Senior Director of Governance & Board Affairs (Volunteer)

Senior Director of Governance & Board Affairs (Volunteer)

PromiseTrust | Governance, Board Relations & Organizational Accountability

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromiseTrust

Location: Remote / Hybrid (NYC Collaboration as Needed)

Type: Volunteer Senior Leadership Role

Commitment: Approximately 5–10 Hours Per Week

Minimum Commitment: 6-Month Commitment Required

Reports To: Deputy General Counsel & Chief of Legal Operations

Works Closely With: Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel, Board of Directors, Executive Leadership Team, Governance Committee, Division Chiefs, and Organizational Leadership

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit organization supporting children, youth, and families experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, educational enrichment, social-emotional learning, workforce development, creative expression, housing innovation, and community-centered opportunity.

As MAP continues to grow, strong governance becomes increasingly important.

Effective governance creates clarity.

Accountability creates trust.

Transparency creates confidence.

The Senior Director of Governance & Board Affairs helps ensure that MAP's governance systems support long-term organizational excellence.

About PromiseTrust

PromiseTrust serves as Mentor A Promise's Legal Division and is responsible for:

• Legal Affairs
• Corporate Governance
• Board Governance
• Compliance
• Risk Management
• Contracts & Agreements
• Organizational Accountability
• Policy Development
• Ethics & Integrity
• Legal Operations

PromiseTrust helps safeguard the integrity, stewardship, and sustainability of the organization.

Role Overview

Mentor A Promise is seeking an experienced and highly organized Senior Director of Governance & Board Affairs to lead governance administration, board affairs, governance compliance, and organizational accountability efforts across the organization.

This leader serves as the primary operational steward of MAP's governance framework and works closely with executive leadership, board leadership, and PromiseTrust to ensure strong governance practices are maintained.

The role is responsible for overseeing:

• Board governance
• Board committees
• Governance policies
• Organizational resolutions
• Bylaws administration
• Conflict-of-interest management
• Board operations
• Governance reporting
• Organizational transparency initiatives

The ideal candidate understands that governance is more than compliance.

It is the foundation of institutional trust.

Core Responsibilities

Board Governance

Lead and support governance practices involving:

• Board governance administration
• Board meeting coordination
• Governance calendars
• Board records management
• Board onboarding
• Governance documentation
• Board communications

Help ensure the Board can operate effectively and strategically.

Board Committees

Support and coordinate:

• Governance Committee
• Executive Committee
• Finance Committee
• Audit Committee
• Strategic Planning Committees
• Special Board Committees

Maintain committee records, schedules, and governance documentation.

Bylaws & Corporate Governance

Oversee:

• Bylaw administration
• Governance reviews
• Organizational governance standards
• Governance policy implementation
• Governance recommendations
• Corporate governance best practices

Help ensure governance structures remain current and effective.

Organizational Resolutions & Corporate Records

Maintain and administer:

• Board resolutions
• Corporate records
• Governance archives
• Organizational actions
• Governance approvals
• Institutional documentation

Support organizational continuity and accountability.

Governance Policies

Lead governance policy management involving:

• Governance frameworks
• Board policies
• Committee charters
• Governance procedures
• Organizational accountability policies
• Transparency standards

Help build governance systems that scale with organizational growth.

Conflict-of-Interest Administration

Oversee:

• Annual disclosures
• Board conflict reviews
• Policy administration
• Disclosure tracking
• Governance compliance monitoring

Promote ethical decision-making and public trust.

Organizational Transparency & Accountability

Support initiatives that strengthen:

• Governance transparency
• Board reporting
• Organizational accountability
• Governance communications
• Institutional stewardship
• Public trust

Help ensure MAP maintains the highest standards of governance integrity.

Governance Education & Board Development

Support:

• Board orientation
• Governance training
• Governance resources
• Committee education
• Governance best-practice implementation

Help strengthen board effectiveness and governance maturity.

Leadership Responsibilities

The Senior Director will provide leadership and oversight for:

Governance Manager

Responsible for:

• Governance processes
• Governance documentation
• Policy administration
• Governance workflows

Board Affairs Manager

Responsible for:

• Board operations
• Meeting coordination
• Committee administration
• Board communications

Governance Analyst

Responsible for:

• Governance research
• Governance reporting
• Policy analysis
• Governance metrics and tracking

Qualifications

Helpful experience may include:

• Corporate Governance
• Nonprofit Governance
• Board Administration
• Legal Operations
• Compliance
• Public Administration
• Corporate Secretary Functions
• Organizational Governance
• Risk & Accountability Programs

Strong candidates often demonstrate:

• Governance expertise
• Exceptional organizational skills
• Executive-level professionalism
• Board relations experience
• Policy development experience
• Strong written communication
• High attention to detail

Experience working with nonprofit boards, governance committees, legal departments, or executive leadership is highly valued.

First-Year Priorities

Within the first year, this leader will help:

• Strengthen MAP's governance framework
• Standardize board governance processes
• Develop governance dashboards and reporting systems
• Improve board onboarding and education
• Centralize governance documentation
• Enhance conflict-of-interest administration
• Strengthen governance transparency practices
• Support board committee effectiveness

Success Measures

Success in this role includes:

• Strong governance compliance
• Effective board operations
• Well-maintained corporate records
• Improved governance transparency
• Strong board engagement
• Timely governance reporting
• Effective committee administration
• Increased organizational accountability

Why This Role Matters

Strong organizations require strong governance.

Strong governance requires structure, accountability, transparency, and stewardship.

The Senior Director of Governance & Board Affairs helps ensure that Mentor A Promise continues to operate with integrity, excellence, and public trust.

This role helps transform governance from a requirement into a strategic organizational asset.

What You'll Gain

• Senior leadership experience within a growing nonprofit organization
• Direct exposure to board governance and executive leadership
• Opportunity to build governance systems and organizational infrastructure
• Collaboration with legal, executive, and board leaders
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Meaningful impact supporting children, youth, and families experiencing housing instability

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and submit:

• Resume or CV
• Brief statement of interest
• Relevant governance, board affairs, legal, compliance, or nonprofit leadership experience

Please share experience involving:

• Board governance
• Governance administration
• Board committees
• Policy development
• Corporate governance
• Compliance
• Organizational accountability

Help strengthen the governance behind the mission.

Because trust is not built through intentions alone.

It is built through accountability, stewardship, and responsible leadership.

This role holds the pieces together.

From bylaws to board meetings to organizational accountability—help ensure governance remains strong before challenges emerge.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.