Description
Board Seats We Are Looking to Fill
We’re looking to fill three distinct seats on the Board. Each has a unique and important role to play.
They are:
SEAT 1: THE CONNECTOR (Resources & Treasure)
The Goal: Open doors to the philanthropic and catalytic capital OakTREE needs to fund its first full deployment.
The Profile: You know who holds money for community-led climate and energy justice work and they know you. You don't just have contacts; you have relationships built on credibility and track record. You understand how early-stage organizations need to position themselves to get in the room, and you've helped one get there before.
Key Responsibilities:
- Advise on which funders to pursue, when, and how to sequence asks
- Leverage direct relationships with foundation program officers to open conversations OakTREE couldn't open alone.
- Help shape the narrative for how philanthropic capital fits alongside CDFIs, impact investment, and government funding.
- Draw on funder-side experience to help OakTREE understand how decisions actually get made.
Success Metric: OakTREE has active conversations with at least 5 aligned funders within 12 months.
SEAT 2: THE PROOF ARCHITECT (Execution, Talent & Building)
The Goal: Make the first block deployment believable before a single trench is dug, and lay the groundwork for the workforce that will build it.
The Profile: You've spent a career building physical things in complex environments and you have the scar tissue to prove it. You're past the peak of your operational career and what drives you now is legacy — making sure the next generation of builders, especially from communities like West/East Oakland, has a pathway in. You understand that at this stage, your job isn't to construct anything yet. It's to make the construction credible to funders, partners, and the community before the work begins.
Key Responsibilities:
- Stress-test the build plan: identify permitting landmines, contractor risks, and sequencing problems before they surface
- Advise on the SOP for the first block installation so it's tight enough to be replicable and fundable.
- Connect OakTREE to the right construction and engineering partners who can execute at startup pace.
- Advise on workforce development pathways and credentialing for young and local workers
- Bring community relationships that make OakTREE's presence on the block credible from day one
Success Metric: First block deployment plan is investor-ready and community-trusted, with a local workforce pipeline identified, within 12 months.
SEAT 1: THE OPERATOR (Management & Strategic Vision)
The Goal: Build the internal foundation that allows OakTREE to grow without losing its culture or mission integrity.
The Profile: You've seen what happens when a scrappy early-stage organization tries to scale without infrastructure. You understand board governance, know where nonprofits get legally exposed, and have helped an organization build the systems — financial, cultural, decision-making — that let it survive growth.
Key Responsibilities:
- Keep OakTREE's governance clean: fiduciary responsibility, conflict of interest, board-staff boundaries.
- Flag legal and compliance exposure before it becomes a crisis, and know who to call when it does.
- Advise on how to build organizational infrastructure that can support a nationally distributed model.
- Help founders see around corners on the strategic arc without overstepping into operations.
Requirements
The Board Member position is an active role. Be prepared to spend 2-4 hours monthly on initiatives and an additional 2-4 hours quarterly on Governance Responsibilities (board meetings, resolution voting etc)
The description of the job is remote, but ideally we will conduct board meeting in person. All other work can be remotely completed.
