Board Chair
Girls’ LEAP

ChildrenLife SkillsSocial Justice & Equality
Phone (617) 514-4285

Board Chair

ChildrenLife SkillsSocial Justice & Equality
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Our board The Board focuses on strategic planning to ensure that our resources maximize community impact today and that we prepare for Girls’ LEAP’s future growth and success.

Each Board member develops personal relationships with our staff and provides guidance and help, based on their individual expertise.

We are committed to sustaining a racially diverse Board.
Position With fellow Board members and the Executive Leadership of LEAP, our Chair ensures that the Girls’ LEAP Board establishes the organization’s strategic direction, acquires the resources we need to achieve our mission and reach our goals, and provides fiduciary oversight.

This critical role includes responsibilities for leadership, governance and fundraising in collaboration with the Executive Leadership of LEAP.

 

Leadership, governance, and oversight

In this area, the Chair

  • Supports Executive Leadership by engaging the Board in developing LEAP’s strategic plan and supporting its implementation.

  • Connects with the participants we serve and makes herself available to mentor students and staff

  • Develops and manages relationships with funders, partners, and other stakeholders

  • As a board member, approves LEAP’s annual budget and material organizational decisions

  • Reviews outcomes and metrics created by LEAP for evaluating our impact and regularly measuring our performance and effectiveness

  • Actively supports Executive leaders in accomplishing their top priority work and regularly provides feedback, including in an annual performance evaluation of the Executive Director(s)

  • Works with the Nominating Committee and ED in recruiting board members.

  • Periodically consults with board members on their roles, helping them assess their engagement with LEAP

  • Plans and facilitates board and committee meetings, in coordination with the Executive Director(s)
    Acts as an ambassador for the organization

  • Ensures that our practices advance our mission and our commitment to anti-racism


Fundraising

As a leader of our fundraising team, and in collaboration with the Executive Director(s), she

  • generates substantial annual revenue and fosters LEAP’s overall financial health

  • makes an annual financial contribution that is personally significant

  • ensures that 100% of LEAP’s board members make an annual contribution that is personally significant to each

  • helps steward major individual donors, corporate, and/or foundation gifts.


LEAP’s Board Chair will serve a three-year term, renewable for an additional term.

 

This is an important time for LEAP and a wonderful opportunity for an individual who is passionate about the success of LEAP’s mission.  The ideal candidates will:

  • Find joy in supporting the growth and development of youth

  • Thrive on sustaining and developing supportive, inclusive cultures

  • Eagerly invest time in cultivating relationships and strengthening the community of LEAP

  • Possess excellent written and oral communication skills coupled with natural affinity for public speaking

  • Demonstrate personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and a passion for improving the lives of the youth LEAP serves


Service on LEAP’s board of directors is without remuneration, except for administrative support, travel, and accommodation costs in relation to board members’ duties.
Desired skills
*required		 Management, Board*
When We meet 6 times/year: 3 meetings are two-hour operational meetings focused on LEAP's program and financial performance; 3 meetings are 6-hour strategy meetings during which we develop and refine our strategic approach to key issues.
Where At this time, we are meeting virtually on Zoom. Pre-COVID-19, we would meet in Boston, either at LEAP's offices or at the offices of Board members.
Commitment 7+ hours/month
Donation Organization strives for 100% board giving, but have no strict guidelines around financial contributions.
Requirements We ask that board members play an active role in governing and supporting LEAP, including engaging with the youth we serve and our community of supporters. Specifically, each member is asked to:

Ensure strong governance of Girls’ LEAP, establishing the strategic direction and providing oversight to the organization.

Review and approve operational plan and budget and progress against plan.

Assure management is adhering to sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies.

Make a personally meaningful financial contribution each year and reach a personal fundraising target for raising contributions from individuals and/or institutions.

Serve as an ambassador for Girls’ LEAP at special events and engages others in supporting our mission.

Engage in one or more projects each year (individually or in a committee).
On-boarding Our on-boarding process is engaging and interactive. We invite new members to a social gathering with Board and staff before attending their first meeting. If they haven't already, we arrange for them to attend a community program to see our work first hand. Finally, the Co-Executive Directors meet with new members to review key documents related to LEAP's governance, including our strategic plan and financial records.
Our mission

To disrupt the violence that surrounds girls by amplifying their voices, emboldening their courage, and imparting critical life and self-defense skills so they can take on challenges with confidence.
Causes
Children, Life Skills, Social Justice & Equality