Join the Board
Cal Alumni Association
For 140 years, the Cal Alumni Association (CAA) has led alumni support for the University of California and provided thousands of Cal graduates with rewarding connections to the University, to fellow alumni, and to current students.
Founded in 1872, the Cal Alumni Association has grown into one of the largest associations of alumni in the world. Our mission is to advance and promote the interests of the University of California, Berkeley by connecting alumni with each other and our alma mater. CAA represents 450,000 Cal alumni, including 100,000 CAA dues-paying members.
CAA Board of Directors
The CAA Board of Directors is a policy governance board, which governs with an emphasis on vision, encouragement of diversity, strategic leadership, distinction of Board and Executive roles, and proactive decisions. The Board strives to serve and connect with the broad constituency of Cal alumni and future alumni. It is the responsibility of the Board to develop policies for the Association for which the CAA Executive Director and staff are responsible for attaining.
The Board adopted the policy governance model in June 2004 and has worked diligently on transitioning from a hybrid governance/volunteer model to a policy governance model, which provides more clarity in roles and responsibilities between Board members and staff.
For more details on policy governance, please visit the following website to learn more about the John Carver model of policy governance: www.carvergovernance.com
Board of Director Role and Expectations
- Exercise fiduciary responsibility for the Association
- Develop high-level Association policies
- Be aware and educated on the Association’s goals, issues, priorities, and major programs
- Represent and advocate on behalf of CAA as informed ambassadors of the University, and be willing to utilize personal networks to enhance the Association and University goals
- Be able to represent the broad constituency of alumni and future alumni, not just a single constituency
- Support CAA’s philanthropy priorities
- Attend Board of Directors New Member Orientation
- Participate in Board of Directors Meetings (currently held five times per year, Friday full-day)
- Serve on Board committees
Directors are volunteer positions, CAA does not provide financial compensation for the Directors’ services or reimburse for travel expenses except under special circumstances as determined by the President of CAA.
