Financial Officer

The financial officer oversees the management of the finances and monies for the Proud Scholars Board of Directors. The Finance Director incorporates all finances and monies received from each Committee and event to maintain stabilized financial budgets. The Finance Director is considered 1 of 6 Officers that are considered a permanent position without a term limit.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

  • Review and approve preparation and finalization of monthly and annual financial reporting materials and metrics for the Proud Scholars Board of Directors.
  • Oversee budgeting, financial forecasting, and cash flow for administration, existing programs, and proposed new sites.
  • Coordinate all audit activities.
  • Administrative Leadership and Management
  • Serve as the management liaison to the board and audit committee to the IRS; effectively communicate and present critical financial matters at select Board of Directors and committee meetings.
  • Report on finance committees and strategy group activities.
  • Prepare and file all IRS tax form to ensure that compliance is maintained as 501(c)(3).
  • Prepare annual report financials at the end of each year.


The Technology Director will work to create consistency with our technology needs, from web site development, database management and solution integration. This position will work closely with the Board of Directors to ensure safety and security for all data strategies. During events the Technology Director will work with the Financial Director to ensure that customer data is protected and secure.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

  • Analyzes complex business needs presented by the user community and/or clients and recommends technical solutions.
  • Ensures the consistency and maintainability of existing applications by creating, maintaining, and enforcing standards/procedures for implementing technical solutions.
  • Produces detailed time line for each application release and implements effective project control by monitoring the progress of the software release and reporting the status.
  • Advocate on behalf of the Proud Scholars brand with technical stakeholders across all communications channels and vehicles.
  • Coordinate all technical needs in conjunction with event management and finance.
  • Reviews all designs, code and unit test plans where applicable.
  • Participates on all hardware and software evaluations and maintains vendor contracts.
  • Represents the IT function at the Board of Director meetings.
  • Perform liaison duties between users, operations, and programming personnel in the areas of systems design, modifications or trouble shooting.
  • Report on technology committees and strategy group activities.



Marketing Director

The marketing director will provide marketing and advertising plans for the organization to reach the communities identified by the Board of Directors. The Marketing Director sees the marketing plans through to completion in order to guarantee the promotional gains of each objective.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

  • Collaborate with the Board of Directors to produce marketing and advertising plans that ensure that the appropriate structures, systems, competencies and values are developed in order to meet and exceed the goals of the organization.
  • Assume overall responsibility for developing the annual marketing and advertising plan for the organization; for strategic market planning; market research programs, and control of the marketing budget.
  • Build cross functional logo’s, images, and tools to facilitate production needs for technology and printed material.
  • Advocate on behalf of the Proud Scholars brand with media and advertising stakeholders across all communications channels and vehicles.
  • Build all advertising materials related to Proud Scholars in collaboration with the Board of Directors.
  • Produce layout material for magazines, newspapers, and all other marketing and advertising resources.
  • Report on marketing committees and strategy group activities.
  • Create and document all resource creation, processes, and sources for future use in a long term advertising plan.

The Volunteer Director will oversee the volunteer program that maintains engagement in the community, build a database of community volunteers and build a program to help students repay their students loans through a volunteer program with our community partners. The Volunteer Director will provide leadership and coordination for events and organizational management. The Volunteer Director consults with the Board of Directors to strategically develop and implement recruiting plans as needed.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

  • Work to publish timely information for volunteer recruitment.
  • Ensure communication strategy is consistent and reflects the organization’s strategic vision.
  • Build a volunteer database.
  • Build a strategic plan to recruit, engage and retain volunteers in the community.
  • Advocate on behalf of the Proud Scholars brand with volunteers across all communications channels and vehicles.
  • Build a platform in the community that maintains volunteer loyalty and support.
  • Build a plan to network with university volunteer programs to facilitate a consistent flow of new volunteers in the community.
  • Build, implement and maintain a volunteer recognition program which will include a volunteer recognition lunch for volunteers and sponsors.
  • Supplement all Proud Scholar events with volunteer support as outlined by the event managers.
  • Manage volunteer booths for each event to ensure consistency and reliability with volunteer staff.
  • Represent Proud Scholars at volunteer fairs and recruiting functions.
  • Report on volunteer committees and strategy group activities.
  • Create and document all volunteer processes, metrics and procedures for future use.


Scholarship Administration Director

The scholarship director will direct the Scholarship program. This Director will manage the application process, scholarship advertising, administration, and the review panel for this program. 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

  • Develop scholarship protocol and application requirements.
  • Collect applications and disburse them to identified scholarship reviewers.
  • Conduct a meeting of the Reviewers to decide which applicants will received scholarship funding, and will orchestrate the disbursement of funds, in collaboration with the Finance Director.
  • Provide management and support all aspects of scholarship administration processes from the application through the award life cycle including, but not limited to:
    • Application design and reviews
    • Coordinate volunteer reviewers
    • Oversee posting/publicity of scholarship availability
    • Processing scholarship applications
    • Awards and payments and ensure compliance to all state and federal requirements.
  • Manage and recruit the Scholarship Review Board.
  • Post-award monitoring of student scholarship progress to ensure that all award conditions are met.
  • Communicate effectively and with timeliness to scholarship recipients, Scholarship Committee, and related parties.
  • Monitor application and reports schedule.
  • Ensure all donor, grantee, staff, or board conflict of interest disclosures are documented.
  • Conduct an annual evaluation of scholarship procedures and make recommendations to the Board of Directors with regard to program improvements and adjustments to maintain the integrity of the process.
  • Create and document all activities, processes and procedures for sustainability.


Officer and Director Responsibilities

Educational Services Director

The Educational Services Director will focus on creating an inclusive schools network and recruit support for the Proud Scholars board of directors.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

  • Recruit interns for the Board of Directors.
  • Support schools that have designated LGBT+ alliance groups with marketing material and community support when needed to facilitate positive educational environments.
  • Build and maintain a working relationship with university counseling teams.

Sponsorship Director

The sponsorship directors works closely with corporate representatives to effectively communicate the branding and mission of the Proud Scholars Organization. The Director will work closely with businesses to solicit financial support and to build relationships with identified representatives. 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Build and sustain lasting relationships with corporate business teams and communities.
  • Identify and sustain lasting relationships with corporate associate resource groups that focus on LGBT support and advocacy.
  • Build database resources for all corporate contacts, address, and related data.
  • Advocate on behalf of the Proud Scholars brand with corporate stakeholders across all communications channels and vehicles.
  • Report on sponsorship committees and strategy group activities as it relates to small business.
  • Create and document all sponsorship processes and procedures for future use.


Communication Director

The communication director is responsible for managing the Proud Scholars social media strategy. The Communication Director develops and implements a communication plan that will ensure public views of the Proud Scholars Organization to be in a positive favor. The Communication Director will write and deliver press releases, handle all communications sent to the public, and strategies for the organization.

Responsibilities of the Communication Director include but are not limited to:

  • Build a sustainable social media strategy that includes but is not limited to: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
  • Ensure the public views the organization favorably through positive, action based communications.​
  • Drive strategy and message development, pitch and announcement strategies.
  • Determines and executes communications strategy throughout the region.
  • Develop communication strategies for each community that Proud Scholars focuses on.
  • Put communications vehicles in place to create momentum and awareness as well as to test the effectiveness of communications activities.
  • Track and measure the level of engagement within the network over time.
  • Report on communication committees and strategy group activities.

Events Director

The event director works in collaboration with the Board of Directors to develop strategies for large events. The Director will orchestrate the implementation of the main events, as identified by the Board, specifically 2 large scale events per year. The Main Events Director will ensure that the events are aligned with our strategic goals and timeline for smaller events. The Events Director will work closely with local hotels, casinos, event venues, catering services, restaurants, and bars to develop a database of supporters and encourage competitive bids for implementation of Proud Scholars events. The Director will spearhead each event and work collaboratively with the understudy to develop a team to effectively execute each event.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

  • Develop, produce and deliver 2 main events from proposal to delivery per year.
  • Delivering events on time, within budget, that meet expectations.
  • Setting, communicating and maintaining timelines and priorities on every project.
  • Communicating, maintaining and developing client relationships.
  • Managing supplier relationships.
  • Managing operational and administrative functions to ensure specific projects are delivered efficiently.
  • Providing leadership, motivation, direction and support to the main events understudy and committees.
  • Being responsible for all project budgets from start to finish.
  • Ensuring excellent customer service and quality delivery.
  • Report on main event committees and strategy group activities as it relates to large scale implementation at all Board of Director meetings.
  • Create and document all activities, processes and procedures for future event management use in a centralized event plan.
  • Advocate on behalf of the Proud Scholars brand with event and sponsor organizations.


Operations Officer

The operations officer serves as Secretary to the Board of Directors. It is the objective of the Operations Director to coordinate all operations of the Board functions. The Operations Director is considered 1 of 6 Officers that are considered a permanent position without a term limit. The Operations Director works to ensure consistency of performance to promote a progressive and diverse board and to continue to strengthen the mission.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

  • Organize the Board of Director meetings:
    • Agenda, timing, location and coordination.
  • Act as the Board of Director secretary.
    • Draft all Board minutes and maintain Board historical records.
    • Motion each meeting for minute approval by all attending Board members.
    • Maintain all organizational documents. 
  • Build an onboarding process for all new Board members.
    • Manage the application process for new members.
    • Outline a communication plan for Director Recruitment.
    • Build a peer review process. 
    • Build an orientation process that works for the Board of Directors and Scholarship Review Board.
    • Build out the diversity matrix so that we maintain a diverse volunteer pool.
  • Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality.
  • Establish and monitor staff performance and development goals, assign accountabilities, set objectives, establish priorities and conduct annual performance appraisals.
  • Ensure that Proud Scholars is adhering to the strategic plan, delivering status reports to the board.
  • Maintain and ensure that the Proud Scholars 501(c)(3) status is compliant with all government regulations and all laws are met.
  • Report on operational committees and strategy group activities.