Volunteer Board Member

Founded in 1993 in partnership with MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership and Virginia Commonwealth University, MENTOR Virginia is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that serves individuals, organizations, and communities throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. First known as "Virginia One-To-One" and then “Virginia Mentoring Partnership,” MENTOR Virginia was founded in response to the need for training and best practices in the emerging field of formal, one-to-one mentoring programs for children. 

Since 1993, MENTOR Virginia has trained and supported more than 41,000 volunteers for their roles as mentors and has provided support to more than 800 organizations in every region of the Commonwealth. Annually, MENTOR Virginia provides customized training for an average of 1,600 volunteer mentors and consulting for more than 80 mentoring programs. Since its inception, MENTOR Virginia estimates that these efforts have benefited more than 41,000 youth in Virginia. 

Industry

As the catalyst for quality mentoring in Virginia, MENTOR Virginia is the only organization in Virginia partnering with programs to identify existing quality practices and areas for improvement, develop action plans to meet national standards, and provide ongoing training and support to achieve goals. MENTOR Virginia helps mentoring programs reach more youth and provide higher quality mentoring, which will close the gap between the number of youth who need a mentor and the number of trained adults prepared to serve those youth.

MENTOR Virginia fosters quality mentoring relationships that empower, elevate, and encourage young people. Our vision is that every young person who needs a mentor will have a trained mentor. 

Job Description

MENTOR Virginia is committed to its mission and activities at all levels of the organization, including its Board of Directors. We recognize the importance of supportive relationships in empowering young people, and we believe that varied perspectives and experiences are critical in our mission to close mentoring gaps.

Our board members champion the importance of exceptional board leadership and believe that every organization needs a strong and effective board to fully realize its potential for good. In addition to the standard roles and responsibilities of a board member, our board members are active advocates and ambassadors for the organization and are fully engaged in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary for MENTOR Virginia to advance its mission.

The board of MENTOR Virginia is a volunteer board. Members are not paid and dedicate their time and expertise to support MENTOR Virginia and its mission and collective purpose. 

We expect each board member to:

• Know the organization’s mission, policies, programs, and needs.
• Faithfully read and understand the organization’s financial statements and board materials in advance of meetings.
• Serve as active advocates and ambassadors for the organization and fully engage in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary to advance its mission and collective purpose.
• Leverage connections, networks, and resources to develop collective action to achieve MENTOR Virginia’s mission.
• Give a meaningful personal financial donation.
• Help identify personal connections that can benefit the organization’s fundraising and reputational standing and influence public policy.
• Prepare for, attend, and conscientiously participate in board meetings.
• Participate fully in one or more committees or task forces.
• Engage in learning opportunities to better understand the community your organization serves.
• Respect the experiences of all who bring their voices and lived experiences onto the board and the organization.
• Honor our values.

We are looking for mission aligned individuals with strong collaboration, communication and implementation skills. At this time, we are particularly in need of individuals with skills in the following areas of expertise:

• Legal
• Advancement, notably fund development
• Strategic partnerships

Values

MENTOR Virginia embraces individual differences and celebrates our common humanity in advancing the need and transformative power of supportive relationships for young people. We believe that varied perspectives, experiences, and opinions are central assets in our mission to close mentoring gaps. As leaders, we activate gifts, skills, time, and networks to empower others. We believe that respect and trust create a holistic environment where we all thrive.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply through this Google Form: https://bit.ly/3XNHNcS.

We are no longer accepting applications. Thank you to all who applied.