Board Member Job Description

“By definition, a director can’t be passive. How can you direct anything if you’re just sitting there waiting for someone to tell you what to do?”  — from HFHI’s Welcome to the Board

QUALIFICATIONS    

• Unbridled enthusiasm and contagious passion for the mission and vision of Habitat
• Able to sign the Affiliate Covenant, avoid conflicts of interest, and honor confidentiality
• A reputation for integrity, the ability to keep commitments, and willingness to learn
• Emotional maturity with ability to build team spirit and lead by example without micro-managing
• Representative of a diverse part of the community and able to influence that community
• Able to dedicate time to work with a committee, and able to encourage others to do so
• Able to contribute financial resources and enthusiastic about encouraging others to give
• Ability to interpret a financial report and make long-range plans for growth
• Able to attend at least one Habitat regional training event during a three-year term
• Good communication skills, flexibility, and a sense of humor

LEGAL DUTY OF CARE — making informed decisions

• Attend board meetings, attend regional training workshops, visit other affiliates, and read Habitat publications (habitat.org and http://my.habitat.org) to become well-educated about the organization, so you can make informed policy decisions
• Determine the affiliate’s vision, mission, and long-range plans, and monitor their success

LEGAL DUTY OF LOYALTY — maintaining accountability

• Do things in the affiliate’s best interest (not your own) to ensure that its affairs are conducted legally and responsibly, in confidentiality, with no conflict of interest–financial or personal agenda
• Maintain the property of the agency in a reasonable state of repair
• Encourage staff development to ensure effective stewardship of abundant community resources
• Employ, evaluate, and nurture the President and Executive Director, who employs and evaluates other staff
  

LEGAL DUTY OF OBEDIENCE — assuring health and growth

• Serve on a committee to ensure the board’s policies and procedures are implemented. Committee expertise is a critical factor in being able to provide good governance.
• Secure the funds necessary to finance the affiliate’s operations, by giving money and by raising money. (Giving time does not equate to giving money and if only a few members do all the fundraising, resentments are bound to grow.  Each member should be able to make an annual financial contribution and participate in one fundraising event a year.
• Be responsible to the Board of Directors President and the Executive Director (as the board’s elected and assigned representatives), once the Board meeting adjourns.
• When Board consensus is reached on a policy, be openly supportive, even if you disagreed during approval process. If you cannot morally support Board actions or policies once approved, you should resign: ongoing contention is contrary to the public trust.  (Resignation should be in writing to the chair and the board of directors. Otherwise, you can be held liable for board actions if the affiliate is sued.)
  

RESULTS

• Transforming personal growth, deeper Christian commitment, leadership development
• An efficient, accountable, and sustainable organization based on mutual trust and consensus
• An important contribution to the elimination of substandard housing from the earth