The Mirboo North and District Community Foundation is seeking a Director to complement its current Board.
The ideal candidate would be committed to strengthening our district (Boolarra, Mirboo North, Dumbalk, Thorpdale, Yinnar and the surrounding areas) and contributing to our Vision of a more healthy, vibrant and resilient community, working together to meet challenge and celebrate success.
Background
The Mirboo North & District Community Foundation (the Community Foundation) is a charitable foundation which was established in 2010 to invest the $5M proceeds of the sale of the Mirboo North community aged care facility. It is a perpetual fund, where the earnings (less CPI) are used for charitable purposes benefiting the community. Over the past ten years, more than $1,400,000 has been distributed from this ‘future fund’ to the community.
Community Foundation’s are all about enabling communities to tackle their challenges and seize their opportunities. A key project at the current time is the investment by the Community Foundation in building a medical facility for the district, which will be leased to the Mirboo North Medical practice.
The Community Foundation’s geographic focus (its district) is on the towns and surrounding areas of Boolarra, Mirboo North, Yinnar, Thorpdale and Dumbalk.
Mission
The Community Foundation’s Mission is to:
- manage the Future Fund through appropriate investment;
- develop a shared understanding of the needs of our District;
- invest in the community through grants;
- support local people developing local solutions for their community;
- build capacity and skills across the community;
- encourage community building and planning initiatives
- encourage the giving of money, time and talent for the benefit of others.
The Community Foundation’s Structure
The Community Foundation is an incorporated association under the Incorporations Act, with Australian Tax Office endorsement as a Charitable Institution (and is therefore tax exempt). The Community Foundation is a trustee of a public ancillary fund, which is registered as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) Item 2. Donations to this fund are tax deductible.
Board Composition
The Community Foundation Board is made up of nine Directors; six Directors are elected at the Annual General Meeting (for terms of three years) and three Directors are appointed by the Board.
The current elected Directors are: Paul Pratt (Chair), Rob Kiddell (Vice Chair), Diana Mueller, Ned Dennis, Walter Aich and Grant Irving. The current appointed Directors are Wendy Major and Kate Reiske. There is also a vacancy for an appointed Director.
The Community Foundation is committed to diversity of membership, and to engaging people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. To ensure that the Board is broadly representative of the community the Board is keen to attract applications from women, people under 40 years of age and people from the various townships in our District.
Directorship is on an honorary basis.
Role of the Board – Duties and Responsibilities
The Board is responsible for the governance of MNDCF, whilst the Executive Officer has responsibility for the day-to-day management of the organisation. More specifically the Board is responsible for:
- Governance including legal and financial accountability / compliance
- Overseeing the achievement of the Community Foundation’s objectives
- Achievement of financial targets
- Overseeing strategic planning, risk management and annual auditing
- Vigilance around potential conflicts of interest
- Overseeing development of staff and performance measurement
- Membership of sub-committees as required in the areas of grant making, community engagement, finance and governance
- Being a champion for the Community Foundation, ie active contribution to promoting the vision and mission of the Community Foundation in their community networks / at occasional events
In addition, Directors are required to act in a manner compliant with the Incorporations Act and to develop a good understanding of the legal environment within which the Community Foundation operates.
Skills and Attributes
The Board as a whole targets demonstrated experience in the following areas, so expertise and skills in some of these is very desirable:
- Strategic capability and leadership
- Audit, accounting and financial management
- Legal and Regulatory
- Governance and risk management
- Fundraising, grant seeking
- Public engagement, advocacy and lobbying
- Marketing and communications
- Research and evaluation
Required:
- Strong connection to the Community Foundation’s district and an interest in building the capacity of local communities to become more prosperous, adaptive and resilient
- Willingness to be involved in the Community Foundation’s activities, in particular areas such as grant assessment, investments, marketing, communication and / or funds development.
- Passion for local giving (time and skills as a volunteer or money)
- Capacity to commit up to ten hours per month (including monthly Board meetings, bi-monthly sub-committee meetings, reviewing papers, attending events).
The effective operation of the Board is predicated on trust and a genuine commitment to the Community Foundation’s vision, objectives and operations. Therefore, Directors are expected to engage in robust discussion, explore issues in confidence and identify solutions to complex challenges. Personal qualities of Directors should include:
- Integrity
- Honesty
- Respect
- Openness
- Tact
Individuals are not permitted to serve or continue serving as a Director if they:
- Become insolvent
- Become prohibited from being a director of a company by reason of an order made under the Incorporations Act or other relevant legislation.
- Are absent from Board meetings without authorisation for more than three meetings.
Applications & Enquiries
To express interest in the role, please submit a written application that includes:
- A current resume
- A response to the skills and attributes
- Contact details for at least two referees
Please direct queries to our Executive Officer, Ruth Rogan on 0418 301 092 or email ruth.rogan@mirboodistrictfoundation.org.au.
For further information about the Mirboo North & District Community Foundation refer to www.mirboodistrictfoundation.org.au
Closing date for applications is 25th March 2021.