Join our board (or a committee)!
We are always on the lookout for board candidates from all backgrounds and demographics to reflect the diverse communities in which we work: from the Hilltowns to Haverhill, the Cape to the Islands, urban areas to rural ones. Keep reading to learn more about how our board and its committees work; you will find a link at the end if you would like to express interest in joining.
Please also share this information with members of your network if you think you know someone who would be a good fit for us. We’d love to talk to them!
What does a board member do?
The board of WalkMassachusetts is responsible for the strategic governance and oversight of the organization. Working with the Executive Director, the board ensures the organization’s financial health, strategic plan, and goals are aligned with the mission, vision, and values. Members are committed to executing all fiduciary responsibilities and serving as advocates of WalkMassachusetts to the community.
Specific responsibilities include:
- Attend board and committee meetings and significant organizational events.
- Chair and/or participate in at least one board committee.
- Participate in establishing and maintaining organizational policies.
- Make an annual contribution at a level commensurate with personal capacity.
- Participate actively in organizational fundraising activities.
- Identify friends and associates who might be prospective donors or board/committee members.
- Participate in hiring and periodic evaluation of WalkMassachusetts’s Executive Director.
- Support and advise the Executive Director as appropriate.
- Participate actively in assessing WalkMassachusetts’ performance and setting its strategic goals and objectives.
- Serve as an ambassador for WalkMassachusetts in the community.
Desired qualifications
- Significant experience in business, nonprofit, academia, government/public service, or another field.
- Ideally, experience in a field closely related to WalkMassachusetts’s work – e.g. planning/transportation, finance, development, public health, or community organizing.
- Knowledge of or willingness to learn about issues of walkability in Massachusetts and the work of pedestrian advocacy.
- Commitment to WalkMassachusetts’ mission to create more walkable communities across the state.
- Connections to personal or professional networks with capacity and interest to support the work of the organization.
- Personal capacity to make an annual contribution to the organization in addition to supporting fundraising efforts.
- Understanding of the role of diversity, equity and inclusion in achieving our mission.
WalkMassachusetts is committed to diversity and inclusion and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We seek candidates that represent the diverse perspectives and lived experiences throughout the Commonwealth, with the goal of having a board that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage candidates to apply even if they do not meet every qualification above.
WalkMassachusetts’ board currently meets monthly (10 times per year), mainly via Zoom, but with some hybrid meetings and a hybrid Annual Celebration in the Spring. WalkMassachusetts has office space in Downtown Boston at the CIC (50 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02109). Meetings are the fourth Tuesday of the month from 5:30pm to 7pm, unless otherwise stated. Committee meetings are scheduled separately, based on the availability of committee members, and occur monthly.
Important: If you are interested in supporting WalkMassachusetts’ mission, and have skills relevant to one of our committees, but are not ready to join the board itself, please know that several of our committees are open to non-board members as well!
Board committees
- Communications
- Development
- Events
- Executive
- Finance
- Governance
Interested in joining the board or a committee? Fill out this form to let us know!