Deadline: February 7, 2019

Each year, G(irls)20 hosts an in-person Forum to convene all participants – Young Directors, coaches, board mentors, and partners – to participate in 2 days of inspiring speakers, training and workshops, and networking opportunities.
Girls on Boards challenges the status quo of low female representation on governance boards. Launched in 2017 with the support of Department of Women and Gender Equality (formerly Status of Women Canada), Girls on Boards places community-minded, motivated and trained young women on non-profit governance boards in their communities across Canada. After completing online training and several months of coaching with a G(irls)20 approved coach, “Young Directors” begin their 1-year term on the board.

Funding:

Girls on Boards Forum (Toronto): June 22 – 23, 2019 (flights and accommodation covered for Young Directors outside the GTA)

Eligibility:

To apply to the Girls on Boards program, you must be:

• Woman-identifying young person living in Canada
• Must be between 18 and 25 years old at the time of application
• Eagerness to contribute to their community and country
• Demonstrated leadership experience
• Willing to participate fully in the program
• Ready to commit 1 year of volunteer service to her community

Training

Before being placed on a Board, Young Directors are required to complete:

onBoard Canada Program
This course is provided by Ryerson University’s G. Raymond Chang’s School of Continuing Education and covers:
1. Board Essentials
2. Legal Roles & Responsibilities
3. Finance Fundamentals
4. Commitment to Diversity
5. Risk Management
6. Strategic Planning
7. Resource Development

Gender-based Analysis Training:

In this 3-hour workshop, Young Directors, coaches, and board directors learn about:
1. Unconscious or implicit bias in the workplace
2. Gender bias interacting with race, class, age, ability
3. Conducting gender analysis on workplace policies, culture, and organizations’ programming
4. Developing policy interventions to address gender inequities

Mentorship

Each Young Director is matched with:
A Coach
Coaches are professional women who are looking to give back to their community. At the start of the program, coaches are matched with Young Directors and provide professional and personal support throughout the duration of the program.

With the help of a coaching handbook, coaches and Young Directors meet twice monthly (2 hours each) for 3 months on a coaching program and then continue to meet for 1-2 hours on a monthly basis for the rest of the year.

A Board Mentor

Each participating board is required to identify a director who will act as a Young Director’s board mentor. Board mentors are expected to:

• Assist with the onboarding process, such as initiating introductions to board directors and providing background information on the organization;
• Setting up regular discussions (before and after meetings) to provide any insight or explanation to meeting proceedings and to address any questions or concerns the Young Director may have;
• Maintain an ongoing, open, and accessible relationship with the Young Director throughout the year.

Key Dates: