Call for Applications: Check Your Head Board of Directors!

Founded in 1999, Check Your Head (CYH) is a youth-driven non-profit organization. We recently embarked on internal efforts to assess our relevancy and impact as an organization, and so we are in the midst of exciting and necessary transformations. We are committed to centring and engaging multiply-marginalized youth in the intersecting movements for social, economic and climate justice. We strive to disrupt all systems of oppression, which includes being in solidarity with Indigenous sovereignties on their own terms and leveraging our organizational resources/power to support grassroots efforts. To get a sense of CYH’s priorities and current happenings, we encourage you to read our initial organizational transformation announcement here and the latest follow-up update here. 

CYH is particularly in search of candidates who bring experience in (and/or enthusiasm for) one or more of the following areas: 

• Lived experience that could inform your contributions to a youth-led, social justice non-profit that is committed to centring  BIPOC and multiply-marginalized communities
• Decolonial, anti-racist organizational approaches
• Grassroots community organizing 
• Intergenerational mentorship and capacity-building 
• Accounting or finance background
• Fund development and donor stewardship
• Communications and/or public relations
• Project management and administration
• Strategic planning and evaluation
• Board governance, law, and/or policy
• Human resources 

CYH Board Members serve for a two-year term, with opportunities for renewal. Current Board members continuing their term into 2021 are all racialized young people who bring a diversity of interests and expertise. While prior Board experience is not a requirement, it would be considered an asset for this position. We encourage all applicants who share CYH’s core values and guiding principles, and welcome a cross-section of experiences including:

• professional (paid) work
• personal/community advocacy 
• volunteer (unpaid) work in a variety of areas (grassroots, public, private, nonprofit sectors)

To apply:   

1. Review the CYH Board Member Position Description (see below) 
2. Complete the candidate Expression of Interest form (click to see PDF) and submit it to board@checkyourhead.org   
3. Schedule and attend a virtual interview with the Board recruitment team 

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact us as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and will be accepted until Sunday, October 18, 2020, 11:59PM. 

We strive to have a Board that reflects the diversity of youth populations across the Lower Mainland and our staff team. We encourage and prioritize applicants who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC), people of all marginalized genders and abilities, LGBTQIA/2S youth, as well as newcomers, migrants and refugees.

We are committed to addressing barriers and making this process as accessible as possible. If you would like to know more about CYH and the work of the Board of Directors prior to submitting an Expression of Interest, please send us an email and we would be happy to respond. Thank you for your interest!

Position Description

Length of term: Board terms are 2 years, renewable at the end of each term at the Annual General Meeting in November.

Key responsibilities: (or, what a Board must accomplish together)

• Shared organizational leadership, planning, and strategic direction
• Review, formulation and oversight of policies and procedures
• Financial management, including adoption and oversight of the annual budget
• Mentorship and capacity-building
• Hiring and supervision of the Executive Director
• Review of organizational and programmatic reports and evaluation
• Representing and amplifying the work of the organization
• Fundraising and outreach
• Working collaboratively with the staff team to ensure CYH’s work is relevant, impactful and reflective of the needs & interests of communities we strive to centre

 Key tasks:* (or, what does it look like to be on the Board)

• Work both collaboratively and independently to support CYH’s mission;
• Attend and participate in meetings on a regular basis (happens by video call during COVID-19);
• Review and plan CYH’s mission, goals, strategy, programs, priorities, and needs together with staff and with community input;
• Help communicate and promote CYH’s mission and programs to the community;
• Actively support and promote fundraising efforts of the organization, including both events and direct outreach;
• Ensure financial responsibility by approving the annual budget and overseeing adherence to it through ongoing updates;
• Understand and uphold the policies and procedures of CYH;
• And, join as well as co-lead project teams to take on work related to Board responsibilities. Projects vary and are assigned based on strengths and interests. They can include tasks like event planning, record keeping, research, community consultation, policy writing, communications, engagement, and many others.

*More specific tasks are taken on by the officer roles of co-chairs, secretary, and treasurer.

Meetings and time commitment:

• Candidates should anticipate committing an average of 10-12 hours a month, with flexibility for busy periods of special projects or events and slower summer months;
• The Board of Directors meets monthly for 3 hours to receive staff and financial updates, complete strategic planning, and address any arising personnel, policy, or fundraising action items;
• Directors form “project teams” (similar to ad hoc committees) to address necessary work and this will take up the majority of the time commitment; directors should be available to meet with team members on a monthly basis;
• Staff occasionally send requests for information/support and Directors are expected to reply within 3 days (we mainly use Slack to maintain communication);
• Directors meet for annual retreats;
• And, directors plan, support, and attend at least 1 annual CYH fundraising effort.