NeighborShare Board Member

NeighborShare Board Profile

Who are we?

1 in 3 Americans can’t afford a $400 emergency.

NeighborShare’s mission is to build access to just-in-time financial assistance so a small but pivotal expense, like a car repair or unexpected bill, doesn’t lead to a crisis like job loss or homelessness. We partner with local nonprofits to identify urgent needs that would otherwise go unmet and our growing network of neighbors, corporate partners, and private funders meet these needs in real-time via our tech-enabled platform.

Our model reimagines traditional philanthropy. It’s fast, flexible, community-powered giving that prioritizes dignity, trust, and direct outcomes. It also draws on research that affirms the efficacy and efficiency of direct cash assistance.*

What began with a handful of partners has grown into a national network of 60 organizations across 19 states. To date, we’ve fulfilled $2 million in urgent needs for more than 20,000 neighbors. 

Our primary growth driver today is connecting corporate, public, and philanthropic funders with impact that aligns with their values and CSR strategies. We’re proud to partner with organizations like Hertz, the MassMutual Foundation, Dollar Tree, the Motley Fool Foundation, Synchrony, and more – each helping to fund needs in specific categories (e.g. transportation, education) or geographic areas. As we continue to grow, we are seeking our next class of institutional partners. We will rely heavily on our incoming board members to help identify and facilitate new institutional connections. 

NeighborShare is rooted in trust, speed, and the belief that small acts of generosity, delivered at the right moment, can have a transformative impact. We’re building a new kind of safety net that’s powered by community and connection. We are looking for thoughtful, mission-aligned executives to join our current board, chaired by Carey Halio, Global Treasurer of Goldman Sachs, to help build and guide our next chapter.

Who are you?

The NeighborShare board provides strategic oversight, thought partnership to our Executive Director, and supports our ambitious fundraising and growth goals. Specifically, you may be a good fit as a NeighborShare board member if:

• You are someone who is intrigued by the startup nature of our organization and has real experience scaling or building around good ideas

• You are excited about providing strategic oversight and advisement and have a skillset related to NeighborShare’s work that would be helpful (see more below) 

• You are willing to open doors in your network that will help NeighborShare grow

• You are serving in a C-suite position or leading a small/medium-sized endeavor 

• You can be located anywhere. (Because we’re a primarily virtual board, we do find it’s easier if you’re in the Eastern or Central time zone.) 

Beyond this general profile, we are specifically searching for board candidates to fill these roles:

• Marketing Chair. This is a seasoned executive with a track record of implementing successful digital and traditional marketing efforts that lead to customer acquisition and retention. This individual will partner with the Executive Director to create and execute a robust donor acquisition strategy in greater Boston, and recruit volunteers and pro-bono resources to support the execution.

• Technology Chair. This leader serves at the CTO level of their organization and knows what it takes to create a successful product. They will partner with the Product Lead (board-level) and Executive Director to ensure NeighborShare is executing on its strategic product vision. They also have a deep network of technologists who can advise, volunteer, or otherwise enhance the NeighborShare product.  

• Business Development Chair. NeighborShare secures funding from multiple sources, and this well-connected leader knows what it takes to raise money from public, private, and corporate partners. They have the strategic vision and connections to position NeighborShare in these spaces. We are particularly interested in professionals with experience raising capital for early stage and start-up organizations.

Board Expectations 

All of our board members are highly accomplished, busy professionals who wear more than a few hats in addition to serving on our board. We expect and appreciate the following commitments from all board members:

• Provide insight, thought partnership, and direction on the growth plan of NeighborShare as a board member and through support of  the Executive Director and team

• Leverage your networks to fundraise and connect others to NeighborShare, including future NeighborShare institutional partners

• Represent NeighborShare and advocate for our mission and services as appropriate

• Give financially in a way that is significant but within your means 

This translates to these time commitments:

• Attend quarterly 90-minute board meetings (Zoom) and annual board retreat in NYC

• Participate in a  board committee (most meet monthly), which will be a small team focused on a critical part of the NeighborShare mission

• Serve for a term of three years 

How to Connect

Actively building toward a true U.S. national movement - with a localized pilot build in greater Boston - our team is driven by a generosity of spirit and a shared vision of what the future of philanthropy looks like. 

If working with us is something you’d like to explore, please submit an interest form here.

Questions? Reach out to Kelli Kreps, Executive Director, at kelli[@]nbshare.org. 

More About NeighborShare

NeighborShare’s mission is to ensure everyone has access to just-in-time financial assistance so a small but pivotal expense, like a car repair or unexpected bill, doesn’t lead to a crisis like job loss or homelessness. 

Rather than reinventing the wheel, we do this by partnering with local direct-service nonprofits already identifying urgent financial needs for individual households, but often lacking the resources to address them. Vetted case managers and social workers can upload these needs to the NeighborShare platform, where our growing community of donors — including individuals, corporations, and foundations — provide rapid support.

By removing red tape and activating generosity, NeighborShare ensures “just in time” help reaches those who need it most. Donors can give with confidence, knowing their contributions will quickly go directly to real households with real needs, keeping families on track.

A quick history…

NeighborShare was created in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, sparked by a desire not just to help, but to address a deeper systemic problem the pandemic exposed. Too often, people face small but urgent financial needs like a few hundred dollars for rent, a car repair, or a utility bill. Yet our current systems can’t consistently identify these needs in real time, and when they do, there’s no fast, efficient way to help before the situation spirals. At the same time, the pandemic sparked something powerful: the rise of mutual aid. In neighborhoods and communities across the country, people stepped up for each other. Strangers gave to strangers, proving something simple but profound: most people are willing to help their neighbors if they know when someone is in need. NeighborShare bridges that gap by connecting donors to validated needs identified by frontline professionals. 

Since our founding, we’ve evolved from a grassroots startup into a professional organization with strong momentum. In 2022, we hired our first full-time executive director, a seasoned nonprofit leader, who is supported by two other full-time team members and several contractors. The rest of our power comes from our team of volunteers—strategists, engineers, designers, and marketers—who contribute their professional expertise to fuel our mission.

This also means our board members are truly extraordinary. Comprising leaders at the top of their fields, our board has historically operated as a “working board,” coming to the table collaboratively and rolling up their sleeves to help build the organization. As NeighborShare matures, we are transitioning toward a more strategic governance model. That said, we continue to value and seek board members who are willing to actively engage, contribute their skills, and partner closely with leadership during this building process.

* Research:  Innovations for Poverty Action: Cash Transfers // World Bank: Cash Transfers and Temptation Goods // Chronicle of Philanthropy: Giving Cash Directly to People in Need is a Growing Trend, as Evidence Shows it Works