Board Directors, Philanthropic Foundations Canada

To: Members of Philanthropic Foundations Canada

From: Patty Faith, Chair of the Board and Nominating Committee

Re: Call for Nominations to the PFC Board of Directors for 2023-2026

The PFC Nominating Committee urges you to consider making a nomination for the Board of Directors of PFC. The deadline for nominations is March 31, 2023. The election of new directors will take place at the Annual General Meeting to be held virtually on June 7, 2023.   

We have at least two vacancies to fill. Both self-nominations and nominations of others are welcome. 

The nomination process aims to ensure that the Board of Directors reflects PFC’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policy, and that it is populated with the necessary expertise. In terms of expertise, we are especially (but not exclusively) interested in attracting nominees with backgrounds in charity law, finance/investment and governance. A good understanding of the challenges facing philanthropy is required.

The nominating committee will strive to keep the Board as representative as possible by:

• Drawing from all regions of Canada
• Having directors from all foundation sizes and types (family, corporate, public)
• Maintaining gender parity and including all sexual orientations
• Having directors from all age brackets
• Seeking candidates who bring perspectives from other forms of diversity (Indigenous peoples; racialized Canadians; new Canadians; disabled Canadians)
• Seeking to have at least 20% of directors who have French as their mother tongue or are fully bilingual

Nominees can be a Board director from a PFC member or a staff member (at any level) from a PFC member.

Qualifications

Each candidate will bring experience or expertise in one or more of these key functions:

• Governance
• Finance/audit/investment strategy
• Strategic communications
• Public policy/government relations/advocacy
• Legal
• Grantmaking
• Philanthropic issues and practice

Some things to keep in mind when submitting your nomination:

• The Board term is three years, renewable for a second term.
• The Board meets four times a year, twice in person and twice virtually; with occasional special meetings as required.
• The in-person Board meetings are held in different cities across the country (Toronto, Montreal, Calgary), in rotation, in June and November. Travel costs are incurred by PFC with an opt-out option should a member or their employer be willing to assume these costs themselves.
• Board members will serve on one of the standing committees or ad hoc taskforces of the Board, which meet virtually between Board meetings. 
• Should your Board candidacy not be successful, you are encouraged to serve on a committee (i.e. Finance and Audit, Public Policy and Member Services). PFC members can serve on these committees without being a Board director.

HOW TO APPLY

If you would like to submit a nomination, please fill in form below by Friday, March 31, 2023.

The form, along with any attachments, will be forwarded to the Chair of the Nominating Committee.  

The Nominating Committee will consider all nominations received and recommend a slate of directors to the Board and members for election in June.

Thank you for supporting PFC.