Click the button above to go to the application website. You will need to create a login in order to submit an application.
If you would like to nominate someone for the board or for a committee, please send them an email with the link to this page and encourage them to complete the application.
If you are interested in both the board of directors AND a committee, please select the board of directors application.
Application Timeline
Applications available: February 21, 2023
Applications close: March 10, 2023
Review process: March 10 – 16, 2023
Invitation letter sent: Week of March 20, 2023
Board of Directors Responsibilities
Directors serve on the Global Vitiligo Foundation Board of Directors. Their fiduciary duty is the primary responsibility of every board member.
A fiduciary duty requires board members to make good-faith decisions that put the best interests of the foundation in alignment with its mission. This must be kept independent from undue influence by any person or any other financial interests. A board member’s fiduciary duty can be broken down into three parts: care, loyalty, and obedience.
- With regard to the duty of care, board members must perform their responsibilities in a manner that is in line with the care, diligence, and skill of an ordinarily prudent person who would find themselves in a similar situation in a corresponding position.
- The duty of loyalty mandates board members and officers to behave in a manner that is in good faith and believed to put the interests of the foundation before any personal interests or those of another person or organization. The fiduciary cannot act out of avarice or expedience either.
- The duty of obedience requires board members to ensure the foundation is operating in a manner that furthers its stated purpose and is always operating in compliance with all statutes and regulations.
Day-to-day fiduciary duty plays out in the following ways:
- Board members set the direction for the foundation: perform strategic thinking and planning, promote a positive public image, set mission and vision, establish organizational values, approve operational and annual plans
- Board members ensure wise use of foundation resources: hire capable staff, provide fiduciary responsibility
- Board members provide oversight of the foundation: oversee financial management, minimize exposure to risk, measure progress on strategic plan, monitor programs and services, provide legal and moral oversight, evaluate the staff, and perform self-evaluation
Additional responsibilities include coordinating and leading various board workgroups/task forces, representing the foundation at various events, advocating for GVF in their professional contexts, and responding to changes in the vitiligo community and research field.
What Competencies Are Needed to Perform This Role Well?
Knowledge
- Understand GVF’s structure, policies, and culture (including its mission, vision, values, goals, current strategic plan, governance structure, role of staff and volunteers, programs and services)
- Understand the current vitiligo community, research, and their direction (including a vitiligo cure acceptance/non-acceptance in different community contexts, threats/challenges for the foundation, and the foundations’ role in finding a cure and support of people with vitiligo.)
Leadership Skills
- Ability to inspire and empower others, including the recruitment and mentoring of new leaders
- Use resources effectively to achieve set goals, including organizing tasks, delegating responsibilities that use people’s skills efficiently, and directing other resources
Strategic Thinking & Decision Making
- Ability to consider the big picture while being goal/future-oriented, not get caught in minutiae
- Ability to process large amounts of information; synthesize and incorporate multiple viewpoints and perspectives
- Ability to think independently and critically (including using research data, asking questions, challenging unsubstantiated information)
- Ability to use logic and reasoning to identify issues as well as the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems
- Ability to make informed decisions efficiently and take action when needed
- Ability to be objective at all times about what is best for the whole of the foundation rather than what is best for a particular constituency
- Ability to analyze reports of standing committees, task forces, etc. and comment on drafts of publications and other documents as appropriate
Communication Skills
- Speak professionally in small or large groups with prepared materials (including to articulate oneself clearly, concisely, and logically while addressing the audience’s needs)
- Enhance one’s intercultural competence continually and proactively, to represent the foundation in interactions with culturally and linguistically diverse groups of people in multiple contexts effectively
- Facilitate group discussions strategically (including focusing on the agenda and working for practical consensus)
- Advocate for vitiligo research/cure, people with vitiligo on a local to international scale
- Promote transparency, communicating developments to the vitiligo community, affiliates, etc. and invite input
- Operate in an online environment efficiently and effectively
Independent & Team Work
- Ability to effectively collaborate with the Executive Director, Board colleagues, and staff
- Ability to work independently
- Ability to interact with other board members in a group setting, both contributing to and valuing the contributions of all members
- Ability to provide feedback to the staff on behalf of the Board
Financial Skills
- Ability to understand and analyze financial reports
- Ability to review and analyze proposed budgets in light of Foundation resources, strategic goals, and priorities
What Is Expected of the Candidate?
It is expected that you…
- have a commitment to the purpose, mission, and values of the foundation
- have a strong interest in working on the advancement of the foundation
- have cultural awareness, understanding, and appreciation of different cultural needs
- act morally and ethically in accordance with the law and the values of the foundation
- avoid conflicts of interest
- understand the need to base decisions on what is good for the foundation
- accept accountability for group decisions so that the Board of Directors speaks with one voice
- can dedicate 2–4 hours a week to your board work for a term of up to three (3) years
- prepare for all meetings and conference calls in advance and actively participate in all of them
- efficiently use technology to respond to online communications (emails, web meetings, conference calls)
- maintain confidentiality
- have institutional support for their service during their board term
Current Open Board Positions
Director-at-Large (3 positions)
See information under “Board of Directors Responsibilities” above. The term for each position may vary from 3 years. This will be determined prior to inviting a new board member.
The information used above was pulled from tesol.org and upcounsel.com on 1/4/21 and updated for GVF’s use.
