institutional code of ethics of The Ukrainian Museum

Approved by the Board of Trustees 18 Jan. 2025

Introduction

The mission of The Ukrainian Museum (UM) is to collect, preserve, and display objects of artistic or historical merit relevant to Ukrainian life and culture. The purpose is further realized or achieved through scholarly research, educational programs, publications and related community events.

The Ukrainian Museum is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. Maintenance of its tax-exempt status is important both for its continued financial stability and for public support. Therefore, the IRS as well as state regulatory and tax officials view the operations of UM as a public trust, which is subject to scrutiny by and accountable to such governmental authorities as well as to members of the public.

The Ukrainian Museum Ethics Policy reflects our high standard of business conduct and our commitment to supporting a culture of openness, trust and integrity in all we do.

As volunteers and staff, we are passionate about the mission of The Ukrainian Museum and our service to the community. We are dedicated to pursuing our mission with honesty, fairness and respect for the individual.

The Ethics Policy helps clarify our standard of conduct. It makes clear that there is an expectation that employees, trustees, volunteers and committee members understand the ethical considerations associated with their actions. Our Ethics Policy affirms our long-standing commitment to not merely obey the law, but also to conduct our business with integrity, transparency and without deception.

The statements presented here align with the American Alliance of Museums Code of Ethics for Museums.

Unless otherwise indicated, all provisions of the Ethics Policy apply to the following categories of individuals: (1) the Director and staff of the Museum; (2) members of the Museum Board of Trustees; and (3) members of any committee of the Museum who are not members of the Board of Trustees (4) interns and volunteers.

Museum governance

Responsibilities and Ethical Duties

The Board of Trustees (BOT) is the supreme governing body of the Museum and is responsible for the management of all business and property of the Museum and for ensuring its financial stability.

A fiduciary relationship between UM and its BOT officers, employees, volunteers and the public, carries with it a broad and unbending duty of loyalty and fidelity. The BOT, officers, employees and volunteers have the responsibility of administering the affairs of UM honestly and prudently, and of exercising their best care, skill, and judgment for the sole benefit of UM. Those persons shall exercise the utmost good faith in all transactions involved in their duties, and they shall not use their positions with UM or knowledge gained there for their personal benefit. The interests of the organization must be the priority in all decisions and actions.

General provisions:

Each person subject to this Ethics Policy:

Shall abide by all of its applicable provisions, as well as all other applicable rules and regulations of the Museum (including, but not limited to, the Museum’s articles of incorporation and bylaws).

Shall at all times obey all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

Shall conduct the affairs of the Museum in good faith and with honesty, integrity, due diligence, and reasonable competence.

Shall exercise good judgment in his or her dealings with the Museum’s members, trustees, staff, committee members, volunteers, suppliers, and the general public and shall respond to the needs of the Museum’s members and visitors in a responsible, respectful, and professional manner.

Shall not use any information provided by the Museum or acquired as a consequence of service to the Museum in any manner other than in furtherance of his or her Museum duties and activities, unless duly and expressly authorized to do so by either the President of the Board of Trustees or the Director of the Museum.

Shall not misuse the Museum’s property or resources, including, without limitation, for personal or third-party gain or pleasure, and shall at all times keep the Museum’s property secure and not allow any unauthorized person to have or use such property.

Shall not persuade or attempt to persuade any employee of the Museum to leave the employ of the Museum or to become employed by any person or entity other than the Museum unless duly and expressly authorized to do so by either the President of the Board of Trustees or the Director of the Museum.

Shall not persuade or attempt to persuade any member, contributor, exhibitor, advertiser, sponsor, subscriber, supplier, contractor, or any other person or entity with an actual or potential relationship to or with the Museum to terminate, curtail, or not enter into its relationship to or with the Museum, or to in any way reduce the monetary or other benefits to the Museum of such relationship unless duly and expressly authorized to do so by either the President of the Board of Trustees or the Director of the Museum.

Shall not represent to third parties that they have the authority to speak for the Museum or bind the Museum to any obligation unless duly and expressly authorized to do so by either the President of the Board of Trustees or the Director of the Museum.

Shall not solicit or accept gifts, gratuities, free trips, honoraria, personal property, or any other item of value from any person or entity as a direct or indirect inducement to provide special treatment to such person or entity with respect to matters pertaining to the Museum without fully disclosing such items to the Board of Trustees unless duly and expressly authorized to do so by either the President of the Board of Trustees or the Director of the Museum.

Trustee/Director relationship

The Board of Trustees has the responsibility of appointing the museum director, who is their chief executive officer. This responsibility shall be exercised by the full Board and shall not be delegated to an executive body, committee, group or individual. The relationship between the director and the BOT must reflect the primacy of institutional goals over all personal or interpersonal considerations. The director should attend all Board meetings and important committee meetings except executive sessions that concern them.

Furthermore, the Board has the obligation to define the rights, powers and duties of the director. The Board should work with the director in all administrative matters, and deal with them openly and with candor. Trustees should avoid giving directions to, acting on behalf of, communicating directly with, or soliciting administrative information from staff personnel, unless such actions are in accord with established procedure or the director is apprised.

The director has an obligation to provide the Board with current and complete financial information in comprehensive form; to bring before the Board matters involving policy questions not already determined; and to keep them informed on a timely basis about all other significant or substantial matters or intended actions affecting the Museum.

The director must carry out the policies established by the Board and adhere to the budget approved by the Board. Whenever it is necessary to deviate from established policies or to alter or exceed budget guidelines, the director should notify the Board in advance and request proper approval.

Conflict of interest

Conflicts of interest may arise in the relations of BOT, officers, employees and volunteers with any of the following third parties:

• Persons and firms supplying goods and services to UM.
• Persons and firms from whom UM leases property and equipment.
• Persons and firms with whom UM is dealing or planning to deal in connection with the gift, purchase or sale of real estate, securities, or other property.
• Competing or affinity organizations.
• Donors and others supporting UM.
• Agencies, organizations and associations which affect the operations of UM.
• Family members, friends, and other employees.

Nature of Conflicting Interest

A conflicting interest may be defined as an interest, direct or indirect, with any persons or firms mentioned in this section. Such an interest might arise through:

• Owning stock or holding debt or other proprietary interests in any third party dealing with UM
• Holding office, serving on the board, taking part in management, or being otherwise employed (or formerly employed) with any third party dealing with UM.
• Receiving payment for services with respect to individual transactions involving UM.
• Using UM’s time, personnel, equipment, supplies, or good will for other than UM-approved activities, programs, and purposes.
• Receiving personal gifts or loans from third parties dealing or competing with UM. Receipt of any gift is disapproved except gifts of a value less than $50, which could not be refused without discourtesy. No personal gift of money should ever be accepted.

Disclosure Policy and Procedure

Transactions with parties with whom a conflicting interest exists may be undertaken only if all of the following are observed:

• The conflicting interest is fully disclosed,
• The person with the conflict of interest is excluded from the discussion and approval of such transaction,
• A competitive bid or comparable valuation exists,
• The BOT or a duly constituted committee thereof has determined that the transaction is in the best interest of the organization.

Disclosure regarding the organization should be made to the Executive Committee which shall bring the matter to the attention of the BOT or a duly constituted committee thereof. Disclosure involving directors should be made to the President of the BOT, (or if they are one with the conflict, then to the Vice-president of the BOT) who shall bring these matters to the BOT or a duly constituted committee thereof.

Each BOT member, officer, employee and volunteer shall annually sign the conflict-of-interest disclosure form.

The Executive Committee shall regularly and consistently monitor and enforce compliance with this policy by reviewing annual conflict of interest disclosure forms, and taking such other actions as are necessary for effective oversight.

The BOT or a duly constituted committee thereof shall determine whether a conflict exists and in the case of an existing conflict, whether the contemplated transaction may be authorized as just, fair, and reasonable to UM. The decision of the BOT or a duly constituted committee thereof on these matters will rest in their sole discretion, and their concern must be the welfare of UM and the advancement of its purpose.

The Collections

Management

The Museum’s obligation to the care and preservation of the permanent collection is fundamental. The Museum has the ethical duty to ensure that its collections are available to future generations. The Board is responsible for seeing that the collections are maintained in a professional manner and that they are physically accessible. It must ensure, as well, that the important records of the objects in the collection are kept in an orderly and retrievable form.

Acquisition and deaccession

The Ukrainian Museum observes United States and international laws on acquiring objects and will not accept objects collected under irresponsible or illegal circumstances.

In accordance with the recommendations of the American Alliance of Museums, deaccessioning is to be considered only to refine and upgrade collections. Objects may be considered for deaccessioning based on the following criteria:

• The object is not relevant to the museum’s mission.
• The object is not authentic.
• The object’s condition is irreparable.
• The object is being replaced.
• The object is a duplicate, not useful to the museum’s purposes or programs.

Recommendations for deaccessioning are initiated at the curatorial level, reviewed by the Director, and presented to the Collections Committee for evaluation.

All proceeds from the sale of deaccessioned objects will go to a dedicated account to be used for the purchase or direct care of collection objects. In line with the Association of Art Museum Directors’ 2022 revision of Professional Practices in Art Museums, direct care for purposes of this section means the direct costs associated with the storage or preservation of works of art.¹

Such direct costs include for example those for (i) conservation and restoration treatments (including packing and transportation for such conservation or restoration) and (ii) materials required for storage of all classifications of works of art, such as, acid-free paper, folders, matboard, frames, mounts, and digital media migration. Funds received from the disposal of a deaccessioned work of art shall not be used for operations or capital expenses except as provided above. Direct care does not include (a) salaries of staff or (b) costs incurred for the sole purpose of temporary exhibition display.

The Head of Collections, in consultation with the Collections Committee and the curatorial staff as needed, will be responsible for disbursing funds from the above mentioned dedicated account for the collection’s direct care.

Computer records will be updated to indicate that the object has been deaccessioned. Deaccession Data Logbook will be prepared for each area of collecting and a file on the deaccessioned object is retained as part of the Head of Collections’ files.

All accession numbers and other references to The Ukrainian Museum will be removed before the object leaves the premises.

Care and preservation / conservation

A museum’s collections are the most important assets by which the significance and stature of the museum is often defined. It is the museum’s responsibility to maintain these collections in a professionally responsible fashion. Since the care of collections is paramount to its mission, the Ukrainian Museum strives to provide the best possible care that meets professionally acceptable standards.

The collections of The Ukrainian Museum are diverse, each requiring particular care. The Museum strives, to the best of its ability within available resources, to preserve and maintain the collections, both in storage and on display in professionally accepted environmental conditions and within museum conservation standards.

Availability of collection

The Ukrainian Museum is mindful of its responsibilities as an institution of public trust. To further educational purposes for which the institution was founded, the museum presents exhibitions from its collections and on loan and is open to the public on a regular schedule. The Museum wishes to make the collections available for study and research and hopes to develop its storage to be easily accessible to accommodate people with a legitimate interest in the objects in storage. In making the objects available for study the Museum always consider the security of objects and preservation responsibilities it holds.

Loans

Outgoing Loans

The Museum will loan objects in response to specific written requests and under conditions outlined in loan agreements, which are signed by both parties, The Ukrainian Museum loans objects from its collections to museums or other institutions for exhibition, research and other purposes consistent with the stated goals and policies of the museum. Requests for loans are considered on the basis of the purpose of the loan, the nature of the audience, the condition of the object(s), the level of care provided by the borrowing institution, and other relevant criteria.

Incoming Loans

The Ukrainian Museum borrows objects from private individuals, museums, and other institutions for exhibits, special events and research purposes consistent with the stated goals and policies of the museum.

The museum will exercise the same care for borrowed objects as it does in the safekeeping of its own similar objects. The museum maintains an all-risk, wall-to-wall insurance policy subject to standard exclusions and will provide necessary coverage to lenders through this policy. The lender will provide a reasonable insurance value to the museum. If the lender fails to supply a value, the lender will be required to accept a value assigned by curatorial staff of the museum.

Truth in presentation

Intellectual honesty and objectivity in the presentation of art is an institutional obligation. The interpretation or attribution of the work must reflect the thorough and honest investigation of the staff.

The research and preparation of an exhibition may lead to the development of a point of view or interpretive sense of the material. The curator must clearly understand the point where sound professional judgment ends, and personal bias begins. They must be confident that the resultant presentation is the product of objective judgment and does not perpetuate myths or stereotypes.

Museum management practices

Professionalism

Professional museum workers must always be dedicated to the high standards and discipline of their profession and respect the expertise of their colleagues. Museum staff should remember that while they are experts in their fields, they are part of a team effort and must cooperate supportively. Governance should be structured so that the resolution of issues involving professional matters incorporates the opinions and professional judgments of relevant members of UM staff.

Equal Opportunities

Matters pertaining to equal opportunity in employment at the Museum are governed by laws, regulations and procedures of the federal, state and city governments. BOT, staff members and volunteers are expected to support and carry out these policies without hesitation. No person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subject to discrimination regarding any event or activity of the Museum based on age, race, religion, national origin, color, ethnicity, gender, disability, veteran status, marital status, parental status, political affiliation or sexual orientation. All Board members, staff and volunteers shall make diligent efforts to ensure maximum accessibility to all the Museum’s activities for persons with disabilities.

Interns and volunteers

Museums in America could not exist without the contributions and personal involvement of devoted volunteers, including interns. Paid staff should be supportive of volunteers and interns, receive them as fellow workers, and willingly provide proper training and opportunity for their intellectual enrichment.

Implementation

To the extent an individual has not previously received a copy of the Ethics Policy, that individual shall be provided with a copy as follows:

The Director shall be provided with a copy by the President of the Board of Trustees at the start of his/her engagement with the Museum.

Museum staff and volunteers shall be provided with a copy by the Director of the Museum at the start of their engagement with the Museum.

A member of the Board of Trustees shall be provided with a copy by the Secretary of the Museum as soon as practical following their election to the Board of Trustees.

Any member of a committee of the Ukrainian Museum who is not also a member of the Board of Trustees shall be provided with a copy by the Secretary of the Museum upon notice from the committee chairperson as soon as practical following their appointment to the committee.

Anyone receiving a copy of the Ethics Policy shall submit any relevant disclosures or acknowledgements as soon as practical after receipt of the Policy. Disclosures or acknowledgements should be submitted to the Secretary of the Museum unless otherwise directed.