The Seattle Community Law Center board is looking to recruit a new cohort of board members! We are looking for approximately six people who feel strongly about advocacy for people with disabilities who are homeless or low-income. We are searching for people with a variety of skill sets including communications, governance, community organizing, etc. No prior board experience is needed. This is a fantastic opportunity for new and experienced leaders alike.
Board Member Position Description
SCLC is a specialty legal services provider that delivers Social Security advocacy to people with disabilities who are homeless or low-income. The Board of Directors that governs and supports SCLC consists of 4-13 people who want to make a difference in the lives of low-income people in our community by ensuring access to economic and medical stability despite any physical or mental health barriers.
We are looking for new board members who are interested in making a difference in King County by helping to govern a highly effective non-profit that makes a life changing impact in the lives of community members. Currently, our strategic plan employs three strategies to achieve the overall goal of expanding SCLC capacity to deliver on the mission. These goals are: (1) increasing opportunities for financial investment; (2) increasing support for people who make investments of time to SCLC; and (3) improve our communication strategies.
Board terms last for two years. There are no limits on the number of terms a board member can serve.
SCLC Board Members Govern SCLC
The SCLC Board of Directors is the governing body of SCLC and is responsible for managing the affairs of the corporation. SCLC operates its powers through resolutions and acts of the Board. The Board is responsible for setting overall priorities and ensuring that resources are used wisely in pursuit of the organization’s mission. The SCLC board may delegate certain of its responsibilities to committees and officers of the Board, but it retains ultimate responsibility for SCLC. To carry out the responsibilities, the SCLC Board carries out the following duties:
- Determining mission and purpose, overall strategies and priorities, and policies;
- Monitoring program performance and impact;
- Overseeing compliance with laws and regulations;
- Overseeing fulfillment of contractual obligations;
- Safeguarding assets from misuse, and ensuring maximum use of resources;
- Financial oversight;
- Selecting/monitoring/evaluating/terminating the executive director; and
- Approving a fundraising strategy and monitoring its effectiveness.
Attending regular monthly board meetings allows directors to govern SCLC with care, in good faith, and in the interests of the corporation. These meetings are the forum for the SCLC Board to make decision. The SCLC Board functions as a group decision making body. No one director speaks on behalf of the board or acts for the board outside of a meeting unless it is requested and authorized by the board as a whole. Some officers and committee chairs may have implicit authority to perform certain routine tasks associated with that particular role. Where this is the case, the position description will make that expectation clear.
SCLC Board Members Support SCLC
In addition to governing SCLC, the board of directors also lends support to the organization in the following ways:
- Embrace and be a champion of the mission of SCLC;
- Attend and participate in board meetings;
- Contribute to SCLC’s fundraising success in a personally significant way (such as making a financial contribution, volunteering at fundraising events, making business contacts for the organization, soliciting cash and non-cash contributions, etc.);
- Assist staff in raising funds;
- Act as ambassadors to the community on behalf of SCLC and our clients;
- Assist with volunteer recruitment;
- Advise staff in areas of expertise, act as a sounding board for executive director and other executive staff; and
- Lending names and personal credibility to the organization.
When fulfilling these support-related functions, board members may be working with, and taking direction from, SCLC staff members.
Interested candidates should send a letter of interest to alex@seattlecommlaw.org or contact Alex Doolittle by telephone at 206-686-7252 x104.
