The work of AAUW California is accomplished through various standing committees, special committees, task forces, workgroups and appointed positions overseen by the Board of Directors. Any member of AAUW California in good standing is eligible to serve and may submit an application to be considered for appointment. Members are selected and appointed for a two-year term by the Board of Directors.
Applications for the 2021-2022 year were due July 23, 2021.
Note: Not all positions are included each year.
Committee and workgroup members will be invited to participate in a virtual planning session on
August 28th from 9am – 4pm.
Please reserve this time on your calendar.
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
The following conventional committees and positions underpin all ongoing AAUW California activities. Specific responsibilities vary with each committee. Each committee has a chair who coordinates the group. Some committees have specific positions outlined. Committees may be enhanced by task forces or interim committees. For more specific committee information, refer to state Policies and Procedures.
General expectations are that members will:
- Promote AAUW’s programs and mission of equity for all women and girls. Be aware of and uphold AAUW policies and procedures.
- Attend any scheduled meetings, whether by conference call, online or in-person.
- Participate actively in the continuing work of the group, maintain communication with the committee and its chair, respond in a timely manner to group communications and complete assigned tasks.
- Serve as a consultant and resource to branches and members. Participate actively as a communication liaison between AAUW, AAUW California and branches. Attend Interbranch Council (IBC) meetings when possible.
- Provide information to the AAUW Communications Team to keep the website and other media updated with current information.
- Submit written materials to the AAUW California Communications Committee for review and editing prior to distribution or posting.
REIMBURSEMENT POLICIES
- Committee, workgroup and task force members are reimbursed for expenses incurred when attending required meetings as specified in the Policies and Procedures.
- Each group has an administrative budget for materials, technology, and miscellaneous expenses, etc. Members may be reimbursed for administrative expenses with prior approval of the chair.
- The per diem amount and mileage reimbursement rate are set each April by the Board of Directors.
AAUW CALIFORNIA COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS
AAUW Fund Committee
- Purpose: Provides guidance and support for branch fundraising activities. Plans a minimum of two AAUW Fund in-person or virtual Fellows and Grant Recipient presentations and other programs/events to educate members about the Fund. Encourages giving to the AAUW Fund.
- Member Duties: Work with chair and team to execute the purposes listed above. Help provide committee updates to the Communication Committee for posting as appropriate.
- Time commitment: Varies, but may be 2 hours per week depending on the time of year.
- AAUW Fund Speaker Scheduler: Schedules fellowship and grant recipients to speak at branch and IBC meetings and at the Fund luncheons.
- Time commitment: 2 hours per week from October through February.
College University Relations Committee
- Purpose: Develops an action plan and measurable goals for C/U partner recruitment, retention and engagement activities.
- Member Duties: Encourage the appointment of branch C/U chairs who will assist in recruiting strategies. Support C/U branch chairs through motivation, technical assistance and resource sharing. Respond quickly to questions from members, campus representatives and students. Encourage the exchange of ideas and effective tactics among branch C/U chairs. Disseminate C/U program information and updates to the state board and branches.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours per week.
Branch Activity of the Year Committee
- Role: Serves to recognize and award stellar branch projects and programs.
- Duties: Work with a small group to update selection criteria, review applications and determine top choices for this award.
- Time Commitment: Approximately 10 hours in the fall and 10 hours in the spring.
Communications Committee
- Purpose: Develops and delivers AAUW California information to branches and members using a variety of media channels and technological tools. Manages the publication of the monthly Board to Board newsletter and the California Connection e-newsletter. Seeks opportunities to market AAUW both internally and externally. Maintains the AAUW California website and social media sites. Assists other committees with communication needs. Reviews and edits materials to be distributed or posted.
- General Member Duties: Participate in monthly online meetings. Work with team to review and edit communications before distribution. Serve as a liaison with other state committees to understand their communication needs and help frame their messages. Help write stimulating and useful content for all AAUW publications and social media.
Possible roles include editors, social media pros, writers, webmasters, mailing list pros, co-chairs. - Time Commitment: 3-5 hours per week
- Editor – Work with a team of editors to review and edit monthly Board to Board and California Connection publications, mass emails and website postings, adhering to commonly known editing guidelines and the Communications Committee style guide.
- Time Commitment – 10 hrs/month
- Graphic Designer – Provide a professional appearance to AAUW California communications with effective layouts and graphics that enhance the message.
- Time Commitment: varies by project
- Mailing List Manager – Manage multiple mailings used to communicate with members and branch leaders. Spreadsheet experience is essential.
- Time Commitment: 5 hours/month
- Social Media Coordinators – Use your social media skills to create and distribute key messages to raise awareness of AAUW and to engage members and potential members. Coordinate with Marketing and Tech Trek workgroups. Monitor and respond to feedback.
- Time commitment: 1-2 hour/week
- Editor – Work with a team of editors to review and edit monthly Board to Board and California Connection publications, mass emails and website postings, adhering to commonly known editing guidelines and the Communications Committee style guide.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
- Purpose: Supports branches to increase their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). An emphasis is on increasing DEI awareness, engagement of branch members in DEI activities, and connecting with other organizations that promote DEI.
- Member Duties: Participate in regularly scheduled monthly meetings. Share best DEI practices. Inform branches about changes in DEI five-star recognition program. Provide resources to branches and assist branches in setting DEI goals and developing strategies and materials to achieve them.
- Time Commitment: 10 hours per month
Finance Committee
- Purpose: Administers all critical financial matters essential to the operation of AAUW California. Prepares and monitors budgets. Informs branches of all financial requirements and deadlines. Assists branches with financial management, including holding educational webinars for branch finance officers and board members.
- Member Duties: Help determine how AAUW California spends members’ dues and recommend if member dues should be raised, and understand the insurance program.
Work on the committee’s strategic plan goals which may require the member to work with branches and outside entities to complete. Help provide committee updates to the Communication Committee for posting as appropriate. - Time Commitment: 8 zoom meetings of roughly an hour. Independent work from 1 to 12 hours per year.
Finance – Investment Committee
- Purpose: AAUW California’s long-term funds are in the custody of a qualified custodian and managed by a qualified third-party investment manager. The purpose of the investment subcommittee is to evaluate the performance of investments and make recommendations for changes as necessary. The subcommittee also advises the board on the status of investments in accordance with AAUW California investment policies.
- Member Duties:
- Understand AAUW California investment policies
- Define reporting requirements to the investment manager for reporting to the board every quarter
- Understand, evaluate, and receive briefings from the investment manager on the AAUW California investment program.
- Evaluate performance of investment manager and investment policies, and recommend changes as needed.
- Time Commitment: 2-4 hours every quarter to go over reports. All meetings by Zoom.
Governance Committee
- Purpose: Provides oversight on all governance-related issues for AAUW California and its member branches. Reviews the bylaws and Policies and Procedures for compliance with AAUW National and California state mandates. Updates governance documents to reflect legal requirements and current organizational operations. Manages the online process for writing, approving and incorporating Policy and Procedure amendments proposed by state leadership. Works with the state office and the AAUW California webmaster on the timely posting of current governance documents and the archiving of prior versions.
- Member Duties: Assist the Governance Chair to meet the purposes described above. Meet as needed via phone, in person, or virtually to review the status of governance tasks. Assist with researching and decision-making regarding governance questions. Work with branches to resolve routine governance issues and help establish alternative leadership structures if requested.
- Time Commitment: Limited ongoing time commitment, but can involve up to 10 hrs/month to research and resolve some issues.
Nominations & Elections Committee
- Purpose: Administers all aspects of the election of the members of the Board of Directors in accordance with bylaws and Policies and Procedures.
- Member Duties: Help set up nomination procedures. Assist with identification of viable candidates. Communicate with potential candidates via text, email or phone. Help present candidate information and voting procedures in print and electronic communications. Assist with management of the election and announcement of the results. Attend the state convention, if held. Help provide committee updates to the Communications Committee for posting as appropriate.
- Time Commitment: 10 hours per month.
Public Policy Committee
- Purpose: Determines, with member input, AAUW California’s biennial policy priorities; determines, in conjunction with the contracted Advocate, AAUW California’s yearly legislative agenda by selecting and assigning advocacy priority status to proposed legislative bills; formulates and administers a legislative advocacy program for branch members, organizes Lobby Day and/or member legislative visits; promotes AAUW California’s legislative priorities through educational seminars and relevant social media campaigns; assists branches in developing robust public policy programs by providing topical articles for newsletter publication and on the public policy website.
- Member Duties: Committee members will review input from branch members on public policy priorities and assist chair(s) in developing a draft to be presented to the board; review proposed bills presented by chair(s) and Advocate and assist in selecting final bills for advocacy; assist with planning, coordination and delivery of training events and social media campaigns to promote AAUW California’s legislative agenda and to educate branches on relevant public policy topics; serve in leadership roles on Lobby Day; produce articles for branch newsletters and submit committee updates to the Public Policy website.
- Time commitment: The committee meets on an as-needed basis. Members may spend 2-3 hours per month working on newsletter articles and/or website updates. Work on revising the Public Policy Priorities is spread out over approximately 2 weeks every 2 years in the fall, and work on the legislative agenda approximately 2 weeks yearly in the spring. The committee meets in person in March for 2 days to develop the legislative agenda.
Speech Trek Committee
- Role: Plans and administers the annual state-wide Speech Trek contest to promote the practice and value of public speaking for high school students.
- Duties: Proposes the annual theme for the speech contest, focusing on a topic that is timely, provocative and mission-based. Reviews and updates contest rules as needed. Develops a tool kit for branches to administer local contests. Responds to branch questions about the Speech Trek contest. Prepares Board to Board articles promoting branch participation. Works with state board leadership to organize finalists’ presentations at Annual Meeting or Convention, if held. Solicits judges for semi-finals and finals. Prepares and monitors the annual budget.
- Time Commitment: Seasonal, with most activity during March and April. Limited time commitment throughout the remainder of the year.
ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS
Parliamentarian
- Role: Serves as consultant and adviser to the president, state and branch leadership and AAUW California members on parliamentary procedure. Consults with the Governance Committee and helps provide overall guidance on governance including state and branch bylaws, Policies and Procedures, and administration. .
- Duties: Attend meetings of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee as an ex-officio, non-voting member to assure that parliamentary procedures are observed. Remain up to date on parliamentary procedures as established by Robert’s Rules of Order. Maintain notes on Board actions and review accuracy of Board Secretary’s meeting minutes. If requested, assist with the preparation of agenda items and the verbiage of motions to assure clarity and accuracy. Monitor the motions log maintained in the Strategic Plan document. Serve as consultant to the Governance Committee and assist as needed on governance-related tasks.
- Time Commitment: Attend quarterly meetings of the Board held on weekends plus up to 10 hours per month assisting with governance tasks at the state and branch level.
Tech Trek Project Coordinator
- Role: Provides administrative oversight of all AAUW California Tech Trek camps.
- Duties: Serves as liaison between Tech Trek camps, affiliated camp-related business groups (e.g. liability insurance providers, OneSource background check, purchasing agents, etc.) and AAUW California Board of Directors as well as between the Tech Trek camps and AAUW National. Develops and implements strategic methods as needed to support the program and camps. Organizes and runs the annual fall Tech Trek Directors’ and Treasurers’ meeting. Appoints, supervises and serves as the primary resource for Camp Directors. Compiles and distributes administrative paperwork to participating branches. Assists branches with questions. Serves as the primary resource for Branch Coordinators. Assures that camps are operated in compliance with AAUW Policies and Procedures and relevant legal regulations. Participates in and reviews development of annual budget. Submits articles to Board to Board and AAUW California website.
- Time Commitment: Minimum of 10 hours per week.
Tech Trek Financial Liaison
- Role: Serves as a liaison between Camp Treasurers and Special Projects Fund (SPF). Provides financial oversight of all Tech Trek camps in California and serves as the overall project treasurer. Prepares and monitors the annual budget. Ensures camp-related asset reports are completed and manages storage insurance requirements, locations, payments and access passwords between camp seasons. Participates with Project Coordinator in development of camp-related strategic methods as required.
- Duties: Works with the camps’ treasurers to assure accurate financial reporting. Approves vouchers and keeps copies of deposits and vouchers. Distributes Special Project Fund (SPF) monthly reports and works to resolve discrepancies between Camp Treasurers’ records and SPF records. Provides guidance for new Camp Treasurers.
- Time Commitment: 1-2 hours per week.
Meetings Planner
Role: Serves as logistical coordinator for all state board meetings. Acts as liaison between AAUW California Board and hotel and event venues. Works with Convention Planner on all hotel/convention site arrangements.
Duties: Attend meetings of the Board of Directors. Work with event venues to secure lodging, meeting space and meals as required by the Board or Convention and/or other events. Remain in contact with the venue and Convention Planner during the lead up to Convention event. Serve as the liaison with the hotel during all events. Create reservations based on board members’ preferences and notify members of all logistical information in a timely fashion. Consult with the Board President, President’s Assistant and the Board of Directors as necessary.
Time Commitment: Attend quarterly meetings of the Board of Directors plus up to 5 hours prior to quarterly meeting, with as many as 20-25 hours in the weeks leading up to a Convention.
2021-2022 Specific Marketing Volunteer Opportunities
Marketing Workgroups
The initiative to promote the marketing of AAUW in California will be realized via four workgroups with different purposes: Working Age Recruitment, Retirement Age Recruitment, University/Organization Collaboration and Social Media. Each workgroup has a chairperson to coordinate activities. We seek participants for each group including a project assistant to assist the chairperson in managing the group.
Workgroup Planning Assistant
- Role: Use your project management skills to assist the marketing workgroups by supporting one of the four groups to meet their goals.
- Duties: Assist the workgroup chair in organizing meetings, documenting project details, taking minutes and creating materials that describe the project.
- Time Commitment: 5-10 hours per month.
Working Age Recruitment Workgroup
- Role: Develop programs to engage the working age population.
- Duties:
- Develop 2-3 initial programs.
- Evaluate effectiveness to engage the target population and present to the board of directors for approval to move forward with this population.
- If approved, develop programming to engage the population
- Develop online branch infrastructure to manage members.
- Develop networking opportunities such as:
- speed networking
- mentoring program
- mastermind groups
- Develop strategy to share and educate branches.
- Time Commitment: 5-10 hours per month
Retirement Age Recruitment Workgroup
- Role: Creates a strategy to engage individuals who are of retirement age.Works with branch membership VPs or others tasked with membership recruitment to roll out the strategy. Determines how to cross-fertilize with like-minded organizations to recruit new retirement age members.
- Duties:
- Coordinate with other marketing workgroups to share ideas and resources for overlapping activities.
- Create a toolkit for branches to utilize in promoting membership benefits to these likely recruitable groups. Within this toolkit, provide a range of ideas on how to accomplish wider and more successful membership campaigns, emphasizing the many different aspects of branch membership.
- Update the AAUW California brochure.
- Create content to engage newly retired members.
- Develop strategy to share and educate branches.
- Time Commitment: 5-10 hours per month, including monthly committee meetings for reports and discussion.
University and Organization Collaboration workgroup
- Role: Supports AAUW California’s marketing initiatives by expanding and leveraging the College/University program to expose 4.43 million graduating college students to AAUW and its mission. Create authentic and consistent messaging that highlights the alignment of AAUW California values with what college students and faculty care about. Investigate other non-university organizations for collaboration on similar mission-based work.
- Duties:
- Coordinate with other marketing workgroups to share ideas and resources for overlapping activities.
- Work with the College/University Relations Committee and branches to identify marketing channels and create high-impact marketing campaign messaging that specifically targets college students, aged between 18-24.
- Provide ideas to College/University Relations Committee and branches on messaging with alumni.
- Create connections with College/University statewide organizations (faculty, student, and administration).
- Review possibility of creating a mentorship program.
- Consider ideas that arise after consultation with the College/University Relations Committee, Communications Committee, other workgroups, and branches
- Identify strategies to work with similar-minded non-university organizations for mutually beneficial collaborations.
- Time Commitment: 10 hours per month
Social Media Content workgroup
- Role: Supports AAUW California’s marketing initiatives by expanding the strategic use of social media platforms to engage different populations with relevant messaging .
- Duties:
- Coordinate with other marketing and tech trek workgroups to share ideas and resources for overlapping activities.
- Develop and curate engaging content for one social media platform using the marketing recommendations established by Dowitcher Designs. Assist in the creation and editing of written, video, and photo content. Collaborate with the marketing workgroups and leadership team to create a social media calendar. Monitor social media channels and respond to feedback to assure positive collaboration with members and potential members. Experience with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn required.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours per week