The Board of Trustees is an important part of the governance of any Unitarian Universalist church in that they represent the Congregation and are obligated to act in its best interests and are responsible for the administration of the church. Because the Congregation is the ultimate authority in any UU church, as opposed to the minister or priest in other religions, the Board has more responsibility in a UU church than the equivalent lay organizations in most other churches.

The duties and number of Board members are governed by NHF's By-Laws. The six members of the Board are elected by the Congregation each year at the Annual Meeting. Candidates are nominated by the Nominating Committee and can be nominated directly by members of the Congregation at the Annual Meeting. An effort is made to stagger the terms of the Board members so that 3 of the 6 Board positions are being filled in any one year. This provides continuity and a variety of experience levels.

In addition to the 6 elected Board Members, the Minister serves as a non-voting member and the Treasurer normally attends each meeting. The Director of Religious Education is also regularly attends meetings and provides reports to the Board. Past President are invited to attend all Board meetings. The NHF Office Administrator acts as Secretary and keeps the minutes of each meeting.

The NHF Board meets on the third Monday of each month at the church. Often the Board meets an additional night when the workload warrants it. NHF Board meetings are generally open to members of the Congregation who wish to attend. Members who wish to suggest an agenda item for an upcoming Board meeting should contact the Board President directly or the Office Administrator.

The officers of the Board, each of whom are elected by the Board each year, are the President, the Vice President and the Corresponding Secretary. In particular, the Board of Trustees has responsibility for the following:

• Preparation (with the assistance of the Treasurer and the Finance Committee) of an annual Budget recommendation (which is then voted on by the Congregation)
• Administration of the church budget.
• Authorization of the hiring of staff members, determining compensation plans and establishing policies for the evaluation of staff members.
• Establishment of policies and procedures for the governance of the church.
• Supervision of the activities of the various church committees.
• Chartering of committees to perform various church functions.
• Administration of the use of Church facilities by third parties (such as rental of the Quimby room).
• Maintenance of church facilities (through the Buildings and Grounds Committee).
• Representation of NHF to the community at large.
• and perhaps most importantly,
  Establishment of the goals and strategic direction of the Fellowship.

Each of the Board members also is assigned a Portfolio of Committees. Each Board member is a liaison to those committees providing communications from and to the Board and guidance. The NHF portfolios include:

• Finance Committee, Building Coordinator, Ways and Means, Canvass Committee, and Harbinger newsletter
• Social Action Committee, Adult Religious Education Committee, Second Saturday Potluck Dinners and NHF Website
• Wild Women Spirituality Group, NHF Women’s Group, Caring Committee, Sunday Forum, and the Third Friday Club
• Worship Committee, Membership Committee, Speaker Series, and Challenging Performances Concert Series
• Children’s Religious Education Committee, Grounds Committee, Sunday Coffee and Snacks, Sunday Flowers and Historian
• Sunday Ministerial Search Committee

Role of the Treasurer
The Treasurer receives, and keeps accurate records of, all incoming Fellowship moneys (pledges, fund-raising projects, Sunday offering, and other donations); deposits all moneys in the Fellowship bank account and turns over deposit receipts to the church bookkeeper for recording; provides monthly reports to the Board, quarterly account statements to pledgers, and as-needed reports to committee chairs; assists in the preparation of the Fellowship's Annual Budget, and prepares an Annual Financial Report for the Annual Congregational Meeting. The Treasurer and the Board President are the only members of the congregation permitted to sign checks written on the Fellowship checking account.