Become A Board Member

  Thank you for your interest in helping animals through serving on the board of directors of Almost Home Humane Society. 

The Almost Home Board Nominating Committee is conducting a search for individuals to serve on the board of directors. The information below explains the goals and process for this search and the appointment of new board members. 

If you have any questions, please reach out by emailing our board president:

Rhonda Fitchett at boardpresident@almosthomeiowa.org 

Almost Home Humane Society’s Mission

Almost Home provides an essential safety net to vulnerable cats and dogs in North Central Iowa. The Mission of Almost Home is to be a refuge for lost, unwanted and abandoned cats and dogs; To educate our community about responsible pet ownership, respect and compassionate care of all living things; and To find forever homes for every pet lucky enough to find themselves “Almost Home.”

About the Board of Directors

The board of directors is responsible for:

· Maintaining Almost Home as an autonomous animal rescue organization with an established mission.

· Communicating the mission of the organization to the broader community and assuring opportunities for the community to take part in furthering the mission.

· Determining and carrying out the policies and practices for the organization.

· Insuring the policies and practices reflect the Almost Home Humane Society of North Central Iowa’s commitment to rescue, shelter and placement of homeless cats and dogs and the humane treatment of all animals.

· Controlling operating funds and capital assets for the use and benefit of the Almost Home Humane Society of North Central Iowa.

· Assuming final responsibility for personnel policies and for staffing policies.

· Any and all board members shall be allowed the right to review materials including legal documents referring to the board and its members prior to the release of any or all information. Upon receiving any or all materials including legal documents regarding the board and its members, Almost Home shall release it to the president. The president shall then present the information to the board and its members. 

Serving on the Almost Home Board of Directors is only one of several meaningful ways to get involved with the organization and to support animals. In addition to a commitment to helping animals, board members are expected to participate in ensuring that adequate financial resources are available for the organization to do its work and that it becomes financially sustainable. This includes making personal contributions as well as helping with fundraising in a meaningful way.  

Recruitment and Selection Process

The board recruitment and selection process is a planned effort with specific steps designed to help ensure the organization attracts and maintains a high level of volunteer leadership.

The board member recruitment and selection process is as follows: 

• The nominating committee has defined the needs and selection criteria for board members – laid out in this document.
• The committee will promote the opportunity broadly to  the public as well as recruitment through other contacts in the community.      
• Candidates will submit responses to questions in the board  application by emailing boardpresident@almosthomeiowa.org with Almost Home Board Application in the subject line. 
• Applicants will receive a prompt email response when  applications are received followed by an update on their application’s status within 4 weeks. 
• The nominating committee will review each application  to see if candidate’s skills match the pre-determined criteria and the  organization’s need for varied skills and experiences on the board. 
• Applicants who are identified as candidates for the Almost Home Board will be asked to participate in a phone, zoom or in-person interview.
• Selected board members will be required to sign the Almost Home board contract.
• Applicants who are not selected for board service may be asked to assist Almost Home Humane Society in other ways. 

Criteria for Selection of Almost Home Board Members

While the following criteria are not the only factors that will be considered in the selection of board members, they are some of the most significant ones. While every candidate is not expected to possess all of these skills, the goal is to create a team of board members that together possess the skills necessary to successfully lead Almost Home:

• Ability  to make the commitment of time, both in terms of duration and frequency. 
• Professional  skills or experiences related to needed functions, including but not      limited to: marketing/communications, finance/accounting, legal expertise, HR, management of people, facilities management, and other business and professional skills.
• Business  and personal contacts/connections that will be valuable to Almost Home.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work well and cooperatively with others, while also being willing to speak up about issues or concerns.
• Diversity  of experience and background.
• Past board experience.
• Fundraising experience/successes.
• Compassion  for animals and commitment to the cause

Primary Functions of the Board of Directors

The primary functions of nonprofit boards are:

• Establishing the direction of the organization and setting  high-level policy.
• Ensuring the legal, ethical, and financial wellbeing of the organization, including protecting assets and providing fiscal oversight.
• Evaluating the executive director’s performance,  supporting the executive director, and hiring a new executive director when needed.
• Monitoring standards of operation and the strength and  effectiveness of programs and results.
• Functioning as an ambassador for the organization in the community, assisting with raising funds, and enhancing the organization’s public standing.
• Building a competent board of directors.

Board Expectations:

Board members are expected to:

• Attend at least 75% of board meetings, meetings of  committees they are on, and special Almost Home events. The Almost Home board  of directors will typically meet monthly. In the event of an emergency,  board members may be asked to meet more frequently.  Additionally, board committees often meet  monthly. Attendance via conference call may be acceptable for some meetings.
• Interpret the organization's work and values to the  community, represent the organization, and act as a spokesperson when called upon. 
• Make a personal financial contribution at a level that  is meaningful to them.
• Actively participate in one or more fundraising activities.
• Sign a board member contract and conflict of interest policy and abide by these agreements. 
• Stay actively engaged and informed about what's going  on in the organization, ask questions, participate in discussions, request  information, and take responsibility for making decisions on issues, policies and other board matters. 
• Work in good faith with staff and other board members as partners towards achievement of Almost Home’s goals. 
• Serve on a voluntary basis. Board members will not be compensated for service, transportation, or other costs associated with serving on the board. 

If you are interested in serving on the board, please complete the Almost Home Board of Directors Application and email it to boardpresident@almosthomeiowa.org. 

Other volunteer leadership opportunities: If the board commitment is greater than you are looking for right now, there are other opportunities for volunteer leadership within the organization. We would be happy to plan a call with you to discuss this further in the near future. To request this call, please email boardpresident@almosthomeiowa.org or manager@almosthomeiowa.org

Other opportunities include the following:

· Foster Family – Foster homes provide a temporary safe place for some of our most vulnerable cats and dogs to rest and heal. Foster families also care for kittens and puppies until they are old and big enough for adoption. 

· Volunteer Coordinator – Would be in charge of organizing and maintaining the volunteer program. Orientations, tours of the facility, training, scheduling, act as a liason between volunteers and staff.

· Fur Ball Committee – Our biggest fundraiser is an annual silent/live auction event ranging from different forms of entertainment for a night out. Preparations for this include asking for silent/live auction donations, publicity, creating flyers and tickets, gathering prizes for raffles or door prizes, creating bid sheets, recruiting people to help us that night, and plans as to how the night will end and get cleaned up.