Board Onboarding Assistance

With a skilled volunteer facilitator, Cherish Families seeks to develop a seamless and effective onboarding process for our board members, ensuring they are equipped to lead and support our mission of serving an underserved community.

We are looking for a volunteer facilitator who will lead engaging onboarding sessions. This facilitator will ensure that new and existing board members are fully prepared to contribute strategically, understand their roles and responsibilities, and align with Cherish Families’ values and goals.

The volunteer will:

Help fine tune and update our onboarding process tailored to Cherish Families’ unique needs.
Support the development of resources and tools to ensure smooth transitions for incoming board members.
Facilitate new board members’ education, acquaint them with the policies, processes and resources available to the board.
Host board engagement meetings to help the board become more active and cohesive
Host and launch board committee meetings/projects

This project will directly support Cherish Families’ mission by ensuring that our board members are fully prepared to lead, guide, and advocate for the communities we serve. An effective onboarding process will equip board members with a deep understanding of our goals, the challenges faced by marginalized populations, and their crucial roles in driving impactful decisions.

By onboarding board members with clarity and purpose, we will foster stronger leadership and more informed decision-making, allowing us to better serve diverse and underserved communities, including low-income families, marginalized groups, and individuals from plural family communities.

With the help of a facilitator, we will create a structured, supportive, and inclusive environment for our board, enhancing its ability to function cohesively and contribute to Cherish Families’ long-term success. This project ensures that we have a strong, dedicated board to champion our services, such as job support, education, housing, and legal services, all of which align with our mission of empowering individuals and families in need.

We will set this project up for success by ensuring a clear and structured approach from the start, including:
Orient the volunteer with the current facilitator, creating an overlap of duties to ensure a smooth transition

Defining Goals and Expectations:
Clearly outline the objectives for onboarding board members, the role of the meeting onboarding facilitator, and the volunteer's scope of work. This ensures alignment with Cherish Families’ mission and priorities.

Providing Resources:
Equip the volunteer with comprehensive information about Cherish Families, our board structure, and the communities we serve. Access to existing materials, processes, and tools will help the volunteer hit the ground running.

Establishing Strong Communication:
Set up regular check-ins and open communication channels to offer guidance, feedback, and support throughout the project. This will foster collaboration and ensure challenges are addressed proactively.

Leveraging Support Systems:
Pair the volunteer with key team members to provide additional insights and expertise. This will help the volunteer understand the organization’s culture and needs while fostering teamwork.

Setting a Realistic Timeline:
Create a step-by-step timeline with achievable milestones to ensure the project stays on track. This helps build momentum and ensures steady progress.

Encouraging Creativity and Innovation:
Empower the volunteer to share new ideas and solutions to enhance the onboarding process. Their perspective will bring fresh insights that align with our goals.

By combining clear expectations, robust support, and an open, collaborative environment, we’ll create a solid foundation to ensure this project’s success.