Board of Directors Role Description

The Board will support the work of Open Source Ecology (OSE) and provide mission-based leadership and strategic governance. While day-to-day operations are led by OSE’s Excecutive Director, the Board-ED relationship is a partnership, and the appropriate involvement of the Board is both critical and expected. Specific Board Member responsibilities include:

• Leadership, governance and oversight
• Serving as a trusted advisor to the ED as s/he develops and implements OSE’s strategic plan
• Reviewing outcomes and metrics created by OSE for evaluating its impact, and regularly measuring its performance and effectiveness using those metrics; *Reviewing agenda and supporting materials prior to board and committee meetings
• Approving OSE’s annual budget, audit reports, and material business decisions; being informed of, and meeting all, legal and fiduciary responsibilities
• Contributing to an annual performance evaluation of the ED
• Assisting the ED and board chair in identifying and recruiting other Board Members
• Partnering with the ED and other board members to ensure that board resolutions are carried out
• Serving on committees or task forces and taking on special assignments
• Representing OSE to stakeholders; acting as an ambassador for the organization
• Ensuring OSE's commitment to a diverse board and staff that reflects the communities XYZ serves

Resource Development

OSE Board Members will consider OSE a philanthropic priority and make annual gifts, in-kind contributions, or otherwise contribute to resource development efforts of OSE. Resource development efforts may include providing contacts, producing publicity assets, finding on-contingency grant writers, or otherwise soliciting financial or in-kind resources from their respective networks.

Board Terms/Participation

• OSE’s Board Members will serve a 1-year term and to be eligible for re-appointment.
• Board meetings will be held quarterly and committee meetings will be held in coordination with full board meetings.
• Current Working Committees include the Strategic Plan Committee
• See Article V of OSE Bylaws for Board of Directors members - OSE_Bylaws#ARTICLE_V_-_BOARD_OF_DIRECTORS
• Board members should be familiar with OSE corporate information - http://opensourceecology.org/corporate-info/

Qualifications

This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual who is passionate about OSE's mission and who has a track record of board leadership. Selected Board Members will have achieved leadership stature in business, government, philanthropy, or the nonprofit sector. His/her accomplishments will allow him/her to attract other well-qualified, high-performing Board Members.

Ideal candidates will have the following qualifications:

• Extensive professional experience with significant executive leadership accomplishments in business, government, philanthropy, or the nonprofit sector
• A commitment to and understanding of OSE's beneficiaries, preferably based on experience
• Savvy diplomatic skills and a natural affinity for cultivating relationships and persuading, convening, facilitating, and building consensus among diverse individuals
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and a passion for improving the lives of OSE's beneficiaries
• Service on OSE's Board of Directors is without remuneration, except for administrative support, travel, and accommodation costs in relation to Board Members’ duties.
• Strong ethical basis and willingness to uphold the open source ethic as embodied in the Open Source Hardware Association Open Source Hardware Definition.