Seeking qualified individuals to serve on the Board of Special Operations | Finding Kids!
Special Operations | Finding Kids would like to add members to its Board and Advisory Committee who are passionate about keeping kids safe from predators. We are looking for corporate CEOs and executives, venture capitalists, philanthropists, influencers and leaders in the community who also have non-profit Board experience and want to leverage their network to help advance our mission.
Our children in America are not well. Even when at home and with family, we know many are struggling. Worse, hundreds of thousands of children are reported missing every year in the United States, many of whom are preyed upon and are exploited. Many more are lured away online by predators.
Special Operations | Finding Kids is a critical part of the solution. We hire private investigators to find missing and exploited children and get them to safety. Often before the police are even involved, we go to the streets and doggedly search the internet to find these vulnerable children. We also offer crisis intervention and aftercare services to help youth and their families heal. Currently our services are designed to help youth between the ages of 11 and 17 and while we envision scaling to other hot spots, our focus is primarily northern California and parts of Nevada.
Can you help? We'd love for you to join us in prioritizing the safety and well-being of America's most precious citizens.
Please review the role description below and let us know if you are interested in learning more!
Contact Caitlin@findingkids.org or simply apply here!
SPECIAL OPERATIONS | FINDING KIDS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ROLE DESCRIPTION
OUR VISION
To live in a society where every child is safe and thriving.
OUR MISSION
Recover missing and exploited youth, help them heal and make our communities safer.
OUR BELIEF
We believe in America. We believe that its success depends on keeping our children safe, that every child has value, that we must proactively and with urgency look for missing and exploited children, that ridding our community of predators is imperative, that law enforcement needs our help, and that a safe America is everyone's responsibility.
THE SITUATION
Thousands of children are reported missing every year in the United States, many of whom are exploited. Millions more are exploited online. It's happening in plain sight, infiltrating every county and every zip code, from the wealthy to the poor.
Not enough is being done to find and protect these vulnerable children. Resource limitations and geographic restrictions prevent even the most dedicated law enforcement agencies from being able to respond to, or proactively search for missing children. Those who are recovered often lack the support they need to fully heal and thrive.
WHO WE ARE
Special Operations - Finding Kids is a community-based organization founded in 2017 to find missing and exploited children. The organization deploys boots-on-the-ground private investigators, cyber intelligence, and advocacy services to support youth and families in crisis.
Since 2018, Finding Kids' private investigators and aftercare advocates have helped find and provide support to over 180 vulnerable children in Northern California and Nevada, and have identified 38 predators, many of whom have been arrested and convicted. Through its child and family advocacy program, Finding Kids meets their immediate needs, including personal care, coaching and emotional support and continues to monitor the progress of the child to ensure they are safe and can continue their journey of hope and healing.
BOARD OF DIRECTOR ROLE SUMMARY
The Board of Directors supports the work of Special Operations - Finding Kids and provides mission-based leadership and strategic governance. While day-to-day operations are led by the CEO, the Board-CEO relationship operates as a trusted partnership, and the appropriate involvement of the board is critical to the organization's overall success. Specific board member responsibilities include:
Leadership, Governance and Oversight • Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO re. development and execution of strategic plan. • Approve budget, internal audit reports and material business decisions, meeting all legal and fiduciary responsibilities. • Serve on working committees designed to advance the mission. • Review outcomes and metrics to evaluate program and impact. • Serve as a key representative and ambassador of the organization publicly. • Provide input to an annual performance evaluation of the CEO.
Fundraising
Board Members understand that donations are necessary for the vitality of the organization -- and that a meaningful portion of those donations come from board members directly and through board members' networks.
Board Members consider Special Operations | Finding Kids among their top philanthropic priorities, making and soliciting annual contributions that reflect that priority. Collectively as a group Board Members commit to covering the annual administrative cost of running the organization (approximately 20% of annual budget). Board Members share Finding Kids' mission with people and institutions in their networks with a goal of cultivating financial support and advancing the mission.
Board Terms and Participation
Finding Kids's Board Members will serve an initial one-year term and will then be eligible for re-appointment to a three-year term. Board members are expected to participate in Finding Kids's annual board retreat, three-four board meetings per year, and periodic committee meetings. Serving on Finding Kids' Board of Directors is a volunteer position.
Qualifications
Serving on Special Operations | Finding Kids's board is a wonderful opportunity for an individual who is passionate about the mission. Board members have experience serving as leaders in their professional and personal endeavors and are comfortable using these leadership skills to attract other well-qualified, high-performing Board Members. Qualifications for strong board candidates include: • Aligned with Finding Kids's Core Values (integrity, tenacity, collaboration, empowerment) • Engaged in Board Role - Willing and able to bring individual talents and resources to bear in the service of advancing the mission. • Connected and Influential - Can bring and cultivate a network of potential funders, professional experts, and other resources to help advance the mission.. • Financial Supporter and Advocate - Joyfully gives financially to the organization and is willing to share Finding Kids's story with others to raise awareness and financial support. Understands the importance of nonprofit funding to the organization's ability to accomplish its vision. • High Integrity, Reliable and Diligent - Takes initiative to ensure s/he fulfills board responsibilities with appropriate, limited follow-up from staff or other board members. • Leads with Humility - We seek board members with the leadership experience necessary to fulfill our governance role, and the demonstrated humility to support and serve the organization's mission.