Board Member

Mission 

FamilyWise has been keeping children safe and helping families lead stable, healthy and productive lives since 1976. We educate, empower and enrich families who are struggling with poverty, substance abuse, mental health issues, homelessness and domestic violence. Our mission is to FamilyWise's mission is to strengthen families by promoting the safety, stability, and well-being of children to create a world where every child thrives. 

About the Position 

At Familywise, we strive to maintain a board that is made up of individuals from a diverse set of backgrounds; whether you have just started your career, are a community member with lived experience, or are a veteran board member, we enthusiastically welcome your interest.    

What you provide as a FamilyWise board member: 

Institutional stewardship – Be one of the steady pairs of hands steering our organization. Your presence on our board helps us ensure that we continue to serve our communities with integrity and respect.  

Fiduciary accountability – Provide oversight of FamilyWise’s >$3,000,000 annual budget.  

Strategic planning – Help guide FamilyWise through iterative strategic planning as we continue to explore how we can best serve our clients.  

What you can expect as a board member of FamilyWise: 

Commitment: 

Board members serve for at least two years, and support the recruitment of a new board member to fill their role upon their departure.  

Board members are expected to attend two meetings per month:  

1. Monthly full-board meetings occur on the second Monday of the month at 6 pm. Full-board meetings alternate between business meetings (in which board members make strategic and financial decisions) and learning meetings (in which board members explore topics related to the services FamilyWise offers).  
2. Additionally, board members serve on one of three committees, including marketing and development, finance, and board governance. Board members determine the meeting times of their respective committees  

While our full board meetings are often held at our main offices on University Avenue in Minneapolis, board members have the option of attending meetings virtually.     

Fundraising/Contributing: 

As a driving force behind our fundraising efforts, board members contribute financially to the extent they are able.   

Board members regularly donate in a variety of ways, including recurring donations via employer matching programs. We also ask board members to participate in fundraising efforts on an ongoing basis; examples include, leveraging their professional or personal networks, and assisting with planning our two major yearly fundraising events.   

Who we are looking for: 

FamilyWise is looking for board members who are hardworking, curious, and committed to serving their community. Additionally, we strive to maintain a board that is diverse in terms of race & ethnicity, sexual orientation & gender identity, age, lived experience, political opinion, physical abilities, professions, and geography. All are welcome to apply. We especially welcome those who have a background in any of the following:  

• Lived experience with systems (ex. Justice system, foster care system, etc.)  
• Marketing and public relations  
• Fundraising  
• Law (ex. Human resources, real estate, family law, general practice law, etc.)  
• Financial management  
• Criminal justice and law enforcement  
• Financial management  
• Nonprofit boards & Governance  
• Strategic planning and business development  
• Information technology  

Process to be considered for the board: 

Complete a short application. These applications can be found on our website: https://familywiseservices.org/join-our-board/  

After review of your application, you will be invited to interview with our Executive Director Ann Gaasch and members of the board.    

If we continue with your application, we will then invite you to attend a full-board meeting as a guest.  

Thank you for your interest in serving as a board member of FamilyWise. 

If you have questions or would like more information, contact: Ann Gaasch, Executive Director, 612-877-7827, agaasch@FamilyWiseServices.org