Expectations of a Member of the HopeBUILDERS Board
Leadership, governance and oversight
Know the organization’s mission, policies, programs, and needs
Faithfully read and understand the organization’s financial statements
Serve as an active advocate and ambassador for the organization and fully engage in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary for HopeBUILDERS to advance its mission
Follow the organization’s bylaws, policies, and board resolutions
Sign an annual conflict-of-interest disclosure and update it during the year if necessary, as well as disclose potential conflicts before meetings and actual conflicts during meetings
Maintain confidentiality about all internal matters of HopeBUILDERS
Sign a conflict of interest (annual) and code of ethics (one-time) document.
Fundraising
Leverage connections, networks, and resources to develop collective action to fully achieve the mission of HopeBUILDERS
Give a meaningful personal financial donation annually. To credibly solicit contributions from the community, HopeBUILDERS expects to have 100 percent of Board Members make an annual contribution that is commensurate with their capacity.
Help identify personal connections that can benefit the organization’s fundraising and reputational standing, and can influence public policy
Board Terms/Participation
Prepare for, attend, and conscientiously participate in board meetings, either in person or via video or phone. Board meetings will be held every other month, currently on the second Wednesday of the month at 6pm.
Participate fully in one or more committees. Committee meetings are typically held in months when the board does not meet.
Serve a three-year term to be eligible for re-appointment for one additional term.
What you can Expect as a Board Member of HopeBUILDERS
You will be electronically sent regular financial reports (typically monthly) and an update of organizational activities that allow you to meet the “prudent person” standards of the law. (The “prudent person rule,” applied in many legal settings in slightly differing language, states that an individual must act with the same judgment and care as, in like circumstances, a prudent person would act.)
The organization will maintain Directors and Officers Insurance, which covers the organization as well as members of the board of directors from liability claims in the areas of governance, fiduciary and employment practices.
Opportunities will be offered to you to discuss with the executive director and the board president the organization’s programs, goals, activities, and status; additionally, you can request such opportunities.
The organization will keep you informed about issues in the industry and field in which we are working and offer opportunities for professional development as a board member.
Board members and staff will respond in a straightforward fashion to questions that are necessary to carry out your fiscal, legal, and moral responsibilities to this organization. Board members and staff will work in good faith toward achievement of our goals.
Qualifications
This is an opportunity for an individual who is passionate about HopeBUILDERS’ mission and who has a track record of board leadership. Selected Board Members will have achieved leadership experience in business, government, philanthropy, or the nonprofit sector. His/her accomplishments will allow him/her to attract other well-qualified, high-performing Board Members, volunteers and donors.
Ideal candidates will have the following qualifications:
Professional and leadership experience with accomplishments in business, government, philanthropy, or the nonprofit sector
A commitment to and understanding of HopeBUILDERS’s beneficiaries, preferably based on experience
Friendly and able to build amicable relationships with the ED, fellow board members and other volunteers
Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and a passion for improving the lives of HopeBUILDERS’s beneficiaries
A willingness to engage your network in the mission through discussion and fundraising