Volunteer

VOLUNTEER HELP WANTED

 

YVPR is looking for a dedicated volunteer to head up Media Relations

Job responsibilities include:

*Press Releases for all public events

*Developing and placing advertising

*Letters to Editor and other public announcements

 

If you have any experience with this, please fill out our volunteer Questionaire, or email us at yvpr2149@aol.com

 

Thank you.

Volunteer Questionaire

Download our Volunteer Questionaire here.

Board Member Roles and Responsibilties

I.  Basic Duties

• Policy Making.  Setting and enforcing organizational policy, monitoring the mission, determining the vision and planning the strategies to be a successful organization.
• Income Development.  Assisting with fundraising efforts; recruiting potential donors to this organization.
• Financial.  Ensuring resources are managed effectively; approving and monitoring the budget. 
• Staffing.  Hiring, supporting and evaluating the executive director.
• Legal Accountability.  Overseeing compliance with legal requirements such as tax forms, personnel records, keeping minutes of board meetings, current Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation and other documents with various agencies.
• Enhancing the organization's image with the community at-large.  Promoting shelter activities, helping with marketing the organization's identity, representing the community viewpoint.

II.  Attendance

• Monthly meetings.  Three absences during one year will result in termination of board membership.  The Board President shall make exceptions.  Meetings are usually held once a month.
• Scheduled committee meetings.  Each board member shall participate on at least one committee.  Some committees meet once a month, depending on the committee's assignments.
• Special meetings, such as retreats, annual meetings, etc.  Attendance is required.
• Major fund raising events.  Attendance and support by board members is required.

III.  Financial/Resource Commitment

• Fund raising.  This can be fulfilled in a number of ways, but generally relates to major fund raising events.  Suggestions:  secure donations, sell tickets, approach corporate sponsors (the Executive Director can provide support or be present during presentations).

IV.  Committee Protocol

Permanent Committees.  Board Management (Executive), Income Development, Finance, and Nominating.  Ad hoc committees are created as needed.

• Committee Structure.
  • Chairperson is from the Board of Directors
  • Other board members
  • Staff member(s) - non voting
  • Community members - optional but recommended both for expertise and possible board membership.
• Committee Process
  • Before a committee is formed and its members recruited, the Chairperson (with the help of the President and or Executive Director) writes out a description of the committee, which includes - the purpose, time frame, number of members (and skills) needed and frequency of meetings.  The Board of Directors approves this.
  • The committee prepares goals for the committee by November of each year and presents any budget requests to the Finance Committee in December for fiscal planning.  This information in its final form will be presented to the Board as a whole.
  • Expense approval:  requests must be made to the Treasurer and Finance Committee for any non-budgeted and/or time sensitive expenditures.
• Information Flow.
• Notes are to be taken by someone other than the Chair.  It should be stressed that these are notes, not official minutes and need not be lengthly or detailed as long as they record decisions made or other important work of the committee.  Notes need to be distributed no later than one week after the meeting.
• Copies of notes are distributed to each committee member, other committee chairs, the Executive Director and the Board President.  The Executive Director will file the copy in the "Board Committees Notebook" that is kept at the shelter with other board documents.

V.  Avoiding Conflict of Interest

• The board must serve the Yakima Valley Pet Rescue and Adoption Center as a whole rather than any special interest group or constituency; it must avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
• No board member shall have any financial gain from transactions or information discussed by the Board of Directors.  Any potential conflict must receive full disclosure.

VI.  Fundamental Board Values.

• In order to facilitate effective, productive board meetings, all board members must arrive prepared to participate.  Board members are encouraged to utilize the opportunity to express honest opinions, secure in the knowledge that the atmosphere is safe.  Each board member's opinion is important.  Because board members represent different constituencies of the community they are asked to bring a second pair of eyes to use as another way of looking at an issue.  Following a thorough, and time limited, discussion of an issue, a dissenting board member may be required to submerge his or her own personal agenda for the good of the whole as any legislative action must be unanimously supported.  Compromise is a good value.
• Board members will treat each other with the respect and dignity one would expect of a "humane" society.  While caring for homeless animals is one or our primary missions, the emotional and social benefits animals provide and teach us in a myriad of ways are emphasized in our programs, services and agency philosphy.
• We hope you will be richer from your experience on this Board and thank you for your shared commitment to animal welfare.