Board Member
| Our board | The main purpose of the board of directors is to preserve public trust. The board will do this by ensuring the alignment of the organization’s activities and allocation of resources with its mission (not to mention developing the organization’s sustainability on the long term.) The expectation is for board members to play a role in the governance of the organization and to delegate the execution of the mission to the Executive Director and the rest of the staff. Therefore, board members are not expected to commit to any significant amount of time or effort outside of their governance duties. |
|---|
| Position | General Responsibilities: The main purpose of the board of directors is to preserve public trust. The board will do this by ensuring the alignment of the organization’s activities and allocation of resources with its mission (not to mention developing the organization’s sustainability on the long term.) Under this general purpose, it is expected that each board member will commit to: 1. Becoming an ambassador for the organization. 2. Representing and advocating for the interests of the organization’s stakeholders (fiduciary responsibility). 3. Maintaining loyalty to LSA’s interests to the greatest appropriate extent. 4. Participating in providing a guiding strategy for the organization. The expectation is for board members to play a role in the governance of the organization and to delegate the execution of the mission to the Executive Director and the rest of the staff. Therefore, board members are not expected to commit to any significant amount of time or effort outside of their governance duties. Members of the board of directors have voting powers on the organization’s matters. The general responsibilities described in the previous section apply to all board members. LSA’s bylaws determine the process and limitations for changing the size and makeup of the board. Committee Roles: The following committees were formed by the board of directors to delegate specific operational tasks from general board members and to provide another avenue for committed individuals to lend their skills and expertise to the organization without becoming board members: 1. Development Committee. Finding and securing the resources needed for the organization to be successful. This includes: fundraising, organizational development, donor cultivation and partnerships. In recent months, Marketing has also been a focus for this committee. 2. Program Development. Planning, developing and executing programming activities. 3. Finance & Governance. Overseeing the organization’s financial viability and developing policies and procedures to ensure proper governance. Committee Chairs: Each committee is led by a committee chair responsible to the rest of the board for the committee’s execution towards its specific goals. Only board members can serve as committee chairs. The operation and structure of each committee is defined without limitation by the committee chair. Committee Members: With the exception of the committee chair, committee members are not required to be members of the board of directors. Their responsibility is limited to the specific task outlined to them by the committee chair of their specific committee. Committee members have no voting rights and are not expected to participate in board meetings, but could attend board meetings to report on committee activities. Using this structure, LSA can tap into individuals interested in volunteering in a leadership role, without requiring a level of commitment associated with members of the board. |
|---|
| Desired skills *required |
Communications, Finance, Fundraising, Marketing |
|---|
| When | Bi-monthly Meetings |
|---|
| Where | Online meetings (Zoom, Google Meet) with some in-person meetings and events |
|---|
| Commitment | 1 to 3 hours/month |
|---|
| Donation | Organization strives for 100% board giving, but have no strict guidelines around financial contributions. |
|---|
| Requirements | It is expected that each board member will commit to: 1. Becoming an ambassador for the organization. 2. Representing and advocating for the interests of the organization’s stakeholders (fiduciary responsibility). 3. Participating in providing a guiding strategy for the organization. 4. Contributing time, treasure, and talent as possible with the organization. |
|---|
| On-boarding | Interested board candidates are onboarded by a series of meetings with LSA board members and staff, prior to being voted onto the board. Candidates can learn as much as they like by also attending committee and full board meetings before deciding to join. As a small growing board, LSA's onboarding is not a one-time formal process, but rather a long term learning experience including all board members, with support from staff. |
|---|
| Additional Info | Latino STEM Alliance is a Latinx-led organization, with 67% of board members identifying as Latinx, and a Latina Executive Director. Latino STEM Alliance's current slate of board of directors can be found here, including photos and bios. LSA has grown to 7 board members, and continues to grow the leadership of the organization. |
|---|
| Our mission | Our mission is to inspire and empower underserved youth to pursue academic and career success in STEM fields by providing meaningful and engaging STEM learning opportunities. |
|---|
| Causes |
Education
|
|---|
