Join Our Board Of Directors

Nothing we do at Clean Water for Haiti would be possible without the support of our Board Of Directors. This group of men and women have dedicated themselves to seeing that the goals and mandates of the organization are being achieved.

Serving as a member of our Board Of Directors is a big responsibility and not something that should be entered into lightly. Because the work that we do at Clean Water for Haiti is in the area of health and sanitation, as well as helping to provide employment for men and women who heavily rely on it, the work our Board Of Directors very directly affects peoples lives.

What does it mean to be a Board Member?

When people join our Board Of Directors (BOD) it means they’ve chosen to commit to the work of Clean Water for Haiti by taking on the responsibility of governing the organization. Every non-profit is required by the government agencies that govern it to have basic goals that guide it’s work. Failing to meet those goals or working outside the scope of them can result in an organization losing it’s standing as a non-profit or charitable entity. It is the role of the Board of Directors to make sure that the organization is operating legally and according to it’s by-laws and policies. It is also responsible for acting on behalf of it’s donors, and in the best interest of those we serve in Haiti, by providing lines of accountability for the Executive Director.

While there are a lot of day to day responsibilities that Board Members take on to make sure an organization is doing what it was set up to do the simple answer is that the Board Of Directors exists to help the organization succeed, and to make sure that success happens in a way that is legal and ethical.

What type of people are you looking for?

That’s a great question, and one that probably has the broadest answer because Board Members are people, and every person is unique.

The most important thing that we’re looking for in any Board Member is a person of character. For us that means someone who strives for integrity and honesty. As an organization we firmly believe in accurately representing the work we’re doing, our accomplishments, and even our struggles and failures. We make this a priority because we also believe that transparency isn’t an option – it’s a requirement. We think that any of our supporters or donors should be able to visit our site in Haiti at any point and find that we’re doing exactly what we have said we’re doing. Same thing with finances. We want our donors to have full confidence that their gifts and support are being used with wisdom and good stewardship so we can make the biggest impact possible.

We want people who believe in commitment. The work we do is important. It’s something that affects the lives of others. When our Board Members make a commitment we want them to do so with enthusiasm, but we also want them to be realistic about what they know they can follow through with.

Clean Water for Haiti is all about loving people in a practical way, so naturally we want people who love people. If you’re reading this then it’s probably because you love the work that Clean Water for Haiti is doing. When we love something we want to tell other people about it – something that helps us do more of what we do. Our Board Members also need to learn a bit about Haiti and the water issues here. We don’t need experts, just people who have a genuine interest and can communicate what we do to others.

Lastly, we want people who are willing to be challenged. We all have a variety of skills and talents. Sometimes we’re used to putting those to good use, and sometimes we’re not even aware that we possess them. Often the task at hand needs someone who is willing even though they might not think they’re the most equipped. We all have the ability to learn and take on new things, and our hope is that our Board Of Directors will be a diverse group of people working together and learning as we go.

What’s involved?

When you join our Board Of Directors there are some things that you are committing to just by joining our team.

Attending Regular Board Meetings
Our Board Of Directors meet monthly by teleconference. Because we have Board Members serving in three countries this is the easiest and most convenient way to stay connected and to ensure that we’re taking care of the business at hand. Board Members are expected to make these meetings a priority and schedule them into their calendar. We aim to keep meetings to about an hour, and hold them on a regular schedule.

Attend our Annual General Meeting (AGM) Retreat
Every year each branch of the organization is legally required to hold an AGM to maintain it’s non-profit/charitable status. As a family of organizations that rarely has the opportunity to do meetings in person we’ve chosen to do our AGM’s at an annual retreat where our Board Members can meet face to face. We invite spouses and families to join us and look forward to social time together as well as taking care of business matters. More information is provided in our Board Member Recruitment Package.

Be Active!
We expect Board Members to be actively involved. That means looking for opportunities to share about Clean Water for Haiti in your social and work circles where appropriate, and hopefully seeking out new opportunities. It means helping with the behind the scenes work of doing fundraising and awareness campaigns. It means asking what is needed and then helping to find a way to make that happen.

Be Financially Committed
It’s hard to ask others to donate their hard earned finances to the work we’re doing if our Board Members aren’t doing it first. We know that people come from all financial backgrounds. We just ask that whatever you can commit to, that you do regularly contribute to the work we’re doing. When we know our own funds are involved we’re more committed to seeing them put to good use.

What else do I need to know?

A few more important pieces of information that may affect your decision to join our team:

Our Governance System
Clean Water for Haiti and all it’s branches operate by the Carver model of policy governance. Every Board Member is required to read Getting Started With Policy Governance: Bringing Purpose, Integrity and Efficiency to Your Board’s Work. This is provided by the organization as part of the orientation process for new Board Members.

Our Foundation
Clean Water for Haiti and it’s branches were founded on non-denominational Christian values. Clean Water for Haiti was established as a humanitarian mission and does not expect or require that any of the people that we serve in Haiti participate in any kind of religious activities or teaching to benefit from our programs. Because of our faith we feel called to love people in a very practical way. That’s it. While we don’t require that Board Members are Christians, we do ask that potential Board Members recognize that our faith is an integral part of what we do and that it will be part of how we lead. Every potential Board Member needs to determine if they are comfortable working with our organization with that knowledge.

Our Love & Respect For the Haitian People
We have been called to do what we do because we genuinely love people and believe that they are valued and deserving of respect. While most of the families that we work with live in extreme poverty we aim to be very respectful of how we tell their stories, and how we communicate about Haiti in general. All staff and Board Members are expected to represent Haiti and her people with love and respect, being intentional about everything from the images we publish to the language we use when sharing about the work we’re doing.

We Want You To Visit!
It’s encouraging to our Directors and Local Staff to have Board Members visit. It’s our hope that new Board Members will make this a priority for their first year of service if they haven’t already visited us. When you visit you get to see our daily operations, you’ll meet our staff, you’ll get to visit families who are benefitting from our programs, and you’ll see the challenges and the joys our staff face. Most of all you’ll see how important your role is. We promise your time in Haiti will change you, too.

I’m Interested! Now What?

We’re so excited that you’re considering joining our team! This is how our Board Member Recruitment process works:

Step 1: Contact Us
Contact Leslie Rolling at office@cleanwaterforhaiti.org to let us know you’re interested in being involved as a Board Member. Tell us a bit about yourself and why you’re interested in serving in this capacity.

Step 2: Do the Paperwork
After you contact us we’ll start chatting with you in more detail about what’s involved in joining our Board Of Directors. If we all feel like it could be a good fit we’ll send you our Board Member Recruitment Package. In it you’ll be asked to fill out some in-depth information about yourself and why you want to be involved with Clean Water for Haiti. You will also be asked to provide several references and the needed information for a criminal record check.

Step 3: Interview & Invitation
Our Board Of Directors will review everything and schedule a telephone interview with you. The interview will involve at least one Board Member and one of our Directors. A report will be submitted to the BOD for review, and if we feel it’s a good fit we’ll formally extend an invitation for you to join our BOD.

Step 4: Accept, Or Don’t.
Once an invitation has been received you’ll be able to decide if it’s a good fit for you. If you accept the invitation to join the Board Of Directors we’ll go through the process of voting you in and start your orientation.

Empowering. Improving. Sustaining.