March 31, 2010 by Net Impact Austin
GET INVOLVED
Becoming a volunteer through Net Impact Austin is a great way to get to know like-minded professionals in Central Texas while working toward a worthy goal. As an all-volunteer organization, we are always looking for fresh faces and new energy to add to our Leadership Team, at a variety of commitment levels - from a supporting a single event to developing a year-long program.
Being a member of the Leadership Team allows you to gain valuable experience as well as grow your relationships with other members and build contacts throughout the community. For more information or to volunteer, email us using Contact Us.
JOIN THE LEADERSHIP TEAM
Early each year, the Executive Board looks to the membership to find new faces to serve on the Net Impact Austin Leadership Team. We need your leadership, involvement and support to remain such a productive, creative group. Volunteering isn't just about service to the chapter, the returns on service are often much greater than the service itself!
The Leadership Team consists of an Executive Board as well as a wide variety of Special Interest and Committee Roles. Graduating student chapter members and non-members are encouraged to volunteer assuming a commitment to becoming a Net Impact Austin member prior to taking office.
Service terms typically begin in June and last for one year, however there are always ways to help - if you have an interesting in volunteering, Contact Us to learn more about potential opportunities! Many team members volunteer for multiple years because it is rewarding on both a personal and professional level.
Time Commitment
Everyone has lives outside of their work, including family, so we understand that it is hard to fit anything extra into your schedule. But we wouldn't ask if it were not a fun and worthwhile experience. Outlined below is a typical Executive Board member’s time commitment, less the hours spent performing your actual job duties (which can range from as little as 1 hour a month to more as time spent varies from position to position and seasonally with events).
- Attending monthly board meeting - 1 hour
- Attending monthly events – 2 hours
- Preparation (reports, etc.) for monthly board meeting - 30 minutes
- Reading and responding to board emails; generating one blog per month – 1.5 hour per month
- Attending Executive Board retreats – ½ day retreat held twice a year
The average time commitment for Executive Board members is 5-8 hours per month, depending on the role, in addition to the bi-annual ½ day retreats. Special Interest and Commmittee Roles typically require less time, averaging 1-3 hours per month. If you are uncertain about the time commitment or schedule, please Contact Us for more information.
Nomination Process
Members typically nominate themselves for a position on the Leadership Team. Graduating student chapter members and non-members are encouraged to participate in the nomination process assuming commitment to becoming a Net Impact Austin member prior to taking office. The nominating committee does its best to match candidates with positions or combinations of positions and prepares a slate of officers. The membership then votes to approve or reject the slate of officers.
Some positions are more sought after, so candidates are encouraged to list at least three position preferences when expressing interest in board service. If you feel unqualified for a position (or don't have specific experience in that area), do not let that prevent you for going for that position. The outgoing board member or another board member will be willing to train you and give you the support needed for success.
If interested in board service, please send an email to mail@netimpactaustin.org with:
- A current resume
- A brief paragraph sharing what is about Net Impact Austin that inspires or interests you
- Links to online blogs, professional profiles, etc – if available – to help the Nominating Committee get to know you
- Your choice of two to three position preferences in priority order, with any supporting statements you wish to include
- Any questions you may have
The annual deadline to apply is April 30th. The nominating committee then meets and decides on a slate of officers. They then confirm with the applicants that each is willing to serve in the position the nominating committee selected for him/her. The slate of officers is then voted on by members online. (Positions that are not filled at this time may be filled throughout the year as additional volunteers are identified.)
Position Descriptions
Roles may vary year to year based on volunteer interest and strategic plans.
Executive Board
President -The President of Net Impact Austin is supports the board in design and execution of annual strategic plans, plans and leads bi-annual Executive Board retreats, and represents the chapter in the community. This individual serves as the chapter point of contact for Net Impact Central, manages chapter activities to maintain good standing status, and chairs the nominating committee, which selects the following year’s Executive Board.
President-Elect - The President-elect represents the chapter at the annual Net Impact national conference and serves as the liaison to leaders of other NI chapters globally. The President-elect serves as an advisor to the President and assists with representing the chapter in the community. (This is a 2 year commitment: one year as President-Elect followed by one year as President.)
Financial Manager – Develops and tracks financial performance to an annual budget. Maintains records, reporting and filings in compliance with state and federal laws for a 501c3. Controls and reports on accounts to prevent fraud, misappropriation, or misuse of chapter funds.
Chairs may manage committees that support their activities. In this situation, Chairs are responsible for recruiting and managing their teams in addition to bringing ideas from their committees to the Executive Board for discussion and approval prior to implementation. There is great flexibility in the types of activities and strategies that each Chair may pursue; the board is open to new ideas!
Issue Awareness Chair – Issue Awareness is our ‘think tank’ role. This individual is responsible for designing, planning, and executing events that educate members on emerging trends and important topics related to social, economic, and environmental sustainability. He/she monitors publications and news feeds that and regularly shares relevant information with our members via blogs, Twitter and FB. Past events have included site tours, speaker panels, and debates.
Community Impact Chair – Community Impact is where the rubber meets the road. Through workshops, projects, and events Community Impact activities provide a forum for professional development and community development through skills-based volunteerism. This individual is responsible for designing, planning, and executing programs and events for this purpose. In the past this has included Challenge Workshops, Consulting Projects, and the Good Fun! Institute. More information about these efforts available here.
Membership Chair – Membership is our recruitment and retention guru. This individual is responsible for recruiting new members, assisting prospective members and retaining current members. This includes evaluation and integration of relevant NI-C initiatives and development of membership-building alliances with like-minded organizations. This typically includes planning and execution of networking-focused events.
Technology Chair – Technology helps us to engage our members between events. This individual functions both as a webmaster, maintaining our website (currently Drupal), and as a strategist, advising the Board of recommended changes to how to best connect with members. In addition to the website, the chapter has a Twitter account and Facebook Fan page.
Public Relations Chair – This individual is accountable for public relations and marketing to increase visibility for Net Impact Austin events and strategic partnerships that will enhance the organization’s position the market. This includes ownership of member and donor value propositions and creation of branded templates for communications. This individual often collaborates with Membership Chair in the development of strategic partnerships that enhance the member value proposition.
Operations Chair – This individual is responsible for identifying and negotiating venues, support, and execution of event logistics. This includes collaborating with other chairs / committees to ensure technical needs and room setups are appropriate for planned events.
Special Projects Chair – This is a leadership role for new initiatives. Examples include Corporate Sustainability Leaders Consortium and the NI-Austin Mentoring Program.
Administrative & Special Interest Roles: These roles typically support one or more of the positions listed above.
Assessment Specialist – Develops and applies tools that keep a pulse on membership interests and satisfaction including annual member interest survey and event feedback.
Operations Coordinator – Manages event check-in processes including venue validation, registration and nametags as well as on-the-spot membership signup and donation / fee collection. Enthusiastically welcomes attendees and is a knowledgeable resource about Net Impact Austin.
Membership Coordinator – Manages inquiries about membership status from members and partnering organizations to ensure easy access to member services; Maintains membership records using online CRM systems; ensures that new and renewing members receive appropriate communications.
National Organization Liaison – Serves as the liaison between Net Impact Austin and Net Impact Central. He/he/she attends reports on activities and shares information between organizations.
Student Chapter Liaison – The student chapter liaison acts as the communication and support link from the professional chapter to college chapters in the surrounding area, including the University of Texas at Austin Student Chapters.
Multi-Media Coordinator- This individual will coordinate a record of the organization’s activities using photography, video, and other forms of media. They also help explore new options such as live feed at key events to expand our reach and collaboration capabilities with ease.
Good Fun! Coordinator – Monitors and assists with Good Fun! Institute projects developed and led by member teams.
Blogger(s) - He/she monitors publications and news feeds that and regularly shares relevant information and opinions with members via blogs, Twitter and FB.
Secretary - Facilitates communication within the organization by distributing reports and minutes to board members.
Newsletter Editor – Produces a monthly e-newsletter using a online contact management system. He/she is responsible for soliciting and writing announcements, editing content and format when necessary and distributing the newsletter.
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- Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 10: December 2008
- Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 4: July 2008
- Leadership Dinner: Get Involved!
- Bringing Business Skills to the Nonprofit Sector
- Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 9: October 2009
- Webinar: Is Your Employee Volunteering/Giving Program Working?
- Citizen Engineer - A Call to Action
- Executive Board Meeting
- Net Impact Lifetime Member Strategy Call
- Entrepreneurs' Foundation of Central Tx: Corporate Social Responsibility Conference