Open Call for Board Members — Forward Through Ferguson

Overview | Who We’re Looking For | How to Apply | Selection Timeline

Forward Through Ferguson seeks to add four to six new members to our Board of Directors.

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Forward Through Ferguson (FTF) is the nonprofit organization formed in 2015 to carry out the work of the Ferguson Commission. Through centering impacted communities and mobilizing accountable bodies to advance racially equitable systems and policies that ensure everyone in the St. Louis region can thrive, FTF is leading our region on a path toward Racial Equity—a St. Louis where outcomes are no longer predictable by race. FTF is preparing for a new strategic planning process to advance its mission, and new Board members will be integral to carrying-out organizational imperatives.

As a Board, we are particularly focused on:

Expanding FTF’s organizational infrastructure;
Continuing to build FTF’s robust fundraising program, which allows FTF to fund its work and mission, as well as catalyze the work of others to advance racial equity;
Examining policies, practices, and organizational initiatives and ensuring impacted communities are centered in the work; and
Supporting the Lead Catalyst and staff in implementing FTF’s strategic plan.

Through this work, we are committed to helping our region by:

Championing a regional understanding of Racial Equity, why it matters, and how it differs from diversity, inclusion, and equality;
Serving as a catalyst to bring key regional players, most impacted St. Louisans, and accountable bodies to shared tables;
Challenging institutions to support Racial Equity and to use their influence to do so;
Connecting those institutions and others doing this work with the partners and resources they need to effect change;
Shining a light on racial inequity and amplifying efforts of those institutions addressing it;
Monitoring and reporting on our region’s progress in responding to the Calls to Action outlined in the Ferguson Commission report; and
Remaining accountable to the thousands of St. Louisans who participated in the development of the Report, people of color, and systemically disadvantaged communities.

We’re looking for you if you have some combination of the following:

Board experience (either non-profit or for-profit) and can see clearly how the board structure can be leveraged to advance the mission of the organization;
No board experience, but are an engaged member of the community, who feels your voice and perspective is often missing in board or executive-level deliberations and decision-making;
A youth (age 18 – 25) voice perspective through your lived experience/expertise;
Dedication to and/or active participation in community activism, particularly as it relates to the advancement of racial equity;
Experience with policy change as a policymaker, advocate, community organizer or other changemaker role;
Expertise and experience in non-profit finance and robust financial procedures, including experience in development and fundraising efforts;
Experience in the legal field;
Commitment to practicing radical listening and collaboration;
A growth mindset that questions the default and is comfortable challenging the status quo;
A willingness to be vulnerable in doing work that is often unprecedented, scary, and overwhelming; and
Don’t want or need another line on your resume, don’t expect much praise or glory, and don’t need this work to feed your ego.

Interested? Here’s what we need to know:

Why does this matter to you?
Who vouches for you as a great fit and why (in their words)?
The core principles of this work are Racial Equity, Radical Listening, Policy & Systems Change, and Collaboration. What does that mean to you and/or to our region specifically?
How do you anticipate contributing to the sustainability of the organization and the execution of our strategic plan through policy work, community governance, fundraising and/or racial equity capacity experience/expertise?

Your submission can take whatever form you feel expresses you best—from a traditional cover letter, resume, and letters of recommendation to a video, manifesto, or vision board.

Whatever the format, cover all the bases and submit everything to board@forwardthroughferguson.org (for #2, have them submit theirthoughts to you so that you can deliver them with the rest of your answers, or have them send their thoughts directly to us on your behalf using the board@forwardthroughferguson.org email address).

If you would like to nominate someone for this board, please submit their contact information at https://bit.ly/FTF_BoardNomination.

Selection Timeline:

[DEADLINE EXTENSION] Application packets are due by 11:59 AM on October 8th, 2021. We will interview candidates this fall and make selections in December 2021. We will share a more detailed timeline with candidates who reach the finalist stage.

If you have questions about the process that are not answered here, please submit them to board@forwardthroughferguson.org.