Alumni Board Member 2026-2027

LOGISTICS & INFORMATION

Location: We are open to board members joining us remotely from anywhere in the world as long as they are committed to attending our virtual and in-person board meetings and virtual committee meetings. Our virtual board meetings are typically held between 9am-1pm Pacific Time (UTC -8). We will have two in-person board meetings each year in September and March in the Bay Area. 

Deadline: The application deadline is July 8, 2026.

Compensation: We are excited to offer a stipend to compensate our Alumni for serving on our board. We will provide a $1,500 stipend for the first year, as well as paid professional development opportunities to be defined together with the board member. 

Application process: Submit your resume online along with responses to a couple of key questions (we do not take cover letters). After submitting an application if you are moved forward our process includes the following steps:

• A video screening interview
• A video interview with the CEO 
• A video interview with a current Board member

ABOUT THIS ROLE

Tilting Futures values the perspectives, experiences, and voices of our alumni and holds a commitment to have an alumni representative on our Board of Directors at all times. Through this role, our alumni board members provide first-hand insight into the experience of being a Fellow, while developing their own leadership in meaningful ways. They represent the voice of those we strive to serve and bring the individual program participant to the forefront of strategic decisions and organizational growth.

Tilting Futures’s Board of Directors provides critical governance, oversight and leadership to the organization. As a member of the board, you will work with a diverse group who share your passion for our mission, and with them support Tilting Futures’ vision and growth (see bios of current members here). As the Alumni representative on our board, you will have the opportunity to contribute your experience, expertise, and unique point of view to help bring our ambitious vision to life. In this role, your responsibilities will involve weighing in with strategic advice, thought partnership, supporting fundraising efforts, and helping with outreach to alumni and other stakeholders. 

YOUR OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPACT

Steer the Organization: act as a voting Board member, steering our budget, strategy, and organizational health. 

• Attend all quarterly Board meetings (4 total, 2 virtual & 2 in-person). 
• Help develop and guide strategy for the organization.
• Be an active contributor and lend your insights to one or more board committees. These currently include: Development/Nominating, Finance, Program/Risk.
• Conduct CEO performance evaluation and compensation review.
• Monitor and evaluate organizational health and effectiveness. 

Champion our cause: Represent the organization effectively in external contexts. 

• Seize opportunities to actively promote our cause externally. 
• Recruit new allies: Board members, local champions, students, strategic partners, universities, staff members, and media. 
• Share Tilting Futures news with your network.

Generate Resources: support the board and team in generating resources for the organization. 

• Identify new sources of revenue; help with introductions, meetings/events & follow-up. Leverage your network, connections, and relationships to help identify and develop resources.
• Make a meaningful, annual gift (at a level that feels personally meaningful to you).

NOTE: It’s good practice for nonprofit organizations to show that board members donate financially to the organization as it shows their commitment to the cause. We include this language in our agreements with all board members, with the understanding that a meaningful contribution can mean very different things to different members of the board. We want to make sure that finances are NOT a hindrance to an alumni serving on the board, so we share this responsibility as an illustration of the types of work board members do but understand that applicants will have varying abilities to contribute an annual gift. 

Stay Informed and Responsive: 

• Review materials in advance of meetings. All board members receive a ‘board pack’ a week before the meeting. Members are expected to read and digest the materials, and come to the meeting prepared to engage. 
• Be available to offer timely feedback.  
• Stay abreast of broader trends in the field. Be aware of what themes are surfacing in the larger conversation on globally immersive learning, gap years, the educational landscape, and how this ties to our work. 

WHO WILL THRIVE IN THIS ROLE

We are looking for more than just hard skills; we are looking for board members who will add value to our organizational culture by bringing these mindsets to their work:

• Information Seeker: Investigates thoroughly to get relevant information.
• Strategic Thinker: Examines issues and plans with a long-term perspective.
• Judgment: Forms sound opinions and makes solid decisions.
• Committed: Pledges firmly to a goal, idea or plan. 
• Initiative: Acts proactively to achieve results.
• Optimistic: Finds the positive in negative results or rejection.   
• Assertive: States own opinions and ideas confidently without infringing on others. 
• Self Confident: Believes in own judgment, abilities or skills. 
• Diplomatic: Deals tactfully with diverse groups of people, situations and ideas. 
• Empathetic: Identifies with the feelings, ideas and attitudes of others.  
• Continuous learner: driven to learn and stay current professionally. 
• Ethical (with equity focus): Guided by a set of core values and beliefs to act with integrity and honesty. 

The following skills and experience are required:

• We are looking for alumni who are 25 years old or older, with at least 3 years of professional experience.

YOUR LEGACY

Help us build on the work of previous alumni board members, and ensure that we continue to deliver programs that have long-lasting impact on the students we serve.  

FAQs

Who does this role report to?

This role doesn’t have a direct manager per-se, but the Alumni Board Member will have lots of support from the CEO, the Chief Program Officer, and the Director of Global Community Engagement as well as from a peer on the Board. 

When are board meetings and how do I attend them?

We have four annual meetings: we typically do two by video-conference, and two in-person (Bay Area). Tilting Futures will cover all alumni costs associated with attending in-person board meetings (travel, accommodations, meals) as needed.

How long is the board term?

The alumni board member will serve a one year term, with the option to renew their term each year (with Board approval) for an additional two (2) years for a term of up to 3 years.

What does a typical Board Member do?  

In a typical board cycle (once per quarter, or every three months or so), you will join a committee meeting and a board meeting, and read and respond to a few emails from the Tilting Futures team. Committee meetings are generally held once per quarter, ahead of those committee meetings you will read through the provided materials, and come ready to ask questions and weigh in on key discussion topics. During these meetings, you’ll likely get more “in the weeds” (or details) of the work we do. For example - in our Finance Committee meeting you may be helping us review the budget before we have a full board meeting to approve it, and thinking through the best way to get to approval. 

Once committees wrap up, you’ll receive a board pack with information to read in preparation for the quarterly board meeting. You’ll read through the pack in detail, note down your questions, and come prepared with thoughts as needed. You’ll then join the board meeting, vote on any items for board approval, and discuss pressing topics with your fellow board members. In between meetings you may get requests to connect with a few staff members, email updates on board related work, requests for connections, or breaking news updates to share with your networks.