We want YOU for the GGWash Board of Directors

As we continue our transition from a founder-led organization to our newest incarnation, we need to grow GGWash’s Board of Directors to include more skills, energy, and viewpoints. Are you looking for a meaningful, substantive opportunity to serve a mission you love, use your most valuable skills, and build new relationships with other leaders in our community that feel the same way? Then we want YOU for GGWash’s board.

The current board

Our current board consists of eight people who are a balanced mix of active leaders in housing and transportation in Greater Washington—primarily District residents—and current or former GGWash volunteers and writers. It’s not ideal to have an even number of board members, and as a small organization poised for major growth, we’d welcome additional expertise and capacity. Board colleague Adam Weers and myself have therefore formed a nominating committee to find at least one, but ideally a few new bees to join our hive.

Who GGWash’s board needs

We have some particular gaps in professional expertise that we want to fill on GGWash’s board. If you check any of these boxes, here’s a chance to use your most valuable skills to support an organization and mission that you care about:

• Lawyer. Almost all nonprofit boards have one or more attorneys, but currently we have none. Motion to compel discovery!
• Finance or accounting professional. GGWash employs a part-time financial controller, and Nick Sementelli is currently serving as our treasurer. However, we could still use more balance sheet expertise on the board, and an insider’s view on tax policy would be welcome in the GGWash brain trust.
• HR professional. The board supports the executive director in all HR functions at GGWash, as we aren’t big enough to employ that expertise in house. Want to help us make sure we’re managing the team well?
• Journalist. Our publication is entering a new phase, operating under a revised editorial policy, refining its content strategy, and pursuing an ambitious plan for growth. Advise and advocate for this critical source of local, independent source of news and analysis.
• Grantmaker/funder. We believe that philanthropy can benefit from visibility into the world of 501(c)4 work, and vice versa. Could you be the bridge?
• Transportation expert. The board’s strategic work could be sharpened by a colleague with a clear perspective on what’s going on locally and regionally in transportation policy across modes.
• Community-based leader. GGWash partners in a lot of coalitions that include multiple community-based organizations. This is important work, and we can strengthen it by bringing the board (literally) closer to it.

GGWash recognizes the need for diverse perspectives and life experiences on its board of directors to help shape our work to make the Washington region a more equitable place to live. We want our board to include individuals who belong to groups that have traditionally been marginalized in urban development and urban planning decisions, on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, ability, or other characteristics. We believe inclusion at every level can change how GGWash works. As a regional organization whose board is primarily made up of District residents, we also welcome increased board representation from Maryland and Virginia.

Board member expectations

What does it mean to be a member of GGWash’s board? These are the basic expectations of all members:

• Support good governance, uphold high ethical standards, participate in visioning and strategic planning, engage in careful oversight of financial resources, and serve as a consistent cheerleader for the organization to ensure GGWash remains a well-operated, mission-driven organization
• Commit to serving for at least one year
• Commit to a time commitment of three to six hours per month
• Attend four board meetings per year and participate in ad hoc meetings on an as-needed basis
• Serve on at least one standing committee: finance, fundraising, governance, or executive
• Commit to a give/get fundraising goal of $2,500 per year. GGWash provides guidance in reaching this goal, and is also committed to working with excellent board candidates for whom this goal may be otherwise prohibitive.

Nominate yourself!

While we are activating our own social and professional networks to find board colleagues who match these descriptions, we want to cast the widest net possible, and where better to start than our own readership? If you see yourself reflected in the call above, please email a current resume and a brief introduction discussing your interest in the role to admin@ggwash.org by September 1, 2021. Please put “Board Recruitment” in the subject line. We look forward to hearing from you!