Board of Directors

CSAJ Seeking New Members for Board of Directors

The Center for Survivor Agency and Justice (CSAJ) is a unique national nonprofit advocacy organization that advances economic equity for survivors of domestic and sexual violence to enhance their safety and agency. It does innovative and vital work at the intersection of gender-based violence, poverty, and social inequality. See www.csaj.org. 

CSAJ envisions a world where everyone has equal access to physical safety, economic security, and human dignity. We strive toward this vision by developing and promoting advocacy approaches that remove systemic barriers, enhance organizational responses, and improve professional practices to assist domestic and sexual violence survivors. 

Nonprofit Board Opportunity

CSAJ plans to add up to four new board members within the next year. We welcome applications throughout the year from individuals excited about CSAJ’s work and eager to help us increase our impact and advance our important mission.  We strongly encourage applications from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and members of other marginalized communities who can lend their lived experience to advance CSAJ’s mission. 

The members of CSAJ’s Board of Directors, who come from both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, are united in their dedication to the organization’s mission.  Individual board members focus on one of more of five key strategic areas: (1) individual donor development and cultivation; (2) foundation and corporate fundraising development and partnership building; (3) communications, media, and public relations; (4) nonprofit management and board development; and (5) strategic planning and implementation. 

At this time, CSAJ is seeking new board members who can contribute to the first two strategic areas above: individual donor development and foundation/corporate fundraising. 

Application Instructions

Please provide the contact information requested in the online application and upload a current resume and letter of interest. Please limit your letter of interest to no more than 1,000 words, and in the course of the letter, please be sure to address the following questions:

• Which one or two of the five key strategic areas listed above would you be most interested in focusing on as a board member? Explain.
• What special skills or experience would you bring to the board that bears on the strategic areas in which you are most interested?
• More broadly, in what ways do your personal experiences and perspectives make you especially well-suited to contribute to the mission and goals of our organization?
• What strategies would you employ to engage diverse stakeholders and foster partnerships that align with CSAJ's mission?

The Board Recruitment Committee will review applications on a rolling basis.  If you have any questions, please contact CSAJ’s Founder and Executive Director, Erika Sussman, at Erika@csaj.org.

More about CSAJ and Its Work 

There is no safety for domestic violence survivors without access to economic security.  Domestic violence leads to economic hardship, and economic hardship in turn, leads to increased vulnerability to violence. Almost all (99%) of domestic violence survivors report that they experience economic abuse. The impacts of abuse result in an economic ripple effect that compounds and creates lifelong barriers to safety for survivors.  People marginalized by race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, immigration status, and ability are disproportionately subject to poverty due to structural inequities that are built into our policies and institutions.  With unequal access to economic resources, survivors from marginalized communities are substantially (almost two times) more vulnerable to violence.

CSAJ has mounted several highly impactful efforts since its inception. The Consumer Rights for Domestic and Sexual Violence Survivors Initiative enhances economic justice for survivors of domestic and sexual violence by building the capacity of and building partnerships between domestic and social violence attorneys and anti-poverty lawyers. The Race and Economic Equity for Survivors Initiative addresses the systemic economic inequities facing survivors of color. The Access to Justice for Survivors Project lifts up, and enhances the advocacy of non-lawyer advocates in addressing the costs of domestic violence. The Accounting for Economic Security Atlas Project aims to shift the paradigm of economic justice from one emphasizing individual self-sufficiency to one focused on expanding economic agency. Our newest initiative, the Mapping and Advancing Equity for Survivors Project, is a groundbreaking project that builds the capacity of coalitions and programs to address the systemic economic and racial inequities facing survivors through systems and policy advocacy. 

CSAJ carries out its work through three Levels of Impact: (1) enhancing Individual Advocacy by lawyers and other advocates for survivor agency and justice; (2) enhancing Community and Organizational efforts to create institutional change that will further survivor agency and justice; and (3) supporting and leading efforts to put in place Systems and Policy changes aimed at economic barriers to survivor agency and justice.  

More about Board Member Responsibilities 

Board members are expected to: 

• Actively participate in the board’s four regular meetings each year and any special meetings that are called. Because our board members live in cities across the country, all meetings other than one regular meeting per year are virtual rather than in person.
• Actively participate in one or more board committees, which meet between the quarterly board meetings.  
• Play an active fundraising role to secure the financial resources necessary for CSAJ to achieve its mission. This includes making personal financial contributions and leveraging personal and professional networks to ensure the success of CSAJ’s fundraising efforts.  
• Be knowledgeable and enthusiastic spokespeople for CSAJ’s mission, programs, and services to their local communities and those in their personal and professional networks.
• Read and understand CSAJ’s financial statements and help the board fulfill its fiduciary responsibilities in other ways. 

Board members serve 3-year terms, with opportunity for renewal. CSAJ board service is unpaid.