Director of Operations Role Design and Recruitment Strategy

We are looking for a skilled Taproot volunteer to help us shape and recruit for the role of Director of Operations (DO) at Speak Your Mind. As a young, mission-driven nonprofit, we want to ensure this role is well-defined and positioned to support our long-term sustainability, our team, and our impact.

The project would focus on:
• Helping us clearly define and scope the DO role, including responsibilities, workflows, and goals
• Identifying the skills, experience, and leadership qualities needed for a strong candidate
• Creating a recruitment strategy that outlines where and how to reach qualified applicants
• Drafting a role description, interview questions, and a simple evaluation rubric
• Recommending onboarding steps that set our future DO up for success

We expect this project to take 4–6 weeks, with 2–5 hours per week of volunteer time. By the end, we hope to have a fully scoped DO role, a clear recruitment plan, and practical tools that will guide us through the hiring process.

This work is essential as we grow, and your support will help us strengthen our organizational foundation and continue building programs that support mental health and community connection.

This project will directly strengthen our ability to fulfill Speak Your Mind’s mission of creating safe, supportive spaces for people to connect, share, and heal. Right now, much of our energy goes into managing the day-to-day challenges of running a small, mostly volunteer-driven nonprofit. By partnering with a skilled Taproot volunteer to help us establish a Director of Operations role, we’ll gain the structure and systems we need to focus more of our energy where it matters most: supporting mental health and building community.

Here’s the impact your work will make possible:

Stronger systems and workflows mean our team spends less time on logistics and more time creating meaningful programs that help people feel less isolated and more connected.

Better volunteer and staff retention ensures that our community members see familiar, trusted faces in our programs, people who are energized, supported, and here for the long run.

Clearer leadership structures allow our Executive Director and team to focus on scaling programs, reaching more communities, and breaking down mental health stigmas.

Your time and talents will help ensure that when someone comes to us seeking connection, support, or healing, we’ll have the capacity and stability to be there for them.

This project will succeed because we’ve already laid the groundwork. Our leadership team is aligned on the goals, has identified clear gaps in operations, and has secured internal buy-in to prioritize this work.

To prepare, we’ve compiled all relevant materials, our DO role description, organizational chart, volunteer handbook, and notes on our current systems and challenges. This ensures our volunteer partner has immediate access to the information they need and can begin with clarity.

Finally, we’ll maintain structured communication with regular check-ins, progress tracking, and open feedback loops to keep the project on track. By combining preparation, clear accountability, and commitment to follow-through, we’ll make sure this collaboration is effective and rewarding for both our team and our volunteer partner.