GOLD2023

Timber Framers Guild

Enriching Community Through Craft

Alstead, NH   |  https://www.tfguild.org

Mission

To advance timber framing and support our community through research, education, and industry. Through our programming, we support effective housing and infrastructure, historic preservation, knowledge sharing, economic development, jobs creation and jobs training, and sustainability. 

Notes from the nonprofit

At its founding in the 1980s, the Guild was known as the Timber Framers Guild of North America. During the intervening years, it expanded its mission to be global and shortened its name to be simply Timber Framers Guild. In 2019, the Guild purchased the assets of the Heartwood School, which had been established in 1978 to teach the skills and knowledge it takes to build an energy-efficient house. Today, Heartwood operates as an affiliated non-profit whose board members are appointed by the Guild, and it offers about two dozen courses per year on timber framing to adult learners ages sixteen to senior citizen.

Ruling year info

2017

Executive Director

Eric S. Howard

Main address

299 Pratt Road

Alstead, NH 03602 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

81-4201896

NTEE code info

Nonmonetary Support N.E.C. (J19)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2020, 2019 and 2018.
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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

We support sustainable communities, jobs creation, effective infrastructure, responsible consumption, and climate action by making people aware of certain wood construction practices and technologies. Timber-frame structures have been built for thousands of years, and the Guild promotes its application and use of timber-framing techniques.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Conferences and Public Programs

The Guid hosts an annual conference, which includes educational presentations, tours, demonstrations, a trade show, and other special events. The Guild also hosts online webinars and gatherings. Many programs are centered on North America; however, we also organize and participate in programs on other continents.

Population(s) Served

The Guild and its members design and build structures in partnership with public agencies and nonprofit organizations, with support from Guild members, community volunteers, and other stakeholders. These projects are done to educate our members, demonstrate the value of timber frame structures, and provide lasting benefits to the communities that underwrite them. To date, over 100 projects have been carried out in 24 US states, three Canadian provinces, and four other countries.

Population(s) Served

The Guild publishes the journal-of-record for our community. The quarterly magazine, Timber Framing, has been published since 1989 and is a deep archive for information on the technology, theory, practice, design, engineering, conservation, and preservation of a wide array of structures. A sister publication, Scantlings, provides updates on the businesses and people in our community and current events. The Guild also provides thought leadership through publishing or dissemination of books, reports, standards, and guidelines.

Population(s) Served

Where we work

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Total number of organization members

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Conferences and Public Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

The Guild has individual and institutional / corporate members. This figure is based on the number of individuals who are eligible each fall to vote in our board election. Fall 2022 was 1256.

Number of training workshops

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Conferences and Public Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

The Guild offers training workshops at our Community Building Projects, the Annual Conference, SepTimberFest, WestFest, and other gatherings. The numbers during the Covid crisis were depressed.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

The Timber Framers Guild is dedicated to promoting, supporting, honoring, and advancing the craft of timber framing and building with wood. Through our programming, we support community development, jobs creation, effective infrastructure, responsible consumption, and sustainability. 

We have a four-pronged strategy:
1. Conferences and programs to share the unique knowledge of our members
2. Public programs to expand awareness of the craft and the benefits of timber construction
3. Research and publications to advance knowledge
4. Training programs and apprenticeships

Our capabilities are based on the strength of our community and a deep base of knowledge and intellectual capital.
* A network of individual members who provide financial support and promote our mission
* A network of corporate members and institutional supporters who provide financial support, create jobs, and oversee projects
* A network of volunteers who lead or participate in our programming

Since 1989, Guild members and stakeholders have built or restored timber-frame structures valued at billions of dollars. These include houses, historic sites, buildings used for worship or education, covered bridges and barns, and public infrastructure such as farmers markets and visitor centers. We convened about 90 conferences, created an Apprenticeship Training Program recognized by the US Dept of Labor, and advised agencies and organizations on engineering-related topics.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    Membership in the Timber Framers Guild (TFG) is open to any individual or business interested in timber framing. Our members include timber framers, students, engineers, architects, designers, business owners, timber purveyors, tool suppliers, teachers, historians, preservationists, sustainable builders, industry suppliers, owners, and aficionados.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings/Town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    During the Covid crisis, we had a decline in membership renewals, and to rebuild our membership base we instituted new protocols to reengage with lost members and to build systems that would help the Guild recruit new ones.

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders,

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive,

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve,

Financials

Timber Framers Guild
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Timber Framers Guild

Board of directors
as of 02/07/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Mr. Bo Foard

Foard Panel

Term: 2019 - 2023

Autumn Peterson

Heritage Natural Finishes

Steve Lawrence

Macdonald & Lawrence Timber Framing

Jackson Dubois

Rene Allen

Sandy Bennett

Will Denton

Jim Desantis

Christian Gudmand

Chris Koehn

Brad Morse

Bill Sturm

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 10/25/2022

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethnic (2+ races/ethnicities)
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Decline to state
Disability status
Decline to state

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 09/09/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
Policies and processes
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.