Thank you for your interest in serving on the Community Shares Board of Directors!

​

The responsibilities of the Board shall include the management, direction, and control of the activities, affairs
and property of Community Shares, and shall include the following powers and duties:

​

Policy Administration: Ensure that Community Shares operates within its by-laws. Help propose by-laws
revisions. Recommend and implement policies, which, in turn, determine the organization’s purpose,
principles, functions and activities. Exercise final decision-making power over committee activities and
recommendations.
 

Evaluation and Planning: Regularly monitor organizational activities, including operations and committee
work. Engage in strategic planning.
 

Media and Public Relations: Interpret the work of Community Shares to the public based on thorough
knowledge and understanding.
 

Personnel: Hire and oversee the Executive Director. Participate in an annual evaluation of the Executive
Director (done by the Executive Committee). Create and approve all personnel policies. Work with Community
Shares staff on the day to day on all organizational operations. Participate in recruitment and ongoing
development of Board and committee members.
 

Finance: Oversee all accounting and financial matters. Authorize and approve annual budget. Be responsible
for monitoring all organizational expenditures.
 

Fundraising: Advise and assist in fundraising efforts. Ensure adequate fundraising activities to fund
Community Shares' member groups.
 

Workplace Campaign and Access: Participate in identifying potential workplaces for payroll deduction campaigns. Regularly monitor the progress of workplace campaigns. Recommend workplaces that have the potential for running a Community Shares workplace giving campaign.
 

Membership: Approve or deny admission to member applicants. Help monitor active member groups and remove members if necessary.
 

Other: Perform all other duties that are inherent in or appropriate to the Board of Directors, except for those, which have been specifically reserved for the membership in the by-laws.

 

In addition, Board members work to support social change in Tennessee. Specifically to support those
organizations who are working for a more equitable distribution of resources, wealth, and power, and to
support those organizations who are working to eliminate the social, economic, cultural and political barriers
that keep people from fully participating in society.

​

Community Shares is seeking Board members:

• Who are diverse in terms of race, gender, age, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation, but with special emphasis on achieving racial diversity.

• Who are from East, Middle, and West Tennessee in similar proportion to the location of Member Organizations in those areas of the state.

• Whose familiarity and experience fairly represents the various types of issues or causes which are represented and advocated by Community Shares’ member groups.

• Who have expertise in matters such as law, accounting, public relations, finance, fundraising, and any other areas that the Board deems valuable to assist it in its stewardship of the organization.

​

Commitment:

Board participation is vital to the success of Community Shares. Please note that if you miss a Board meeting you are
expected to inform Community Shares staff, and if you miss more than two meetings in one year, you may be asked to step down.

​

Board members are asked to commit to:

• Attend four (approximately 4-5 hour) Saturday Board meetings a year.

• Travel to Board meetings (typically in Nashville, but could be in Knoxville, Memphis or elsewhere).

• Join a Community Shares committee.

• Attend the annual Membership Meeting (In Nashville, typically in August).

• Help raise money for Community Shares.

• Make a personal donation (of any size) to Community Shares.

• Member group representatives are asked to agree to work for the benefit of Community Shares and not
  just represent their specific member organization.

​