Board Commitment
Haiti Outreach BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Goals, Responsibilities, and Personal Focus
Board Members are selected because of their deep commitment to the development of Haiti, which at the heart of Haiti Outreach, and because they exemplify these integrity and empathy in their professional and public lives.
Members of the Board of Directors are committed to Haiti Outreach’s mission to collaborate with the people of Haiti to build community initiated and maintained projects that advance their development. Members work in partnership with staff to expand Haiti Outreach’s reach, skills, perspectives, financial capability, and over-all resources, and maintain a Board that is diverse in age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and representative of the community we serve.
Board members are brought on throughout the year. The Board is composed of no less than 8 and no more than 15 members. Each term of service is 2 years. An executive committee—including co-chairs/chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer—oversees the Board’s management.
Outlined here are board member goals and responsibilities. These guidelines help us to ensure the best possible working relationship between the Board of Directors and the organization. If at any time a board member is unable to honor their commitments, they should kindly inform the Executive Director and Chair. Short and longer-term leaves of absences are possible (for example, we strongly support family leave, time for bereavement, and self-care). Board member questions and/or concerns will be addressed immediately and directly to avoid confusion or impair the organization.
Please consider your 2025 reflections (returning board members only) and (all board members) personal areas of focus for 2026, complete the form below (as a gesture of commitment and affirmation). Your reflections and personal goals will serve as a springboard for an annual “check-in” with a member of the Executive Committee.
Board Responsibilities
Board members are responsible for the long-term financial and programmatic health of the organization and for overseeing the organization’s mission by collaboratively working with one another and the Executive Director.
Each Board member shares responsibility to:
1. Ensure that Haiti Outreach programs and activities address its mission, and that the mission remains relevant and vital to the organization’s stakeholders, funders and constituencies;
2. Contribute to the fiscal health of the organization and work to ensure adequate financial resources and controls for Haiti Outreach to fulfill its mission;
3.Hire the Executive and Country Directors, and support, oversee and evaluate their work in planning, implementing and evaluating the organization’s performance, impact, and sustainability;
4. Ensure the continued strength of the Board through careful recruitment, selection, orientation, and stewardship of Haiti Outreach board members, as well as periodic self- evaluation.
5. Lead and support strategic organizational planning, benchmarking, and evaluation;
6. Attend the legal and fiduciary responsibilities of the non-profit.
By serving on the Board of Directors, individual board members are asked to:
1. Attend Eleven (11) Board meetings each year, usually lasting about 1.5 hours. There will also be a board retreat—lasting 6 hours to 2 days. Materials for all meetings will be sent in advance. It is expected that board members come to meetings prepared.
2. Serve on one or more committees of the Board; governance + finance are reserved exclusively for board members; program, development and others are also open to non-board members.
3. Participate in conference calls and group emails as needed for committee work or decisions that need to be made between meetings;
4. Be accessible to the Executive Director, Country Director, and other board members (through all means of communication).
5. Support and participate in Haiti Outreach’s events by attending and contributing time, energy and expertise to programs and activities, including the annual fundraiser (if in your area) and other physical and digital events/campaigns.
6. Make every effort to meet the current Board minimum “give/get” expectation of $4,000.
7. Make a personal annual contribution to the organization that is meaningful to you. The organization should be a primary philanthropic commitment of each board member, and members are expected to contribute accordingly;
Actively support development activities in the following ways:
Host a Cultivation Event: easy way to engage your network (at home, work, or other venue)
Example: Janet hosted a show/cocktail party at home, with support from Haiti Outreach staff which brought many new supporters to the gala and to end-of-year donations this year.
Grassroots Fundraising: to identify and cultivate new donors and sponsors in creative ways.
Example: Lily raised $2000 (in one month) by asking her church to provide a donation cup at their café register with info about Haiti Outreach.
Site Visits/Coffees/Lunches: Create opportunities for Exec Director and fellow board members to meet with prospective individuals, corporations, foundations, who can support Haiti Outreach.
Example: VJ and Jess had breakfast with Foundation CEO to ask Ana if we could honor her at the gala.
Support End-of-Year Giving: Join staff in calling donors (existing and prospective) to invite them to shows, simply thank them, or in some cases ask for gifts.
Example: Our entire board took out their cell phones, and each one made 5 thank you calls in the middle of our December meeting. People loved getting these thank calls!
Expand our network! Invite your network to Haiti Outreach events. Buy tickets for those who cannot afford to come and major donors and corporate colleagues who you are cultivating.
Example: Wendy bought multiple tickets for every event this year (even those she could not attend cultivating new supporters to attend in her stead and Celines hosted a post-event dinner to cultivate her network.
Help identify potential new Board Members and participate in recruiting;
Provide contacts to the media, government representatives, business and/or institutions of higher education, when possible, to help expand the organization’s reach and impact.
Serve as ambassadors and represent mission and goals accurately, including, but not limited to, policy centers, the media, affiliates of the organization and the general public.
Reflections:
Board members are critical supporters of Haiti Outreach’s mission. We want to ensure that your service is meaningful and fulfilling. Please reflect on your Board service over the past year.
What have been the most meaningful or inspiring aspects of serving on the HAITI OUTREACH Board this year?
What might make your board service more inspiring and fulfilling?