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BA Women's Alliance Invites
Alumnae to Apply for
Alumnae Council and Board of Directors 

With your support, the BA Women’s Alliance (formerly B.A. Rudolph Foundation) has grown and evolved tremendously in the past few years. While our dedication to the values B.A. instilled in us remains the constant, our new name, brand, and signature summer program EmpowHER, represent how far we’ve progressed. We're seeking to match this growth through increased representation and diversity of opinions within the Alliance's leadership and we have two opportunities for alumnae to get involved. First, we are launching an Alumnae Council to enrich the alumnae network and support the overall mission of the organization. Second, the BA Women’s Alliance is recruiting two alumnae to join the Board of Directors.

 

Read on for additional information and watch a recording of our Alumnae Council information session, hosted on August 21st. During this info session, we provided an overview of the Alumnae Council and Board of Directors, talked through the application and selection process, and answered questions. Finally, here's the link to the application to begin the process (there is one application for both the Alumnae Council and the Board of Directors)!

APPLY TODAY

Background:

  • Over the past 12 months, we have worked closely with Board Source  (the nation’s leader on nonprofit governance) to update our Board and governance structure, policies, and procedures as we step into our next phase.
  • The Alumnae Council will be a committee that reports to the Board of Directors.
  • It is the Alumnae Council’s responsibility to enrich the alumnae community and advance the overall mission of the Alliance.
  • The Board of Directors is the governing and fiduciary body of the Alliance. The 10 basic responsibilities of board members are outlined here.

Benefits of Joining a Board: 

  • Pathway to joining other Boards of Directors and executive level leadership positions 
  • Expand your network with other BA women throughout cohorts and with those who participate with the Alliance in other avenues 
  • Learn new professional development skills as you carry out your council duties
  • Advance a cause you care about! Make specific and meaningful contributions, inform strategy, and shape the future of the organization
  • Be a part of our work at a critical time in our trajectory; have a voice in the infrastructure of the newest installment of BA Women
  • #LiftAsYouClimb  
  • See this BoardSource article for more!

Structure and Composition:

  • The Alumnae Council will consist of up to 9 members. In addition to these Council positions, the Council will also be forming ad hoc committees for additional alumnae to get involved on various projects. (In other words, if you’re not selected for a Council position, there will still be many ways to get involved!)
  • The Alliance will also welcome 5-7 new members to the Board of Directors, in addition to its 4 current members. Two of these new board members will be alumnae.

Timeline:

  • There is one application for the Alumnae Council and Board of Directors. The application is now open and will close on September 6.
  • The Alliance hosted an information session for alumnae on Wednesday, August 21 at 8pm EST to walk through the process and answer questions; Watch the Webinar Recording.
  • Board and Council members will be selected by early November and announced at Breaking Barriers (November 15, 2019).
  • Terms will start in January 2020 and last three years, with the option for renewed terms.

Eligibility:

For an alumna to be eligible, they must:

  • Have completed a program with the BA Women’s Alliance or its previous iteration, the B.A. Rudolph Foundation. This includes EmpowHER, a summer internship program / scholarship, or the scholarship at the Clinton School of Public Service. Please note: 2019 EmpowHER participants are eligible and encouraged to apply!
  • Have demonstrated continued commitment and contributions to the Alliance since completing their program (i.e. volunteered for committees, attended events, served as a mentor, promoted the program through their communities, etc.)
  • Alumnae Council members do not need to live or work in Washington, DC, but they do need to attend a few DC-based events over the course of their terms. Travel stipends to select DC-based events will be provided on needs-based basis.

Alumnae Council Roles:

  • The Alumnae Council is a committee that reports to the Board of Directors. Members of the Council are expected to contribute to EmpowHER and alumnae programming by:
    • Providing alumnae perspectives to the staff and Board of Directors (including making specific proposals to support BA Women and providing their recommendation / review on Alliance projects),
    • Recruiting for each year’s EmpowHER cohort by helping get the word out to their colleges, universities, and communities,
    • Supporting in the planning of annual Breaking Barriers event (2020 and beyond, typically held in November),
    • Making the Alliance a top philanthropic priority, making a donation at a level that is commensurate with their ability to give,
    • Managing the (new!) Alumnae LinkedIn group, Alumnae newsletter, and supporting other communications among alumnae.
    • Alumnae council members are expected to:
      • Attend regular Alumnae Council calls (typically one hour a month),
      • Attend Breaking Barriers 2019 (a full day Alumnae convening in Washington, DC, followed by our fall evening celebration; note: needs-based travel stipends will be provided), and
      • Contribute to the advancement of the organization by serving on committees with other Council members, Directors, and other topical experts.
    • Members of the Alumnae Council are not voting members of the Board of Directors (and therefore do not have the budgetary, fiduciary, governing and legal responsibility for the organization).
    • All members of the Alumnae Council will serve as ambassadors of the organization, in their own communities and with the BA women’s community.  This could include, but is not limited to, being featured on our website, attending events on behalf of the organization, and more.

Positions of the Alumnae Council will include:

  • Co-Chair (1 of 2) 
  • Co-Chair (2 of 2)
    • Co-chairs of the council will be invited to attend board meetings and have a non-voting role
    • Liaises with the Board of Directors; considers proposals from the Alumnae Council to advance to the Board of Directors
    • Works closely with Program Director, Kristen Hecht, to steer the direction of the Alumnae Council and advance the mission of the organization
    • Co-chairs meetings, sets goals and agendas, sends followup
  • Communications
    • Manages members and facilitates conversation in the EmpowHER Alumnae LinkedIn group
    • Writes and sends quarterly alumnae newsletter, keeping community up to date on all organizational news
    • Contributes alumnae content to the organization's external communications, including social media and blogs
  • Fundraising
    • Manages annual peer-to-peer fundraising appeal via EveryAction 
    • Supports event-based fundraising initiatives (i.e. silent auction at Breaking Barriers)
    • Expands donor appreciation efforts by sending thank you notes, making phone calls, etc. 
  • EmpowHER Recruitment
    • Organizes and performs EmpowHER's alumnae application outreach campaign to various stakeholders (universities, membership organizations, professional networks, etc.) 
    • Interacts with prospective applicants to convert application interest into application submissions (includes, but is not limited to, texting campaigns and webinar speaking opportunities)
  • EmpowHER Application Review Committees (ARC) 
    • Consults with Alliance staff members on alumnae involvement in the application review process
    • Recruits, trains, and supports ARC chairs and members throughout the review process
    • Manages EmpowHER applications through the review process using application portal software
  • EmpowHER Programming
    • Welcomes newly admitted EmpowHER participants by facilitating alumnae phone calls and other messages
    • Matches alumnae volunteers with current EmpowHER participants to facilitate personal and professional mentorship
    • Supports summer programming as needed; including organizing alumnae panels at welcome event and farewell dinner
  • Alumnae Programs
    • Leads annual alumnae retention initiatives; including updating contact information and interest in volunteer opportunities 
    • Supports and advises Alliance staff on the development of Breaking Barriers alumnae convening and engagement 
    • Identifies and makes proposals for other areas/ways to support the continued personal and professional development of BA alumnae
  • Member at Large
    • Supports various committees of the Alumnae Council and other priorities of the organization as needed

The time commitment to serve on the Alumnae Council is expected to be 5-10 hours / month, with variations depending on the season and position held (e.g. EmpowHER recruitment position will most likely volunteer more hours in winter and early spring when applications are open, and fewer hours at other times of the year; whereas Co-Chair and Communications positions will most likely volunteer their time more evenly over the course of the year).

Board Roles:

  • The Board of Directors, including the two alumnae members, is responsible for the budgetary, fiduciary, governing and legal oversight of the Alliance.
  • Board members make the Alliance a top philanthropic priority, making a donation at a level that is commensurate with their ability to give as well as supporting the organization’s fundraising efforts (the median board member gift for an organization of our size is $1,000).

Board members are expected to:

  • Participate in quarterly day-long Board meetings,
  • Participate in monthly hour-long calls,
  • Attend the annual summer kick-off (June) and Breaking Barriers (November) events, and
  • Contribute to the strategic priorities of the Alliance by serving on one of the Board’s three committees (governance, internal affairs, or external affairs), contributing their expertise in topics including: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), talent development, fundraising, academia / sororities (i.e. connections to a recruitment pool for the Alliance's signature EmpowHER program), legal, finance, and communications/marketing.

Board members do not need to live or work in Washington, DC, but they do need to attend a few DC-based events over the course of their terms. Travel stipends to select DC-based events will be provided on needs-based basis.

If you're interested in learning more, please watch our webinar info session; or get started on your application today by clicking the link below. 

APPLY TODAY