Secretary and Administrative Assistant

The I Rise Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to taking action towards adolescents’ health and well-being by providing mentorship, prevention, intervention and leadership programs.

Our mission is to equip youth and young adults with the knowledge of independent living skills, leadership, self-respect, emotional regulation awareness, health and wellness and employment skills.

At the I Rise Foundation, we understand the importance of mental, emotional, and behavioral health. That's why we provide comprehensive services and coaching to support the mindset and empowerment of our youth and young adults. We strive to identify second chance youths who are in the foster care system, aging out of foster care, incarcerated youth, and youth coming out of incarceration. We offer individualized and community resources and support to guide adolescents in graduating from high school, gaining employment, educational programming, and health and wellness. Our services will provide the opportunity for youth to become thriving, responsible members of society.

The secretary of a nonprofit organization plays a critical role in fostering communication and ensuring proper management and utilization of important organizational records. Generally, an organization’s bylaws will set the duties of the secretary, however, duties may change from time to time as may be assigned by the board. A secretary will be most useful to an organization when his or her role is shaped to meet the unique structure and needs of the organization.

Position Qualifications

1. Strong communication skills. The secretary role is an active conduit for communication between board members. and management. The secretary is responsible for proactively collaborating with board members to set up meetings, giving proper notice of any meetings, and promptly distributing materials like agendas and minutes. The secretary will often have to extract and communicate key information from lengthy conversations, so effective communication skills are a non-negotiable part of the job.
2. The ability to prioritize tasks. The board secretary will take on many responsibilities, so knowing how to organize them effectively and follow-through is crucial to remaining productive and getting everything done in a timely manner. Plus, the board secretary is also responsible for delegating tasks to other board members, which means knowing who to assign to which tasks will be an important part of the job.
3. Familiarity with the nonprofit’s structure. The secretary should have a deep-rooted knowledge of the organization’s records and governing documents. They should be able to provide advice and resources to the board when relevant topics or questions arise. They should have a higher level of understanding of the nonprofit’s mission to easily provide strategic information to other board members.

Typically, the secretary should be equipped to handle the following matters:

Communication – A Primary Role of the Secretary

The secretary of the organization is an active conduit for communication between the board, management, volunteers, and /or staff (if any), by giving proper notice of any meetings and timely distribution of materials such as agendas and meeting minutes. The secretary should be knowledgeable of the organization’s records and related materials, and should be able to provide advice and resources to the board on relevant topics at issue, such as particular governance matters being addressed at a meeting or a new amendment to state corporate law, for example. The secretary should aim to be helpful to the board as they discharge their fiduciary duties.

Scheduling, Notice, and Materials

The secretary is tasked with knowing and complying with notice requirements and scheduling meetings to accommodate the board members. Notice requirements can be particularly important and should be complied with strictly, as improper notice can open the organization up to challenge. The secretary is responsible for scheduling board meetings and should ensure an adequate number of meetings are held per year, in accordance with the organization’s bylaws. Generally, a board can more efficiently and effectively hold a board meeting when the secretary prepares and sends meeting materials far enough in advance of the meeting for each director to review such materials, correct any errors, and prepare questions and comments.

Minutes of Meetings

The secretary is also charged with recording minutes of meetings. Minutes are an important organizational document and provide a memorialized chronology of key information such as board actions, elections of officers or directors, and certain reports from committees and staff. Meeting minutes can have vital legal significance in an IRS examination and as evidence in courts if, for example, someone challenges the validity of certain actions or positions. The secretary should be well-equipped to record accurate minutes and be aware and sensitive to any special or confidential information discussed at a meeting. 

Maintenance of Corporate Records

As the custodian of the organization’s records, the secretary is responsible for maintaining accurate documentation and meeting legal requirements, such as annual filing deadlines. It may be helpful for the secretary to have a calendar of filing deadlines, which may include a filing with the corporation’s Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the state tax agency, and the IRS. The secretary is responsible for reviewing and updating documents as necessary and ensuring all documents are safely stored and readily accessible for inspection by directors. AS the custodian of organization’s records the secretary is also responsible for maintaining the articles of incorporation and bylaws, as amended to date, and should be available at the corporation’s principal office for inspection. Additionally, it is required that a nonprofit’s exemption application and past three annual returns with the IRS are available for public inspection.

The secretary position has wide-ranging responsibilities, requiring much more than simply being present at all board meetings. These duties likely will increase if the organization has a voting membership structure, which requires additional notice procedures and voting. Duties are subject to change as the organization meets the needs of state laws, the community and grows.