Leader Resources
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      1. Brigade Support
      2. Leader Resources

      Building Your Leadership Team

      Whether you have one or several Chapters on your campus, it’s important to understand what makes a Chapter successful: a strong leadership team.

       

      Qualities of Strong Leaders

      Leadership Best Practices

      1️⃣ Host Regular and Productive Meetings
      Have regular meetings with your leadership team to discuss important items. Consider starting a group chat so that you can reach each other easily.      		 4️⃣ Create an Environment of Support
      If you find that someone on your team needs help with a project, help them out! There will likely be some overlap in your roles, so you should try to work together toward your goals.
      2️⃣ Build a Community
      You’ll be spending a lot of time together, so why not take some time to get to know each other better? Have dinner together or go out for some drinks.      		 5️⃣

       

      Engage ALL Volunteers
      Just because you are on your Chapter’s leadership team, doesn’t mean you should make all of the decisions or have all of the responsibility. It’s the responsibility of the entire Chapter to make a Brigade happen, so let your volunteers vote on important decisions and help out with the work, too.
      3️⃣ Set Clear Roles and Responsibilities
      It’s best to clearly establish roles and role descriptions when you first transition into new positions. Be clear about what is expected from everyone in advance.       		    

      Working Toward a Holistic Campus 


      01 Campus Chairperson Role

      The role of the Campus Chairperson is to represent and oversee Global Brigades on your campus and in your community. This will allow all Chapters on your campus to work together toward a common goal and stay connected.

      02 Holistic Chapter Presence 

      In the same way that each of the Programs that make up our Holistic Model are more powerful together than they are apart, the same can be said of the Chapters on campus. Work toward having an active Chapter to represent each of our Holistic Model Programs (Medical/Dental, Water/Engineering, Public Health, Business). 

      03 Celebrate #GB365

      #GB365 refers to the commitment of our community partners, staff, and passionate volunteers to work toward sustainable development year-round. Being a Global Brigades volunteer means so much more than participating in your one-week Brigade, and we encourage you to continue engaging as global citizens every single day.

       

       

      Roles & Role Descriptions

      The role of the Campus Chairperson (CC) is to represent all the Programs on campus by strengthening active Chapters and seeking to create new Chapters.

      Duties:

      • Ensure that active Chapters are working together in a combined effort on campus to achieve Global Brigades’s mission and vision.
      • Whether the campus has 1 active Chapter or 5, always lead with the importance of the Holistic Model in meetings, fundraising, recruitment, etc. 
      • Stay involved and try to attend Chapter meetings, fundraising, and recruitment events when possible.
      • Just as staff and communities don’t stop the work after Brigades leave, celebrate #GB365 by continually engaging as global citizens before and after your Brigade.

      Campus Chairperson’s attend monthly meetings with their Volunteer Engagement Associate, provide support as needed to their Chapter Leaders, and focus on campus-wide engagement and initiatives.

      The role of the Chapter President/Brigade Leader is to oversee the successful execution of the Chapter’s Brigade.

      Duties:

        • Work closely with your Chapter’s Program Associate/Volunteer Engagement Associate throughout the entire Brigade planning process.
        • Keep in communication, have regular calls, and keep your Program Associate/Volunteer Engagement Associate updated on your Chapter's progress and any developments that occur.
      • Support with fundraising. Attend and help out with as many fundraising events as possible.
      • Support with recruitment. Attend and help out with as many recruitment events as possible.
      • Support with volunteer education. Make sure volunteers are being properly educated before their arrival in their Brigade country and help with charla preparation.
      • Facilitate Chapter meetings and relay all pertinent information from your Program Associate/Volunteer Engagement Associate in those designated times.
      • Follow up with volunteers to meet Donation Goal deadlines and provide support as needed.
      • Follow up with members of your leadership team to ensure that tasks and duties are followed through on.

      Remember that your Program Associate/Volunteer Engagement Associate is a resource to use for support!

      The role of the Fundraising President/Committee is to coordinate and oversee various fundraising events throughout the year to facilitate volunteer fundraising toward their Donation Goals

      Duties:

      • Organize fundraising events on or around campus.
      • Manage funds. Consider creating a Chapter bank account to keep donations you collect during fundraising events and any membership fees you decide to collect.
      • Track volunteer attendance and hours for fundraising events.
      • Keep records. Make sure to keep records of transactions and how much each of your fundraising events is bringing in.
      • Work with your college/university to gain the fullest possible financial support.
      • Reach out to corporate sponsors.
      • Report on financial transactions. Let the rest of the Chapter know how funds are being used.

      Learn more fundraising tips here.

      The role of the Recruitment/Marketing President/Committee is to organize and oversee recruitment efforts to support the Chapter’s Brigade

      Duties:

      • Organize recruitment events on your campus to meet your Chapter’s recruitment goal. 
      • Cultivate awareness about Global Brigades and developmental issues through social media and on-campus events.
      • Establish your Chapter’s presence on campus.
      • Maintain a list and keep track of contacts for prospective volunteers.
      • Create marketing materials using Global Brigades templates and adhere to the branding guidelines. You can create:
        • Posters
        • Flyers
        • Videos
        • Social media pages and posts

      Learn more recruitment tips here.

      The role of the Secretary is to carry out administrative duties required for the Chapter to function effectively.

      Duties:

      • Ensure the Chapter is properly recognized by and affiliated with the University.
      • Book meeting rooms.
      • Take meeting notes.
      • Manage Chapter records.
      • Verify that the Chapter is abiding by all campus and/or city regulations for fundraising and recruitment events. Provide appropriate documentation when necessary.
      • Produce and send out all official Chapter correspondence.
      • Notify members of meetings and other events.

      The role of the Education President/Committee is to direct the planning of the Chapter’s education and social programs.

      Duties:

      • Prepare meeting content -- potential topics may include:
        • Brigade country education (culture, history, government, healthcare systems, etc.)
        • Global Brigades’ Holistic Model and Programming
        • Spanish lessons
        • Ethical volunteering
        • Triage training
        • Charla training
      • Organize educational or social events.
      • Provide volunteers with resources regularly (Ted talks, websites, articles, etc.).
      • Prepare for children’s charla -- once your Program Associate sends you your charla topic assignment, start planning some engaging and educational activities that your Chapter can do with the kids in your assigned community. 
      • Vice President - Assist the Chapter President in fulfilling their duties, and regularly attend meetings, fundraising events, and recruitment events.
      • Travel Chair - Play the primary role in travel by booking flights either through the Global Brigades travel team or independently.
      • Social Media Chair - Support recruitment & awareness efforts through social media platforms. Stay active and facilitate interactions with potential volunteers via social media.
      • Treasurer - Oversee funds and the Chapter bank account. Make sure to keep records of all financial transactions.
      • University Relations Chair/Committee - Ensure that your Chapter is adhering to all requirements for a club on your University’s campus and maintain a relationship with the Chapter’s faculty advisor.
      • Brigade Photographer - Capture a comprehensive set of high-quality photos during your Chapter’s Brigade and educate volunteers on ethical photo-taking practices.