The Foundation for MetroWest is looking for enthusiastic, hard-working community members to join the Board of Trustees.

In order to ensure that the board is fulfilling its governance role, all trustees are expected to adhere to the following obligations:

• Actively support and promote the organization’s mission, vision, strategic goals and policy positions.
• Attend all board meetings. Be well prepared and participate fully in all matters.
• Chair or serve on at least one committee. Attend and be well prepared for all committee meetings.
• Stay informed about the organization’s current programs and issues.
• Participate in the organization’s activities by attending programs and fundraising events.
• Serve as an ambassador and represent the organization accurately in the community.
• Support the organization’s annual giving program by giving as generously as possible.
• Help with fundraising efforts by working on fundraising activities and or identifying and cultivating relationships with donors, volunteers and advocates.
• All trustees have fiduciary responsibility to the organization for sound financial management.
• As a board, assume responsibility for hiring, monitoring, advising, supporting, evaluating and if necessary, releasing the executive director.
• Attend new board orientation and any other board training and retreats.
• Complete the annual evaluation of the executive director.

In addition:

• Keep all board materials and documents confidential.
• Accept and support board decisions.
• Recognize that authority is vested in the boards as a whole. A trustee who learns of an issue of importance to the organization has the obligation to bring it to the executive director or the board chair and should refrain from responding to the situation individually.
• Guard against conflict of interest - personal and business-related.
• Understand the board sets policies and focuses on long range and strategic issues. An individual trustee should not become involved in specific management, personnel, or program issues.

Unique community foundation responsibilities:

• Authorize grants and distributions.
• Build a permanent endowment for the community.
• Ensure that donor agreements are honored.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact our Executive Director at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call (508) 647 – 2260.

To provide the Foundation with much needed support during our 2010 Discretionary Grant Cycle. The Grants Program volunteer will also have the chance to learn first-hand about the grant application and distribution process as well as the many great organizations around MetroWest.

The Grants Program Volunteer will be responsible for the following:

Grant Processing

• Filing all grants as they come in.
• Checking all grants to make sure that all of the required materials have been submitted. If not, potentially following up with organizations to request additional material.

Distribution Committee Support

• Assembling packets for Distribution Committee Members with copies of the proposals they’ll be reviewing.
• Compiling spreadsheets with summary information about the grant proposals.

Grant Decisions

• Preparing and assembling materials for the Distribution Committee’s meeting to decide on grants.
• Generating letters and other information for the grantees.
• Generating letters for all unfunded grants.
• Developing summaries of all of the grantees and their funded projects.

We are looking for someone who can commit to coming into our office for 10-15 hours each week from the middle/end of August through the middle of December. We are flexible about times and days of the week, but the volunteer would need to be available during normal (9 – 5 pm) business hours.

The Grants Program volunteer should have the following skills and strengths:

• Advanced skills in Microsoft Work & Excel. For example, should be able to run mail merges, set up formulas in spreadsheets, and create spreadsheets that use multiple sheets.
• Good organizational skills.
• Quick and accurate data entry skills.
• Able to work well under time constraints and juggle multiple projects.
• Some familiarity with databases.

To apply, please email your resume to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) is a unique, experienced-based voluntary program for high school students to learn about philanthropy, grantmaking and the greater needs of the MetroWest community. An intern would work with the program coordinator on several aspects of the program, including:

• Design one day retreat
• Support the new YIP Advisory Committee
• Do some curriculum research
• Organize community service days
• Conduct outreach to YIP alumni
• Provide other support to the YIP Coordinator and schools running the program.

We are looking for someone who can commit to coming into our office and interning 1 day a week either on Mondays or Thursdays. The Youth in Philanthropy programs run on a rolling basis throughout the school year. Ideally the volunteer would be able to commit to helping out the full school year, though we would be open to having separate volunteers for the fall and spring semesters.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please email your resume to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

The Foundation for MetroWest is always looking for volunteers to help out with office administration, invitation mailings, and event planning. We can accommodate different schedules and skill levels. If you are interested in learning more, contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call (508) 647 - 2260.