Board duties and responsibilities

The Board is responsible for ensuring the implementation of the Federation’s policies and programme of work. The Board meets twice a year (usually in April and September) to monitor and review ongoing projects, approve proposed projects, approve the budget and accounts, define future policies and monitor the work of the various MSIF Work Groups and Committees. Board responsibilities include:

• Determine the organisation's mission and purpose;


• Select the Chief Executive and oversee the Secretariat;


• Support the CEO and assess his or her performance;


• Ensure effective organizational planning;


• Ensure adequate resources and assist in fundraising;


• Oversee the budgetary process and resource management;


• Determine, monitor and strengthen the organisation's programs and services;


• Enhance the organisation’s worldwide public standing;


• Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability; and


• Recruit and orient new Board Members and assess Board performance in liaison with the Nominating Committee and Secretariat.

Criteria for membership

The Council’s Nominating Committee defined the following criteria for MSIF Board membership:

General

• Perform duties of Board membership responsibly and conform to the level of competence expected from Board Members as outlined in the duties of care, loyalty, and obedience as they apply to non-profit Board Members;


• Maintain independence and objectivity and do what a sense of fairness, ethics, and personal integrity dictate, even though not necessarily obliged to do so by law, regulation or custom;


• Serve in leadership positions and undertake special assignments willingly and enthusiastically;


• Prepare for and participate in Board, Committee and Work Group meetings, including appropriate organizational activities;


• Suggest agenda items periodically for Board and committee meetings to ensure that significant, policy-related matters are addressed;


• Serve the organization as a whole rather than any special interest group or constituency;


• Read and understand the organization's financial statements and otherwise help the Board fulfil its fiduciary responsibility;


• Consider an annual gift according to personal means and participate as appropriate in raising funds;


• Assist the Fundraising Committee and staff by implementing fund-raising strategies through personal influence with others (corporations, individuals, foundations etc);


• Suggest possible nominees to the Board who are clearly persons of achievement and distinction and who can make significant contributions to the work of the Board and the organization's progress;


• Hold themselves accountable to MSIF's stakeholders including the public for the Board's decisions, the performance of the Board and the performance of the organization; and


• Formulate and review regularly MSIF's vision, values and long-term strategy as well as policies for their fulfilment.

• Understand MSIF’s mission, purposes, goals, policies, programs, services, strengths and needs;


• Possess knowledge of MS, persons with MS and MS programs and treatments;


• Maintain knowledge of all current MS related developments (medical and otherwise);


• Express commitment to the common cause and mission of MSIF and the MS movement;


• Be fluent in English (writing and speaking) and have access to email and/or fax;


• Be internationally oriented;


• Be willing to travel at no cost to MSIF* and commit to attend two Board meetings a year;
  
  * Although for example the UK MS Society is leading the way by contributing to a bursary to support Board Members unable to meet their own costs.
  


• Maintain contact with one’s own national society or MS movement;


• Be willing to serve on work groups or committees and to work on work group or committee matters between Board meetings;


• Be a person of character and integrity;


• Be a talented, energetic and dynamic person; and


• Study and understand the Strategic Plan and annual budget and assist in their implementation.

Structure

There are currently 28 Board Members fulfilling the following criteria for membership structure:

• 4 Officers (President/Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer)


• 3 Member Society CEOs (selected by the CEO Advisory Group)


• 3 Chairmen (Persons with MS Advisory Group, International Medical & Scientific Board and Nominating Committee).
  


• 7 representatives of the larger Member Societies


• 6 representatives of other Member Societies


• 5 members at large