Board member Ron Hevey painting a portrait in a Guatemala Prison
Engaged board members are critical to the success of BuildaBridge. Serving on any board, and the BuildaBridge board in particular, is an awesome responsibility. If you currently serve on a board, or you have served in the past, you know the commitments of time, service, strategic and legal oversight and funding. BuildaBridge even has a board motto that you should consider as you make your decision. We repeat this at every meeting.
THE BUILDABRIDGE BOARD MOTTO
I will do my best with all that is in my power,
And with the help of the Creator,
To attend meetings regularly;
To support the mission and work of BuildaBridge;
To act as an advocate, enlisting friends to become volunteers, donors and board members for BuildaBridge;
To engage in BuildaBridge activities and programs in order to understand the mission, teaching and training methods and goals of the organization;
To act as an ambassador, sharing with others the mission, commitment, impact and values of BuildaBridge;
To reach out to build more partnerships with individuals, schools, organizations and agencies;
To expand funding sources by linking with other well-funded organizations with goals similar to BuildaBridge;
To work to insure both the financial viability and the long-term sustainability of the organization;
To fulfill all other responsibilities as a board member regarding the governance and the strategic, financial and legal oversight of the organization;
I will do all this in order that every child at-risk can envision the good life that they each deserve.
Board Chair Lisa Jordan (right) presents on Children and the Law at the 2013 BuildaBridge Annual Institute
We seek additional members of the Board of Trustees who have familiarity with, expertise in or networks with:
- Strategic Planning
- Financial analysis and reporting, (including: budgeting and audits)
- Financial planning in the context of strategic planning
- Disaster relief and recovery
- Creative arts therapy in the community context
- Education
- Personnel management
- Assessment and evaluation
- Development and funding
- Business leadership
- Entrepreneurship
- Marketing and Communications
- Social Media
- Technology
- Community Health Education
- Event planning
It's an exciting time for our organization as we grow and expand. We seek board members who will enjoy being part of the adventure.
As you consider serving on the board, you may wish to review the basics of board member responsibilities (these are included below in the form at the bottom of this page). We have included a number of links to external articles and also important BuildaBridge documents.
READ: Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards and Before You Join That Board.
WATCH: The following videos are from our former Board Chair, Dr. Cheryl Wade. In 30 minutes she outlines the responsibilities of being an effective board member.
The Effective Board Member I
The Effective Board Member II
The Effective Board Member III
SELF-ASSESS
- How passionate are you about our cause?
- How much time can you give to us?
- What motivates you as a volunteer?
- What expectations do you have from the management of organizations on whose boards you serve?
- What are your personal dreams or aspirations that could be enhanced by service on our board?
- What professional or personal constraints on your time or service might you anticipate?
- Are you willing to make a financial commitment that is a stretch?
- Of what importance to you is social interaction with other board members?
- How do you feel about performance evaluations of individual board members and boards as a group?
- As you think about the three primary board roles—ambassador, advocate, and asker—in which role(s) do you think you will want to be most active?
www.guidestar.org
LEARN ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Read this website which has been designed for potential board
BuildaBridge By-Laws
2012 Financial Audit
2013 Annual Report
2012-2015 Strategic Plan
Board Job Description and Commitment (You will sign this online below--do not download and send in--we like to save paper.
Organization Chart
If, after considering the above information, and you are committed to being a board member of BuildaBridge, follow our application process below. If, on the other hand, you cannot commit to this responsibility, you might wish to serve on our international advisory council which takes less time commitment, or volunteer on our administrative staff or for direct service with kids.
The Process
1. Express Your Interest and Intent:
- Complete the BuildaBridge Volunteer Application
- Send your resume to our Board Chair and copy the President
- Once you have completed these steps, the board chair and president will contact you for an interview by phone or in-person. You are then invited to complete the forms below which are part of your extended application.
3. Orientation to the board.
- Complete the online training “All Things BuildaBridge”. The online training course is required of all personnel. You will be invited to take this course after you submit your resume, and you may wait until you have been approved as a board member. This 4-hour online course is required of all board members.
- Attend a Board Member Training. Trainings are offered several times during the year.
