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Call for Youth Activist Board Members

Are you who we’re looking for? 

URGE is seeking Board Members from URGE’s youth activist community to join our national Board of Directors!

At a critical moment for reproductive and gender justice, URGE is looking for at least two Youth Activist Board Members to join our Board of Directors and help shape the future of the organization.

URGE believes that young people should not only participate in movements for change – they should have real power in shaping the organizations and strategies that support those movements. Youth Activist Board Members bring essential perspectives to URGE’s leadership, helping ensure that our decisions stay connected to the experiences, priorities, and leadership of young people across the country.

Keep reading to learn more about our work, what we’re looking for in Youth Activist Board Members, and how to apply.

About URGE

Vision: URGE envisions a liberated world where we can live with justice, love freely, express our gender and sexuality, and define and create families of our choosing.

Mission: To achieve its vision of liberation, URGE builds power and sustains a young people’s movement for reproductive justice by centering the leadership of young people of color who are women, queer, trans, nonbinary, and people of low-income. As a state-driven national organization, URGE organizes its communities, provides a social change engagement home for young people, advocates for meaningful policy change, and shifts culture, working in states where the challenges and opportunities are greatest.

Board Member Opportunity for Youth Activists 

This opportunity could be a great fit for you if you:

• Have been involved with URGE for at least two years through an URGE Chapter Executive Board, the Community Catalyst or Our Folks programs, or as a Community Action Network grantee
• Are involved in peer-to-peer organizing, activism, community-building, or volunteer work beyond URGE in your state or community
• Care deeply about reproductive justice, gender justice, youth leadership, and the future of our democracy
• Are curious about how nonprofit organizations make decisions, set priorities, raise money, and build movements
• Want an opportunity to strengthen your leadership skills while contributing your ideas and perspective to an organization you care about

Like many nonprofit organizations, URGE does not compensate board members, so this is not a paid role. It is an opportunity for learning, networking, and contributing to the leadership of the organization.

You don’t need previous board experience to apply. We’re looking for early career leaders (between the ages of 19-30 years old) who are ready to learn, contribute, ask thoughtful questions, and take the responsibility of board service seriously.

We’re especially looking for people who:

• Can be trusted with sensitive and confidential information
• Bring integrity, good judgment, curiosity, and a willingness to learn
• Are excited to collaborate and serve as an active participant with a multigenerational group of leaders from across the country
• Can listen to perspectives different from their own, speak up when they have something to contribute, and engage thoughtfully when people disagree
• Can balance board service with school, work, organizing, family, and other commitments and communicate when they need support
• Are able to regularly respond to emails, participate in meetings, prepare for discussions, and support fundraising and other board responsibilities (detailed information about time commitments are below), including occasional travel (with expenses paid) 
• Are committed to cross-racial, cross-class, intergenerational, and gender-inclusive leadership
• Are willing to have honest conversations about reproductive justice, power, race, gender, class, and wealth
• Can stay engaged through challenging conversations and work with others toward thoughtful decisions
• Are optimistic about the role that young people can play in shaping the future

URGE’s work is focused in Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Kansas, Ohio, and California. We are specifically seeking Board Member candidates in Alabama, Texas, and/or California, to round out the leadership we already have from Kansas, Georgia, and Ohio.

Above all, we seek Board Members who are values-aligned: committed to reproductive, gender, and racial justice; to the rights of all individuals to make their own decisions about sexual and reproductive health; queer and trans liberation; building young people’s political power; dismantling white supremacy; and to the government's responsibility to defend and support those rights.

What You’ll Gain

As a Board Member, you will have the opportunity to learn alongside experienced leaders, deepen your understanding of nonprofit governance and organizational leadership, build relationships with people working for reproductive and gender justice across the country, and have a meaningful voice in decisions about URGE’s future.

You’ll help make sure that young people are not simply represented at URGE. Young people are serving as leaders.

Board Service Commitments

Term Structure: Three-year terms with the option to renew for up to three total terms. Term begins with the Spring Board Meeting in 2027. 

Time Commitment: 

• 1-2 in-person meetings per year (URGE pays for and arranges travel of any board members who are asked to travel)
• Generally the mid-year and year-end meetings
• Take place over two days and often align with organizational events in URGE’s key states (Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Kansas, Ohio, and California) or Washington DC
• 1-2 virtual meetings per year
• Typically three hours each
• Potential participation in Committee work, which includes up to 1-2 hour meetings about once a month, although the timing can shift depending on the Committee
• Optional participation in key events, including Staff Retreats, URGE Leadership Summit, and local/regional fundraising events

Financial Commitment

All Board Members are asked to make a financial contribution that is personally meaningful to them. This might be anything from $10 a month to $500 a month. You decide. 

In addition, Board Members are asked to:

• Participate in at least two Board campaigns each year to drive fundraising in their own communities
• Build relationships and make connections for URGE with individuals or organizations that could become URGE donors one day

How to Apply

Do Good Connections will accept interest on behalf of URGE, which can be shown with the submission of a resume or in-depth bio that outlines alignment with the Board profile.

Application deadline: October 30, 2026

Do Good Connections will guide applicants through a screening process to understand their interest and their potential contributions to the Board. This application asks Screening will include 1-2 conversations with the Do Good Connections team, submission of 2-3 essay questions, and an online presence check. Select candidates will be invited to participate in an interview with members of the Board and the Executive Director and finalists will be invited to a one-on-one conversation with another Board Member.

Two Board Members will be selected. 

Please share questions with Melissa Madzel and Shavon Bell at applications@dogoodconnections.com. 

To apply, select the "Apply for This Job" button at the top of this page.

Use this form to nominate or refer a friend or someone in your network: https://forms.gle/HrzTzyUf52Jadqkp8.

About Do Good Connections

Do Good Connections is a boutique executive search and talent advisory firm that helps social justice organizations strengthen their leadership and governance through equity-centered, values-driven recruitment. Do Good Connections partners with nonprofits and philanthropic institutions to design inclusive search processes and build boards that reflect the communities they serve. Learn more about Do Good Connections at www.dogoodconnections.com.