Our Mission
Chicago Volunteer Doulas (CVD) connects pregnant and birthing people to free, low-cost, compassionate labor, postpartum, and pregnancy loss support and information rooted in Black feminist wisdom and healing.
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Led by principles of birth justice and anti-racism, CVD works to eliminate stigma, shame, fear, morbidity, and mortality among Black women and all those marginalized within pregnancy and birth care.
Our Vision
CVD envisions a world where all pregnancy and postpartum experiences and outcomes are met with empathy and care, the labor of those who provide full-spectrum Doula support is recognized and celebrated, and everyone has the resources and autonomy they need for their lives, families, and communities to thrive.
Learn More About Our Current Board
As a 501(c)3 organization, the CVD Board oversees the governance and financial well-being of the organization. It maintains the structure that our organization is built upon. In short, we are a working board.
The expectation is that CVD board members work collaboratively with our birth workers and volunteers toward our mission.
Chicago Volunteer Doulas is a birth justice organization providing comprehensive Doula support with a focus on vulnerable communities in the Chicagoland area. By completing the online application, you are entering into an agreement to carry out duties in your role as a board member, and you are committing to working with our comrades at CVD toward fulfilling this mission.
When you join the board, you...
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... agree to be fiscally responsible for Chicago Volunteer Doulas. This includes fundraising, engaging funders and potential donors, and securing loans on behalf of the fiscal health of the organization.
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... agree to take an active role while on the board. This could be in the capacity of Board Chair, Co-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, or as a team member on a working committee. All roles and responsibilities matter as they each play a role in creating a healthier Executive Team and a better Chicago Volunteer Doulas.
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... agree to work with the current/future Executive Director to execute the strategic plan of CVD. Because we are shifting organizational operations and culture, our ED will need the board's active support. This may mean a commitment of 5-10 hours of your time per month.
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... must attend quarterly meetings and be responsive to all communications. Our organization is profoundly transitioning and requires attentive and active board members.
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... agree to attend board training so that we are all provided with the knowledge and resources to help create a strong board. These trainings take place digitally and in person, but attendance is mandatory.
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... agree to do the work from margins to center, with an understanding that under-resourced communities are ALWAYS the most vulnerable. At CVD, we do this by centering the lives and lived experiences of Black and indigenous birthing people, with the understanding that they are the most impacted when it comes to maternal health disparities across the nation, but especially in Chicago.
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... will provide written notice in advance and provide a list of potential recommendations for members to replace your position as a board member should you decide to leave CVD's Board of Directors.