The document discusses the roles and structure of boards and committees for Habitat for Humanity affiliates. It explains that the Weber/Davis affiliate in Utah currently has a working board but wants to transition to a governing board. The board uses committees for executive, finance, personnel, and nominating functions. Additional operational committees coordinate areas like construction, family support, fundraising, and volunteer coordination. The document provides details on the purpose and expectations for the board and each committee.

1. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Habitat for Humanity Weber/Davis
Counties – Board and Committees
What is My Role?
Finding Your Seat at the Table

2. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
What kind of board do we have?
Working Board
Board members who physically perform tasks and duties of
the affiliate
Governing Board
Board members who provide guidance, input, oversight into
the operations of the affiliate
Weber/Davis Habitat currently has a Working
Board. Our desire is to work towards more of a
Governing Board.

3. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Board Committees
Board committees carry out functions that only the board can
handle.
Executive
Finance
Personnel (functions are currently a part of executive committee)
Nominating

4. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Board of Directors
• One, Two or Three year terms
• Board Meetings
– 3rd Thursday of each month
– 2955 Harrison Blvd. Ogden, UT 84403
– 6:00 p.m. (1-1.5 hour meeting)
• Financial commitments from board members and
their companies are encouraged but not required.
• Other volunteer opportunities are available upon
availability

5. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Board of Directors - Expectation
• Participate on or Chair at least one committee
• Recruit volunteers, board members & funding
• Attend annual full day board planning meeting
• Contribute financially to Habitat for Humanity
at a level that is personally meaningful.
• Average hours for board members 5 to 20
hours per month.

6. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Board of Directors - Skills
In order to create a diverse board, we are looking
for people with one or more of the following
skills:
– Financial, accounting, book keeping
– Marketing, Public Relations, Fund Raising
– Construction, building trades
– Leadership, Sense of Humor
– Volunteer Training and Supervising

7. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Committees
Board - Executive
This committee is responsible for and ensures that
the board is doing its work and can at times act on behalf
of the full board. Its main purpose is to facilitate decision
making in between board meetings or in the case of a
crisis or other urgent circumstances. It acts as the
communications link to the chief executive (executive
director) and performs their evaluation.

8. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Committees
Board - Finance
This committee is responsible for and ensures the
affiliate’s financial stability. It is also responsible for the
budget and audit functions, creating and implementing
good stewardship policies, and ensuring that there are no
deficits in funding. Finance also works with the monthly
financial reports, bank accounts, and mortgage servicing.

9. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Committees
Board – Personnel (functions are currently a part of executive committee)
This committee is responsible for and ensures the
affiliate’s personnel policies and procedures are developed,
in place and enforced. They also review job descriptions,
establish salary structures, work on annual performance
reviews, review benefits packages, and act as a grievance
board for employee or volunteer complaints and
terminations. These functions are currently assigned to
the Executive Committee which is primarily the officers of
the board.

10. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Committees
Functional - Nominating
This committee is responsible for recruiting and
selecting a board that is effective and representative of the
entire community. They identify and recruit prospective
directors and explain board service, present a slate of
nominees, and conducts a board orientation of newly
elected members.

11. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Operating Committees
Affiliates work best when a few dozen people who aren't
on the board do the majority of the work of the operating
committees.
Our board members have been trying to do the work of
the board, the work of the board committees, and then
staff the operating committees as well. This has caused
the board to be stretched too thin and the work of the
affiliate has slowed down at times.
Our goal is to have a lot of people, each doing a small part
of the work, rather than having just a few people trying to
do all the work.

12. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Operating committees
Construction
Faith Relations
Family Selection
Family Support (recently combined with Family Selection)
Marketing & Public Relations
Resource Development
ReStore
Site Selection
Volunteers

13. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Committees
Operational – Construction
This committee is responsible for the planning and
implementation of the build. People who have a
knowledge of surveying, building codes, general
construction trades, building supplies, carpentry or other
construction are helpful for this committee.

14. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Committees
Operational – Faith Relations
This committee is responsible to strengthen the
support of the affiliate’s work by gaining volunteers,
prayers, and financial support from all the community’s
churches. The members will seek opportunities to give
presentations at church services and church group
meetings. Often, churches make a special donation, such as
communion offering or the offering on a special “mission
Sunday”. This committee should assist with coalitions and
their success in funding and building a home.

15. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Committees
Operational – Family Selection (Recently combined with Family support)
This committee is responsible for carrying out the
board’s vision that defines the people in need of decent,
affordable housing, and by following processes and
policies for selecting those in greatest need. The people
on this committee will work with families who have
made application to be a partner with Habitat. This
committee reviews applicants, conducts home visits,
presents a family to the board for approval/denial and
assists with family orientation.

16. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Committees
Operational – Family Support (Recently combined with Family support)
This committee is responsible for helping families
break the cycle of poverty. The committee seeks to
welcome new families into the Habitat family and to
provide them with a mutual support system, educational
opportunities and a forum for discussions regarding
homeownership and relevant Habitat policies and
procedures. They also help with the homeowner education
portion of the program such as scheduling classes for
topics such as budgeting and home maintenance.

17. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Committees
Operational – Marketing/Public Relations/Communication
This committee is responsible for planning and
coordinating all public awareness events and publicity.
They are responsible for sharing Habitat’s mission with the
people in the geographical service area and volunteers.
They may also speak to church groups and local
organizations about projects. This committee should
prepare a plan for the best use of the affiliates funds in
marketing and advertising.

18. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Committees
Operational – Resource Development
This committee is responsible for developing and
helping to implement the long range strategic plans to
insure that the fiscal needs of the affiliate are met.
Members identify and approach potential donors
(individual, church, corporate) for either cash or “in-kind “
gifts of material, labor, or property. They also develop
fundraising material and help with grant writing. This
committee also is involved with special events.

19. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Committees
Operational – Site Selection
This committee is responsible for identifying
potential building sites. This includes working with local
government officials, realtors and individuals on
acquiring lots and working with construction committee
to be sure lots are “buildable” and suitable for a partner
family. Those in real estate would be natural members.

20. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Committees
Operational - Volunteers
This committee helps organize and contact other
volunteers to set up time and places to work, whether on
the job site, fundraiser or in the office. They will also help
coordinate food to be delivered to the work site. This
group also keeps track of volunteer hours and implement
criteria for volunteer recognition.

21. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Committees
Operational - ReStore
This committee helps development a solid
implementation plan to open a ReStore, oversee ReStore
activities, assist customers on sale days, procure
donations from local businesses and individuals, organize
and price donated materials.

22. Habitat for Humanity’s National Affiliate Conference 2011
Best Practices
Keep in mind that depending on the size of the affiliate
and the structure of the board (working or governing)
will determine how the committees operate and if they
too are working or governing committees.
As we grow and improve, we refer to the HFHI guide
to capacity building as a resource to see what
operations are working for other Affiliates. There are
lots of resources available for each of the committees
on the HFHI site.