Board Member
Raising A Reader Massachusetts
3 School St #3rd+floor, Boston, MA 02108
Phone 617-292-2665
Board Member
| Our board | Our board is a dedicated and welcoming working board of 13 members (as of 1-1-23) currently in the process of expanding. Board members come from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds covering both the corporate and non-profit sectors. For information on our current board, see https://raisingareaderma.org/leadership/ With an organizational focus on advancing early childhood literacy in under-resourced communities, Raising A Reader MA seeks to assemble a board with diversity in expertise, experience, background, identity, and perspectives, and with a strong connection to our mission consistent with our values. A diverse board will help foster a broad range of personal and professional relationships, promote sensitivity to cultural differences as represented by our constituents and program model, and attract strong and talented board members. The board is supported by two Community Advisors with roots in the communities we serve. |
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| Position | The basics: Our board members are passionate about the mission and serve as ambassadors for the organization. They share a love of literacy and an understanding of the importance of reading as a foundation for creating opportunity. The ideal board member will • have served in a leadership role within their professional sphere • share their time, network, ideas, and professional expertise to reinforce our mission, financial sustainability, and strength • exhibit a strategic, problem-solving, and collaborative mindset • prepare for and participate in board meetings • participate on or lead at least one board committee. The committees are: Executive (officers and as elected) Development Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Finance and Audit Marketing and Communications Nominating and Governance Program Event committees are formed as needed and board participation is encouraged. |
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| Desired skills *required |
Board, Communications, Fundraising, Human Resources, Management, Marketing, Public Relations, Strategy Consulting |
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| When | Six meetings in total: Four quarterly Meetings: January, April, July, October. Two "interim" meetings with a social in-person component: June and December. |
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| Where | We have been holding virtual meetings via Zoom. Resumption of in-person meetings is under discussion; possible Boston options. |
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| Commitment | 3 to 5 hours/month |
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| Donation | Organization requires a specific amount of “give or get” for all board members. |
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| Requirements | Please see position description above for overview. Prior non-profit board experience is not a requirement, but please note any previous board experience or formal board training. We are currently seeking additional expertise in education, human resources, development/fundraising, marketing, and organizational development, although all disciplines are welcome on the Board. |
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| On-boarding | Incoming board members will have had an initial orientation of the organization during the “get-to-know-each-other” vetting process prior to committing to the board; this will include conversations with the Executive Director, members of the Nominating & Governance Committee, and a virtual site visit. Once on the board, the new board member will be assigned an experienced “board buddy” who will be available for check-ins and support during the course of the year, an introduction to committees to determine best fit, and sharing of all pertinent board and organizational documents. |
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| Additional Info | All board members are expected to support RAR-MA in the top tier of their charitable giving portfolios. A useful benchmark is $5,000 “give or get,” recognizing that some board members have the capacity to exceed this amount while others may not; but as stewards of the organization, all board members are expected to contribute to RAR-MA’s financial well-being. |
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| Our mission | To close the literacy opportunity gap among children ages birth to age six in under-resourced communities by helping families develop and practice shared home reading habits. |
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| Causes |
Children, Education, Social Justice & Equality
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