Board Member

Organization Mission 

Pittsburgh Area Community Schools’ (PACS) mission is to bridge the gaps between students, families, schools, and resources, fostering a community where all students can succeed. 

Desired Expertise and Traits

Our Full-Service Community School model coordinates resources to improve student learning, build stronger families and healthier communities, ultimately, providing well-coordinated supportive services delivered in the schools for students and their families. This model involves integrated student support, expanded and enriched learning opportunities, active family and community engagement, and collaborative leadership. We are seeking individuals who value the Full-Service Community School model and havea commitment and a passion for education, children and building stronger communities. We hope to recruit members that have expertise in business, leadership and strategy, equity and inclusion best practices, government relations knowledge, relationship building, sales and marketing, and those well connected who can bring additional donors to the organization.  

When could placement start? 

Potential Board Members will have a meeting with the Executive Committee Chair and PACS staff. Based on that meeting, if both parties agree to move forward, the Executive Committee chair will present the potential Board Member to the full board for approval. If approved, the candidate will be placed on board immediately for the remaining fiscal year, and then be re-approved at our annual internal board meeting in June.  

What is the Board Member’s term length? 

Our term length is three years and a Board Member may serve two consecutive terms. 

When do you meet and how often? 

Our board meets every two months starting in September and ending in May. We have our end of fiscal year board meeting in June. 

Do you require Board Members to donate to the organization?

Board members are expected to make a personally meaningful contribution. While we have no set contribution amount, we encourage that while serving on the PACS board, the organization will be among the top three organizations supported by the Board Member. 

What have other Board Members said about their experience on your board?

David Babst, PACS Board Chair, Chair of the Development and Marketing Committee, and VP, Agency Development & Partnerships at Level Agency, spoke of his experience, “I am on the PACS board because I am passionate about the truly transformative power of education and community. PACS’ work changes lives in the schools and with the kids who need it the most. It has been rewarding for me to apply my business skills and experience as a Board Member to PACS’ work and overall mission, especially during these past few years. The global pandemic has highlighted the glaring need and lack of resources that are available to help kids in schools within our Pittsburgh community- and more and more people are realizing that PACS is uniquely positioned to offer game-changing support.” 

Pittsburgh Area Community Schools strives to bridge the gaps between students, families, schools, and resources, fostering a community where all students can succeed. Our Board Members are an integral part of this mission and there are many ways for them to get involved – by helping brainstorm and oversee programs to break down barriers to education, by volunteering their time at food drives and other events that put basic needs in students’ hands, and by advocating for our organizations’ work among peers to help reach more students with vital services and support.Currently, PACS provides services in nine school districts and fifteen schools in Allegheny and Westmoreland County. Our staff are working to help students in the areas of academics, behavior, social emotional learning, basic needs, violence prevention, and housing stability. As a Board Member, you gain experience providing oversight over all those service areas and the personal satisfaction of knowing you are helping young people in the most critical areas of their lives.   

More

For more than 40 years, PACS has developed an evidenced based approach to supporting students’ needs that is extremely successful.   

Recent local impact statistics include: 

• PACS served 4,600 students across all programs.  
• 2,720 parents were engaged throughout the school year. 
• 80% of students improved their GPA. 
• 80% met their behavior and attendance goals.  
• 100% of students completed the school year.  
• $128,770 of donated goods and services to help meet basic needs or provide enrichment opportunities. 

 We provide various committees in which our Board members can serve. These include: 

• Executive Committee– Elected officers of the board who oversee the board of directors. 
• Finance Committee- Responsible for the establishment, maintenance and supervision of all financial records, transactions, and involvements for PACS. 
• Development and Communications Committee– Oversees the fundraising effort of the entire board, including but not limited to the solicitation of donations and the execution of fundraising events. Additionally, consults on marketing and branding for the organization. 
• Human Resources Committee– Charged with the development and implementation of the Corporation’s employee needs, employment standards and retention.  

To apply: Send a resume and cover letter to nhill@pghareacs.org with "Board Member Interest" in the subject line