Hiring my Bosses (The process of developing an effective Board of Directors)

I was having coffee one evening with a few colleagues from my Masters Program recently who were interested in the development of our Indoor Skate Park & Education Center. They were under the impression that we were going to fill up the Board of Directors with friends and local skaters. I told them that being a “skater” or my “friend” was not a part of the criteria for our Board of Directors.....  One of my associates later asked me with a puzzled look on his face “then what kind of people are you trying to bring into or onto your board”? After this conversations over coffee, I was motivated to write about what type of people we are looking for in a board of directors and why.

Here is how we would define our vision for the Board; Our Board of Directors will provide the Alchemy Indoor Skate Park & Education Center with wisdom, direction and advice. It is their responsibility to ensuring that we for fulfill our mission statement and in doing so, it will govern our overall policy objectives. 

As a team with combined experiences in the Youth Skate Programming, Non-profit Management, Masters Degrees in Community Development, Education, Urban Planning & Design and a Professional Skater, we will provide the initial vision and mission statement, and our Board of Directors will give advice on how to best implement this vision. The Board of Directors will also council us if we are drifting away from our goals and objectives.

We are looking for a wide range of passion and skills for our Board of Directors. We are a very passionate group but need the guidance in engaging the business side of our non-profit. Our fundraising approach needs to be aggressive and diverse in order to establish a tenable organization for or our youth and our community for years to come. 

The board of directors will also make sure that the Executive Director is running the organization in a way that is sustainable, the board has that final approval when it comes time to the hiring and firing of employees for the indoor skate park (including the Executive Director). This group will be there to ensure the staff is maintaining a level of effectiveness and upholds the goals that were established as the core competency of this organization . 

  We have many Mentors, dedicated members and skate boarders who are prepared to make sure The Park remains focused on the goals set for the youth and the community. We are in the process of interviewing individuals who wish to use their networking, accounting, business skill (once we develop our brand) to pushing us as a staff and reaching out to other city businesses, foundations and non-profit who would partner with us. The ability to skate is not a requirement, the desire to build a space for youth/nontraditional athletes lacking mentors is. 

Who are our target groups?

Business professionals:

Individuals who know the ins and outs of business. This will help provide us with a framework for how we run this business as well as potentially incorporate new ways to raise funding for the park, “Building Social Business” (A new kind of Capitalism that serves the youth and skate cultures most pressing needs).

Education Specialists: 

Individuals who are well connected with in the Tacoma Public School Systems who can help guide us in becoming a supplementing the education of non-traditional athletes along with the school district and guide us in realizing the educational future of our youth.

Grant Writing /Youth Services Specialists:

Individuals who have experience in writing grants and organizational development within successful non-profits and or Youth Services management experience.

 Law Enforcement:

Individuals who are well connected with Law Enforcement who will help with programming as well as breaking down negative connotations. Helping our organization to partner with Police and Fire Departments. 

City of Tacoma:

Individuals who will act as a liaison to a partnership with the City of Tacoma. 

Experts in networking:

Individuals who are well connected within the greater Tacoma area who can help provide us with a way into foundations, businesses and other non-profits.

  We are literally looking to hire our bosses!  

Alchemy Indoor Skate Park will be run as a non-profit organization with a focus on developing the marginalized skate community (ages 10-17 & 18-24 ). We will offer members a safe environment with tutoring to complete their high school education or GED while providing them with ways to give back to their community through volunteer work. The park will highlight the ability to use or re-purpose unused city space in an innovative fashion as well as cultivate the local skate community through alternative educations and positive reinforcement.

http://www.alchemyindoor.com/index.html

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