Board Member
About Central Valley Scholars
Central Valley Scholars (CVS) is a community-based organization led by first-generation, queer, immigrant, Students of Color, with a mission of creating accessible pathways towards higher education for historically oppressed communities in the Central Valley. CVS’s strategy focuses on creating critical, conscious, and realistic perspectives on higher education, with an emphasis on how systemic forms of oppression affect underserved students' academic trajectories. CVS fosters equity by providing workshops, scholarships, mentorship (themtorship), and specialized programming to help students achieve the education they deserve.
Board Member Description
Before reading the board member description, we highly encourage interested applicants to read through our story and values.
Central Valley Scholars is working on building a strategic high functioning Board of Directors, in which Board members are rocket boosters and accelerate our organization in the way that our management team and students want to. As a management driven organization, Board members should view themselves as thought partners, working collaboratively with our team and students to provide advice and support from a different perspective - driven from Board member’s own experiences and expertise.
We are looking for a diverse group of 5 to 8 board members to serve their time, treasures, and talents to our organization and move our movement forward. Board members should be passionate about our organization, love our mission, and are eager and ambitious to see what they can make of it. Board members will be expected to contribute in an overall appropriate balance in one or more of three ways:
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Work: those who contribute their time, energy, and efforts to developing Central Valley Scholars
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Wealth: those who can donate money and bring money or other resources to Central Valley Scholars
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Wisdom: those who advise and share knowledge, insight, and good judgment to Central Valley Scholars
Central Valley Scholars Board of Directors will be responsible for governance and fiduciary oversight, strategic guidance and direction, and fundraising and broad community outreach. In particular, the Board of Directors shall:
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Exercise fiduciary oversight and ensure compliance with regulatory agency standards including:
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Approving annual budgets and tracking financial performance
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Approving annual audits
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Select, support, and conduct annual performance evaluations and compensation reviews for the CEO
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Oversee updates to the mission and vision of the organization
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Provide input to shape the strategic direction of the organization
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Help the organization access resources including: financial, talent, and professional services
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Represent the organization externally to provide visibility and credibility
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Assess its own performance as the governing body for Central Valley Scholars
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Identify, cultivate, select, and orient new Board members
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Attendance:
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Participating in three of four Board meetings annually (preferably in-person but also virtually).
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Board members will also be expected to volunteer at one in-person and/or online event (in addition to the fundraiser) throughout the year.
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Lastly, board members will be expected to attend one annual board retreat every year.
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Preparation: Reviewing all Board communications in a timely manner and prior to Board meetings. Being prepared to ask relevant questions and carry out the responsibility of legal and fiduciary oversight as well as strategic input and guidance.
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Fundraising: Supporting the organization financially through a personally meaningful gift and providing support to Central Valley Scholars in fundraising. While there are no donating or fundraising minimum financial requirements, all Board members should view Central Valley Scholars as their top gifting priority. This also includes attending our annual fundraiser and serving on the event planning committee.
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Visibility: Serving as a spokesperson and ambassador for the organization, enhancing the public image of Central Valley Scholars
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Working with Staff: Maintaining communications with the CEO and other staff liaisons.
Desired Experience
Central Valley Scholars is specifically looking for Board members who carry experience and expertise in one or more of the following areas:
Proximity & Lived Experience:
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Social Justice: a commitment to understanding oppressive systems and actively working to dismantle those systems.
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Central Valley resident/advocate/ally
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Carries one, or preferably more than one, of the following identities: BIPoC, first generation college graduate/student, immigrant, undocumented, Queer (LGBTQIA+), student parent, Black, disabled, non-male/trans, formerly incarcerated or systems impacted.
Non-Profit Expertise:
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Legal: non-profit corporation law, employment law, HR, etc.
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Management Leadership: how well someone can lead a group and set forth to accomplish goals as a group (team-minded, guide folks to what is needed, and can delegate)
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Non-Profit Governance: past administrative position in a non-profit (aligns with management team model and enhances effectiveness)
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Finance: has experience with annual budgets, annual audits, annual reporting, and quarterly expenditure reports.
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Development: someone who can increase and diversify Central Valley Scholars funder base
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Program Management: experience managing and scaling multiple programs at the same time (conducting data analysis, ensuring program goals are met, centering student feedback, etc.)
Education Expertise:
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Education: has personal experience in education (i.e. high school, vocational school, community college, university and/or as a teacher, professor, etc.). In addition, we are eager to learn from someone who has experienced continuation and/or adult school.
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Curriculum Building: experience developing and implementing curriculum with a focus on decolonization, student autonomy, and abolitionist movements.
Other Expertise:
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Connection to resources and networks: those who bring connections or share their network of influential governmental, business and/or nonprofits who share or could be persuaded to partner support CVS in its ambitious goals (we need connections to like-minded influential people)
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Politically conscious: politically active, educated on current events that impact our climate, and is knowledgeable on how to navigate political fields.
Apply Today
Please complete this form to apply. You can save your application and make edits later; however, you cannot edit after submission. Priority applications are due by September 30, 2023 at 11:59 pm. For questions or support please email us at