Board of Directors Application

LYRIC (Lavender Youth Recreation & Information Center)
127 Collingwood Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
www.lyric.org

MISSION:
LYRIC's mission is to build community and inspire positive social change through education enhancement, career training, health promotion, and leadership development with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth, their families, and allies of all races, classes, genders, and abilities.

VISION:
LYRIC envisions a diverse society where LGBTQQ youth are embraced for who they are and encouraged to be who they want to be. By working towards social justice and supporting young leaders, their families and allies, LYRIC is building a world that that honors, respects and appreciates LGBTQQ youth and their contributions.

LYRIC Board Responsibilities:
As a team, the Board of Directors provides legal, ethical, financial, and programmatic oversight to our non-profit organization. More specifically, board members will:
1. Monitor progress towards LYRIC's mission, vision, and goals stated in a Strategic Plan
2. Develop, review, and approve organizational policies and budgets
3. Initiate and participate in fundraising activities, and ensures adequate resources for the organization
4. Enhance LYRIC's public image and represent LYRIC to the public
5. Ensure LYRIC's compliance with legal, ethical, and financial standards and responsibilities
6. Monitor and evaluate programs and services
7. Support the Executive Director and manage/review her performance

LYRIC Board Requirements:
1) Volunteer a minimum of 10 -15 hours a month
2) Attend an evening board meeting on the first Tuesdays of the month
3) Join one Board Committee
4) Assist the board in fundraising activities including compliance with LYRIC's Give/Get Policy
5) Commitment to LGBTQQ youth issues and LYRIC's mission and vision

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Thank you for your interest in joining the Board of Directors at LYRIC. Please fill out this application form and submit it along with your resume to Jodi Schwartz, the Executive Director of LYRIC. (We encourage you to fill out the application electronically and e-mail it as an attachment with your resume. This assists us in forwarding your application to the Board of Directors and Interview Committee more efficiently.)

Personal & Contact Information:

Name: __________________________________________ Date: __________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Home phone number: __________________________________

Work phone number: __________________________________

Cell/Pager: __________________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________

Which is the best way to contact you (home, work, cell, email)?

____________________________________________________________________________

While demographic questions are optional, this information helps support diversity on the board.

Age: ________ Gender Identity: ______________________________________

Ethnicity: ___________________________________________

Sexual orientation:____________________________________

Community & Affiliations:

1. Have you ever participated in LYRIC programs or services? If the answer is yes, which ones, and what did you gain?

____________________________________________________________________________

2. Which communities are you active in or are you a part of? ____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

3. Please list any organizational or professional affiliations, including any past or present board experience.

____________________________________________________________________________

Interests, Experience, & Commitment:

4. Why are you interested in serving on LYRIC’s Board of Directors?

____________________________________________________________________________

5. What experiences, expertise, connections, or resources would you bring to LYRIC?

____________________________________________________________________________

6. Please indicate whether you have working knowledge or experience in the following areas:
___       Community organizing (e.g. gathering support to solve a community problem)
___       Developing activities/programs for youth
___       Event planning and coordination
___       Finance & budgeting or money management
___       Fundraising
___       Getting donations
___       Grant writing
___       Scholarship application or award application writing
___       Outreach (promoting activities to communities)
___       Law/legal matters
___       Non-profit management
___       Organizational development
___       Personnel management/development
___       Public relations or media work
___       Teaching/mentoring
___       Working with youth

7. What do you think are some of the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) youth?

____________________________________________________________________________

8. What experiences do you have in social justice and anti-oppression work?

____________________________________________________________________________

9. What do you think are some specific ways that an organization can be a leader in doing social justice and anti-oppression work? How can you assist in that process?

____________________________________________________________________________

10. Directors of the LYRIC Board often take on special projects, in addition to their Board responsibilities, to assist LYRIC in paving the way for LGBTQQ youth. Please let us know if you have any specific project ideas you would like to propose.

____________________________________________________________________________

11. Unlike a simple advisory board, LYRIC's Board is an exciting and engaged working board. Board members are required to participate in one annual board retreat, two annual events, a monthly board meeting, and join one standing committee, which meets once per month outside of the monthly board meeting. Board members are also required to participate in fundraising and development activities, and comply with LYRIC's Give/Get Policy, part of which entails that every Board member gives an annual gift to LYRIC that is personally significant and meaningful. Will you be able to make this commitment to LYRIC?

_____ Yes _____ No _____ Maybe: Please indicate any concerns below:

____________________________________________________________________________

12. The LYRIC Board has 4 standing committees: (1) Board Building & Governance, (2) Development, (3) Finance & Human Resources, and (4) Program. Please check all that you would be interesting in joining.

_____ Board Building & Governance _____ Development
_____ Finance & Human Resources _____ Program

13. Anything else you would like us to know?

____________________________________________________________________________

THANK YOU for your time!

Application Submission:

Please e-mail or mail your application and resume to:
Jodi Schwartz, Executive Director of LYRIC
127 Collingwood Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
Phone: (415) 703-6150 x 19
E-mail: jodi@lyric.org

You will be contacted once your application has been received.

After your application has been reviewed you may be asked to interview in order for us to better get to know you. Please remember to bring a list of references with you to the interview. Thank you for your interest.