Board Service
Serve on a Board in Central Oregon
Serving on a board is volunteering too, and it is some of the most consequential volunteering there is. Every nonprofit in Central Oregon is governed by a board of volunteers: neighbors who decide where the organization is headed, make sure its money is handled well, and stand behind its mission in the community. The organizations listed below are looking for board members right now.
What board members do
- Set direction. Shape the mission, the strategy and the big decisions.
- Watch over the finances. Approve the budget, read the financial reports and make sure the organization stays healthy and honest.
- Hire and support the executive director. In an all-volunteer organization, board members share the hands-on work instead.
- Open doors. Speak up for the organization, bring in supporters and help raise money.
What it asks of you
Most boards meet monthly or every other month, and members usually serve on a committee as well. Terms commonly run two or three years. Many boards ask members to give or raise money at a level that is meaningful for them. Board members in Oregon also carry legal duties to act with care and in the organization's best interest, so it is a real commitment and worth understanding before you say yes.
You don't need to be an expert
Boards need people who care about the mission and show up. Skills from work and life all count: finance, law, marketing, construction, teaching, technology, raising a family, or knowing a community well. Many boards welcome first-time members and offer training or a mentor, and some suggest starting on a committee so you can get to know each other first.
How to get started
Pick an organization below whose work matters to you and reach out. Ask about its openings, the time commitment, what it expects of board members, and how it brings new members on. Go to a meeting or an event if you can. A good board will be glad you asked.
Learn more
- A Guide to Nonprofit Board Service in Oregon, the Oregon Attorney General's short guide to a board member's role, rights and responsibilities.
- Nonprofit Board Basics, a free online guide created with the Nonprofit Association of Oregon.
- Board Roles and Responsibilities from the National Council of Nonprofits.
Matching organizations, in a different order on every visit
Heart of Oregon Corps empowers young people ages 16–24 through jobs, job training, education, and service to Central Oregon communities. Its programs include YouthBuild, where youth build affordable homes while continuing their education, the High Desert and Central Oregon Youth Conservation Corps, Camp LEAD, and Food Heroes. Since 2000, it has served more than 4,750 youth who are disconnected from school and work.
Volunteers can mentor a young person working to build job skills and finish their education, join the Employer Advisory Council to connect Corps members with local employers and careers, or serve on the Board of Directors (two seats are reserved for program alumni, and no prior board experience is needed). General volunteer opportunities are also available through the inquiry form.
Connect Central Oregon is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that strengthens communities in Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties (plus Warm Springs) by connecting people with volunteer opportunities, board positions, and mentorship. It promotes civic engagement, community leadership, and innovation through platforms like Central Oregon Volunteer Connect.
Volunteers help run CCO's community events, from volunteer and board fairs to robotics and drone expositions, support community media production, and help keep the Volunteer Central Oregon directory accurate by reviewing organization listings. Students and groups are welcome, and CCO can sign off on community service hours.
Community Solutions of Central Oregon
also known as Central Oregon Mediation
Community dispute resolution center serving Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties since 1998. It helps people have difficult conversations through affordable mediation for family, housing, neighbor, business, small-claims pre-trial, and foreclosure disputes, plus facilitation and conflict-resolution education.
Most volunteers serve as community mediators: after the Basic Mediation Training they're mentored through observing, co-mediating, and coached mediations, then take cases such as neighbor, landlord-tenant, small-claims, and family disputes. A great fit for people who want to build real conflict-resolution skills. Volunteers also serve on the board and help with outreach and education.
Mosaic Community Health
also known as Mosaic; Mosaic Medical
Provides primary care, mental health and dental services regardless of the ability to pay. Sliding scale discounts available to those eligible.
Outreach and event volunteering: representing Mosaic at community events, staffing a booth, set-up and tear-down. Advisory roles: a Fundraising Advisory Council, plus Patient Advisory Councils for Mosaic patients. Workplace groups can take on projects such as assembling weather kits for unhoused and at-risk patients. Board committees are open to non-board members. No clinical volunteer positions are offered.
Council on Aging of Central Oregon helps older adults across Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties live independently and with dignity, through Meals on Wheels, community dining, the Caring Connections phone companionship program, Medicare and benefits counseling, caregiver support, and help connecting to local resources.
Volunteers deliver meals to homebound seniors through Meals on Wheels, make weekly companionship calls through the Caring Connections program, support community dining sites in Bend and Sisters, or help behind the scenes with office and fundraising tasks. Caring Connections can be done entirely by phone from home; other roles are in-person in Bend, La Pine, or Sisters.
CASA of Central Oregon trains and supports Court Appointed Special Advocates, community volunteers who speak up for children in foster care in juvenile court. Each CASA gets to know a child, gathers information from everyone in the child's life, and advocates for the child's safety, well-being, and a safe, permanent home.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are trained community volunteers sworn in by a juvenile court judge to advocate one-on-one for a child or sibling group in foster care. Advocates build a relationship with the child, gather information from family, caregivers, teachers, and providers, and write recommendations to the court. It's a long-term commitment backed by training and staff support. Board service is another way to get involved.
End of the list. Every organization on this page is now showing.