Greater Rochester Community Health Foundation

GRCHF’s mission is to improve the health and well-being and reduce the burden of illness of people residing in Strafford County, NH, and immediately surrounding communities. GRCHF will do this work by awarding grants, making program related investments, and providing other financial assistance to health and social service programs, organizations and projects benefiting the community.

The GRCHF Board of Directors will be made up of nine individuals who live and/or work in Strafford County.

What makes an effective board member?  The most important characteristics of effective board members go beyond work experience and education. The GRCHF board will thrive on a diversity of backgrounds and opinions and should be grounded in the communities served by GRCHF. While work experience and education can be helpful, specific experience in health or public health, or in traditionally sought-after board qualifications like law or finance, is not necessary. What is also valuable are the less tangible aspects of board member characteristics, including:

• Commitment and desire to serve the community and steward this asset for the benefit of the community, especially for those impacted by systems of inequity and furthest from opportunity.
• Knowledge about the community, and a curiosity and willingness to learn more.
• Ability to interpret the needs and values of the community to GRCHF and speak out for their interests and on their behalf.
• Eagerness and ability to fully participate, including being prepared for board and/or committee meetings. Willingness to seek out where you add value.
• Appreciation of the start-up nature of GRCHF, and a desire to collaborate with other community members to build something new.
• Belief in serving as an active ambassador for the GRCHF. Desire to build relationships outside of GRCHF to advance the mission and vision.
• Creativity, innovation, an open-mind, and a willingness to do things differently.
• Teamwork, collegiality, and respect for others.

As the board will thrive on a diversity of backgrounds and opinions, a well-rounded board will include people with varying perspectives, experiences, background and/or identities, including but not limited to:

• Geography
• Gender identity/sexual orientation
• Age
• Race/ethnicity
• Persons living with a disability (physical, mental, intellectual/developmental, or other)
• Work background/experience

The work of the GRCHF Board of Directors will be in English, but we encourage people who speak multiple languages to express interest in a board position. We are eager to have board members who can communicate and listen in the many languages spoken across Strafford County.

Service on the GRCHF Board of Directors is a volunteer position and will involve approximately 5-10 hours a month. Accommodation will be provided to make it possible for a wide range of people to be able to serve. Board members will have the opportunity to be reimbursed for expenses related to participation including travel and child/elder care. Most of the board’s efforts will be organizational in nature. In addition to grant making, the work will involve relationship building among board members, shaping the values, internal culture and approach of GRCHF’s work, along with establishing internal governance procedures. This work will be undertaken with support from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

GRCHF’s structure also includes a community advisory committee. The role of the community advisory committee has been to support GRCHF in assessing community needs and in identifying and carrying out its grant-making strategy and priorities.

The management, control, and operation of the Greater Rochester Community Health Foundation (GRCHF) shall be the responsibility of the Board of Directors, subject to any agreement the Board of Directors enters into with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation (NHCF), and those powers that fall to NHCF by law or according to the governing documents.

The Board of Directors shall:

• Consist of nine (9) directors that reside, work or volunteer in Strafford County, fairly representative of Strafford County’s population, including with respect to ethnicity, gender and geography. At least one director must have experience or expertise in health care or public health in New Hampshire.
• Have a one-year term and not serve more than seven consecutive one-year terms.
• Duties include:
  • Keeping complete books and records of account
  • Recording and keeping minutes of all meetings of the Board or Directors and committees
  • Assuring conduct of an annual audit
  • Filing of necessary reports, returns and other documents as required by law
  • Determining the manner in which GRCHF funding shall be distributed to meet the mission.

STATEMENT OF EXPECTATIONS     

The following is a general description of the expectations of a director during their service to GRCHF:

Commits to GRCHF’s mission, vision, values and goals

“GRCHF shall strive to improve the health and well-being and reduce the burden of illness of persons residing in Strafford County, NH, and immediately surrounding communities primarily by awarding grants, making program related investments, and providing other financial assistance to health and social service-related programs, organizations and projects benefitting the residents of Strafford County, NH and immediately surrounding communities.”

• Sustains and builds a deep and broad base of trust in the community
• Is knowledgeable about GRCHF’s work
• Serves as an ambassador to the larger community

Participates in meetings of the board or committees

• Attends all required board meetings unless excused in advance and prepares for each meeting by reviewing the board packet of materials.
• Attends other key GRCHF meetings:
  • GRCHF Annual Meeting, held in conjunction with the opening of GRCHF’s competitive grant application cycle (unless another date is selected by the board)
  • Regular attendance at Committee meetings, including the Finance, Nominating, and Community Advisory Committee, and others that may be established by the board, if appointed.

Provides strategic direction and oversight

• Participates in the approval of annual budget and audits.
• Monitors management and operational business decisions made through the administrative services agreements with the NHCF
• Participates in the oversight of the investment portfolio(s) and the accounting for GRCHF
• Participates in the oversight of grantmaking and other community investment strategies.
• Participates in the oversight of a Community Advisory Committee, composed in accordance with the bylaws.
• Prepares for and actively participates in a regular strategic planning process.
• Stays curious, informed, and current about a broad range of concerns facing communities served by GRCHF.

 LEGAL DUTIES

Nonprofit corporate law establishes specific standards of conduct for nonprofit board members. These duties are the legal standards which guide all actions taken by the Board of Directors and include the duty of care, duty of loyalty and duty of obedience.  (Reference: Guidebook for NH Charitable Organizations, 2017.  Office of the Attorney General, Charitable Trusts Unit)

Duty of care requires board members to discharge duties in good faith, and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise in a like position and under similar circumstances. It requires board members to exercise care in all activities related to their role as board members and commits them to participate in the work of the board. Duty of care is carried out by:

• Attending board and committee meetings
• Carefully preparing for meetings in advance
• Reviewing financial reports and other critical information regularly
• Exercising independent judgment
• Requesting information needed for decision making
• Making sure federal, state and specific industry filing requirements are met
• Acting in good faith when making decisions

Duty of loyalty requires board members to act in the interests of the Foundation rather than their own personal interests or the interests of another person or organization. Duty of loyalty is carried out by:

• Adhering to the conflict-of-interest policy
• Disclosing all conflicts
• Avoiding the use of the Foundation’s opportunities for personal gain
• Maintaining confidentiality of the information held by the Foundation

Duty of obedience requires board members to make decisions in accordance with the mission of the Foundation, to uphold its bylaws and other policies and functions and to not act in a way that is inconsistent with the central goals of the organization. Duty of obedience is carried out by:

• Ensuring compliance with all reporting requirements
• Examining all legal and governing documents
• Making decisions within the scope of the mission and law

If you are interested in being considered to serve on the GRCHF Board of Directors, please submit an application by June 30, 2025.

If selected as a candidate, someone from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation will reach out to schedule an interview so we can learn more about your interests and experience and review the expectations for the position.

If you have any questions about GRCHF or serving on the Board of Directors, please contact Lisa Vasquez-Castro at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation at 603.225.6641 x 201 or Yvfn.Infdhrm@aups.bet

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