Community Farm Alliance’s Board of directors has three overall responsibilities:

1. Cradles the organization’s vision. The Board is the guardian of the organizational values, and the most important thing a Board does is to create and recreate the reason the organization exists. The Board focuses on the mission, the big picture, taking into account different points of view, what is happening outside the organization, how it affects our work and then makes business like decisions accordingly.

2. Represents the ownership interest of members, and acts on their behalf. Board members go forth and listen, initiate conversations and struggle with different member opinions. The Board understands that CFA has different constituencies, how CFA serves each constituency, and the relationships between them.

3. Ensures the organization’s sustainability through financial oversight and leadership development.

Qualifications

Must be knowledgeable, sophisticated and politically mature.
Propensity to think in terms of systems and context.
Ability and eagerness to deal with values, vision and the long term.
Ability to participate assertively in deliberation.
Willingness to delegate, to allow others to make decisions.

Responsibilities

Committed participation: No Board member will be able to make every meeting or call, but Board members are expected to make reasonable efforts to participate and if unable to participate then offer their insight either before or after the meeting to the Board President or Executive Director.

Supports CFA’s grassroots fundraising:

Making a personally significant donation, preferably by setting an example as a sustainable giver – a monthly contribution of at least $10
Writing one membership appeal letter each year.
Identifying and participating in events that raise funds and builds membership.

Builds membership:

Works personally with new leaders.
Recruits new members and engages current members.