Needs From: VolunteerSiouxland

Local Board of Managers 

The GiGi’s Playhouse experience exists due to the tireless effort of volunteers and volunteer leaders.  In order to support growth, more paid staff at the national office has been added to ensure consistency of service and a quality experience that all participants have come to expect from a GiGi’s Playhouse.  Each local Playhouse also has one to two paid staff members in addition to a host of volunteers to run day-to-day operations and support programming.  Each major role which supports a fully functioning GiGi’s Playhouse location is listed below.  The definitions of the roles are the same whether filled by a single volunteer, team of volunteers, or a paid staff member. 

 Board of Managers —Roles and Responsibilities

The local sites are managed by local Board of Managers and the relationship between the local sites and the National Office is outlined in the Operating Agreement. All members of the local Board of Managers should receive a copy of the Operating Agreement and Licensing Agreement.

 

Board of Managers General Responsibilities

Individual responsibilities:

Acquire sufficient knowledge of Down syndrome and the organization to promote its mission and programs and to serve as an ambassador and spokesperson for the organization Prepare for and participate in the board meetings in order to participate in the major work of the local board Review local financial statements monthly Make a $2,000 annual contribution or directly raise that amount Provide a list of donor prospect names to be added to your location’s database for cultivation and solicitation Participate in at least one fundraising activity (help solicit by signing letters, or making phone calls, or personally asking, securing event sponsors, selling tickets to events, making follow-up thank you calls to donors, etc) Participate in the process of identifying, cultivating, and recruiting new local board members Consider all board meetings and board information as confidential. Support publicly all decisions of the board. Participate in at least 2/3 of the meetings Abide by and sign annually the Conflict of Interest Policy. Optional: Serve on an executive-level committee: program, fundraising, publicity and marketing, board development, strategic growth, and finance.

 

Responsibilities of the board of managers as a group:

Prepare for and participate in the board meetings in order to participate in the major work of a board: program evaluation, policy development, financial oversight, and fundraising Review financial statements and attend to issues of fiscal management and internal control. Adopt and monitor the annual operating budget Welcome families, supporting activities, participating with a goal to increase participation each quarter Perform staff functions until paid positions are funded Source volunteers for activities, education programs, and fundraising committees and events Train the volunteers that serve as hosts Fill all the roles for a fully functioning local Playhouse with qualified volunteers.  Ensuring no gaps in roles occur at the local Playhouse to ensure program quality and consistency Train the local volunteers with materials supplied and maintained by the central office, and designed with the executive board program development committee Maintain the quality of experience for all participants by providing feedback to the national office Meet fundraising and budget goals on a quarterly and annual basis as determined by the local board of managers leadership, under the guidance set by the executive board strategic growth committee and finance committee Ensure fiscal accountability and responsibility Meet financial goals supporting local programs Seek out financial opportunities for local Playhouse Continue to grow programs and serving more families by increasing fundraising effectiveness under the guidance of any regional fundraising structure provided by the national office.  Establish specific fundraising and events committees and provide leadership accountable for quality fundraising activities and regional leadership to ensure synchronous activities within a region  Hire paid staff upon meeting the financial reserves thresholds specified by the executive board finance committee and meeting the growth and stability thresholds established by the executive board strategic growth committee Participate in the annual performance review of any paid staff at the local Playhouse.

 

Qualifications of Board of Manager Members:

Possess a high level of motivation and personal interest in the mission Are leaders in their businesses and communities Possess a strong knowledge of Down syndrome-related issues Possess a strong knowledge of the nonprofit community Are willing (and able) to pro-actively lead a committee Are successful professionally and bring contacts to a new sector Finance Marketing Legal Accounting Education Development Bring diversity in terms of age, race, ethnicity, residence, professional experience, etc.

 

Ideally, the Board would recruit individuals with each and every one of the above credentials.  This is unlikely, so we need to recruit individuals with strengths in each of the criteria listed above.  Each individual will bring a different level of competency to each of the categories.  The ultimate goal is that the Board be comprised of a well-rounded team, each individual bringing a balance of qualities, skills, resources, access, and influence to lead GiGi’s in pursuit of its mission.

The Literacy Coordinator is the key volunteer supporting and overseeing the GiGi’s Playhouse Literacy Tutoring Program. The Literacy Coordinator works collaboratively with the Director of Operations and team of Literacy Volunteers to provide a high quality, outcome-driven Literacy Tutoring Program according to the program model developed by GiGi’s Playhouse, Inc. This volunteer position requires a commitment of 5-12 hours per week but may be shared by two volunteers 

Responsibilities: 

Support Literacy Trainers, Literacy Tutors and Volunteers in their role with the Literacy Program  Participate in monthly National Program conference calls with GiGi’s Playhouse, Inc. and relay information on program development/ enhancements to the team of Literacy Volunteers at the Playhouse.  Oversee the program planning timeline to ensure deadlines and target dates are met.  Provide tutors with access to the Literacy Tutor Training videos to guide them through GiGi's Playhouse Curriculum and make sure they have access to and are using our program materials.  Coordinate, schedule and attend the On-Site Workshop Trainings before each session   Update Literacy Tutor Handbook each session with new passwords and activity information.  Ensure each tutor has access to this document, either a paper copy or electronic copy.  Support Tutor Trainers/leader as they provide on-going training as needed  Facilitate the application process, in collaboration with Site Coordinator, using online registration tools in Salesforce database, respond to all incoming inquiries and requests for program registration.  Match tutors with students.  Schedule and communicate the schedule to all involved.  Communicate with parents to collect family pictures and assist in making the family unit books and flashcards for all new students.   Check with Site Coordinator or to ensure all Literacy Program information in Salesforce is complete and correct, including using the tutor-matching function, attendance, and end-of-session progress tracking.  Maintaining the Playhouse’s literacy resources (Reading A-Z books, match/select/name activities, etc.). Coordinate Bookmaking Volunteers for assembly, communicate with Literacy Tutors regarding book and supply requests.  Print and maintain Program materials on the G Drive  Occasionally check tutor lesson plans and ensure that they are utilizing materials and curriculum to GiGi’s standards of excellence.  Respond to Literacy phone calls, emails and inquiries in a timely and professional manner  Communicate with Site Coordinator and Program Committee to ensure successful program delivery  Check the Literacy Tutoring Yammer page regularly for updates and share any reflections or questions for the network on this platform. 

The Literacy Coordinator role is largely administrative and requires a Volunteer with the following skill set: 

Moderate knowledge of computers and data entry with experience using Microsoft Office suite of programs, especially Publisher, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint  Excellent communication skills, positivity and enthusiasm for GiGi’s Playhouse  Previous Volunteer coordination/ leadership role