Finally registered in October 2023, the Global Foundation for Agricultural Journalism will soon be electing its first board of Trustees. IFAJ Treasurer Adrian Bell has the detail.
The long talked-about and much anticipated ‘IFAJ Foundation’ finally came into existence last October, receiving formal registration – as the Global Foundation for Agricultural Journalism –from the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
While there’s still work to be done to complete the full adoption of a legal entity for IFAJ – in what will become IFAJ Ltd – the Foundation can now make progress in filling its board and building what I’ve previously described as IFAJ 2.0 – a bigger, better, more capable version of IFAJ, inspired by its work over the last eight decades.
11-Person Board
Comprising 11 trustees, the GFAJ board will bring together a wide range of skills and abilities from around the world: we chose to register in the UK precisely because our charities regulator does not impose restrictions on trustees’ nationalities. That means wherever you are in the world, if you’re an IFAJ member – journalists, photographers, communicators, we want you all – then you’re eligible to be a GFAJ Trustee.
What’s more, the board’s skills, knowledge and reach will be swelled by the inclusion of three non-IFAJ members. I’m hoping we’ll draw outside voices who have interests or experience in the three areas that really matter to GFAJ: agriculture and agricultural development, journalism and communications, and charities and fundraising.
Finally, the charity’s charter ensures that while GFAJ and IFAJ Ltd will operate at arm’s length – a charity must be able to operate independently – there will always be a strong connection with IFAJ through the 11th seat at the table: that of IFAJ Treasurer.
This will be another vital part of the trustee jigsaw, securing valuable links with the IFAJ Presidium and Executive and ensuring robust financial oversight of the two organisations without conflict.
So You Want to Be a Trustee?
So, here it is. An opportunity to become one of the first trustees of the only global charity focusing on agricultural journalism and communication. We’re looking for people with passion, integrity and purpose; people who will be proud to serve, who can hit the ground running (there’s no blueprint for this organisation) and who will help create a diverse and authoritative debut board for GFAJ to help set it on the right path and put it in the right place to achieve great things.
We’re working on the final details for the election process but it’s likely to be in tandem with this year’s Presidium elections:
- 1 May – 31 May: Trustee nominations to be received
- June: Notice of GFAJ AGM and candidates for election sent out
- June: Voting procedures announced
- August: Voting to elect 10 GFAJ Trustees
- August: New board comes into effect
Could you be one of those seven IFAJ trustees? Who would you suggest for one of the external trustees? If you’re interested but want to know more, email or call me – I’ll be delighted to hear from anyone who’d like to be a part of this exciting, valuable expansion of IFAJ’s raison d’être.