Blog

Annual Gala 2023: Annual General Meeting

Jenna Smith — Tue, 02 May 2023 21:12:07 -0400

Annual General Meeting

April 29, 2023

Presentation by:
Jenna Smith, President
Board 2020, President 2021-2023
RPCV Madagascar 2015-2017

Wow, it is so nice to be here with everyone in person at our first gala since December 2019. It has been a longggg few years. It seems weird to reflect back on early 2020, when I had just joined the board. RPCV/W was operating as usual, with a really engaged, excited community. There were over 7,000 peace corps volunteers serving around the world, and there were over 200,000 RPCVs.

Deadline extended: RPCV/W 2023 Board elections are open!

Kenneth Goughnour — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 08:49:19 -0500

Calling all nominees! Do you want to apply your talents to the growth of a nonprofit organization? Do you want to be part of building a community that connects Returned Peace Corps Volunteers? Do you want to be challenged, learn a ton of stuff, have a lot of fun, and make a significant impact?

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington D.C. (RPCV/W), a nonprofit organization, is looking for stellar leaders to take on volunteer roles on committees and its board of directors. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants not just a volunteer activity, but a long-term opportunity to empower the RPCV community, support returning volunteers, and build a network with volunteers from the last six decades. Nominations are open for the below vacant positions on a rolling basis. Please email Jenna Smith president@rpcvw.org to submit a nomination.

You should be a go-getter, self-starter, big-picture-strategist with an eye for detail and a willingness to support the entire board of directors and work collaboratively with other committee members. You must be willing to produce prompt and effective results within your board role.

You will have the opportunity to play a key role in expanding the organization and should have a minimum of 10-15 hours a month with a mandatory monthly meeting the second Tuesday evening of every month to dedicate to your position on the board of directors. We look forward to having you join our team!

The RPCV/W board has 14 voting board members. Active RPCV/W members may apply for a board position (please make sure your membership is up to date here), and must be local to DC to support in-person meetings and events. Terms are for two years.

RPCV/W 2023 Board elections are open!

Kenneth Goughnour — Sat, 03 Dec 2022 11:24:59 -0500

The RPCV/W board has 14 voting board members. Active RPCV/W members may apply for a board position.

Mission

To foster a collaborative, inclusive, and anti-racist community of RPCVs, family, friends, and supporters in the Washington D.C. area by providing a space for all RPCVs (including Black, Indigenous, People of Color) to engage, develop, support and connect with one another while they adapt to the different phases of life; and to provide professional and personal development and service opportunities for its members to give back to the D.C. community.

Community Guidelines

RPCV/W’s community guidelines (inspired and permitted by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association Code of Conduct).

Affiliations

RPCV/W is not the Peace Corps nor does it directly donate to overseas Peace Corps programs.

Open RPCV/W 2023 Board Positions

Vice-President
Treasurer
Communications Director
Professional Development Director
Mentoring Director
Development Director

How to Submit an Application

To submit an application, please complete the nomination form. Please submit one application for each position you are interested in. Please email Ken Goughnour: engagecommunity@rpcvw.org with any questions.

Nomination and Election Timelines

Nominations will open 11/8 and the deadline has been extended to December 5th at midnight
RPCV/W community voting for nominees: December 9-17
Announcements: Final News letter of the year

Open 2023 Board Positions

Vice President

Indirect Supervision: Executive Committee and all board members

Essential Qualifications: Requires a long-term vision, strategic oversight, flexibility, and attention to best practices. Requires a willingness to engage in networking activities and monthly events to engage current and potential members of all ages. Requires one year of previous experience on the RPCV/W board.

What a successful candidate looks like: Will have prior experience on a nonprofit board of directors and a deep understanding of people management, long-term strategic planning, and relationship building. Will have successfully worked with a membership organization in the past to cultivate new, renewing, and returning members. Will have metrics showing successful online and in-person relationship building techniques.

General Operations

Presides in the absence of the President.
Manages the Annual Strategic Plan.
Assists directors with committee development and engagement.
Oversees the annual membership survey.

Relationship Building

Point of contact for Partnership for Peace program.
Maintains relationships and proposes collaborations between RPCV/W, Peace Corps, NPCA, local affinity groups, and friends of groups.

Event Planning

Responsible for scheduling, planning and conducting Board retreats.
Leads and organizes training sessions for board professional development.

Treasurer

Essential Qualifications: Requires strong accounting expertise, QuickBooks database management, budgeting expertise, nonprofit tax filing, investment management, and bill paying.

What a successful candidate looks like: Will have prior experience on a nonprofit board of directors and a deep understanding of nonprofit financial management and IRS guidelines. Should have a successful track record creating budgets, filing nonprofit taxes, paying bills, and basic accounting.

General Operations

Works with Executive Board to ensure taxes and paperwork are filed.
Works with Executive Board to maintain internal financial controls.
Drafts yearly budget for board approval and works with individual directors on budget management.
Reports on monthly P&Ls and year-to-date financials at every board meeting.
Ensures that bills are paid and taxes are filed.
Invests and Manages RPCV/Ws assets to ensure the value of the portfolio grows
Compiles historical spending by board director roles before the retreat and at the end of the year by spending class.

Event Planning

Responsible for payment (Venmo, Square, PayPal, etc) at RPCV/W paid events (BBQ, holiday party, etc).

Communications

Essential Qualifications: Requires strong marketing and communications skills with an understanding of social media channels, website management, and team management. You should have strong writing skills and basic graphic design skills. An understanding of nonprofits and membership organizations communication styles is strongly encouraged.

What a successful candidate looks like: Will have successfully built social media campaigns to garner new members, followers, sales, and donors. Will have evidence of successfully meeting or exceeding communications goals for an organization.

Marketing

Operates the website, social media accounts, blog, and other online services.
Troubleshoots technical issues and works with board’s data/tech analyst to keep web content current and fresh.
Works with other directors to promote their materials across social media channels (content will be developed by individual directors and their respective committees, not communications).
Works with the Executive Board in response to press inquiries.
Editor-in-Chief of RPCV/W’s weekly newsletter that goes out every Sunday evening.
Works with the Executive Committee and Communications Director to maintain website content on www.rpcvw.org.

Event Planning

Facilitates and works to improve internal communications regarding events across all program areas.
Supports the Special Events Director with advertising and ticket sale promotion for the Summer BBQ, Holiday Party, and other major events. Sits on the Special Events committee.

Professional Development

Essential Qualifications: Must have a basic understanding of HR, a strong network of diverse employers (nonprofits, international development, corporate, consulting, etc) and a willingness to proactively connect job seekers with job opportunities and recruiters. You should be willing to attend monthly networking events in the community that may be of interest to our job-hunting members.

What a successful candidate looks like: Will have successfully worked with job seekers to set up initial interviews, successfully negotiate in their job, or participate in effective job networking due to updated resume/cover letter/interview skills.

Career Services

Meets with job-seekers, reviews resumes, and provides basic job interviewing services
Work closely with Mentoring and sit on the Mentoring committee.
Moderates LinkedIn page (with the support of the Communications and Outreach Directors) for individuals to share jobs and other professional opportunities.
Manages 1x weekly post for individuals to share jobs on Facebook (moderates FB and LinkedIn posts with the support of the Communications Director).

Event Planning

Plans quarterly Career Panel and Networking events bringing together professionals and job seekers.

Fundraising and Relationship Building

Supports Development in relationship building to external partners and sits on the Development committee.
Works with Development to encourage hiring managers to potentially sponsor or advertise when filling RPCV-friendly jobs.

Mentoring

Essential Qualifications: Must have a basic understanding of HR, a strong network of professionals for mentorship in a range of career fields (nonprofits, international development, corporate, consulting, etc). You should also possess strong networking skills, a basic understanding of event planning, logistical coordination, rate negotiation, and advertising.

What a successful candidate looks like: Will have successfully worked with a mentor/mentee program that shows long-term outcomes for both participants.

Event Planning

Plans monthly mentoring events.
Organizes events to train mentors, make matches and expand the program.

Career Services

Helps interested members find mentors whose experiences compliment their interests.
Manages the mentoring listserv.
Recruits and instructs mentors.
Collaborates with the Professional Development Director. Sits on the Professional Development committee.

Development

Essential Qualifications: Requires an understanding of basic fundraising knowledge including sponsorships, advertising, fundraising sales, donor engagement, stewardship, etc. Must be willing to help raise $20,000 a year to reach the RPCV/W Endowment goal of $100,000.

What a successful candidate looks like: Will have successfully fundraised gifts ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 on behalf of an organization and built relationships with donors from cultivation to ask to stewardship.

Fundraising

Use fundraising strategies to help raise $20,000 a year towards the endowment fund to create long-term sustainability for the organization.
Negotiates and is the primary point of contact for sponsorship agreements and advertising contracts.
Supplements RPCV/W revenue through various channels, including sales of t-shirts, yoga mats, etc.
Supports Outreach and Professional Development in relationship building to members and external partners and sits on the Outreach and Professional Development committees.

Event Planning

Plans and solicits donations for the Silent Auction and other fundraising activities at the annual Holiday Party and BBQ.
Working closely with other Directors as necessary, such as Social, Special Events, Professional Development, and Community Service Directors to plan events geared towards different types of sponsors and advertisers.

Open Board Positions for 2023

Jenna Smith — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 12:27:00 -0500

Please email Jenna Smith at president@rpcvw.org with a 200 word message if you are interested in any of these positions for the 2023 term ending in December 2024. Please review the expectations below and confirm you are able to commit to the role you are applying for.

2021 Facebook and Social Media Protocol

Jenna Smith — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 08:36:42 -0500

Letter from RPCV/W President - End of 2020

Jenna Smith — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 08:18:54 -0500

Dear RPCV/W Community,

2020 was a year no one expected. This has been a year of challenges, sadness, reckoning, and reflection. In this maelstrom of events, there has been one word that holds true: community. What does it mean to be a member of a community? A member of the Washington DC/DMV community? A member of the RPCV or international community? A member of a community whose government leaves so many behind despite claims of unity and exceptionalism?

Letter from RPCV/W President Regarding the Insurrection- January 6, 2021

Jenna Smith — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 08:15:01 -0500

Dear RPCV/W Community,

I hope you are doing okay.

From my heart to yours, I really do.

But if you are not. That is okay too. All I can offer is grace and compassion. Take as much as you need; there is an ever-flowing supply.

Nominations Open! RPCV/W 2022 Board Positions

Christina Zielke — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 08:00:00 -0400

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, DC, 2022 Board Positions

Do you want to apply your talents to the growth of a nonprofit organization? Do you want to be part of building a community that connects Returned Peace Corps Volunteers? Do you want to be challenged, learn a ton of stuff, have a lot of fun, and make a significant impact?

You should be a go-getter, self-starter, big-picture, strategist with an eye for detail and a willingness to support the entire board of directors and work collaboratively with other committee members. You must be willing to produce prompt and effective results within your board role.

You will have the opportunity to play a key role in expanding the organization and should have a minimum of 10-15 hours a month to dedicate to your position on the board of directors and at least one committee. Board members can expect to spend 15-20 hours a month dedicated to their position, committees, and mentorship. We look forward to having you join our team!

The RPCV/W board has 14 voting board members. Active RPCV/W members may apply for a board position.

How do I apply?

RPCV/W will accept self-nominations for two weeks: October 27- November 24! (Extended from November 10)

To apply, you must first confirm that your membership is active, here. Then, submit a concise, 250-maximum-word essay to vicepresident@rpcvw.org expressing your interest. Please be sure to highlight why you feel you'd be a good candidate for the particular position(s) you're running for.

2021 Call for Nominations

Javonni McGlaurin — Tue, 18 May 2021 21:57:00 -0400

An Apprehensive Entrepreneur

Funmilayo Owoloja — Tue, 04 May 2021 20:44:00 -0400

Q:I've been working for a while in my field and I see some of my colleagues moving into the consulting field. They have the freedom to choose the projects they'd like to work on and I'm envious of that. However, I've always worked at large organizations with benefits like health care coverage. I'm worried about going into consulting, how to navigate the process of getting my own insurance, paying higher taxes, how to market myself, etc. What are your thoughts?

Sexual Assault in the Peace Corps

Jenna Smith — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 00:15:00 -0400

Some very brave members of our community are sharing their experiences with sexual assault in the Peace Corps. Emma Tremblay, who curates the Instagram page @PeaceCorpsHR that shares hundreds of stories of trauma RPCVs have experienced is in the article and video, and has written below more information and ways to take action to push Peace Corps to overhaul how sexual assault is handled in the agency. If you need support or would like to share your own experience please email peacecorpshr@gmail.com.

Already Planning my Escape

Funmilayo Owoloja — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 10:10:00 -0400

Q: I have been working for an office that will not be named, in the HR department. It has become impossible for me to ignore the jockeying for position through gossip and passive aggressive in-fighting. My goal is to get out of there ASAP, but I have a philosophical question. When the HR department is the bad actor, who can you report them to?

Girl Just Trying to Get Promoted

Funmilayo Owoloja — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 19:02:00 -0400

Q:There's a theory that in an office environment, facetime with management is a key for successful promotions. Is that still true and how does that work now that I'm working remotely? What are some ways I can make sure that management is seeing my hard work without "seeing" it?

RPCVs and Alcohol Awareness Month

Ty Miranda — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 10:54:00 -0400

New to the Professional World

Funmilayo Owoloja — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 22:35:01 -0400

Q: I've just started a new position and I am excited for my first professional job. However I am finding it difficult to relate to my much more experienced coworkers and supervisor. Any help fitting in in my first professional job? Especially now that we are virtual?

Peace Corps Volunteers & Abortion

Ty Miranda — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 21:27:00 -0400

Racism in the AAPI Community

Javonni McGlaurin — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 22:25:00 -0400

Who run the world......?

Ty Miranda — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 23:17:00 -0500

Girls? As we celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, I think back on my Peace Corps service.

GLOW, “Girls leading our world,” is a Peace Corps program running across the world for more than 20 years, aimed at several different goals, but during my service in Thailand, it focused on gender empowerment and equality. The camp’s purpose was to teach gender, sexual health, and teamwork to all gendered students. I brought a group of students to two GLOW camps during my service.

The camp’s impact on my students was generally positive, giving them a space to learn in a different and non-binary way. However, there is a ton of irony in Americans attempting to teach gender and sexual equality.

As of March 2021, there are71 bills targeting trans people, and half ban trans girls from participating in sports aligning with their gender. State governments continue to attack reproductive health access for women, while U.S. White women still make $0.79 to the $1.00 that White men make; Hispanic or Latinx women make $0.54.

On top of all that, we have a Congresswoman who’d rather preach “binary gender” instead of protecting the most vulnerable with whom her party majority favors.

Given that, my suggestion is that before the U.S. preaches gender equality at Peace Corps camps, it takes some time to realize its gaps. In the meantime, Peace Corps should own up to the gaps and work with countries abroad to address problems together. We as Peace Corps Volunteers should be learning from the communities abroad before asserting solutions that are intricate, country-specific, culturally specific, and nonuniform.

Have thoughts? Join the conversation using #RPCVLessonLearned.

Confront the Uncomfortable

Ty Miranda — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 00:36:00 -0500

Peace Corps Week is a celebration of the best of service. It highlights that as Peace Corps volunteers, we were theoretically able to make a difference or, dare even say, change the world. I don’t believe I changed the world, but I think I made intentional relationships and created space for youth to learn.

My valuable memories include the community bike ride/trash clean-ups we organized, the groups of students we brought to GLOW camps, most leaving the province for the first time. I cherish the times when I did yoga with the elderly and supported the community’s holiday events. Most of all, I remember when a few of my students cried when I told them that I thought they were smart, beautiful, and community leaders. I cried too.

Yet, I have a lot of regrets about my service. I regret the moments that I haggled over $1 in the market, the times when I got frustrated at people on the bus just wanting to practice their English, and the days where I’d rather be in my bedroom than at the community funeral. I regret the money I spent on a Peace Corps dog and trips around Thailand, the pictures I posted on FB of my community events, the moments I complained about the 10-mile bike ride to get peanut butter, and every single minute that I felt sorry for myself during service.

I believe that Peace Corps needs significant changes. What change looks like, everything from abolishment to reassessing the goals, is still contentious within the RPCV community. But something that we can each do this week is evaluate how our privilege impacted our service, positively and negatively. The regrets above are rooted in the privilege I held as a PCV and how I was not responsible for using it to benefit the Na-Or community in Thailand. I urge you to think back this week and say them out loud.

We aren’t perfect, but our best indication of morality is to no longer hide behind the delusion of absolute altruistic intent as volunteers. Join the conversation by sharing your story. Please leave a comment below or share on social media using #RPCVLessonLearned

2021 VP Call for Nominations

Javonni McGlaurin — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 17:00:03 -0500

Do you want to apply your talents to the growth of a membership organization? Do you want to be part of a community that embodies the spirit of Peace Corps? Do you want to be challenged, learn a ton of stuff, have a lot of fun, and make a significant impact? The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington D.C. (RPCV/W), a nonprofit organization, is looking for stellar leaders to take on the volunteer role of Vice President on its Board of Directors.