Board Member – Governance
| Our board | ThinkGive is a MA-based nonprofit that provides social and emotional learning (SEL) programs to elementary and middle school youth (K-8). Our vision is that every student can access the SEL needed to develop their whole selves and promote emotional well-being. To that end, we launched our Every Child Scholarship initiative (funded by contributed revenue) in 2022 that allows us to bring our innovative student-driven programs to sites serving under-resourced youth. We have an active 11-member Board of Directors with governing subcommittees (Finance, Development, DEIB, and Governance). We have a 13-member Advisory Board and a 24-member Teacher Advisory group that meet once annually and are otherwise involved in an ad hoc manner, sharing expertise in youth development. ThinkGive's work is guided by a Growth Plan (developed in 2020), and a Strategic Plan (developed in 2023). In 2022 we worked with consultants to move the board from being a founding board to being a governing board. The shift was effective and we are looking to now add board members who can become actively involved in committee work and guiding the organization to our next level of growth. To provide a program that truly meets the needs of the youth we are serving, we are looking to include varying perspectives and voices on our leadership team. We are open-minded when it comes to possible candidates. We are interested in ensuring that we have a broad range of personality dimensions and perspectives represented to ensure strong decision-making. Specific skills that we are looking for include: - Leadership - Diversity, including but not limited to race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, and military status - Specific skills to support a ThinkGive committee such as finance, legal, fundraising, marketing, and/or DEIB - Mission and vision alignment - Experience with and/or a willingness to learn about nonprofit organizations |
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| Position | The ThinkGive Board of Directors has three primary legal duties: Duty of Care: Ensure prudent use of assets, including facility, people, and good will; Duty of Loyalty: Ensure that ThinkGive's activities and transactions are, first and foremost, advancing its mission; Recognize and disclose conflicts of interest; Make decisions that are in the best interest of ThinkGive; Duty of Obedience: Ensure that ThinkGive obeys applicable laws and regulations; follows its bylaws; and adheres to its stated purposes/mission. Board members also play important roles in providing guidance by contributing to ThinkGive’s culture, strategic focus, effectiveness, and financial sustainability, as well as serving as ambassadors and advocates. Beyond fulfilling legal duties, board members can be important resources for the organization in multiple ways. Mission + Programs - Ensure effective organizational planning by setting the direction for the organization and actively participate in strategic planning - Participate in strategic planning; oversee the Plan implementation - Promote ThinkGive’s mission programmatically (connect the organization with educators, advisors, etc.) - Be informed about ThinkGive’s mission, policies, programs, and needs - Approve and monitor programs and services, ensuring consistency with the mission - Monitor program effectiveness - Review outcomes and metrics created by ThinkGive for evaluating its impact Governance - Select, support, and evaluate the performance of the Executive Director - Review and approve major policies - Assist in developing ThinkGive’s annual budget, and approving the annual budget, audit reports, and business decisions - Help identify and recruit new board members as needed, working toward building a diverse board that reflects the youth ThinkGive serves - Annually assess the board performance as the governing body of ThinkGive Finance + Fundraising - Make ThinkGive a philanthropic priority - Assist with fundraising by identifying individuals who might appreciate the mission - Read and understand the organization’s financial statements - Ensure adequate resources and manage effectively Outreach - Serve as an advocate for ThinkGive and fully engage in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships needed for the organization to advance its mission - Leverage connections, networks, and resources to develop collective action to achieve ThinkGive’s mission - Enhance the organization’s public image Committees + Meetings - Serve on at least one standing board committee annually - Participate on additional ad hoc committee(s) as needed - Prepare for, attend, and participate in board and committee meetings (Sept – June) Terms + Participation: The term is three years. Members may serve a maximum of two three-year terms Other - Maintain confidentiality about all internal matters of ThinkGive - Understand that the board speaks with one voice - Sign a conflict of interest policy agreement once per term Service on ThinkGive’s Board of Directors is without remuneration, except for administrative support, travel, and accommodation costs in relation to board activities. |
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| Desired skills *required |
Board*, Legal |
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| When | Six meetings between September and June (September, November, January, March, May, and June social). Summer off. Dates / times for the year are agreed upon by all members in August. |
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| Where | Mainly remote, some meetings in person in Concord or Waltham. |
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| Commitment | 3 to 5 hours/month |
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| Donation | Organization strives for 100% board giving, but have no strict guidelines around financial contributions. |
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| Requirements |
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| On-boarding | '- ThinkGive assigns you a board mentor. This person will reach out to have an introductory call/zoom (or coffee); they will ensure that you know everyone and everyone knows you, they might check in after board meetings to see if you have questions, and are available if you need help with anything. - We hold an onboarding session at an agreed-upon time. - We provide a Board Book ahead of the meeting that contains all relevant information and documents. |
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| Our mission | Our mission is to inspire young people to use kindness to engage with their world. |
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| Causes |
Children, Education, Life Skills, Social Justice & Equality
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