Process

Every September, the Council on Foundations Governance Committee issues a call for nominations for the board of directors. Each voting member organization is encouraged to submit a nomination in accordance with the criteria stated in the recruiting materials. The number of slots to fill varies each year, as do the criteria for the skills and traits being sought, according to the board’s needs at that time.

After the deadline, the Governance Committee meets to discuss the nominations and determine a slate of candidates. The list is typically finalized in late January and announced to the members via email, the website, and other member communications shortly thereafter. Council members may nominate additional candidates if five other members second each nomination in writing. Approximately 40 days before their annual meeting, members will be sent a proxy form that will include the Governance Committee's nominations and any additional nominations that have been received. Members will cast their votes, in person or by proxy, during the Annual Meeting of the Members, which is held during the Council’s Annual Conference in April or early May.

Board terms start and end in conjunction with the annual business meeting.

Timeline

• Early September: Council members notified of Call for Nominations and invited to submit nominations
• Late October: Nominations deadline
• November–January: Governance Committee reviews candidates and selects final slate of nominees
• February: Nominees presented to members
• April/early May: New board members elected at Annual Meeting of the Members, held in conjunction with the Annual Conference

For details on the process, please review the call for nominations policy.