What are the responsibilities and job description for the ARJ Board Member position at Access Reproductive Justice?
ABOUT ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE:
ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE removes barriers to sexual and reproductive health care and builds the power of Californians to demand health, justice, and dignity.
At our core, ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE is committed to working towards social, political, and economic justice through our direct service, community outreach, and policy advocacy work. Any programming created or facilitated by the organization is towards the goal of ensuring dignity, bodily autonomy, and self-determination for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), (im)migrant, queer, transgender, and gender non-binary, disabled, young people, and low-income communities, and especially those living at the intersections of these various identities.
ABOUT THE BOARD:
- Upholds and ensures the mission of ACCESS RJ is continually achieved
- Ensures effective organizational planning, actively participating in big-picture strategizing, and assisting in monitoring the plan’s goals
- Ensures ACCESS RJ is adequately resourced to accomplish its mission and meet its goals
- Provides prudent financial oversight, which includes approving the annual budget, establishing proper financial controls, and identifying and mitigating potential risks
- Ensures legal compliance with all relevant laws and regulations
- Installs the Executive Director and provides the support necessary to further the goals of the organization, and ensures that they are effective in their roles
- Evaluate the work of the Board and ED
- Recruit and orient new Board members
- Serve as ACCESS RJ ambassadors - clearly articulating the mission, accomplishments, and goals.
- Upholds organizational values and frameworks in all matters
BOARD MEMBER COMMITMENTS:
- ACCESS RJ is California’s only statewide abortion fund. Due to the nature of our statewide and regional work, all ACCESS RJ Board and Staff are required to live in California.
- Understanding and supporting ACCESS RJ’s mission, vision, values, policies, programs, and needs.
- Understanding the organization’s financial statements, asking for clarity to understand when statements are unclear.
- Serving as active advocates and ambassadors for the organization
- Identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary for the organization to advance its work. Leveraging connections where they’re helpful.
- Being present at quarterly full Board meetings and more frequent committee meetings. Reading the assigned materials beforehand and asking questions as they arise. Reaching out to Board Partner and/or reading meeting notes in case of an absence.
- Join at least one Board committee, and participate in committee meetings as scheduled
- Respond to Board emails within one week of receipt (for non-time-sensitive matters).
- Attend one ACCESS RJ event biannually in person or virtually (e.g. a social event, a fundraiser, an educational event)
- Participate in one continuing education biannually to develop and enhance skills and knowledge of Board processes and roles (e.g. Nonprofit Lab webinar, etc)
- Participate in outreach and fundraising activities for ACCESS RJ as directed by the Staff and Events committee.
- Make or raise an annual contribution (financial or in-kind) that is personally significant (no fixed amount).
- Maintaining confidentiality about all internal matters of the organization
TERMS:
Each Officer will be elected for a term of two years. After serving a two-year term, an Officer may be elected for an additional consecutive two-year term. There is a three-term limit.
PREFERRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
- Commitment to reproductive justice and ACCESS RJ’s mission, vision, and values.
- Ability to listen, analyze, think creatively, and work well with people individually and in a group.
- Willingness to prepare for and attend board and committee meetings as your whole selves, ask questions, complete tasks as assigned, contribute resources, and advocate for the organization.
- Interest in developing and teaching skills in the spirit of learning and collaboration.
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences regarding race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, socio-economic circumstance, immigration status, and record of arrest or conviction.
- Experience or interest in holding an anti-racist framework and a commitment to continuous personal anti-oppression work
- Astute, strategic skills and a natural affinity for cultivating relationships and persuading, convening, facilitating, and building consensus among diverse individuals
- Flexibility and a strong ability to work collaboratively with a creative problem-solving approach.
People who have had abortions, folks who live in rural areas, transgender, gender non conforming, gender expansive people, people with disabilities, folks from an array of socio-economic backgrounds, elders, youth, and people of color are encouraged to apply!