Board of Director’s
Roles and Responsibilities
Version 1.0 February 11, 2015
Defined Roles on the LACDC Board of Directors:
1. Board Chair
2. Vice President
3. Treasurer
4. Secretary
5. Marketing and Communications Director
6. Operations Director
7. Development/Fund Raising Director
8. Volunteer Director
9. Executive Director
Committees Reporting to the Board of Directors:
1. Governance Committee
2. Fund Raising Committee
3. Volunteer Committee
4. Finance Committee
5. Marketing and Communications Committee
General Responsibilities of All Board Members:
The intention for the Board of Directors of The Lightening Alliance Community Development
Corporation is to be a small, high performing team. As such, roles and responsibilities are defined by
functions required for the operation of the organization. In order to minimize the number of board
members required while at the same time maximizing the effectiveness of the board, organization
officers (Chair, Vice President and Secretary) will not be elected from the board membership at large,
but rather will be recruited to fulfill specific combinations of officer and director roles as defined below.
In addition, all directors as defined below make up the Executive Committee (in other words, the Board
of Directors and the Executive Committee are one in the same). The general responsibilities of all board
members are as follows:
1. Attend all board and assigned committee meetings, and required organization functions.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Be informed about organization’s mission, policies, programs & services.
Review agenda and supporting materials prior to board meetings.
Review the Bylaws to be sure they are in force.
Serve on one or more committees and offer to take on special assignments.
Make a meaningful annual financial contribution to the LACDC.
Be an active advocate for the organization by promoting it throughout your circle of influence.
Suggest possible nominees to the board who can make significant contributions to the work of
the organization.
Keep up-to-date on developments in the organization’s field.
Maintain conflict of interest and confidentiality policies.
Assist the board in carrying out its fiduciary responsibilities.
Be an active steward of the organization’s assets.
Demonstrate leadership in your assigned role.
Communicate your activities to the Marketing Director for organization publicity
Board Chair
Job Description
The Board Chairperson agrees to be responsible for guiding the Board in building a vision and mission
for the organization and in establishing plans and policies to carry out that vision and mission. The
Board Chair sets the tone for the work of the Board, creating an environment that is conducive to
collaborative decision-making. The Board Chair is the community representative of the organization and
represents the organization’s brand.
Until such time as the role of Executive Director is implemented by the organization, the Board Chair
shall be the acting Executive Director.
Specific Responsibilities
1. Satisfy the General Responsibilities for all Board Members.
2. Serve as the senior officer of the organization and partner with the Executive Director to achieve
the organization’s mission.
3. Provide leadership to the Board of Directors, encouraging the Board’s role in planning, financial
accountability, fundraising, evaluation of the Executive Director, and evaluation of program
performance.
4. Chair and facilitate Board meetings. Guide and mediate Board actions with respect to
organizational priorities and governance concerns.
5. Appoint committee chairs. Serve ex-officio on committees (with a vote) and attend their
meetings when possible.
6. Ensure an annual assessment of the full Board, individual Board members, and the Executive
Director.
7. Serve as spokesperson for the LACDC at fundraising events.
8. As the primary public advocate for the organization, attend all relevant meetings requiring
representation by the Board.
9. Serve as the Chair of the Executive Committee
10. Represent LACDC on the Collin County Homeless Coalition
Page 2
11. Represent LACDC on the Collin County Council on Family Violence
Vice President
Job Description
The Board Vice-President/Chair-Elect agrees to be responsible for the duties of the Board Chair in
his/her absence, serve as the Chair of the Governance Committee, and perform other duties as
assigned by the Board Chair.
Specific Responsibilities
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Satisfy the General Responsibilities for all Board Members.
Serve as Chair of the Governance Committee.
Serve on the Executive Committee.
Schedule and lead meetings of the Governance Committee on at least a quarterly basis.
Assist the Board Chair with planning the board agenda.
Ensure board meetings are run in a professional and orderly manner.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Board Chair.
Assume the duties of the Board Chair when he/she is unavailable or unable to fulfill duties
for any reason.
Treasurer
Job Description
The Treasurer agrees to be responsible for the general supervision over all financial affairs of the LACDC
and serve as the chair of the Finance Committee. This officer is responsible for effectively planning,
organizing, coordinating, directing, controlling, recording and reporting the financial activities of the
LACDC and safeguarding its resources. The Treasurer is also responsible for compliance with federal,
state and sometimes, local reporting requirements, established policies and procedures of LACDC and
the Board of Directors.
Specific Responsibilities
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Satisfy the General Responsibilities for all Board Members.
Serve as Chair of the Finance Committee.
Serve on the Executive Committee.
Prepare financial statements for the Board of Directors meetings.
Schedule and lead meetings of the Finance Committee on at least a quarterly basis.
Ensure the accurate completion and timely submission of periodic reports.
Ensure the accurate completion and timely submission of tax filings as required by law.
Develop an annual LACDC budget for board approval.
Keep the board well-informed of the financial status of the LACDC.
Report the financial status of the LACDC at the annual meeting.
Page 3
11. Monitor fiscal policy, disbursements and budget status, making sure the programs
established by the board have financial allocation to achieve their objectives.
12. Ensure fiscal responsibility and the proper implementation of checks and balances.
13. Perform other duties as assigned by the Board Chair.
Secretary
Job Description
The Secretary keeps the minutes of the meetings of the board. The Secretary is responsible for sending
out meeting notices and all correspondence to the board and membership. Because the role of
Secretary is limited in scope, and in order to minimize the number of board members, the role of
Secretary will be performed by one of the following directors as agreed upon at the beginning of their
term:
 Marketing and Communications Director
 Development/Fundraising Director
 Operations Director
 Volunteer Director
Specific Responsibilities
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Satisfy the General Responsibilities for all Board Members.
Solicit board members for input to board meeting agendas.
Prepare and publish board meeting agendas and notices.
Prepare and publish minutes of board meetings.
Distribute correspondence to the board as directed by the Board Chair.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Board Chair.
Marketing and Communications Director
Job Description
The Marketing and Communications Director agrees to be responsible for the general supervision
over all marketing, communications and public relations affairs of the LACDC. This director is
responsible for effectively planning, organizing, coordinating, and directing the LACDC brand in the
community in support of the vision, mission and strategic plan of the organization.
Specific Responsibilities
1.
2.
3.
4.
Satisfy the General Responsibilities for all Board Members.
Serve on the Executive Committee.
Serve as Chair of the Marketing Committee.
Schedule and lead meetings of the Marketing Committee on at least a quarterly basis.
Page 4
5. Develop and execute the annual marketing and communications plan.
6. Direct the maintenance of the organization’s web-site, Facebook page and other social
media tools in accordance with the organization’s vision, mission and strategic plan.
7. Direct the design of video and hard copy media such as rack cards, business cards, banners,
etc. for use in publicizing the mission of the organization.
8. Ensure that press releases are submitted to media outlets in support of organization
activities.
9. Coordinate with the Fundraising Director in the planning and execution of fundraising and
community awareness events.
10. Provide annual marketing budget requirements to the Finance Committee.
11. Perform other duties as assigned by the Board Chair.
12. Serve as the organization’s Secretary per term agreement.
Development/Fundraising Director
Job Description
The Development/Fundraising Director agrees to be responsible for the general supervision over all
planning and execution of fundraising events, grant applications, and donor development and
relations for the organization. The main activity for this director is to generate income for the
organization based on the direction of the Executive Committee.
Specific Responsibilities
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Satisfy the General Responsibilities for all Board Members.
Serve as Chair of the Fundraising Committee.
Serve on the Executive Committee.
Schedule and lead meetings of the Development/Fundraising Committee on at least a
quarterly basis.
Provide annual development/fundraising budget requirements to the Finance Committee.
Coordinate with the Treasurer and the Executive Committee to understand the annual
funding requirements of the organization.
Develop and execute the annual funding plan, including a calendar of fundraising events and
opportunities.
Establish event budgets and provide post-event results reports.
Maintain organizational documentation for use in developing grant applications.
Coordinate with the Marketing and Communications Director to implement marketing and
communications activities in support of fundraising events.
Coordinate with the Chair of the Volunteer Committee to engage necessary volunteer
support for fundraising events.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Board Chair.
Serve as the organization’s Secretary per term agreement.
Operations Director
Job Description
Page 5
The Operations Director agrees to be responsible for the acquisition and maintenance of all
facilities, equipment, tools and resources needed to facilitate the operations of the organization.
Specific Responsibilities
1. Satisfy the General Responsibilities for all Board Members.
2. Serve on the Executive Committee and the Finance Committee.
3. Per the direction of the Executive Committee, acquire and maintain all computer hardware,
software, network and infrastructure requirements for the organization.
4. Coordinate with the Treasurer and the Executive Committee to establish the annual
technology and operations budget requirements of the organization.
5. Maintain all licenses and rentals for the organization.
6. Develop and maintain procedural documentation for the use all software and other
operational activities.
7. Manage the acquisition of office and other supplies needed by the organization.
8. Provide annual operations budget requirements to the Finance Committee.
9. Perform other duties as assigned by the Board Chair.
10. Serve as the organization’s Secretary per term agreement.
Volunteer Director
Job Description
The Volunteer Director agrees to be responsible for the acquisition, development and retention of
all volunteers needed to fulfill the mission and objectives of the organization. This director is a
community liaison in building relationships with organizations and community members interested
in supporting LACDC with their time and skills.
Specific Responsibilities
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Satisfy the General Responsibilities for all Board Members.
Serve on the Executive Committee.
Serve as Chair of the Volunteer Committee.
Schedule and lead meetings of the Volunteer Committee on at least a quarterly basis.
Direct the recruitment, training and retention of all volunteers.
Define/identify long and short term volunteer opportunities throughout the organization.
Direct the scheduling, performance and evaluation of volunteer activities.
Direct the vetting of all volunteers.
Provide annual Volunteer budget requirements to the Finance Committee.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Board Chair.
Serve as the organization’s Secretary per term agreement.
Executive Director
Page 6
The Executive Director is not a member of the Board of Directors, but rather reports to the Board of
Directors. Until such time as LACDC is able to employ a paid Executive Director, the Board Chair will act
as the Executive Director for the organization. The Executive Director is responsible for the
development and implementation of the operational plans used to realize the strategic objectives of the
organization, including:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Implementing the Strategic Plan
Managing the day-to-day operations/budget
Providing the board with necessary information and feedback
Developing and proposing policy questions for the board’s consideration
Hiring, supervising and motivating staff
Developing and implementing programs
Developing budget with staff and Finance Committee for board approval
Monitoring implementation of budget according to board policies
Providing ongoing and clear communication with the board
Provide annual Program Delivery budget requirements to the Finance Committee.
Participating on all board committees
Assisting the Board Chair as the community liaison and public face of the organization
Committee Descriptions and Responsibilities
Committee Responsibilities
The work of committees is crucial to the success of LACDC in carrying out its mission. In order to
operate as efficiently as possible, the Board is required to adopt a committee structure to plan and
pursue its goals.
Every board member is required to serve on at least one committee. The chairmanship of each
committee is assigned by default according to the board roles and responsibilities described above. In
addition to the board members, committees may also include volunteers and other constituents. The
Executive Director is a member of all committees.
Committee Chairperson Job Description
Each Committee Chairperson is responsible for organizing, recruiting and motivating committee
members to accomplish the goals of the committee as set forth by the board, including the following
activities:
1. Establish a meeting schedule for the committee
2. Ensure effective communications to all committee members
3. Ensure that agendas are developed in collaboration with the Executive Director in
advance of every committee meeting
4. Assign responsibility for specific tasks (with due dates) to committee members and hold
them accountable for completing these tasks.
5. Ensure that minutes of all meetings are recorded and that written committee reports
are distributed to the board one week before each board meeting
Page 7
6. Present ideas and recommendations from the committee to the board for action or
discussion by the full board
7. Report on the progress of the committee’s work towards its goals to the board during
board meetings.
Governance Committee Description
The Governance Committee is responsible for determining the needs of the board in order to fulfill the
organization’s mission, including: 1) identifying, cultivating and nominating potential board members, 2)
developing an orientation process, 3) planning ongoing board education, 4) evaluating board
effectiveness, 5) developing and presenting appropriate policies and procedures to the board, and 6)
developing and presenting recommendations for changes to the operational structure of the board.
The Governance Committee is responsible for ongoing review and recommendations to enhance the
quality and continuity of the Board of Directors. The work of the committee revolves around the
following five major areas:
1. Board Roles and Responsibilities
 Leads the board in regularly reviewing and updating the board’s statement of its roles
and areas of responsibility, and what is expected of individual board members.
 Assists the board in periodically updating and clarifying the primary areas of focus for
the board, and helps shape the board’s agenda for the next year or two, based on the
strategic plan.
 Keeps up to date records of board of director’s roster information and terms.
2. Board Composition
 Leads in assessing current and anticipated needs related to board composition,
determining the knowledge, attributes, skills, abilities, influence, and access to
resources the board will need to consider in order to accomplish future work of the
board.
 Develops a profile of the board as it should evolve over time.
 Identifies potential board member candidates and explores their interest and availability
for board service.
 Nominates individuals to be elected as members of the board.
 In cooperation with the Board Chair, contacts each board member to assess his or her
continuing interest in board membership and term of service and works with each board
member to identify the appropriate roles he or she might assume on behalf of the
organization.
3. Board Knowledge
 Designs and oversees a process of board orientation, including gathering information
prior to election as board member and information needed during the early stage of
board service.
 Designs and implements an ongoing program of board information and education.
4. Board Effectiveness
Page 8




Initiates periodic assessment of the board’s performance. Proposes, as appropriate,
changes in board structure and operations.
Provides ongoing counsel to the board chair and other board leaders on steps they
might take to enhance board effectiveness.
Regularly reviews the board’s practices regarding member participation, conflict of
interest, confidentiality, etc., and suggests improvements as needed.
Periodically reviews and updates the board’s policy and guidelines and practices.
5. Board Leadership
 Takes the lead in succession planning, taking steps to recruit and prepare for future
board leadership.
 Tracks the tenure of each board member and plans for the smooth turnover of
responsibilities at the end of each board member’s term.
 Establishes the schedule of term completion for each board role such that no more than
3 board members are replaced in a given year.
 Ensures that the signed Commitment to serve LACDC and Conflict of Interest Policies are
maintained for each board member.
Development/Fundraising Committee Description
The Development/Fundraising Committee plans and oversees the on-going efforts to generate financial
resources necessary to support the goals and objectives of LACDC. The committee develops an annual
plan based on the organization’s strategic goals and measures progress on a quarterly basis. The
Fundraising Committee also plans and oversees efforts to increase awareness and knowledge of LACDC
and related issues to all significant publics.
The Fundraising Committee is responsible for:
1. The formation of event-specific committees such as an annual fundraiser committee.
2. The development and implementation of a Donor Relations Plan.
3. Development and submission of grant applications.
4. Grant administration
Volunteer Committee Description
The Volunteer Committee is responsible for determining and fulfilling the volunteer needs of the
organization in order to fulfill the organization’s mission. It is responsible for the ongoing review of
volunteer effectiveness, and for making recommendations to the Board for the enhancement of the
quality and continuity of the organization. The work of the committee revolves around the following
activities:
1. Identify, cultivate and recruit volunteers for the following roles:
 Committee Members as defined by the respective committees
 Program Delivery as defined by the Executive Director
 Administrative Support as defined by the Executive Director
 Project or event specific roles as defined by the respective committees or the board
Page 9
2. Conduct appropriate background checking and vetting to ensure the appropriateness of a
volunteer position for an individual volunteer or board member
3. Design and oversee a process of volunteer orientation and ongoing education
4. Develop and implement a Volunteer Retention and Appreciation plan
5. Ensure volunteer effectiveness by initiating periodic assessment of volunteer performance.
Propose to the Board, as appropriate, changes in board policies regarding volunteers.
6. Ensure effective planning, scheduling and communication with volunteers regarding the
fulfillment of their respective roles and responsibilities.
Finance Committee Description
The Finance Committee is responsible for preparing and reviewing LACDC’s budget, quarterly financial
reports and taxes as well as overseeing compliance with the budget and federal, state and local laws and
regulations. The work of the committee revolves around the following activities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Setting financial policy for the organization
Managing the assets of the organization
Establishing bookkeeping procedures, checks and balances
Soliciting input and recommendations from each committee chairperson prior to
establishing the annual budget.
Marketing and Communications Committee Description
The Marketing and Communications Committee is responsible for raising community awareness of the
mission and objectives of the organization. This committee serves as the public relations interface
between the organization and the media. The work of the committee revolves around the following
activities:
1. Establish the marketing and communications policy for the organization
2. Manage marketing and communications activities for the organization
3. Develop and distribute marketing materials as needed by the board, committees or for
specific events or projects
4. Maintain the organization’s web-site, Facebook page and other social media tools in
accordance with the organization’s policies, vision, mission and strategic plan.
5. Design and distribute video and hard copy media such as rack cards, business cards,
banners, etc. for use in publicizing the mission of the organization.
6. Submit press releases to media outlets in support of organization activities.
7. Coordinate with the Development/Fundraising and Volunteer Directors in the planning and
execution of fundraising and community awareness events.
Page 10