Serving as an officer on the board of directors for Teacup Wellness Nonprofit requires accepting critical responsibilities and time commitments.
The following description comes from the National Council of Nonprofits.
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Board members are the fiduciaries who steer the organization towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, as well as by making sure the nonprofit has adequate resources to advance its mission.
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Choosing to volunteer for a role on Teacup’s board should be entered into with the expectation that your regular and timely participation is required in order for our organization to successfully operate and grow.
If you serve on our board in a primary role, your total weekly time commitment is expected to be about 1-2 hours, including meetings, fundraising outreach, and related activities in service of advancing our mission (and some weeks will be zero).
Assistant directors may require less time commitment, but must be prepared to step in at any time (as available) to support their primary director.
We are seeking to fill the following positions on the board.
- Assistant Vice President (multiple people can serve)
- Secretary
- Assistant Secretary (multiple people can serve)
- Treasurer
- Assistant Treasurer (multiple people can serve)
- Fundraising Director
- Assistant Fundraising Director (multiple people can serve)
Roles & Responsibilities
Responsibilities for board roles will be finalized by the board members and may overlap as needed, provided that such overlap does not pose a conflict of interest or violate our Bylaws.
Primary officers will be supported by assistant officers who are invited to attend all meetings and proceedings, with ownership of responsibilities performed as agreed upon by each person serving in a related role (e.g., the secretary may request support from an assistant secretary to help with agendas or minutes).
These roles and responsibilities are expected to include the following.
- Approve our 501c3 submission to the IRS (preview preliminary materials)
- Attend 4 quarterly board meetings per fiscal year (January 1st through December 31st) plus any special meetings that are called by the board; expected time commitment is approximately 1-2 hours per meeting plus preparation and followup; dates and times to be agreed upon by the board after it has been established
- Prepare meeting materials, reports, and other communications in preparation for — or to document and share outcomes after — the board proceedings
- Actively fundraise for the organization, devoting at least 4 hours per month performing outreach or planning activities to advance our reach and our mission
- Adopt or modify our Bylaws and Conflict of Interest Policy
- Vote on matters brought before the board, including elections and appointments of officers to serve in roles that advance the mission of the organization
- Periodically review our operating agreements, financial statements, and other documentation for accuracy and alignment with current organizational goals and processes
- Approve or modify alliances, affiliations, sponsorships, and other organizational relationships that advance our mission
- Approve expenses of the organization, including salaries of directors and employees, operating expenses, fundraising expenses, and any other costs related to supporting and growing the organization
- Approve any contracts entered into on behalf of the organization
- Additional responsibilities as agreed upon by the board and required by our Bylaws
Qualifications
Our founding board will elect our first primary board members, and then our complete board will elect the remaining officers, assistant officers, and committee leaders, following guidelines in our Bylaws.
- Current President, Secretary, Treasurer, Fundraising Director
- Anne Mitchell (remains as President after voting in the new Board)
- Current Vice President
- Roxie Speer (may step down after voting in the new Board)
Lack of nonprofit board experience will not disqualify you, but those with experience may be given a higher priority in the selection process.
Priority will also be given to those coaches who were part of Teacup’s earlier iteration and have rejoined now that we have restructured as a nonprofit entity.
Terms
Per section 4.03a of our Bylaws, all directors shall be elected to serve a one-year term, however the term may be extended until a successor has been elected. A board member may also step down or be voted out, per our Bylaws.
Compensation
Per section 4.09 of our Bylaws, board members shall receive no compensation for carrying out their duties as officers.
Per section 4.10 of our Bylaws, directors are not restricted from being remunerated for professional services provided on behalf of the corporation (i.e., board members may also serve as paid directors and/or contract coaches for Teacup Wellness), as long as those duties do not overlap or create a conflict of interest.
Meetings
Per section 4.07 of our Bylaws, the board of directors shall have a minimum of four (4) regular meetings each calendar year, at times and places fixed by the board.
Special meetings of the board may be called by the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, or any two (2) other board directors.
- Purpose
- To conduct the business of the organization
- Frequency
- Quarterly, approximately every 3 months
- Duration
- Approximately 1-2 hours, plus preparation and followup
- Preparation and follow-up
- Board members will be required to prepare agendas, reports, and other materials as needed per their role, and to follow up with subsequent steps, including preparation of meeting minutes
- Attendance
- Primary officers are expected to attend each meeting
- Assistant officers will also be invited to attend
- Directors may be excused for a reason deemed adequate by the board president, however multiple absences may result in removal, per our Bylaws
- Forum
- Board meetings can use any forum agreed upon by the board, including telephone, video conferencing, in-person, or other means
- Voting rights
- Directors and officers must be present in a meeting in order to vote on matters before the board. Assistant directors and officers have the same voting rights as primary directors and officers, however if the primary voting officer is present, the secondary officer will not vote so that our areas of responsibility can carry equal weight
- Special meetings
- Special meetings of the board may be called by the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, or any two (2) other directors of the board
Committees
Committee roles will be formalized after our new board is voted in.
Summary
The new board may choose to modify and/or add any of the guidelines above to our bylaws, or simply choose to follow them as guidance for our operations.
Nominations to Teacup Wellness Board of Directors
Our Bylaws section 4.04 states that “in order to be eligible to serve as a director on the board of directors, the individual must be 18 years of age and an affiliate within affiliate classifications created by the board of directors.”
Teacup Wellness affiliations include actively serving in a role related to the wellness industry either as a coach or other health professional and/or previous experience serving as a board member or officer of a nonprofit entity.
If you would like to nominate yourself to be considered for a role on Teacup’s board of directors and officers, please submit this application for consideration no later than midnight Central time on May 25, 2021.
Pursuant to the above, by applying for a role on the board of directors, you affirm that you are at least 18 year of age and are actively affiliated with the wellness industry either as a coach or other health professional and/or have previous experience serving as an officer on a nonprofit board.
If you have questions, please drop a note to hello@teacupwellness.com.