No not-for-profit initiative can thrive without the support of the community it serves.
Board of Directors
As part of our stand-up effort, we welcome conversations with well-placed members of the community who may be interested in serving on our board of directors. Send an introductory email to hello@[our domain name] to get the ball rolling.
The board has three main functions: to set the strategic plan of the organization, to approve the annual budget and deviations thereof, and to oversee the chief staff executive if one is hired.
Our board consists of several officers and a larger group of trustees. The officers will “work” the organization in the absence of paid staff and with the support of program directors; the trustees serve in a non-working advisory role that meets quarterly.
Foundation Staff
Until a formal governance structure is finalized, an interim board president is caretaking the organization, recruiting board members, and shepherding the foundation’s programs. Jason Gillikin, owner/founder of Jason’s Books & Coffee, Inc., is serving in this part-time, uncompensated role.
Program Directors
A program director is responsible for a specific area of programming that the Foundation has agreed to support. PDs may be compensated or uncompensated depending on the specific terms of the program he or she superintends, as allowed by IRS regulations. They are part of the leadership team but not directly employed by the foundation — usually, they offer a few hours per week of time to administer their program.
Several programs already have an assigned program director:
- Jay Brown (Cards of Kindness)
- Jason Gillikin (The Literary Salon)
- Andrew Ronzino (Grand River Writing Tribe)
- Melanie Van Weelden (West Michigan Author Alliance)
- Brittany Wilson (Independent Creator Program)