Chief Governance Officer (Volunteer)

Chief Governance Officer (Volunteer)

PromiseGovernance | Governance, Ethics & Organizational Stewardship

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromiseGovernance

Location: Remote with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Commitment: Approximately 5–10 hours per week

Type: Volunteer Executive Leadership Role

Minimum Commitment: 6-month commitment required

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit organization serving children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, educational enrichment, workforce development, creative opportunity, advocacy, housing innovation, and community-centered support.

As MAP grows, effective governance is essential to sustaining public trust, organizational integrity, and long-term impact.

Strong governance ensures that every decision reflects our mission, strengthens accountability, and supports responsible stewardship of the people and resources entrusted to our care.

About PromiseGovernance

PromiseGovernance is MAP's governance, board relations, organizational accountability, ethics, policy governance, and enterprise stewardship division.

The division establishes the governance systems, leadership practices, and organizational frameworks that promote transparency, ethical leadership, strategic oversight, and effective decision-making across the organization.

PromiseGovernance exists to ensure MAP operates with integrity, accountability, and excellence while remaining mission-focused and future-ready.

Role Overview

The Chief Governance Officer serves as the executive leader responsible for the strategic direction and operational excellence of PromiseGovernance.

This role provides executive leadership for governance strategy, Board of Directors support, governance policy, organizational accountability, ethical leadership, enterprise stewardship, and board effectiveness.

Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, executive leadership team, and division chiefs, the Chief Governance Officer ensures that governance practices strengthen organizational performance, reinforce public trust, and support sustainable growth.

The ideal candidate is an experienced executive leader with expertise in nonprofit governance, board relations, organizational leadership, policy development, ethics, and enterprise governance.

Key Responsibilities

Governance Strategy

• Develop and lead MAP's enterprise governance strategy
• Strengthen governance frameworks that support organizational excellence
• Align governance practices with MAP's mission, vision, and strategic priorities
• Promote effective governance across all divisions
• Support continuous improvement of governance systems

Board Governance & Relations

• Serve as the primary executive liaison to the Board of Directors
• Support board governance, committee operations, and governance planning
• Coordinate board meetings, governance documentation, and board development
• Strengthen board engagement and governance effectiveness
• Ensure governance practices align with nonprofit best practices

Ethics & Organizational Accountability

• Promote ethical leadership throughout the organization
• Strengthen accountability frameworks and organizational stewardship
• Support enterprise decision-making rooted in integrity and transparency
• Oversee governance policies and codes of conduct
• Foster a culture of responsibility and ethical leadership

Governance Policies & Stewardship

• Lead development and maintenance of governance policies and organizational standards
• Ensure governance documents remain current and effective
• Support policy review and governance modernization initiatives
• Strengthen organizational stewardship and responsible oversight
• Promote governance consistency across MAP

Executive & Enterprise Governance

• Advise executive leadership on governance matters
• Support enterprise governance and organizational risk oversight
• Facilitate strategic governance discussions and executive decision-making
• Promote cross-divisional accountability and collaboration
• Strengthen organizational resilience through sound governance

Cross-Divisional Collaboration

• Partner with PromiseTrust on governance and legal matters
• Collaborate with PromisePeople on governance-related leadership initiatives
• Support PromiseOperations in organizational effectiveness efforts
• Work with PromiseShield on governance related to cybersecurity, privacy, and enterprise risk
• Align governance initiatives with organizational strategy

Executive Leadership Responsibilities

The Chief Governance Officer provides executive leadership and oversight for:

Board Governance

Responsible for:

• Board relations
• Board effectiveness
• Governance committees
• Board development

Governance & Policy

Responsible for:

• Governance frameworks
• Organizational policies
• Governance standards
• Enterprise governance

Ethics & Accountability

Responsible for:

• Ethical leadership
• Organizational accountability
• Stewardship
• Transparency

Organizational Governance

Responsible for:

• Mission alignment
• Strategic oversight
• Executive governance
• Governance innovation

Potential Reporting Structure

Director of Board Governance & Board Relations

Director of Governance Policy & Organizational Stewardship

Director of Ethics & Organizational Accountability

Director of Governance Operations

Governance Program Managers

Board Relations Coordinators

Governance Analysts

Preferred Qualifications

• Executive leadership experience in nonprofit governance, corporate governance, public administration, legal operations, organizational leadership, or related fields
• Strong knowledge of nonprofit governance principles and board operations
• Experience supporting Boards of Directors and executive leadership teams
• Exceptional strategic planning, communication, and leadership abilities
• Experience developing governance frameworks, organizational policies, or enterprise governance initiatives
• Passion for ethical leadership, transparency, and mission-driven organizations

Why This Role Matters

Strong governance builds strong organizations.

Strong organizations create lasting impact.

The Chief Governance Officer helps ensure that Mentor A Promise remains accountable, transparent, mission-focused, and governed with integrity as it grows.

This role provides the governance foundation that enables MAP to responsibly serve children and families while earning the trust of volunteers, donors, partners, and the communities we serve.

Success Measures

• Strength of governance frameworks and organizational accountability
• Board effectiveness and engagement
• Governance policy development and implementation
• Executive leadership support and strategic governance alignment
• Organizational transparency and ethical leadership
• Advancement of enterprise governance and stewardship initiatives

Leadership Participation

The Chief Governance Officer is expected to:

• Attend Executive Leadership Team meetings
• Attend Board of Directors and Governance Committee meetings
• Conduct weekly one-on-one check-ins with direct reports
• Lead governance planning and organizational stewardship initiatives
• Foster cross-divisional collaboration and executive alignment

Volunteer Expectations

• Approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6-month commitment required
• Maintain timely and professional communication
• Collaborate through MAP systems and communication platforms
• Support MAP's safeguarding standards, mission, and organizational values
• Foster a culture of integrity, accountability, transparency, and excellence

What You'll Gain

• Executive leadership experience helping shape the governance of a growing nonprofit organization
• Opportunity to build enterprise governance systems with long-term organizational impact
• Collaboration with executive leaders, board members, and governance professionals
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Meaningful impact supporting an organization dedicated to children and families experiencing housing instability

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and include their resume and cover letter.

Please highlight experience involving nonprofit governance, board leadership, organizational strategy, public administration, policy governance, legal operations, executive leadership, or related disciplines.

Help build the governance, accountability, and ethical leadership that will guide Mentor A Promise for generations to come.

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.