Mission:

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre (HOBT) brings people together for the common good through the power of puppet and mask performance.

What’s happening at HOBT?

So much! This is an exciting time for the organization. In joining the Board of Directors, you would be part of a team that is imagining, guiding and supervising this transformation as HOBT reimagines itself into a form that better serves all of our communities.

Internally, on the staff and board, we’re engaged in deep restructuring. We are beginning the process of hiring a new permanent Executive Director and choosing patterns of horizontal power-sharing, rather than hierarchical models of leadership. 

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Skills or experience we are seeking in a new board member:

The biggest thing you bring is yourself -- your perspectives, experiences, and insights are the most valuable part of this team. The more diverse we are, the more we can act with alignment and connection to our communities. Some helpful skills for board service include community connections, long-range planning, finances, human resources, fundraising, marketing, or experience in the legal field. If being on a board is new to you, that’s fine. We include training and mentorship as part of our new-Board-member-support. Most of all we are looking for members with a passion for supporting community art and investing in our neighborhood through the work we do.

Requirements of the new board member:

We welcome people with previous board experience and those new to serving on boards. While not required, we highly recommend all new board members attend Propel's Board Fundamentals training. We also provide orientation, a board buddy program, and ongoing shared learning opportunities particularly around our commitments to dismantling white supremacy and creating ongoing shared learning opportunities.  We are committed to studying patterns of white supremacy culture, and creating new ways to meet, make decisions, and guide the organization towards great equity and justice.

Board's primary functions:

As a Board Member, you would be part of a team that steers the organization: tracking the inner workings of the Theatre, ensuring its work is in alignment with its mission, building relationships, fundraising, and keeping the organization financially healthy and strong. We meet once a month as a full board, usually on the third Tuesday evening of each month. Board members also serve on one of the committees that typically meet once a month.

What is the board-culture like?

We are currently doing hybrid meetings (in-person and zoom options).  Meetings are informal in tone but packed full of things to discuss and decide. In this transformation phase, we’ve all had to be very flexible to respond to these changes and guide the organization toward its best path. We don’t use “Robert’s Rules” and instead use a “Fist of 5” temperature checks before any vote, and use consensus-process with major decisions. Everyone’s voice is heard and respected. This is an active, working board, with 4 standing committees: Executive Committee, Governance Committee, External Affairs, and Internal Affairs. Each board member joins one of these committees and you’d be working in these smaller groups to get the many pieces of work done. We welcome healthy boundaries, encouraging members to take care of your health and family first. Members take breaks, step up as they are able and step back when that’s needed.

What’s the time-commitment?

There’s one full board meeting on the third Tuesday evening of the month from 5:45pm - 8pm. We currently have hybrid meetings with the Avalon theater as the in-person location and a virtual option via zoom.  Board members should also plan to spend about 40 minutes ahead of the monthly meeting to read the “Board Packet” which includes the agenda, committee reports, and other info like financial statements.  

There are 4 different board committees and each board member serves on one committee.  Committees meet once a month, for 1-2 hours. Additional time depends on what you are able to volunteer to do and there are often special initiatives or projects that involve additional time from board members.

I’m interested, but I don’t think I can afford to volunteer this much time.

The board recently approved a Board Accessibility Justice Fund to provide an annual stipend to board members requiring financial assistance. This stipend is meant to address historical injustices resulting from systemic white supremacy; and to increase equitable and diverse board participation.

Is there a financial gift required of board members?

Contributions to the mission of In the Heart of the Beast come in all forms - time, connections, skills, and money (to name a few).  Individual board members are not expected to make a personal donation to HOBT but fundraising is a responsibility of all board members and there are opportunities to support fundraising efforts through specific fundraising campaigns and/or through board-directed fundraising.

How long is a board service term?

2 years. You can serve up to 3 terms, for a total of 6 years. Every 2 years, you can decide if you’d like to recommit to staying on the board.  Board members are elected twice a year to begin their service in either January or July.

Who else is on the board?

Bios of all board members are HERE. The board is committed to a goal of 50% BIPOC members. (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).

Currently, the board has over 50% BIPOC board membership. Should I consider serving if I am white?

Yes!  We are a multi-racial, multicultural organization that relies on the time, energy, heart and knowledge of people from a wide range of backgrounds.  We are an organization that is naming and working to dismantle white supremacy and other forms of oppression so all interested people should be ready to step into that work.   

I’m interested, what are my next steps?

That’s awesome!  Fill out the board interest form with your contact info and respond to a few short questions.  We’ll follow up with you to set up one-to-one interviews with two of our current board members.  These conversations are low-key and designed to learn more about your interest and share more about what it means to be on the HOBT board.  If you’re having trouble with the form, please contact us at [email protected].  Interest forms are accepted year round but new board members are onboarding twice yearly - January and July.

I’m interested but this sounds like a lot of time.  Is there a way to connect in other ways?

Yes!  People interested in supporting HOBT may also serve on one of the board committees: External Affairs, Internal Affairs, or Governance.  Board committees typically meet once a month with project work in-between those meetings.  Serving on a committee can be a great way to lend your skills and knowledge to advance the mission of HOBT with a smaller time commitment than full board service.  Service on a committee can often provide an opportunity to see if full board service makes sense for you.  If you are curious about serving on a committee, fill out the board interest form at the bottom of this page with your contact info, respond to a few short questions and note which committee you are interested in.

• Board Culture Committee - handles matters related to the board culture and engagement, its recruitment efforts and decision-making practices.

• Organizational Capacity Committee -  handles matters related to financial management, developing annual budget, maintenance and oversight of the Avalon Theater and human resources.

• Community Engagement Work Group- handles matters related to fundraising (individual and grants), marketing, communications, and community engagement.