Announcement of Nominations for FFI Board of Directors March 17, 2015 Nominations for FFI Board of Directors: The Nominations Committee of the Board of Directors of Friendship Force International (FFI) invites Friendship Force club leaders and members to submit nominations for FFI Board service. At its August 2015 meeting, four new Board members will be elected to a four year term beginning January 2016. You may nominate yourself or someone you know with the requisite passion for FFI, leadership, policy development, and planning skills by completing the online nomination form. If you are nominating a colleague, please consult with the person to ascertain their interest. The Nominating Committee will review all nominations carefully. The committee will select a group of finalists and contact them directly for additional information. To submit a nomination, please review the information below on board membership and submit nominations via the Board Nominations Google Form, no later than May 15, 2015. Board of Directors Nominations Information and Form A. Overview The FFI Board of Directors is the governing body for Friendship Force International, Inc. In 2015 there are 15 regular members of the Board. Six are from the USA, 2 from Canada, with one each from Australia, Brazil, Kenya, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, and Switzerland. The Board meets twice a year, usually in Atlanta, with other meetings and committee work by phone or video conference call. Board members serve without compensation, but their expenses to attend the Board meetings are paid by FFI. English is the working language of the Board, so its members are expected to be comfortable working in an English language environment. To fully participate and contribute during meetings, each member must not only understand English, but also be able to speak it easily. The Board of Directors is responsible for hiring and supervising the President and CEO of FFI. The Board is responsible for ensuring that the mission of the organization is clearly identified and followed, through our global exchange programs. The Board approves the annual budget and establishes policies for Friendship Force clubs. An
attorney is available to assist with any questions related to the legal structure of the organization. A corporate liability insurance policy provides protection for the Board members and for leaders who are engaged in the work of the organization. The Board is self-perpetuating, which means the current members elect their successors. Each member serves one four year term. In looking for new Board members, the Nominating Committee is interested in identifying the best qualified candidates, while also retaining a wide diversity of geographic regions, personal backgrounds and professional experience. In addition to regional diversity, for example, the Board should contain members with expertise in management, marketing, financial and legal matters. There should also be the opportunity for a few members who come from outside Friendship Force with particular skills and experiences that will be beneficial to the organization. This selection process enables FFI to have the best possible Board for developing policies and guiding the future of the organization. It is important to recognize that the Board is not a representative body selected by various Friendship Force constituencies. Therefore, it does not act like a parliament whose members are narrowly focused on the interests of the particular groups of people who nominated them. Rather each Board member is expected to represent the global interests of our organization. Board members cannot always satisfy sectional interests but try, to the best of their abilities, to support policies, which support the common good of the organization. B. Bylaws description of responsibilities of the Board of Directors (1) Determine the organization s mission and purpose (2) Provide proper financial oversight. (3) Ensure adequate resources are available for the organization. (4) Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability. (5) Ensure that effective organizational planning, particularly in developing strategic initiatives, is undertaken on a regular basis. At least annually, the Board should plan priorities for the coming year. (6) Recruit and orient new Board members and assess the Board s performance. (7) Enhance the organization s public standing. (8) Determine, monitor and strengthen the organization s programs and services.
(9) Recruit and direct the Chief Executive Officer and define his/her role and responsibilities. (10) Support the Chief Executive Officer and assess his/her performance on a regular basis. C. Bylaws Description of the Duties of Individual Directors (1) Each Director shall discharge his or her duties as a Director, including his or her duties as a member of a committee, in a manner the Director believes in good faith to be in the best interests of the Corporation and with the care an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would exercise under similar circumstances (2) Each Director shall make every effort to attend meetings of the Board of Directors unless providentially hindered or hindered by illness or other pressing business or prior commitment. (3) Each Director shall help support the Corporation by considering annual personal financial gifts or making contacts to raise funds to the best of his or her ability. (4) Each Director shall support the decisions reached by the Board of Directors by positively discussing those policies as appropriate with volunteers and outside parties and by refraining from negative comment when talking to others. (5) Each Director shall cooperate in having the Board of Directors speak with one voice through its Chairperson and by refraining from inappropriate extraneous comments. (6) Each Director shall hold the proceedings of the Board and other information furnished to the Directors in an official capacity in confidence when such information has not already been released to the public by the Board of Directors or when not otherwise authorized by the Board of Directors to release it. D. Strategic Plan, 2015 2018, Eight Initiatives 1st Initiative: Enrich Friendship Force Exchanges Revitalize exchanges through: Diversity: new clubs, thematic exchanges and partnerships in high-demand destinations. Meaning: through Friendship in Action exchanges with a variety of humanitarian components. Learning: language learning, professional development, and education exchanges. Flexibility: new models, new exchange structures; a more flexible fee structure; a more
casual exchange approach for club members, with more time on your own and program options with varying prices and degrees of physical challenge. 2nd Initiative: Maximize Exchange Participation & Hosting Capacity Friendship Force is all about people meeting people. With this mission in mind, it remains our goal to involve more people as both ambassadors and hosts. Fill-the-Seat Policy: Beginning April 2015, post undersubscribed exchanges on the FFI online exchange catalog 100 days before departure. Priority to regional clubs and local communities is encouraged. Online Membership: Beginning January 2016, introduce an e-membership component and a new vetting process. Launch a consultative process involving creative leaders to deal with declining hosting capacity in Europe, establishing footholds in challenging/emerging destinations, and making use of surplus hosting capacity in the USA and the Pacific region. 3rd Initiative: NextGen for Everyone NextGen is not about age, it is a state of mind. Develop NextGen exchanges for active people who seek more involvement, more adventure and more freedom. Target active, existing FF participants as well as soon-to-be retirees and younger generations. 4th Initiative: Leadership Development Add field reps where most needed. Create task forces on a variety of topics. Encourage clubs to embrace a goal and report progress. Offer frequent and accessible training from FFI to learn new models, new tools and technology and new skills to reach out to our communities. Add a one-day component of leadership development to regional and national meetings. 5th Initiative: Branding & Marketing Develop a new promotional video. Initiate a global friendship campaign. Include clubs and members in fun global and local community projects and events - such as photo contests and exhibitions - that will raise awareness. Create opportunities to participate in select high profile, newsworthy events such as the Nobel Prize Laureate festival being held in Atlanta, November 2015.
6th Initiative: Leverage Modern Technology Build a new information database with improved functions for member services. Develop a global online community platform and website. Improve the usability and functionality of web applications for members. 7th Initiative: Partnerships Increase program variety and participation through partnerships with: Like-minded organizations, which share complementary missions, including Open World. Revenue generating partners including hospitality suppliers and travel operators, such as cruise providers and land expeditions, which will benefit FFI and its members. Also, encourage clubs to explore potential collaborations in their own communities. 8th Initiative: Enhance & Secure Revenue Streams Define the precise purpose and use of FFI fundraising - this will attract new and diverse donors. Introduce a digital fundraising platform that will also produce more FFI exposure. Explore potential for funding through grants. Link campaigns and partnerships for specific programmatic fundraising purposes. Formulate an endowment plan. E. Nomination Process If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else for the FFI Board of Directors, you may do so by completing the online nominations form not later than May 15, 2015. If the online nominations form is not operable for you, if you wish to request an electronic PDF version of the form, or if you have any questions about the process, please email Cinda Clark, chair of the Nominating Committee at clark@thefriendshipforce.org You are encouraged to consult with the person you are nominating, though that is not required. The nominating committee will take all the names that are submitted and consider them carefully. From this initial list, the committee will select a group of finalists who will be contacted directly for their full resumes and to determine their availability to serve on the Board. While only four of the candidates can be elected this year, the Board appreciates all members who are willing to serve. The names of those not selected this year may be retained for possible consideration in the future. To nominate someone for the Board of Friendship Force International, please complete this online submission form.