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Join Our
Board of Directors

The Rainbow Community Center of Contra Costa County is accepting applications for its Board of Directors. If you're interested in being on our Board of Directors, please download and fill out the following forms and send them to rcc@rainbowcc.org.

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Position Summary (download full summary)

The Rainbow Board of Directors support the staff, led by the Executive Director and staff leadership team, in providing a wide range of services, outreach, and programs to address community needs for LGBTQI+ persons and our allies in Contra Costa County and beyond. Collectively, the Board of Directors are tasked with fulfilling the organization’s strategic plan and ensuring consistent work toward meeting our mission and vision. We believe that individual Board Members must actively work to collaborate, continuously identify ways to improve themselves and the organization, celebrate wins small and big, and help implement plans to move the organization forward through challenges.  We ask that each member lead with accountability, transparency, integrity, humility, and compassion. 

A Rainbow Community Center Board Member is part of the governing body, oversees the organization, and is responsible for its overall success. There are legal, ethical, and social responsibilities that each Board Member commits to meet and to act, always, in the best interest of the organization and its many stakeholders. Every member of the board of directors of a nonprofit has “three primary legal duties known as the ‘duty of care,’ ‘duty of loyalty,’ and ‘duty of obedience’, which are described below: 

  • Duty of Care: Take care of the nonprofit by ensuring prudent use of all assets, including facility, people, and good will;

  • Duty of Loyalty: Ensure that the nonprofit's activities and transactions are, first and foremost, advancing its mission; Recognize and disclose conflicts of interest; Make decisions that are in the best interest of the nonprofit corporation; not in the best interest of the individual board member (or any other individual or for-profit entity).

  • Duty of Obedience: Ensure that the nonprofit obeys applicable laws and regulations; follows its own bylaws; and that the nonprofit adheres to its stated corporate purposes/mission.

However, a board of directors does not exist solely to fulfill legal duties and serve as a fiduciary of the organization’s assets. Board members also play very significant roles providing guidance to nonprofits by contributing to the organization’s culture, strategic focus, effectiveness, and financial sustainability, as well as serving as ambassadors and advocates.” (www.councilofnonprofits.org/)

Board Gaps Analysis

The Rainbow Board of Directors conducted an analysis of the current identities, backgrounds, education, and work & volunteer experience of members and identified areas of strength and gaps. Rainbow aims to serve Contra Costa County’s LGBTQI+ community, which represents a diverse membership and we believe our Board should reflect as much of the diversity of our community as possible. Our board does not yet reflect the community that we serve and we acknowledge there are gaps in our understandings and experiences, therefore we will prioritize applicants who have the identity, background, education, or experience that meets one or more of the following: (listed in order of current priority)

  • Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC)

  • People of Color (POC)

  • Mental Health work experience (counseling, psychiatry, clinical services, therapy, etc) - preferably Licensed professional

  • Social Work work experience (social worker, advocate, etc) - preferably Licensed professional

  • West County residency (past or present)

  • Legal background or work experience (lawyer, legal aid, paralegal, law degree, etc)

  • Individuals aged 18 to 30 (Note: fiduciary duties for 18 to 20 year olds are different than 21+ members)

  • Individuals with disabilities and neurodiverse folx

  • Finance background or work experience

  • Grant Writing and/or Management

  • East County residency (past or present)

  • Youth Advocacy

  • Human Resources background and experience

  • Marketing or Designing background and experience

Reference and reasoning for naming our priorities for member’s identifications and background:

“A board’s composition impacts how it leads. At the most fundamental level, who serves on a board impacts how it functions and the decisions it makes. While board composition is not one-size-fits all, a board that is homogeneous in any way risks having blind spots that negatively impact its ability to make the best decisions and plans for the organization. The blind spots created by a lack of racial and ethnic diversity are particularly concerning, as they may result in strategies and plans that ineffectively address societal challenges and inequities, or even reinforce them.” Leading with Intent 2017 National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices (www.leadingwithintent.org)

How To Apply

To be considered for this position, please submit the board application to Jonathan Lee, Interim Executive Director, at jonathan@rainbowcc.org with the subject line: “Board Member Application.”  

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Attend A Board Meeting

Board Meetings are usually held on the 4th Thursday of every month at 7PM, unless there is a holiday. The meetings are open to the public, please contact rcc@rainbowcc.org.

Upcoming Zoom Board Meetings

Since March 26, 2020 our meetings have been taking place via Zoom video conferencing and we have started offering a hybrid option in November 2022.  If you are interested in attending virtually, or in person, please email rcc@rainbowcc.org.

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