Nonprofit Board Development

Opportunity Access Inc. (OAI) is a growing nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding educational and professional opportunities for students in Jamaica and the diaspora. We’re seeking an experienced nonprofit professional or consultant to help us strengthen our Board of Directors and governance structure.

Our organization currently has a President, Vice President, and Treasurer, and we’re looking to expand our board to include additional roles such as Secretary and other members with diverse skills and backgrounds. We’d like support with the following:

Board Structure & Role Development:
- Clarifying board officer roles and responsibilities (especially Secretary and potential committees).
- Recommending best-practice board composition and governance structure for a small but growing nonprofit.

Board Recruitment Strategy:
- Creating a plan to identify, recruit, and onboard new board members (including sample outreach language and sourcing strategies).
- Helping us understand what qualifications, diversity, and skill sets we should prioritize to support growth and sustainability.

Board Insurance Guidance:
- Advising us on options for affordable Directors & Officers (D&O) insurance coverage.
- Helping us understand how board insurance works, what coverage is typically included, and how to evaluate providers.

Ideal Volunteer:
We’re seeking someone with experience in nonprofit board development, governance, or nonprofit operations—especially someone who has worked with small or early-stage organizations.

Estimated Time Commitment:
2–5 hours per week for 4–6 weeks.

A strong, well-structured board is essential to advancing our mission of expanding educational and professional opportunities for students in Jamaica and the diaspora. By defining clear board roles, recruiting engaged leaders, and securing proper governance tools, this project will strengthen our organization’s foundation—allowing us to grow sustainably, attract more resources, and ultimately support more students in achieving their goals.

We’re committed to making this project a success by coming to the table prepared, responsive, and collaborative. Our leadership team—including our President, Vice President, and Treasurer—has already discussed and agreed on the need to strengthen our board structure and governance. We have internal buy-in and clear alignment on this goal.

We’ve gathered the key materials a volunteer will need, including:
- Our current bylaws and board charter (for context and compliance alignment)
- A list of current board members, terms, and roles
- Organizational overview, mission, and strategic priorities
- Existing volunteer and partnership outreach materials that can inform board recruitment

We’ll designate a primary point of contact to coordinate communication, schedule regular check-ins, and ensure feedback loops are quick and productive. Our team will also set up a shared folder for easy access to all documents and drafts.

Once the project deliverables are complete, our board and leadership team will immediately begin implementing the recommendations—updating our bylaws to reflect new roles, using the recruitment plan to identify and engage prospective members, and securing affordable board insurance using the vendor research provided.

We want this to be a meaningful collaboration. Our team values volunteers’ time and expertise and will be organized, responsive, and action-oriented every step of the way.