Give Us Wings Board Member Opportunity

Board Member Position

Organizational Summary:

Give Us Wings International (GUWI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with offices in St. Paul, MN and Tororo, Uganda. Give Us Wings envisions people in our partner communities in rural Uganda living healthy lives with dignity and hope as they pursue their life goals. Give Us Wings’ mission is to encourage, support and partner with people (primarily women and youth) living in extreme poverty in Uganda as they transform their lives and become self-sufficient through greater access to quality health care, education and economic opportunities. We have been working with our partners in Uganda since 1999. You can learn more about Give Us Wings at www.giveuswings.org.

GUWI programs focus on: 

• HEALTH CARE – We offer accessible, high quality health care to over 18,000 people through our clinic in Kayoro, Uganda.
• EDUCATION – Our Family to Family sponsorship program helps families to access health care, parental training and enrolls one of their children (usually the youngest girl in the family) in a boarding schools.
• ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES – Our Entrepreneurial and Livelihoods Development program is training members of local farmers’ cooperatives to manage their cooperatives, identify profitable crops and establish links to markets, thereby increasing coop members’ incomes.

Primary Duties:

Give Us Wings International board members are stewards of our mission and resources. They play an active role in defining and reviewing our mission. Board members set policy and ensure that the organization has adequate resources to carry out its mission. The Board oversees and directs the Executive Director and the organization. It also consults and collaborates with the Give Us Wings Uganda National Advisory Team.

Board Member Qualifications:

Give Us Wings is seeking candidates who are committed to supporting our mission and advocating for the organization. Give Us Wings welcomes board candidates with a broad range of knowledge and skills. We are particularly interested in candidates with the following experience and expertise:

• Fundraising and Grant writing
• Marketing / Communications
• Finance
• Mission specific expertise
• Medical background
• Human Resources
• Nonprofit management
• Prior nonprofit board experience
• Experience living and/or working in East Africa
• Strong interest in addressing gender-based discrimination
• Strong community contacts
• Leadership, interpersonal and intercultural skills

Expectations for Board Members:

• To regularly attend Board and Committee meetings
• To understand the mission and history of the organization
• To be prepared for Board meetings and actively participate in discussions
• To actively promote the success of Give Us Wings through volunteering your time, participating in fundraising activities, recruiting volunteers, donors and other Board members
• To contribute a financial or in-kind gift to the organization on an annual basis at a level reflective of personal means
• To attend our two main fundraising events, one in the spring and one in the fall, and to attend as many of our other fundraising events as possible throughout the year

Board terms are two years and we request that you make a commitment to be a Board member for at least two years. Board service requires about 5 to 8 hours per month. Board meetings are held from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on the third Monday of every other month (January, March, May, July, September, and November) as well as special and committee meetings as needed. This is an uncompensated volunteer position.

Additional Information:

Give Us Wings recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching and supporting Give Us Wings’ mission. We are committed to attracting and retaining board members with varying identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage women, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), people in the LGBTQIA+ community and people with disabilities to apply.

We are seeking 2-3 new Board members at this time.

How to Apply:

To apply, please attach your resume and answer the following questions:

1. Why are you interested in serving as a member of the Give Us Wings Board of Directors?
2. What is your relevant experience as it relates to the needs of the Give Us Wings Board of Directors?
3. What contributions do you feel you can make and what are your areas of expertise?
4. Have you served on any other Boards? If so, which ones?
5. Do you have any experience traveling in, living and/or working in East Africa?
6. Is there anything else you would like us to know or consider?

Deadline for applying is February 28, 2021