Lead at the Forefront

Founded nearly fifty years ago, Forefront has remained steadfast in its commitment to building a vibrant and empowered social impact sector in Illinois. As a statewide organization serving both operating nonprofit organizations and philanthropies, Forefront bridges gaps and offers insight in ways no other organization can.

Though our commitment has remained, Forefront has continually evolved and shifted as we recognize the needs of our members and the larger sector. Forefront has more than 20 employees, including a seasoned and accomplished leadership team of C-Suite professionals, who are governed by a board of directors that represent experts, though leaders, and community leaders working within or adjacent to the social impact sector in Illinois. Each director is elected for a three year term and can server a maximum of two terms.

THE FORERONT BOARD IS LED BY KEY VALUES, COMMITMENTS, AND PRINCIPLES, INCLUDING:

Forefront builds a vibrant social impact sector for all the people of Illinois.

Accountability: We are transparent about our purpose and intended outcomes. We support and hold each other responsible for achieving them while embracing the consequences of our actions
Authenticity: We foster a culture in which staff have space to be themselves without judgement and in which all stakeholders may have honest dialogue in order to reach our full potential.
Equity: We affirm the dignity and worth of every person and work to tear down systems that harm some groups while benefiting others. We prioritize learning and action and strive to make Forefront and our sector more fair and just.
Integrity: We are honest and reliable, and act on our shared values in both internal and external interactions.
Learning: We continuously seek and adapt to new ideas to improve our collective resiliency and strength. We embrace new information and diverse expertise, and we practice empathy with others.
Teamwork: We believe our best work is done when we work together. We honor the experience and expertise of each member of our team and seek opportunities to collaborate across departments, and throughout the sector.

In 2022, embarked on a three-year Strategic Plan driven by three core commitments that will enable Forefront to advance its mission and maximize its impact:

Commitment #1: Through high-quality and culturally competent programming, technical assistance, and strategic advocacy, Forefront expands its reach,
support, and influence across Illinois’ social impact sector to address the greatest needs of its members.
Commitment #2: Forefront mobilizes a sector-wide response in Illinois to advance
racial equity and create an environment in which BILPOC communities thrive.
Commitment #3: Forefront unites Illinois’ social impact sector to collaboratively
address the most pressing issues of our time.

Read the full plan here.

BOARD MEMBER REQUIREMENTS

Becoming a Forefront Board Member is an opportunity to advance the work of almost 1,000 nonprofit, grantmaker, advisor, and ally members of the Illinois social impact sector. It is a contribution to both listening and leading, working together in the community and for the community, centering equity at everything that we do, all to aid in creating a thriving social impact sector for every person in Illinois. As a Forefront Board Member, you are expected to:

Serve on at least one Board committee.
Prepare for and make all reasonable efforts to attend 3 of 4 board and committee meetings in person or virtually.
Make an annual gift to the organization according to personal means.
Support Forefront’s fundraising efforts through your organization or other relationships.
Participate in relevant trainings or personal/professional development sessions, when offered or requested.
Make a reasonable effort to participate in Forefront programs and activities. Examples include Foundations on the Hill, MSI, or co-chairing a member network.
Attend at least one of Forefront’s signature events – i.e. annual luncheon or other.
Assistant with membership recruitment and retention efforts as requested by fellow Board members and staff.
Keep Forefront informed regarding important developments in the social impact sector.
Participate in Board self-assessments and all other surveys and requests for information.
Adhere to the organization’s conflict of interest policy.
Alignment with Forefront’s guiding values, specifically:
- 1. Learning from and being led by community members and expertise;
- 2. Dedication to racial equity and diverse, intersectional representation;
- 3. Challenging harmful hierarchies and power dynamics to improve collaboration and impact
To learn more about becoming a Forefront Board Member, please fill out a short form, and a Forefront member will contact you directly.

2023 Forefront Board Membership

Please fill out the following form to be considered as a prospective Forefront Board member for 2023-2024.

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Lead at the Forefront

THE FORERONT BOARD IS LED BY KEY VALUES, COMMITMENTS, AND PRINCIPLES, INCLUDING:

BOARD MEMBER REQUIREMENTS

2023 Forefront Board Membership

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