CALL FOR CAGH BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Canadian Association for Global Health (CAGH) is recruiting up to six new Directors to join our current inaugural Board for a two-year term. The CAGH Board is composed of our members and aspires to reflect the diversity of the Canadian global health community with respect to geography, region, sector, discipline, gender, language, and lived experience. We are looking for energetic, committed members to help us shape the new organization. More information about CAGH can be found here.

Board Member Responsibilities

The CAGH Board of Directors plays a crucial role in leading, shaping and positioning CAGH within the Canadian global health landscape. CAGH adheres to a policy governance board model, which entrusts board members with establishing the overarching policies of the organization.

The Board is also responsible for governing and overseeing the operations of the Association.

Key Responsibilities:

• Know the business of the Organization
• Ensure sufficient time to fulfill your director’s duties and responsibilities
• Be informed of issues affecting, or likely to affect, the Organization
• Contribute to the Board’s decision-making process by:
  • Discussing all matters freely and openly at Board meetings
  • Working towards achieving a consensus which respects divergent points of view
• Participate actively in the work of the Board including by serving on committees or task forces.
• Be familiar with the incorporating documents, Bylaws, policies, and legislation governing the Organization as well as the rules of procedure and proper conduct of meetings
• Participate in Board educational activities that will assist them in carrying out their responsibilities.

Time Commitment

There is a minimum monthly time commitment of 6 to 8 hours. Board members are expected to attend full board meetings, which take place 4 to 6 times per year. In addition, they also attend relevant committee and working group meetings. These meetings may be held on a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly basis, depending on the committee.

Core Skills and Experience

CAGH is specifically looking for board members with significant professional experience in one or more of the following areas: governance, strategic planning and development, finance, human resources, or fundraising.

Governance Experience

• Experience with board governance acquired through prior board or committee service or working directly with a board in a senior leadership position.
• Clear understanding of the distinction between the role of the board versus the role of management.
• Knowledge of Canadian NGO governance best-practice, policies, and regulations 

Strategic Planning and Development

• Experience leading an organization through a comprehensive strategic planning process.
• Familiarity with the opportunities and challenges associated with leading a small resource‑constrained NGO or charitable organization.

Financial Management

• Strong professional experience with financial management. This includes analyzing and interpreting financial statements, evaluating organizational budgets, and understanding financial reporting.
• Required skills and experience to understand the issues related to the financial management of CAGH and help ensure the organization’s sustainability by focusing on the integrity of financial reporting, internal and external audits, financial statements, and a risk management process.

Human Resources

• Experience leading or participating in executive director recruitment and performance management.
• Experience developing succession planning in an NGO context.

Fundraising

• Experience working in donor relations and fundraising with not-for-profit organizations or professional societies.
• Experience developing a resource optimization plan
• A strong network of individuals and/or donor organizations that can be connected to CAGH

Additional Requirements

In addition to demonstrated experience in one or more of the above professional areas, all individuals running for Board election must be current members of CAGH.

We are also specifically looking for directors that fall into one of the following categories:

• Reside in low- or middle-income country
• Work in a not-for-profit organization

Interested applicants must also be nominated by two current CAGH members. You can complete the online nomination form here.

Application Process

Please send a resume and cover letter outlining how you meet the above requirements as one document (Word or PDF) to [email protected] with the subject line Board Director Application and submit a completed nomination form using the link above.

All applications will be screened to ensure they meet the criteria outlined above. Applicants with the requisite experience may be asked to complete a short screening interview to verify the components of their application. The CAGH Nominations committee will assess the applicants based on the skills and categories required and qualified individuals will be presented to the CAGH membership to vote on in the upcoming Board election in January 2023.

The deadline for applications is December 31, 2022.