Board of Directors Guidebook

Thank you so much for believing in the work and potential of California Coaches. I’m delighted that we’ll get to play together to help this organization impact the community and the coaches we serve. It is my hope that during your time with the board you are enriched by the other smart and talented people here, and that you are able to realize your own visions of what is possible.

Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out to me to connect 1-1. I’m available to support, chat, coach, or brainstorm with you as needed.

Thank you for volunteering your time and energy to help grow and sustain this organization. It is truly an honor to welcome you to this amazing group!

Warmly,

Kimberly Errigo, MA, MCC
Founder, Chair and Executive Director 2016-2022

We block out Mondays from 10-11 for meetings in order to best facilitate connection without needing to spend additional time scheduling.

The third Mondays of the month are our required official monthly Board meetings. On all other Mondays, our meetings are optional. Although it’s not required, it’s still very helpful if you can attend. Open Meetings are a great time to connect with other Board members as well as for you to contribute your expertise on our ongoing projects.

All of our meetings are held in the Conference Room, which you can access using the blue button above. You should also see an invitation on your Google Calendar. (send an email to  hello@calicoaches.org if you don’t see it.)

Board members should expect to spend 1-2 hours a week focused on strategic projects for California Coaches. This time may be used for: 

• Attending meetings, either with the board or our Community Partners
• Building strategic partnerships that give us more reach
• Leading strategic initiatives that have been approved by the board
• Attending organizational events where you’re appearing in an official capacity, such as networking events or parties

Past Board members have reported that it’s helpful to put a 1-2 hour, weekly, recurring time block in your calendar to prompt you to make this time happen. 

In general, the focus of Board members is organizational strategy. If you find yourself doing (or wanting to do) a lot of work that is tactical, or you can offer other assets that will help us grow our capacity, you may want to become a Community Partner in addition to your role as a Board member. Read more about Community Partnership HERE.

The core responsibilities of the Board of Directors are:

• To provide sound, ethical, and legal direction and governance for the organization such that it achieves its mission, as detailed in the bylaws; and
• To act as a fiduciary who steers the organization towards a sustainable future by making sure the nonprofit has adequate resources to advance its mission.

In addition to oversight of the organization, members of the board do the following:

• Choose a project that they want to work on during their term of board service, with attention to leaving a legacy
• Serve as the lead Board representative at two member events during the year (such as the holiday party, networking events, Mastermind rounds, etc)
• Participate in biannual Board retreats (half days, typically May and October)
• Connect the organization to people, resources, and opportunities which support our mission

You will be given access to the shared Google Drive that we use for the board. Any documents you create for the organization should be created from within the shared drive so they are owned by CaliCoaches.

Use the blue button above for access!

According to our Bylaws, all governing members must hold a paid membership at the Catalyst or Expert level, unless it is specifically waived by the board. If you haven’t already, please sign up for your membership here.