Board of Directors (nationwide search)

The Secular Student Alliance is seeking several new members for its Board of Directors. And we’d love to hear from YOU if any of the following are true:

• You believe in a pluralistic, welcoming future for us all, regardless of your own religious or non-religious beliefs;
• You’d like to serve the public, and give back to your community;
• You’ve wanted to gain experience serving on a non-profit Board;
• You’d like to contribute your skills, talents, passion, and unique perspective to the important work we do.

Who We Are

The Secular Student Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and the only national organization dedicated to atheist, humanist, and other non-theist students. Our mission is to empower secular students to proudly express their identity, build welcoming communities, promote secular values, and set a course for lifelong activism. We support the growing population of secular students with:

• Community, via more than 200 chapters at high schools, colleges, and universities across the country;
• Programs, like our Secular Spring Break;
• Events, like our National Student Leadership Conference;
• Recognition and financial assistance, via our scholarship program;
• Advocacy and litigation on behalf of secular students;
• A diverse array of educational and organizational resources.

You’re welcome to learn more about our staff, board, and student leaders – as well as our finances and bylaws – by visiting secularstudents.org.

The SSA Board

SSA’s Board of Directors provides organizational leadership, strategic governance, and financial oversight; it also assists with organizational fundraising. Overall Board responsibilities include:

• Reviewing and approving, as appropriate, SSA’s annual budget, audit reports, and material business decisions; being informed of (and meeting) all legal and fiduciary responsibilities.
• Selecting, supervising, and supporting SSA’s Executive Director.
• Strategic and organizational planning.

Individual Board Member responsibilities

Individual Board Members are expected to:

• Serve on one committee; our standing committees include: Development, Governance, Finance, and Executive.
• Attend the meetings of our full Board, which are held virtually in April, June, September, and November of each year, and in-person in January and July (often in Pasadena, California; sometimes held in conjunction with our national conference, with the location being finalized toward the East Coast in June or July).
• Participate in Committee and Board meetings that are informed, and promote critical thinking, healthy debate, and the effective function of the Board as a governing body.

A complete list of expectations is available on our website; candidates should reside in the United States or Canada (the areas we serve).

Length of Service

The seats that are available this year have terms of four years, two years, and one year. A full term is four years.

Time Commitment

Expectations vary, but generally, Board members are expected to spend 8-10 hours per month on SSA business.

Financial Commitment

Every member of the SSA Board is expected to make a “personally significant” contribution to the organization each year. Ideally, SSA should be one of the top three organizations in your annual giving; we don’t have a minimum threshold because we have student Board Members, and because we don’t want to exclude people who can provide value in other ways. That said, each member of the Board also meets with the Chair of the Development Committee to discuss other ways they can support SSA financially (for instance, by fundraising within their personal networks).

Qualifications

Ideal candidates will have the following qualifications:

• Available time and capacity to dedicate to committee work.
• A natural affinity for cultivating relationships and building consensus among diverse individuals, and a belief in the value of intersectional organizing.
• An understanding of (and/or a commitment to) secularism, atheism, and humanism.
• Experience and accomplishments in business, government, philanthropy, or the non-profit sector.
• Personal qualities of integrity and credibility.
• A passion for improving the lives of students with secular values.

Apply

If you think you might be a good fit, we’d love to hear from you! You can submit an application at the deadline to apply is February 6.