Congratulations on your nomination to run for a seat on the Board of Directors for San Francisco Pride.
Should you choose to accept your nomination, here are some basic facts you need to know about the organization, as well as our Board election process:
ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE
Since 1970, the San Francisco Pride Celebration & Parade have happened annually on the last full weekend in June, to commemorate the Stonewall Riots in NYC. In 1985, the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee, Inc. was formed. The Committee is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization responsible for the annual production of the Celebration and Parade in San Francisco.
With over almost 1 million attendees annually, San Francisco Pride is the largest event in San Francisco and one of the largest gatherings of LGBTQ individuals and allies in the entire world. However, the pandemic has forced many Pride organizations to create virtual or supporting Pride events, and San Francisco Pride has taken this opportunity to innovate.
The annual budget to produce the Celebration and Parade is about $3.8 million. Income sources are usually:
50% Sponsorships (Corporate donors)
19% Beverage Sales
15% Parade Entry Fees
08% Exhibitor Fees
03% Ticket and Merchandise Sales
03% Individual Donations and Member Fees
02% Grants
San Francisco Pride is a fundraising organization that supports more than 40 local community non-profits annually. Since 1997 more than $3.8m in proceeds have been awarded to our Community Partners.
Day-to-day operations, including event weekend operations, are the responsibility of a full-time paid staff along with numerous paid professional contractors.
Next Steps
In support of your nomination, you are encouraged to provide a written statement of intent that includes your qualifications, professional experience, history of community service, what you can bring to SF Pride, and a short biography. Additionally, we ask that you submit a headshot (preferably high resolution and at least 3” wide). These will be made available to our Membership prior to the casting of ballots at the meeting.
We will be publishing a list of candidates, along with any statements we receive, for access of the full SF Pride Membership. Statements must be limited to 400 words or less. Failure to submit a written statement does not disqualify an otherwise duly nominated candidate from standing for election. Please submit your written statements to chris.robert@sfpride.org
WHAT TO EXPECT AS A BOARD MEMBER
Following is abbreviated information about the duties and responsibilities expected of a Board member:
Board members volunteer their service to the Organization and are asked to serve a 3-year term. Terms follow our fiscal calendar and run from October through September.
You will be focused on the governance of the organization. Governance is providing direction and vision for the organization, and a concern with structure and the processes for accountability. Governance is determining the objectives of the organization, and framing methodology for evaluating success metrics. Governance is building confidence in the many stakeholders that participate in our annual events and supporting front-facing goodwill efforts.
Production of the annual Pride event is under the direction and guidance of the Executive Director, and the staff or contractors they hire. The Board is welcomed to offer suggestions, contribute to the long-range planning of the organization, and provide strategic insights. Board members have relatively low interaction with express production activities of the annual LGBT Pride celebration and parade (generally during the last weekend in June), and/or its ancillary events.
As a Director on the Board, you will bear a fiduciary responsibility for the organization. In practice this means you will play a major role in fundraising efforts to raise the funds needed to produce the annual Parade and Celebration; this includes a $500 “give or get” clause in the Board agreement you must sign upon being elected and seated. That means you either need to donate $500 yourself, or raise $500 from other individual donors or some other source. In addition, you will be expected to familiarize yourself with the finances of the organization from a high level.
You will sign a Board Agreement – a basic standard of care – which includes familiarizing yourself with all governance documents; learning how to read and understand all financial documentation; upholding all policies with regard (but not limited) to professional and polite conduct/behavior, confidentiality, and media commenting/public speaking; attending regular scheduled Board meetings monthly as well as one board committee meeting monthly (two committees in your second/additional years); reviewing and responding to email and other communications; working constructively as a team; supporting SF Pride events; and being mentored during your first year.
All potential conflicts of interest/self-interests need to be disclosed before you sign your BOD agreement, for example, if you, a member of your family, or your business/organization benefits in any way from relationship with SF Pride, this must be openly presented.
San Francisco Pride strives for diversity in the composition of our Board of Directors, our workforce, and our event programming. Our commitment to diversity extends beyond the usual definitions, to ensure that the SF Pride Board of Directors attains optimal skills and professionalism required for all the above, as well as the professional skill sets needed to govern the organization.
So that you might make an informed decision about your nomination for potential election to the SF Pride Board of Directors, we strongly recommend that you review the SF Pride Board Agreement. Our complete Policies and Procedures can be found by clicking the governing docs in the top nav of this site.