Join PBP's Board of Directors

PBP is at an exciting moment of transition, growth, and change. We are:

Building on past successes to create and implement a new strategic vision
Growing our staff capacity and cultivating a culture of care
Transitioning to a co-leadership model
Implementing an organization-wide, sociocratic decision-making structure

We are recruiting new members for our Board of Directors as well as a Board Chair!

Serving on PBP’s Board of Directors is a distinct and important role in the governance of a national nonprofit organization committed to building community power by expanding participatory democracy. Board members serve as strategic partners and maintain a fiduciary responsibility to ensure compliance, review and approve our annual budget, advise our team through board committee or working groups, and contribute to the financial health of PBP by participating in our fundraising strategy.

PBP’s Board is a group of individuals serving in a volunteer capacity. The Board meets six times a year to grapple with the strategic challenges facing the organization. Board meetings are conducted virtually (via Zoom/Phone), and we strive to hold one in-person meeting when safety allows.

PBP is based in New York City and Oakland, CA, though this role is open to all qualified applicants based anywhere in the United States. Interested applicants can apply for our Board of Directors and indicate their interest in being considered for Chair of the Board in their interest form.

Questions? Send an email to board@particpatorybudgeting.org.

Join our Board of Directors

Key Board of Directors Responsibilities

All Board of Director members are expected to do the following:

Maintain the financial and legal health of the organization, with other board members.
- Know, review, approve, and monitor the budget.
- Know, follow, and uphold the by-laws and organizational policies.
Understand and oversee PBP’s programs and ensure they advance its mission.
Actively promote PBP and represent it in a positive light.
Recruit at least five donors each year, focusing on potential donors with the greatest capacity to give. These donors can come from personal networks or from prospects identified by the organization.
Support broader organizational fundraising efforts. This may include writing or revising fundraising appeals, helping to write or revise funding proposals, organizing special events, establishing contacts with potential funders, or other tasks.
Participate in Board meetings; read and be familiar with materials sent in advance of Board meetings; be available for consultation and guidance.
Serve on at least one Board committee and participate in committee meetings and discussions. Committees may include, but are not limited to: Finance, Fundraising, Technical Assistance, Campaigns & Advocacy, & Participation Lab.
Encourage and support staff and members, when needed and asked.
Hold myself and other board members accountable for actions the Board takes and for responsibilities that the Board assumes.

Desired Experience and Skills

We are recruiting for diverse leaders with the following:

Deep interest and/or passion for PBP’s mission
Basic understanding of financials and ability to read financial statements
Critical thinking skills - ability to remain objective and independent during moments of discussion and decision making
Ability to commit sufficient time to PBP’s Board responsibilities (estimated 4-8 hours per month)
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
Brings diversity to the Board, offering unique experiences and points of view
Willingness to step into PBPs shared leadership model

Qualities that we’re looking to ensure exists with the Board, but are not necessarily demonstrated by every Board member:

Hands-on experience with the PB Process
Hands-on experience with PBP processes/implementation
Financial expertise
Fundraising expertise
- Connections with major donors
- Connection with philanthropic institutions
Network of national and local leaders/organizations committed to social change
Public speaking skills/experience
Multilingual

Questions? Send an email to board@particpatorybudgeting.org.

Submit an interest form to be considered to serve on PBP’s Board of Directors!

Election process for PBP Board of Directors

At PBP, Board of Directors members are elected by the Staff and elections generally take place in the spring and/or the fall. Members serve on the Board for a three-year term, and any number of consecutive terms. In order to set up our Board - collectively and individually - for success, we typically follow the below election process.

Identify individuals interested in serving on our Board and able to meet commitments
PBP works with the individuals to gain insight on values alignment
- We typically engage potential new Board members in a “trial” project to assess how a potential Board member would work with our team - both Board and Staff. For example facilitating a retreat conversation, working with program staff on a specific need, etc.
- We may also conduct interviews with individuals that all staff can attend to gather more information about your interests, experience, skills and how they align with PBP and the organization's needs.
Determine new members to add to a slate for approval
- Co-Executive Directors synthesize information gathered and propose new members to add to the Board of Directors. This will enable our staff to better be able to vote on new additions to our governing board.
Staff consent or object to proposed slate of new members
- Board member elections typically take place during the spring and/or fall at a meeting of the members. Members of the organization are permanent staff members.
Approved Board members begin their term the first of the month following a vote!
- There will be included onboarding support to this role and any Officer roles, as applicable

Values

Our organizational practices strive to embody our core values. We make decisions together, through team-based processes, sociocratic consent, and a commitment to building trust in our team. This means all staff are deeply engaged in the organization’s planning and decision-making.

An ideal candidate will thrive in a collaborative environment, be ready to dream big and turn those dreams into achievable goals with a deeply committed team. Our (virtual) office culture is evolving as we quickly grow, and we invite you to build it with us!

Learn more about serving as Board Chair

Board Chair Overview & Responsibilities

The Board Chair works closely with the leadership team and helps to convene and organize PBP’s Board of Directors.

Per PBP’s By-Laws: The Chair of the Board presides at all meetings of the Board and has general supervision of the affairs of the organization. The Chair is kept apprised of PBP business by the Executive Team and in turn keeps the Executive Team fully informed about the activities of the Board. The Chair shall have the usual powers and duties customarily invested in the Chair of a Board, and shall perform other duties as are authorized and assigned by the Board and Members. In the absence of the Chair, the Vice Chair(s), in the order designated by the Board, shall perform the duties of the Chair.

In addition to the responsibilities named above, the Board Chair at PBP is responsible for, but not limited to:

Establishing an agenda and a packet of materials before each Board meeting, in consultation with the Co-Executive directors and Staff Liaison.
Facilitating Board meetings
Supervising the Co-Executive Directors
Providing thought partnership for the organization, and serve as a coach for strategic visioning efforts
Serving as a liaison between the full Board and the Executive team

In a Board Chair, we are looking for the additional following skills and experiences:

Deep understanding of PBP’s approach, landscape, and motivation
Strong network with public sector, academia, and/or private sector
Strong interpersonal and facilitation skills
Ability to hold folks accountable and/or ability to supervise leaders of an organization
Ability to engender trust of leadership, staff at large, and other Board members

Submit an interest form to be considered to serve on PBP’s Board of Directors!

Election Process for Board Chair

After a Board member is elected to the PBP Board of Directors, they are eligible to serve in the Board Chair role, therefore the Board Chair must first be a member of the Board. A new Board Chair can be identified in a few ways:

A nomination from a board member - a Board member can propose any member to serve as the Board Chair.
Self nomination - any Board member can propose theirself to fill this role
Staff nomination - members of PBP staff can propose a Board member to fill this role.

In the event of a nomination from a Board member or Staff, the individual nominated can either consent or object to the nomination.

Once nominees are confirmed, the full Board of Directors conducts a voting process to confirm the next Board Chair. A Board Chair is confirmed by ¾ majority vote. Newly elected Board Chairs begin their term the first of the month following the Board vote.

Values

Submit an interest form to be considered to serve on PBP’s Board of Directors!

Fill out the interest form

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Join PBP's Board of Directors