Help elevate the Heights—join the FH board

Are you filled with ideas and energy for improving our community? Can you give your time and talent to make the Heights an even better place in which to live?

FutureHeights (FH) is seeking candidates for its board of directors, to fill seats as current members’ terms expire. New board members will serve a three-year term. Applicants should be members of the Cleveland Heights or University Heights communities. Applicants should have a vested interest in the organization and the communities it serves, and have the time and talent to donate to the success of the organization and its programming.

Applications can be found at www.futureheights.org, and are due by Feb. 29. Interviews will be conducted shortly thereafter.

About FutureHeights

FH is a nonprofit community development corporation whose mission is to facilitate an equitable, prosperous, and vibrant future for Cleveland Heights and University Heights. FH board members, volunteers and staff work toward this mission through a variety of program areas, including:

• Housing: FH’s FutureHomes program (est. 2019) has overseen the purchase, rehab, and sale of more than 20 houses in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods. Its aim is to promote fair-housing practices and increased owner-occupancy rates. FH is currently rehabbing its 21st and 22nd homes. The 20 homes completed have resulted in a net gain of almost $3.5 million in home values.
• Community-Building and Strengths-Based Leadership: FH runs the Neighborhood Leadership Workshop, the twice-annual Neighborhood Mini-Grants Program (both est. 2015), and the Crowdsourced Conversations Forum Series (est. 2022), all of which serve to empower residents to engage with, and improve, this community.
• Economic Development: FH organizes and staffs events that promote Heights businesses, such as the Heights Music Hop and Best of the Heights awards, and assists the city of Cleveland Heights with community engagement on city development projects.
• Community Voice: FH publishes and distributes the Heights Observer (est. 2008), the free community newspaper for both Cleveland Heights and University Heights, now celebrating 15 years of service to the two communities. The Heights Observer represents citizen journalism, and provides a place where all stakeholders can share news and opinions about the Heights community.
  
  

Board service overview

The board comprises members of the Cleveland Heights and University Heights communities. Board members come from all walks of life, represent all neighborhoods, and bring their various skills, talents, and interests with them to assist the organization.

Board members participate actively by guiding the organization and its programming, providing staff and event support, friend-raising and fundraising, serving on committees, and more. Serving a large and diverse area, the organization’s board and new members should reflect and represent the diversity of the Heights. Consideration will be given to ensure that the experiences, backgrounds, neighborhoods, or skills of new members add to the diversity of the organization at-large.

Board service provides opportunities to meet new neighbors, support projects in your own backyard, and give time and talent back to the Heights communities we love calling home.