NCF Board of Directors

Introduction

NCF is governed by its members. The purpose of the Board is to represent NCF's thousands of members.

NCF's members are a large group of people who share an interest in NCF's mission and what NCF does for them and their community. Members are asked (but not required) to donate money and/or effort to help support NCF. The Board oversees (governs) the operation of NCF on behalf of members.

A full-time paid Executive Director coordinates staff and supporters to carry out the mission set by the Board. The Executive Director is hired for skills at doing this, and is responsible for the progress of the organization.

Thus the Board governs, but does not perform, the work of the organization. This division of responsibility is called a 'governance' model. NCF committed to the governance model in December 2000 (in contrast, in 1992, when NCF was founded, there was no staff and the Board managed NCF as a committee, acting as a 'hands-on' board, but that is an inappropriate and unrealistic workload for board members who are volunteers).

As a governance board, the Board delegates most of the responsibility for the success of the organization to the full-time Executive Director. Thus the most important functions of the board are to hire wisely and monitor carefully (by watching key indicators of progress).

Governance board members are selected for their experience at hiring and monitoring management. The Executive Director is selected by the Board for experience at managing and leading an organization.

Ultimately, the quality and success of NCF depends on the members. The three important things a member can do are: 1) Vote carefully; 2) Empower the organization with sufficient resources; 3) Make it known that you are paying attention.

Current NCF Board Members

The table below lists current directors. Entries with no names are vacancies to be filled by appointment or at the next AGM. Links in the table below display information provided by the director when they were a candidate at a prior AGM. Terms expire in March of the year indicated (after the AGM).

Meetings of the board are open to members and the public.

(Last update August 15^th 2019)

Committees of the Board

Nomination Committee

The Nomination Committee ensures that there are qualified board candidates at the AGM, without limiting who can be a candidate, and may recommend candidates to members.

Members: Determined typically in Nov/Dec

Making yourself heard

NCF exists for its members, who govern NCF and are its main donors.

Suggestions and complaints are best addressed to the people doing the work -- the team of staff and volunteers coordinated by the Executive Director. NCF's Executive Director can help with identifying who to talk with.

The easiest effective way to communicate is probably email.

Telephones are still a very good way to communicate with someone. Don't rely only on email or postings.

Most times, that's all it takes! Probably you'll be satisfied after talking with a staff member or a volunteer. You'll either have your suggestion or complaint acted upon, or understand why it cannot be handled at the moment.

However, if you are not satisfied with how your suggestions or complaints are handled, and feel that a majority of members would agree with you, please don't give up. It's important to NCF's health that concerns likely held by a large number of members be addressed.

If you are not satisfied and believe a number of members would agree with you, then speak (eg., telephone) with the Executive Director. The Executive Director will probably ask if you have talked with the person(s) responsible, as suggested above, and what they said, so do that first. The Executive Director can be reached by email or telephone at the NCF office.

If talking with the Executive Director is not satisfying, speak with a member of the Board. Board members can be reached by email individually or as a group at board@ncf.ca. Explain the suggestion or complaint, who you've talked to about it, and why you are raising it to the Board. An easy way to get to know and speak with board members in an informal setting is to attend a board meeting. After the meeting and at breaks, board members are usually available for informal conversation. No single member of the Board can speak for the Board or all board members, but they can raise your issue at board meetings and/or address it informally. Board members are your representatives; they hire the Executive Director.

The Board welcomes well-prepared presentations by members at Board meetings. For more information, speak with the Chair or Secretary of the Board (refer to the table of current board members above).

A place to talk about NCF issues with other members is the discussion group Speakers' Corner. As the name "Speakers' Corner" implies, it's like chatting with people at a pub or street corner. It is not a substitute for speaking directly with staff or the Board.

Finally, if talking with the Executive Director and NCF board members is not satisfying, you can talk with the federal government's Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS). The CCTS is an independent agency whose mandate is to resolve complaints of individual and small business customers about their telecommunications services. If you have a complaint about your internet service, you must first try to resolve it directly with NCF. If you have done so and have been unable to reach a satisfactory resolution, CCTS may be able to help you, free of charge.

In all cases, you should expect a reply that thanks you for your input and explains what will be done. NCF exists for its members, but also remember that NCF can only do what members empower it to do (with their donations of cash and effort) and that sometimes members have incompatible views of what NCF should do.