The Board of Directors is comprised of approximately 20 members from a variety of backgrounds, all dedicated to shaping and supporting a highly successful organization by contributing individual skills and assets. Generally, board members have the opportunity to connect with other professionals and organizations in the community, support the academic achievement and college success of motivated middle school students, provide unique opportunities for young people to explore teaching as a profession, and contribute their individual skills, strengths, and creative thinking to further the impact of Breakthrough Greater Boston.

Breakthrough seeks board members to help with fundraising, access their professional and personal networks as potential supporters, and who have the capacity and willingness to be donors. They should be excited to share Breakthrough’s story and build its circle of support.

Most importantly, Board members share a connection to the mission of Breakthrough Greater Boston and are invested in the organization’s success at every level. In addition, Board members should exhibit the following characteristics:

• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to contribute, lead, question, and motivate
• Dedication to equity in education, with a commitment to ensuring high-quality programs that provide opportunities for children and young people to succeed
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Commitment to working with and supporting a diverse group of peers, staff members, students, families, teachers, and community partners
• Willingness to contribute personal resources – time, knowledge, connections, and money – in support of the organization, including demonstrated ability to (or potential to) cultivate and solicit funds and recruit new Board members and volunteers
• Commitment to engaging in BTGB’s current strategic plan – knowledge of Boston education, philanthropic or community engagement communities preferred but not required
• Background in nonprofit management, nonprofit financial management, law, or education preferred but not required

Breakthrough offers an initial onboarding session with the Co-Executive Directors and Governance Committee. Often new board members are paired up with veteran board members who are available to them for ongoing questions. The organization organizes social events for board members to meet one another and staff 2-4 times per year.

Desired areas of experience: fundraising, personal networks, ability to give

Our mission at Breakthrough Greater Boston is to inspire excitement for learning, create paths to and through college and promote careers in education. We prepare low-income students for success in college and in life while also training the next generation of teachers using a unique Students Teaching Students model. Through our ten-year program, students gain a passion for learning and the perseverance and tools to succeed in college and beyond. Teaching Fellows gain intensive in-classroom experience, expert training and 1:1 coaching. Founded by MacArthur Genius Award winner Angela Duckworth in 1992 in Cambridge, we expanded into Boston in 2013, followed by Somerville in 2018. Annually, Breakthrough serves as many as 750 students (and counting!) and trains 150 Teaching Fellows.