On IRS.gov there is a sample conflict of interest statement in Appendix A of the instructions for form 1023. This form is used to establish a 501 (c) (3)
This might be helpful. You find things like that sprinkled in the form. Basically if you can avoid it having more than one person per family on the Executive committee it makes things better.
I agree. More often than not the most active members are the same as the ones who have stepped up to be Executive members. Excluding them from being chairs of committees will make things very difficult in the end.
At the same time there may be specific things that you would rather have someone else doing. For example, I think a position such as Volunteer Coordinator would be best as being someone other than an Executive member. Doesn't have to be, but the Executives are busy enough. So it mayb depend on what committees you're talking about.
Lastly, it's not in our Bylaws, but there seems to be an understanding that the President and the Treasurers should not be related. Last year when I was looking for a new Treasurer, since both of the exisitng ones were moving on to the Middle School, no one seemed to want to do it. My wife would have, and she would be great at it, but I saw the conflict and even though the Bylaws did not indicate anything worng about it, I talked with her about it not being the best option. We may edit our Bylaws next year and would add this requirement.
In many groups if you excluded board members from being chairs, you wouldn't have any chairpersons!! If you're concerned about conflict of interest in these areas, perhaps you could establish rules of the board member not being able to vote on items related to the committee they chair. As for family members serving together, just go with rkidz recommendation that they not both be in positions that allow them access to finances.
Several EC members are also chairs & co-chairs of several committees.
As far as family on the EC, it should be fine, except make sure they are not both on the checking account. That's a big conflict. We will have sister in law's on the EC this next year, one a president, the other a VP of Student Programs.
Does anyone think there is a conflict of interest if an Executive Committee Member also runs for co-chair on a committee w/in the PTO? Also, do you believe there is a conflict of interest if more than one family member runs on the Executive Committee (say, husband and wife or mother and daughter)?
