Board Development Roadmap

My goal for this Taproot Project is to create a board development roadmap for Voices For Seniors. As an all-volunteer organization in the early stages of transitioning from a grassroots grievance movement to a formal statewide advocacy nonprofit, we need guidance on how to recruit, structure, and onboard an effective board of directors. We are also exploring whether to establish a 501(c)(3) charitable arm alongside our existing 501(c)(4), which would require a separate board. The deliverable we are hoping for is a practical board recruitment plan — including ideal board member profiles, a recruitment process, role descriptions, and governance basics.

Through working with our organization on this project, the volunteer will support our mission by helping us build the governance foundation we need to grow into a credible, sustainable advocacy organization. Without a strong board, we cannot access grants, diversify our funding, or scale our impact across New York State. A well-structured board will directly strengthen our ability to fight for the safety and dignity of seniors — and to honor the 15,000+ New Yorkers who died in nursing homes during the pandemic by making lasting systemic change.

We have begun identifying the skills and expertise gaps we need to fill on our board, and we have a preliminary 5-year strategic plan that will give the volunteer clear context about our mission and direction. We are committed to implementing the recommendations from this project as a direct next step in our organizational growth.