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Saddle Up!

Board of Directors

Saddle Up!

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Job Summary

Saddle Up! is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to impact the lives of children and young adults with disabilities by providing opportunities to grow and develop through therapeutic, educational and recreational experiences with horses. We bring that mission to life by providing a year-round program on our 34-acre farm near Franklin, TN.. The Saddle Up! Board of Directors is the governing body responsible for overseeing the organization in such manner as will assure achievement of its mission, effective and ethical management, compliance with all laws, and fiscal responsibility.  Board Members serve a 3 year term.  Officers are re-elected each year. Our board members are held to the highest standards of

  • Duty of care, the board members’ responsibility to actively participate in making decisions on behalf of the organization and to exercise their best judgment while doing so.
  • Duty of loyalty when acting on behalf of the organization in a decision-making capacity, board members must set aside their own personal and professional interests. The organization’s needs come first, and
  • Duty of obedience and our board members bear the legal responsibility of ensuring that the organization remains true to its mission and purpose by its compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws.

The Saddle Up! Board of directors operates in specific areas of accountability and have individual and shared responsibilities to the organization.  A committment to the mission of Saddle Up! and to the riders and families we serve and support, to the health and well-being of our herd of therapy horses, to our staff and volunteers is critical to the role of a successful board member.

Job Responsibilities

Areas of Accountability:

Determine the mission of Saddle Up!. It is the board’s responsibility to create and review a statement of mission and purpose that articulates the organization’s goals, means, and primary constituents served.

Ensure adequate resources. One of the board’s foremost responsibilities is to ensure that adequate financial resources exist for Saddle Up! to fulfill its mission.

Select, support, and evaluate the chief executive. Boards must reach consensus on the chief executive’s responsibilities and undertake a careful search-and-selection process to find the most qualified person for the job. The board should also ensure that the chief executive has the moral and professional support he or she needs to further the goals of the organization. Further, it should provide regular and ongoing evaluations of the chief executive’s performance.

Provide proper financial oversight. The board may assist in developing the annual budget, regularly reviews financial statements, and ensures that proper financial controls are in place.

Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability. The board is ultimately responsible for seeing that legal standards and ethical norms are met or exceeded.

Recruit and orient new board members and assess board performance. All boards have a responsibility to articulate prerequisites for candidates, orient new members, and periodically and comprehensively evaluate their own performance.

Enhance the public standing of Saddle Up!. The board should clearly articulate to the public Saddle Up!’s mission, accomplishments and goals and garner support from the community.

Determine, monitor, and strengthen Saddle Up!’s programs and services. The board must determine which programs are consistent with the organization’s mission and monitor their effectiveness.

 

Individual Responsibilities: For the Saddle Up! Board to be as effective as possible, each Board member must fulfill his/her individual responsibilities. These include:

Prepare for, attend and participate in 4 Board meetings per year. Your personal commitment to prepare for meetings by reviewing materials sent prior to meetings, attending the meetings, and actively participating in discussions and actions at the meetings is needed for the Board’s work as a whole to be effective.

Make a personal gift to Saddle Up!’ annual fund. As a Board member, you clearly demonstrate your commitment and your belief in Saddle Up! by your personal financial support. All Board members are expected to give. Board members are encouraged to make Saddle Up! one of their top giving priorities, but participation by 100% of board members is paramount. In fact, several funders, such as foundations, require nonprofits to state what percentage of their board donates to the organization.

Serve on assigned committees, task forces, projects or other work. Several areas such as strategic planning, policy development, events, capital budget, family council and others require small groups dedicated to the task. Your active involvement will be a key to whether or not the groups achieve the desired results.

Champion Saddle Up! to your network and the community at large. You are a walking, talking, living, breathing public relations program for Saddle Up!. Your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and people you know/meet in your place of worship, business organizations or anywhere else will see you as a representative of Saddle Up!. These are all perfect opportunities to share Saddle Up!’s mission and program to increase awareness and potentially support.

Open doors for Saddle Up!. This is another way that you personally can impact Saddle Up!’s success. Help the Board, Board leaders and Executive Director identify individuals, businesses or organizations that could be supportive and, if you have access, help open the doors to connect Saddle Up! with those people and organizations. Your personal endorsement or bringing your connections to tour and observe lessons can make the difference in whether or not Saddle Up! has the chance to increase its support.

Attend, support and/or help gain support and sponsorships for our events. Saddle Up! has four main events annually: Hoofbeats and Heroes, SUPERshow, Music Country Grand Prix, and Chukkers for Charity. Two of these events provide a significant percentage of Saddle Up!’s operating revenues. Hoofbeats and Heroes and SHOWshow are staff, family, volunteer, and donor attended events and board members should attend with their designated potential donors.

Stay informed on what’s happening at Saddle Up!. Saddle Up! provides information several times during the year to help keep you informed. Board members also receive more information at meetings and through supplemental communications from the Executive Director. Of course, one of the best ways to stay informed, especially related to our program, is to visit and observe lessons in progress.

Individual Commitment: To fulfill your commitment as a Saddle Up! Board member, you should:

  • Have a demonstrated interest in Saddle Up!’s mission and goals.
  • Be willing to represent Saddle Up! to the community, including your personal circle of family, friends, neighbors, business colleagues and others.
  • Prepare to give from two to eight hours a month for Board meetings, committee/project work, events and/or special requests. (Saddle Up!s Board typically has 4 quarterly Board meetings a year.)
  • Give a 3-year commitment, which is the term of Board service.
  • Be willing to attend all events and make a personal gift to the best of your ability.
  • Make Saddle Up! your charity of choice

Qualifications

All interested individuals are invited to seek board membership through our Selection Committee. In seeking individuals to join the Board of Directors or to fill director vacancies on the Board of Directors, the Committee considers the following to be minimum qualifications that a candidate must possess:

  • Demonstrated breadth and depth of management and leadership experience, preferably in a senior leadership role in a Middle Tennessee organization; or
  • Demonstrated involvement as an active community volunteer, or
  • Experience with Saddle Up! as a rider parent or active volunteer
  • Financial, legal, marketing and/or business acumen and/or experience in organizing, fundraising, veterinary medicine, equine sciences, services for children and youth adults with disabilities, or any combination of relevant experience;
  • Integrity and high ethical standards;
  • A heart for the mission of Saddle Up!
  • Sufficient time to devote to Saddle Up! as a member of the Board;
  • Ability to comply with the Board’s Code of Conduct; and
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a non-profit board to support the mission of the organization.

Additional Information

Benefits

Board position does not have associated benefits.

How to Apply

Please send your resume and/or a letter of interest to akidd@saddleupnashville.org. We are recruiting now for board positions for 2023. Application deadline is October 8, 2022.  We are grateful for your interest in Saddle Up!

Details

  • Date Posted: September 20, 2022
  • Type: Board Member
  • Job Function: Other
  • Service Area: Board Leadership
  • Start Date: 01/01/2023