Local Program Advisory Boards—Part 1

Are you ready to take your Blessings in a Backpack program to the next level?

How often have you heard the staff at Blessings in a Backpack acknowledge “volunteers are the heart and soul of Blessings in a Backpack?” Or that “Blessings in a Backpack would not exist if not for our dedicated volunteers?”

So many of our programs exist because initially, one person saw the need to feed hungry children in their community and, with his/her untiring efforts, began to fundraise to start a Blessings in a Backpack program.

Every child fed because of your efforts as a Program Coordinator (PC) matters. Whether you feed 50 children in your community—or maybe it is fewer—or hundreds, know that what you are doing is greatly appreciated. For those who desire to feed even more children than you’re already serving or want to ensure the program continues when you no longer have the time or ability to lead the program, consider creating a formal local Program Advisory Board to address growth, sustainability and succession planning.

Our largest programs serving multiple schools and hundreds or even 1,000+ of children each started with one school and 50 children. Recruiting other members of the community to build a team to deliver the program has allowed the program, and the number of children served to grow. Taking it a step further with a formal advisory board can ensure the legacy you’ve worked tirelessly to create in bringing Blessings in a Backpack to your community will endure.

Formalizing a local Program Advisory Board: An example from Effingham IL

The Blessings in a Backpack program began in Effingham IL in 2013 under the leadership of Jamie Waldhoff and Kelsey Weber.  They quickly got the local community involved and created a local Program Advisory Board, the members of which were very involved in the annual fundraiser and other program needs.  The program quickly grew, from serving two schools and 130 children in 2013 to serving more than 460 students in 9 schools in 2017.

In 2015, Jamie approached the National Office for advice: as passionate as she and Kelsey were about the BIB program, they wanted to ensure the continuity of the program beyond their involvement. They wanted it to be the “Effingham Community BIB program,” not the “Jamie and Kelsey” BIB program.  As a result, with input from the National Office and a local attorney, they further formalized their operating guidelines and principles, implementing term limits and succession planning.  In 2016, Amanda Emmerich became the Advisory Board Chair, a position she retained through the end of 2017.

The Effingham program serves as a great example of the benefits of a strong local Program Advisory Board to ensure the sustainability of the program beyond the leadership of its founder(s).  What a wonderful legacy Jamie and Kelsey created in Effingham that lives on though they are no longer local Program Advisory Board members.

Amanda explains, “As leaders of our programs, we are so passionate about our work and the children we serve.  It can be a challenge to share the responsibilities or to pass the reins to someone else.  It’s a gift to the children we serve though, to equip our local programs with talented people who will sustain the vision and help our programs thrive.  We seek individuals who bring great knowledge and local connections to the team.  Our programs are at their best when we have a wide network of leadership, and cheerleaders throughout the community.  As original founding members have rolled off the board, our program has continuity because we continue to train new members who also bring fresh ideas.  We have ensured our children will receive their weekend bags of food long into the future.”

Tools to help form or formalize a local Program Advisory Board

A formal local Program Advisory Board provides defined expectations for members as to their roles and responsibilities and fundraising expectations. Creating a division of responsibilities through designated positions and often committees help volunteers take ownership of the work.

The PC Toolkit contains the following templates which can serve as a starting point in developing the structure for your local Program Advisory Board:

Each of these documents should be customized to the needs of your local community. They should be living, breathing documents that can be amended as your advisory board evolves. The purposes of these documents are:

Operating Principles and Practices—defines how the local Program Advisory Board will function, such as:

  • Frequency of Meetings
  • Officers—defines the positions such as Board Chair, Vice-President, VP-Finance, and Secretary
    Committees[Symbol]often, much of the work of the Advisory Board is done at the committee level and is then reported back to the Advisory Board. Typical committees include Fundraising, Special Events, Marketing, Finance
  • Terms and term limits [Symbol] a common term is two or three years with a limit of two or three terms. Thus, an advisory board member would likely “term out” after six to nine years. While the process of retiring from a board may be bittersweet for someone who has contributed in a meaningful way, this is a way to avoid “burnout” and allow for “new blood” with fresh energy.

Advisory Board Member Job Description—can be used for recruiting prospective Program Advisory Board members to set expectations as to roles and responsibilities associated with being a member of the Program Advisory Board.

Advisory Board Application—prospective local Program Advisory Board members, complete this application to provide information on background and qualifications to aid decision-making in recruiting new members (in accordance with the process defined in the Operating Principles and Practices).

Local Program Advisory Boards—Part 2. In the next issue of Blessings Broadcast, we will address:

  • What’s the difference between a Board of Directors and Advisory Board?
  • Naming considerations: local program Advisory Board vs. Council or Committee
  • Identifying needed committees
  • Pros and cons of a defined “give or get” and in-kind contributions
  • Term limit considerations
  • Lessons learned from existing BIB Advisory Boards
  • Tips for recruiting new local Program Advisory Board members

Start with the noted documents in the PC Toolkit if you’re ready to explore the development of your BIB local Program Advisory Board. Then please email BIB’s Chief Program Officer Susan Kane or call (312) 366-2752 if you have questions or need additional guidance.

(Note: the templates provided are a starting point for your consideration. BIB reserves the right to update and modify templates to better serve the needs of our volunteers and the organization as appropriate in the future.)