1. Who is Women of Colour Australia (WoCA)

Women of Colour Australia (WoCA) is a not-for-profit organisation and a registered charity established in August 2020. We are run by women of colour for women of colour. We exist to champion Australia’s women of colour through programs of education, community support initiatives, and advocacy work.

Our Vision: A world where girls and women of colour are afforded equitable opportunities to reach their full potential.

Our Purpose: To advocate, support, and strengthen the lives and experiences of Women of Colour in all places and spaces in Australia.

You can find out more about us on our womenofcolour.org.au website.

2. Attributes

The Chair should:

• Be a person who can develop good relationships with WoCA's internal and external stakeholders
• Be forward-thinking and committed to meeting the overall goals and objectives of WoCA
• Have a good working knowledge of the committee’s duties and responsibilities, goals, and projects
• Be able to work collaboratively with other Committee Members
• Be a good listener and attuned to the interests of members and other interest groups
• Be a good role model and a positive image for WoCA in representing the Committee and WoCA in other forums
• Have good written and verbal communication skills

3. Specific duties

The Chair’s duties include, but are not limited to:

• Chair Committee meetings ensuring they are run efficiently and effectively
• Focus the Committee’s attention on matters of Committee governance that relate to its own structure, role, and relationship to other committees
• Periodically consult with Committee Members on their role, to see how they are going and help them optimise their contribution Work with the Committee to ensure:
• The necessary skills are represented on the Committee and to work with the Volunteer Management Committee in finding new Executive Committee Members when required
• Goals and relevant strategic and timeline plans are developed in order to achieve the goals of the Committee
• Regular review of plans, goals, and objectives, and work with the Executive Committee to monitor progress
• Work with the Executive Committee to manage General Committee Members
• Communicate regularly and systematically with the Chairs of the other committees
• Provide input into reports for Leadership and Board Meetings
• Attend at least 70% of Leadership meetings

4. Duties of the Committee

Fundraising

• Develop a fundraising strategy and plan
• Track and report progress toward fundraising goals
• Encourage creativity, innovation, and the development of new and exciting ideas in line with the purpose of the committee
• Work with other Committees to execute events (e.g. Communications and Engagement and Events)
• Delegate tasks and encourage volunteers at fundraising opportunities
• Develop leaders from within the committee for specific projects
• Maintain communication with other committees and support them in their programs/events
• Evaluating the fundraising activity and determining necessary changes for future fundraisers

Grants

• Conduct research into available grants and other funding opportunities
• Research requirements and suitability of available grants
• Seek information from funding bodies, community groups and potential project partners
• Developing and writing grant proposals
• Assembling and submitting grant requests, including letters, proposals, budgets, presentations and acquittal reports
• Maintaining calendar to ensure timely submission of letters of inquiry, proposal deadlines, and reports
• Conducting prospect research
• Prioritising projects to keep multiple projects moving in a timely manner, meet deadlines and manage supplemental material required for proposals

5. Benefits of volunteering with WoCA

WoCA focuses on educating ourselves and seeking, with purpose and intention, opportunities for growth. We support each other to build a sense of belonging. We advocate for ourselves and for our community to drive change.

Holding a role in this Committee brings with it many benefits and development opportunities, including:

• Strengthening your teamwork and communication skills
• Understanding and developing your grant writing skills
• Refining your organisational skills
• Developing high-level organisational thinking
• Developing stakeholder engagement abilities
• Practical work experience to strengthen your CV
• A chance to increase your community advocacy and social justice work