The Annual General Meeting (AGM) this year will take place on Thursday March 27th, 2014. During the AGM members of Santropol Roulant (anyone who has been a client, volunteer, staff member or donor within the past year) will elect members to the Roulant Board of Directors, the governing body responsible for our overall-policy making.
Any Santropol Roulant member can run for the Board! Taking part in the governance of a community organization is a unique and wonderful opportunity. This is a great chance for those who are interested in furthering their involvement in the Roulant. Applications must be received by February 28th, 2014, at noon.
If you’d like to submit your candidature, we’re looking for imaginative and committed individuals who are 18 years or older, able to serve a 2-year term, and who possess a functional comprehension of both French and English. We especially encourage clients, volunteers, staff, donors, neighbours, and friends to run!
More information about the Board of Directors
Charities in Canada are governed by a voluntary Board of Directors. This group of individuals is legally responsible for overall governance. Generally speaking, staff are responsible for day-to-day operations and decision making, while The Board provides leadership, direction and oversight through, for example, the development of long-term strategic plans and organizational policies. They are also responsible for making some of the bigger decisions such as approving the budget and supervising the Executive Director. The Roulant has what is often called a “Collective Board” – this means that while the staff and Board have distinct roles, they work together as much as possible as a unified team.
Some of the key features of a strong Santropol Roulant Board are:
- Alignment: Board members are an important part of the team. As the holders of the mission, it is vital that directors understand our work, culture and aspirations.
- Diversity: Ideally Board members each bring a unique perspective to the group. Some examples of diversity that help bring in different perspectives include age, race, gender, language, and life experience.
- Time Commitment: Board members are expected to attend one meeting per month, participate on committees and working groups, attend events, and have a visible presence amongst staff, clients and other volunteers.
- Stability: It can take time for a Board (like any team) to come together and be productive. It is therefore important to have Board members who intend to fulfill their two-year term and also who have experience on the Roulant Board.
- Key skills: A strong Board has members with the range of skills and experiences that are needed to make informed decisions. It is important to have legal and accounting professionals on a Board of Directors. Experience with fundraising, human resources management and strategy development is also important. It is equally important to have Board members who understand the role of Boards and have past experience on non-profit Boards. In 2014, the following skills have been identified as most needed by the Board of Directors of Santropol Roulant:
- knowledge of the health care system in general and in particular the meals-on-wheels sector;
- knowledge and experience with key Santropol Roulant stakeholder groups – notably clients and young people;
- an understanding of the reality of non-profits and their systems of governance.
- knowledge and experience in finance and accounting.
Remember: no one member of the board is expected to provide everything Santropol Roulant needs; the health of the Santropol Roulant board lies in its collective strength!
Find out more about Santropol Roulant’s Board of Directors here and click here if you would like to submit your candidacy. A PDF version of the nomination form can be found here. Nomination Form 2014
Email current Board member Vani, or staff member Naomi, for more information. Thanks in advance to everyone who is interested and see you at the AGM!