“I personally remember how memorable an experience joining FWSF was for me, and working on the scholarship committee reminds me how incredible and important this group of women is!”
“FWSF is full of smart and interesting women, and I feel as though I am always learning something new from them.”
“One of the biggest surprises has been how much I enjoy getting to know my fellow peers from all different industries, niches, and places in their careers.”
Path to the Board: First Step ─ Maximize Your Membership by Joining a Committee
By Anne Evers, Membership Committee
Have you been curious about how you can get more involved in FWSF? Or maybe you want to deepen your relationships with other members? Or perhaps you want to increase your efforts to give back? Have you considered what it would be like to join a committee, especially if you are new to the organization? To new members, joining the FWSF committees or board might seem a bit of a mystery, but in fact, it’s very simple.
Raise Your Hand
The path to the FWSF board really starts with raising your hand and volunteering for a committee (see info at end of article about whom to contact). Our amazing committee members (quoted above) explain it best; “Attend a committee meeting with no strings attached, see if you like it, and then gradually get involved.” Committee involvement gives you a chance to see how things work. As an all-volunteer organization, FWSF activities are planned, executed, and managed by our committees and board members.
Every year it’s the effort of dedicated and active volunteers who keep FWSF running. From the wide array of programs to signature events like the Scholarship and Financial Woman of the Year luncheons, it takes members who work behind the scenes to plan speaker and networking activities, get the word out about scholarships and manage the process, and raise funds for those scholarships. The time commitment of a committee member varies by functional area and details are outlined in the FWSF committee roles and responsibilities document.
Step Up to the Board
After gaining experience about the inner-workings of the organization on a committee, the next step is a board position as a committee co-chair, more than likely related to the committee(s) for which you have volunteered. Each year the board nominating committee meets to consider the next year’s board and major factors driving the nominations are a member’s interests and contributions as a committee member. Board co-chairs then lead the committees and serve for a maximum of two years. Often, board co-chairs then serve in other functional areas or possibly become VPs. VPs have a range of experiences in the FWSF and have served on several committees during their tenure. The time commitment varies by committee and all of this is outlined in the FWSF committee roles and responsibilities document found here https://financialwomensf.org/committees/.
To give you more insights and ideas about how to get involved, Connections checked in with three current committee members, Deeksha Chaturvedi (Scholarship), Lucy Sinacola (Membership) and Sarah Cummins (East Bay, Programs). In the next issue, we’ll talk with board co-chairs about their first involvement with FWSF and their current board roles. Finally, we’ll check in with some VPs and officers to share their input with you as well.
As we approach year-end, our committees will be looking for new members. We hope you’ll consider joining one if you haven’t already. As you will hear over and over, getting involved is truly the best way to get the most out of your FWSF membership. Relationships deepen and you can showcase your knowledge and skills. Read on for thoughts from three current committee members:
Deeksha Chaturvedi, TMT Investment Banking Analyst, Goldman Sachs
Tell us about your current role.
I am currently on the Scholarship Committee as a team lead for UC Berkeley. We help coordinate campus outreach and then review applications to find the next cohort of scholarship recipients. As a former scholarship recipient myself, I joined the committee to give back with my time. It has been a privilege to meet such intelligent, ambitious Cal Bears throughout the process.
What do you like best?
My favorite part of the job is hearing scholarship candidates tell their stories during the interview and application process. FWSF draws a very diverse pool of applicants, and I am continually impressed by what many students have accomplished personally and professionally. The annual scholarship luncheon is the culmination of these accomplishments — it is such a treat to welcome new members into the organization and to celebrate them with family members, friends and mentors. I personally remember how memorable an experience joining FWSF was for me, and working on the scholarship committee reminds me how incredible and important this group of women is!
Any surprises?
The entire experience of transitioning from being a scholarship recipient to being on the scholarship committee was surprising to me because I was always used to sitting on the other side of the table. As the newest committee member, I learned a lot about the organization through listening to the other committee members and even interviewees articulate what FWSF meant to them.
Advice for someone looking to join a committee?
Just do it! Being on a committee allows individuals to get a front-row seat to all of the incredible events FWSF offers and to participate in making it all happen — committee membership has given my time in the organization so much more meaning and is also a great way to connect with older and younger members. When I first joined, I was hesitant to ask to be on a committee because of my lack of experience, but I quickly realized that everyone was very receptive and eager to welcome new members (and we still are!).
Lucy Sinacola, Associate, Vista Point Advisors
Tell us about your current role.
I am currently on the Membership Committee, where we work to attract new members and keep current members engaged. Right now I am working with another member of the committee to kickstart a new Mentoring program.
What do you like best?
FWSF is full of smart and interesting women, and I feel as though I am always learning something new from them. Also, I enjoy helping to shape the direction of the organization, such as with this new Mentoring initiative, as it makes me very personally invested in seeing FWSF succeed.
Any surprises?
Getting to know the internal workings of FWSF, I was surprised at how much work really goes on behind the scenes to ensure our events and programs run smoothly. Everyone is truly dedicated to making this an organization that provides programming our members enjoy and can benefit from. I'd also say FWSF is very open to new ideas — if you want to see a new event or program, you're encouraged and offered help to make it happen.
Advice for someone looking to join a committee?
Joining a committee is a great way to get to know fellow FWSF members and feel more involved. Look up what each committee does, get in touch with the co-chairs, and decide where your skills are best suited — we'd love to have you join us!
Sarah Cummins, Client Service Director, Robert Half Management Resources
Tell us about your current role.
I am on the Programs committee. This committee organizes a lot of the events that happen throughout the year. We meet once a month for an hour.
What do you like best?
Before I joined the programs committee, I would go to the events but I felt as though I wasn’t making deep connections. Now, because I am more involved, I’ve been able to make deep connections with women and have created long-lasting friendships. I strongly encourage everyone to consider a role on a committee if you want to be more involved.
Any surprises?
The commitment hasn’t interfered with my work schedule and friends/family. One of the biggest surprises has been how much I enjoy getting to know my fellow peers from all different industries, niches, and places in their careers.
Advice for someone looking to join a committee?
Ask to sit in on meetings or set up virtual coffees with members to get a better feel of the commitment and expectations. Maybe joining a committee doesn’t work with your current schedule, but circumstances are always changing and maybe one day down the road you will want to feel part of a group.
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Keep an eye out for the next installment of this series, where co-chairs of committees, who are members of the board, talk about their committees, their involvement with FWSF and their board experience.
Interested in joining a committee or learning more? Contact Alyson at info@FinancialWomenSF.org and she can put you in touch with committee co-chairs.