get involved

Join a Steering Committee

Are you interested in:

  1. helping decide how to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants in your community to support kids and advance racial justice?  

  2. bringing your personal and professional experiences to ensure community resources reach those who need them most?   

  3. deepening your knowledge and skills around grantmaking, and weighing day-to-day interventions with preventative, systemic change?  

If yes, then consider joining one of United Way of Lane County’s Steering Committees! 

United Way of Lane County (UWLC) is seeking new members for two committees: the Community Investment Steering Committee and the Racial Justice Advisory Committee. You are welcome to express interest in one or both committees. We’re accepting statements of interest (written or recorded) now through May. 

“Serving on the RJAC engages me in the UWLC’s amazing work. It provides a space to connect and work collectively with other members dedicated to advancing equity in our county. I am grateful for this opportunity to gather with diverse perspectives and contribute to our local community as an AAPI community member!”
— Shayna Higashi, RJAC member

Who We Are Looking For

Committee members and community members at a 2021 Racial Justice Community Listening Session.

We are seeking community volunteers to guide United Way’s investments and impact strategy aimed at helping children in Lane County succeed in school and life. We know that solutions to current community challenges (food insecurity, unaffordable childcare, low literacy and graduation rates, and more) are best known by those most impacted by these challenges. United Way is committed to centering these voices and experiences in decision-making processes. 

Professional and lived experiences are essential perspectives in our organization’s efforts. With that in mind, we are seeking volunteers with: 

  • diverse elements of identity and lived experience including but not limited to:  

    • People with experience living in poverty, and / or accessing services provided by local service providers 

    • People of color 

    • People representing diverse gender and sexual identity  

    • People representing diverse language and national origin  

    • People representing a diverse age range (18+)  

    • People living in rural areas of Lane County 

    • People living with disabilities  

  • diverse sector representation including but not limited to:  

    • Early Learning 

    • K-12 

    • Higher Education 

    • Public Sector / Local Government 

    • Private Sector / Local Business 

    • Nonprofit Human Service Sector  

    • Health Care 

Estimated Committment

Each committee meets 6-8 times per year (approx. every other month) for 1.5 hours, and requests a three-year commitment. We estimate that committee members will spend another 1-2 hours per month reviewing notes and materials, serving on small work groups, or doing light research to inform decision-making processes. In total, we expect volunteers will spend approximately 26-32 hours per year on committee work.   

About the Committees

Community Investment Steering Committee (CISC) 

10-12 members total, seeking 4-6 new members 

The CISC recommends strategies to UWLC's Board of Directors on making grant investments in the community; creates an equitable and efficient grantmaking process; and evaluates how well United Way is advancing its vision through investments. The committee also helps remove barriers for grant applicants and collaborates with the RJAC to ensure racial equity is central to investment conversations. 

Meetings:  

  • Through 2024, this group meets Fridays every other month from 10:30am to 12pm. 

  • All meetings are hybrid (in-person at United Way’s office in Springfield and online via Zoom) 

  • In 2024, CISC meeting times may change, but will be held in April, June, September, November, and December.  

If you apply and are selected, a UWLC staff person will reach out to schedule a meet and greet with you between April 29 and May 24, and new member onboarding will take place between May 27 and June 14. The last day to submit a statement of interest for the CISC is May 10.  For more information, see the CISC Charter.  

Racial Justice Advisory Committee (RJAC)  

A few of United Way’s RJAC members at a March 2024 meeting

10-12 members total, seeking 6-8 new members 

The RJAC advises UWLC's Board of Directors on intersectional racial equity best practices; ensures the needs and priorities of communities most impacted by racial inequity are centered in UWLC policies and programming; evaluates how well UWLC enacts its commitment to racial justice; and collaborates with the CISC to recommend strategies for equitable grantmaking processes.

Meetings:

  • Date / time has not yet been determined for 2024 

  • Meetings will be 1.5 hours long and hybrid (in-person at the United Way office in Springfield and online via Zoom) 

  • In 2024, RJAC meetings will be held in March, May, July, August (4-hour retreat), October, and December.

If you apply and are selected, a UWLC staff person will reach out to schedule a meet and greet with you between April 29 and June 7, and new member onboarding will take place between June 10 and June 21. The last day to submit a statement of interest for the RJAC is May 24. For more information, see the RJAC Charter.  

I'm Interested! Now what?

Please submit a “statement of interest” via email to community@unitedwaylane.org. Your statement can take the form of a written email / letter, a video, or an audio recording. Please address the following questions in your statement:  

  1. What committee(s) are you interested in joining?  

  2. How did you find out about this opportunity? 

  3. Why are you interested in joining the CISC and or RJAC? 

  4. What professional, volunteer, and / or lived experience and perspective will you bring to the CISC and or RJAC? 

If you have questions about the positions or process before applying, please reach out to Emily Dale, United Way’s Associate Director of Community Impact, at edale@unitedwaylane.org.   

What Happens After I Apply?

Your statement of interest will be reviewed by a small, diverse group of United Way staff and current committee members. If we'd like to learn more about you, a United Way staff person will reach out to set up a meeting (online or in-person) to get to know you better, share more information about committee service, answer any of your questions, and work with you to determine if it makes sense for you to join the committee(s) at this time.

If you are not selected this year, don’t worry! There may be chances to serve in future years or get involved with related opportunities, such serving on a grant review panel, volunteering, or attending engagement opportunities to provide feedback about UWLC’s work in other ways.

Everyone who submits a statement of interest will be contacted (whether you are selected for a committee or not) by May 30. 

“Serving with the Community Investment Steering Committee is a truly rewarding experience because of the real difference it makes in the lives of so many children and families. The work is humbling with its unique perspective to witness and to guide the efforts that improve lives and make better outcomes.”
— Stuart Ramsing, CISC member

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes! We value the perspective of our partners, both as service providers working closely with individuals in our community and as active participants in our grantmaking processes. We require that all committee members declare conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from any discussions that may benefit their specific organization.

  • We aim for diverse representation on our committees and will prioritize membership based on existing gaps in perspective. Currently (March 2024), individuals who represent the following sector and demographic perspectives will be prioritized for both the CISC and RJAC:

    • People living in rural communities, especially in East or South Lane County

    • People of color

    • People who are bilingual (particularly in English and Spanish, as well as English and other languages)

    • People working in the public / local government sector

    • People with experience in Early Learning or K-12 education

  • Whichever makes you feel the most comfortable and confident! We are providing multiple methods for submissions to allow people to select the option that works best for them. If access to technology is a barrier to submitting your statement of interest, please reach out to Emily Dale at edale@unitedwaylane.org.

  • We are not concerned about the length of your statement and will be most interested in the perspective you bring and your reasons for wanting to join this committee. Please take only as much time as you need to authentically answer the questions listed above.

    If you are looking for a guide, we estimate that written statements would likely be at least one paragraph, no more than two pages; recorded (video or audio) statements would likely be one to five 5 minutes. However, if you feel inclined to share more or less than those guides allow, please feel free to do so!

  • An estimated 1-3 times per year. All regular meetings will be hybrid, so if you live outside the area, you can attend virtually. We encourage in-person attendance at select events when possible. This could include our annual Community Breakfast, special board meetings, or the committee’s bi-annual retreat. Hybrid options for these events will still be available if traveling to Springfield is not an option.

  • Yes! We welcome people who have lived or professional experience to lend to our processes, even if those experiences come from outside the nonprofit and / or grantmaking world. New members will go through an onboarding process with the committee’s staff support person to learn about UWLC and how committee processes work in our organization.

    Additionally, you will be paired with a “Buddy” upon joining the committee — a more experienced committee member who can be a familiar face from the start and serve as a second point of connection as questions come up.

  • A deeper understanding of challenges facing the Lane County community and people / organizations working to address them; new connections with like-minded people; skills related to problem-solving, communication, critical thinking, and strategic planning; the knowledge that you’ve helped make a lasting impact on your community; and more!

  • Please indicate that in your statement of interest. While our CISC meetings are established for the rest of 2024, it’s possible that the meeting date and time may shift as we move into 2025, based on the availability of members.

  • Please reach out to Emily Dale, Associate Director of Community Impact, at edale@unitedwaylane.org.

If you have questions about the positions or process before applying, please reach out to Emily Dale, United Way’s Associate Director of Community Impact, at edale@unitedwaylane.org. We look forward to connecting with you!