Transform the lives of single mothers: Become a Board Member Today

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History
Established in 1998, urban university is an award winning 501c3 non-profit organization with the mission to improve the socio-economic status of low-income individuals. Over the past 20 years, we have prepared more than 1,800 individuals for gainful employment by delivering employability training, coaching and transitional employment opportunities.

Our impact in the community derives from our work in the trenches, side by side with vulnerable adults that desire to achieve social and economic mobility to include single mothers departing from public assistance, emancipated foster care young adults, the non-violent reentry community and Veterans. As a collaborative partner alongside education partners and employers, our niche services included soft skills training, barrier remediation and individualized coaching. As a part of local and regional workforce development initiatives, we've prepared individuals with barriers for entry into industries that offer living wages and upward mobility to include the legal, healthcare, STEM, utilities, green energy and retail sectors.

Today

Currently based in the heart of Oakland's Grand Ave/Lakeshore Business District, we operate urban furniture & boutique, the home of Single Moms at Work, our transitional employment, housing and support program specifically to single mothers departing from poverty. Based on our decades of experience, we look at our social enterprise as a holistic model of services offering learning and income opportunities for the number one most impoverished family unit in Alameda county, single mothers. Over our enterprises' 10 years of work, we have impacted the lives of 30 single parents resulting in an 80% success rate for parents transitioning into the labor market and 100% success rate for single parents accessing long-term housing.

Why We need You

" We believe what global anti-poverty advocates have learned: by investing in women and girls, we can change a nation." Wayfinder Foundation.

urban university is acutely concerned about socio-economic inequalities and their impact in the lives of single mothers and their children. The task before us is to create a two-generation strategy that will lift single mothers by scaling our vision and model of services. Specifically, we are recruiting for Board Members at Large (3 positions) and Officers (Board President/Board Treasurer). key members of our leadership team.

-Board of Director at large: board members responsible for overall governance, compliance and organizational direction;
-Board President: Leader of the board, ensures compliance and due diligence, work in partnership with CEO/Executive Director, helps growth strategy, facilitates meetings, builds partnerships, assists with fundraising;
-Board Treasurer: Ensures organizational solvency, ensures alignment with fiscal policies and procedures, works with accountant and bookkeeper to ensure checks and balances, sets organizational budget.

Additional requirements include a) possessing a positive mindset of growth and expansion, b)having the time to participate in this role, b)prior board experience, and c) organizational skills for compliance activities and d) impactful listening skills that enable you to track, understand , hear gaps, clarify and capture ideas.

Finally, we look for all board members to roll up their sleeves and engage actively in the mission by volunteering in our social enterprise and participating in our agency fundraising activities.

Thank You for your interest, please visit us at www.urbanuniv.org/IG: urbanuniversityoakland/Twitter: urbanunivOak or Facebook: urban furniture & boutique, to learn more.

Sincerely,
Tracey Williams