Program Structure
The Board
Structure
Summary: The board is comprised of approximately 10-16 volunteer youth and adult board members, with youth always equaling or outnumbering the adults in order to keep the program youth-led and youth-focused. Each board member typically volunteers less than two hours monthly from May to December and three to eight hours monthly January through April during the time of grant promotion, selection, and awarding. These board members should display a diversity of age, experience, expertise, race, socioeconomic status, interest, schools represented, etc. to maximize potential program outreach and to have a diversity of perspectives when reviewing and mentoring grantees.
Conflicts of Interest: Because the board will hopefully contain a wide range of people who have worked to help young people and the environment, there is a high likelihood that these board members might be associated with other groups that might apply for grant funds. In order to remove potential biases towards or against applicant groups associated with board members, upon acceptance onto the board, all members must read and fill out the “Board Conflict of Interest Policy,” which asks each to name the groups of which they are a part and to pledge to abstain from voting for or against these projects if they apply for a grant.
Terms: Board terms last for two years and can be extended if desired. The two-year term allows second-year board members to mentor new board members as they transition into administering the program, keeping a steady level of knowledge and experience on the board.
Committees: The board is divided into six committees: school and youth group outreach, media outreach, sponsorship and funding, award ceremony and grant review session, website, and new board member recruitment. Each board member must sit on at least one and no more than two committees, focusing their efforts on committee tasks in their service on the board. However, all board members are expected to reach out to their connections (ie, their school, scouting group, clubs, etc.) to advertise the grants, offering presentations about the grants to interested groups or working with the School and Youth Group Outreach Committee to find a different committee member to present.
Program Manager: In addition to these responsibilities, one board member, usually the most committed adult, will act as the program manager as outlined in “Job Description – Program Manager.” They are mainly in charge of overall program organization, managing program emails, heading the board, delegation of committees, following up with committees, and ensuring that all tasks are completed in a timely manner in order that the grants can be reviewed and rewarded on time each year. They are also the point person for talking about ongoing program funding and the link between the program and the program’s fiscal sponsor.
Meetings: Board members organize and attend board meetings based on the outline of the “Master Timeline” and personal board needs. They also organize and attend committee meetings, as needed, to delegate and complete all necessary committee tasks.
Communications: In our program, the majority of board communication was done via email. This can change to phone communications or in-person communication if access to computers and/or Internet is a concern. However, regardless as to the form of communication, the board members must be willing and able to communicate frequently, responding to board concerns in a timely manner and keeping their committees up-to-date on the status of their tasks.
Summary: The board is comprised of approximately 10-16 volunteer youth and adult board members, with youth always equaling or outnumbering the adults in order to keep the program youth-led and youth-focused. Each board member typically volunteers less than two hours monthly from May to December and three to eight hours monthly January through April during the time of grant promotion, selection, and awarding. These board members should display a diversity of age, experience, expertise, race, socioeconomic status, interest, schools represented, etc. to maximize potential program outreach and to have a diversity of perspectives when reviewing and mentoring grantees.
Conflicts of Interest: Because the board will hopefully contain a wide range of people who have worked to help young people and the environment, there is a high likelihood that these board members might be associated with other groups that might apply for grant funds. In order to remove potential biases towards or against applicant groups associated with board members, upon acceptance onto the board, all members must read and fill out the “Board Conflict of Interest Policy,” which asks each to name the groups of which they are a part and to pledge to abstain from voting for or against these projects if they apply for a grant.
Terms: Board terms last for two years and can be extended if desired. The two-year term allows second-year board members to mentor new board members as they transition into administering the program, keeping a steady level of knowledge and experience on the board.
Committees: The board is divided into six committees: school and youth group outreach, media outreach, sponsorship and funding, award ceremony and grant review session, website, and new board member recruitment. Each board member must sit on at least one and no more than two committees, focusing their efforts on committee tasks in their service on the board. However, all board members are expected to reach out to their connections (ie, their school, scouting group, clubs, etc.) to advertise the grants, offering presentations about the grants to interested groups or working with the School and Youth Group Outreach Committee to find a different committee member to present.
Program Manager: In addition to these responsibilities, one board member, usually the most committed adult, will act as the program manager as outlined in “Job Description – Program Manager.” They are mainly in charge of overall program organization, managing program emails, heading the board, delegation of committees, following up with committees, and ensuring that all tasks are completed in a timely manner in order that the grants can be reviewed and rewarded on time each year. They are also the point person for talking about ongoing program funding and the link between the program and the program’s fiscal sponsor.
Meetings: Board members organize and attend board meetings based on the outline of the “Master Timeline” and personal board needs. They also organize and attend committee meetings, as needed, to delegate and complete all necessary committee tasks.
Communications: In our program, the majority of board communication was done via email. This can change to phone communications or in-person communication if access to computers and/or Internet is a concern. However, regardless as to the form of communication, the board members must be willing and able to communicate frequently, responding to board concerns in a timely manner and keeping their committees up-to-date on the status of their tasks.
|
|
|
|