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Opportunities for Involvement

Active participation on a Women in Development committee is one of the best ways to make WID your organization. Fill out our online application to volunteer to serve on one of these committees, or you may contact the Chair(s) directly.

City Service
The City Service Program offers a series of four seminars to area nonprofit organizations with annual operating budgets of $500,000 or less and without a full-time staff member dedicated solely to fundraising. The seminars - offered at a nominal fee of $160, which includes a year-long membership in Women in Development of Greater Boston – include topics that nonprofits of this size and nature have determined to be of interest to them: annual giving, board development, corporate and foundation fundraising, volunteer leadership and databases are all topics that have been covered in past City Service cycles. All speakers are development professionals and members of Women in Development, and all speakers and committee members donate their time and services for the City Service program.

The Committee meets monthly from September – December to recruit and vet interested nonprofits; after December committee members attend each of the four seminars, held in February, March, April, and May. Additionally, each committee member serves as the committee contact for a participating nonprofit organization.

Committee Responsibilities

• Attend meetings that are scheduled throughout the year (approx. once a month)
• Qualifies and interviews the nonprofits
• Attend all four seminars that are put forward through the project
• Serves as a mentor to the participating non-profit organizations
• Prepares support materials, helps with the implementation of the seminars, and aids in furthering the project

Co-Chairs: Katie DeBonville ( ) and Megan Panek ( )

Communications
The Communications Committee promotes WID and its mission to its members and to the public through clear and compelling communications vehicles. 

Committee Responsibilities

• Manages the production of articles for WID website that review recent WID programs
• Solicits articles from senior members and other development professionals for online library of articles of interest to members
• Researches, evaluates and implements additional links from WID website to other relevant sites
• Compiles information for the monthly WID e-news and oversees its distribution to the WID membership.
• Explores other enhancements to WID website that would be of value to members and others interested in philanthropy
• Develops and maintains an online corporate sponsors list via a Vendor Directory

Co-Chairs: Raffaella Torchia ( ) and Susan Turner ( )

Governance/Nominating Committee
The Governance/Nominating Committee is charged with planning for Officer and Board succession, discussing issues around long-range planning and associated recommendations to the Executive Committee and the Board, recruiting for Board and Officer positions, and new Board member orientation. 

Committee Responsibilities

• Reviews on an annual basis and updates, as appropriate, Officer, Board Member and Committee Job Descriptions
• Identifies, interviews and recruits potential candidates for specific Board positions
• Implements the nomination process
• Recommends a slate of candidates to the Executive Committee and then
• Recommends a slate of candidates to the Board for approval
• Recommends candidates to complete terms of Board Members who have left the Board for one reason or another
• Makes formal nominations to the WID membership at the Annual Meeting
• Creates and updates the orientation process, including additions/changes to the Board Book, and conducts orientation of new Board members
• Conducts exit interviews with outgoing Board Members and prepares report
• Analyzes intra-committee communication and makes recommendations to the Executive Committee and to the board to improve this process

Co-Chairs: Barbara Shenker ( ) and Jeri Thys ( )

Marketing Committee
The Marketing Committee was established in 2006 to better position WID with key audiences. The committee was charged with the following goals:

• Increase WID's presence in the Great Boston Community
• Increase the perceived value of WID membership internally and externally
• Generate additional income

Committee Responsibilities

Plan and implement activities in the following areas:

• Actively reach out to the media
• Become a presence at selected events for visibility and recruitment
• Plan and place advertisements/notices in appropriate venues and special events
• Market strategic partnerships

Co-Chairs: Phyllis Lasky ( ) and Barrie Tysko ( )

Member Services
The Member Services Committee plans and implements programs to increase member recruitment, satisfaction and retention.

Committee Responsibilities

• Monitors and implements changes to membership structure and benefits to enhance member recruitment
• Drafts membership materials sent to new members and posted on the website as introduction to WID
• Creates and implements programs and events that target the needs of the varying levels of members: senior, mid-level, junior and new members
• Develops programs that encourage participation by members at all levels, including committee involvement
• Assesses member satisfaction through surveys and/or focus groups

Co-Chairs: Maria Clark ( ) and Sue Dalelio ( )

Program Committee
Under the guidance of the Program Strategist, the Program Committee coordinates and manages professional development and networking programs offered by WID to its members, including breakfasts and lunches with featured speakers, more informal Brown Bag lunches, the annual Young Philanthropists Award luncheon, and the annual meeting. Committee members are actively involved in all aspects of program management, from identifying and recruiting speakers to meeting management.

Committee Responsibilities

Identifies topics, recruits speakers, secures locations, and coordinates details for all programs mentioned above

• Assists the speaker(s) in developing presentation as necessary
• Produces flier describing the presentation and speaker to publicize the event
• Sends and tallies program evaluations to monitor success
• Involves Board and committee members as program hosts
• Considers opportunities to collaborate with other professional organizations and WID committees on programming

Chair: Meryl Stowbridge ( )

Young Philanthropist Award Committee
Since 2003, Women in Development’s Young Philanthropist Award has recognized and celebrated the contributions of young philanthropists, who make a difference in advancing the spirit of philanthropy in the greater community. The goals of the award are to recognize a young leader who inspires philanthropy, to highlight a model of philanthropic practice for future generations and to illuminate the vital contributions made by a young philanthropist that advance the mission of a nonprofit organization.

Committee Responsibilities

• Secures nominations from WID Board members and other leaders representing nonprofit organizations
• Reviews nominations, interviews finalists and selects the recipient
• Coordinates correspondence to the recipient and the nominators
• Writes/edits press release and secures publicity for the award recipient
• Drafts the awards program brochure and attends the awards luncheon, where a $1,000 grant in honor of the award recipient is announced

Chair: Beth Kramer ( )

To become involved, or to find out more about these activities, please contact the WID office at 617.489.6777 or widgb@widgb.org, or if you prefer, volunteer online by filling out the committee application form.