Trustee - Finance Lead

Irise International is an award-winning global leader in period equality programming and advocacy, building a world where a female body is not a disadvantage through bringing together young people with firsthand experience of menstrual challenges to create change in their own communities and wider society. We work in the UK and East Africa, in partnership with our sister organisation Irise Institute East Africa and advocate together globally for the changes our community want to see. We're powered by our community, driven by evidence and committee to feminist leadership. Read more about our shared purpose and values in our Global Strategic Framework.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a dedicated and passionate Trustee - Finance Lead, with specific skills and expertise in small charity financial management, who can guide the Irise community through the next phase of our journey. With cuts to funding for girls' education in the Global South and rising levels of period poverty in the UK, Irise is needed more than ever before and we want to deliver ambitious plans for transformative change, led by the people and communities who need it most.

What difference will you make?

As a member of the Board, you will be willing and able to:

○ Ask powerful questions ○ Respectfully challenge yourself and others ○ Collaborate with other Board members, Irise staff, volunteers, and external contacts ○ Scrutinize Board documents and papers ○ Participate in discussions and share accurate information ○ Provide advice and guidance (based on individual specific expertise and experience) on strategy, projects and initiatives. ○ Occasionally take the lead on specific board level initiatives or processes e.g. reviewing the organisation's safeguarding policy with the staff safeguarding lead or compiling a short board paper on a relevant issue or policy change.

As Finance Lead, alongside the Treasurer, you will maintain an overview of the Charity's financial position and of the conduct of its financial affairs such that they can and do give well grounded advice to the Board of Trustees and CEO.

Key Responsibilities 1. Actively participate as a key member of the Board of Trustees. 2. Support the development of the annual budget and future trajectories in line with the aspirations of the Irise's strategic plan and fundraising strategy. 3. Advise on all financial matters, including regulatory compliance. 4. Oversee the development and observation of financial policies. 5. Keep the Board of Trustees regularly informed of key financial events, trends, concerns and assessment of fiscal health in addition to completing financial reporting in a timely fashion, making these reports available to the Board within reason. 6. Have oversight of all financial transactions including monitoring developed systems for keeping cash flow manageable and efficient. 7. Advise fellow Trustees on a regular basis of the financial status of the charity and where necessary recommend action. 8. Arrange the compilation and agreement of Irise's annual report, including the annual review of accounts by the independent examiner.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will have sound financial knowledge and the time needed to comprehensively fulfil the role:

● Competent and experienced in handling finances, ideally within small charities (formal accountancy qualification preferred). ● Good understanding of the charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) ● An understanding of the voluntary sector and previous experience as a Trustee.

In addition, all trustees are required to fulfill the following duties as outlined by the Charity Commission. You can find details of the essential duties of a trustee and other useful resources on the Charity Commision website.

The six main duties of all trustees are: ● Ensure your charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit. ● Comply with your charity's governing document and the law. ● Act in your charity's best interests. ● Manage your charity's resources responsibly. ● Act with reasonable care and skill. ● Ensure your charity is accountable.

Before you apply, please consider:

Time Commitment: The Board meet at least every 3 months. All of our core Board meetings are held virtually on weekday evenings lasting approximately 1.5 hours. Board papers are circulated 1-week prior to each meeting to enable plenty of time to read through and ask questions prior to the meeting. In between Board meetings you may be invited to provide additional ad-hoc input such as providing insights via email or taking responsibility for researching and writing Board papers on particular issues. We also have 1-2 in-person meetings per year; where possible, we strive for hybrid access to enable inclusion of those people unable to attend in-person events. Trustees are also encouraged to participate in online and in-person events with our wider networks and supporters from the UK and East Africa, and to support our youth leadership initiatives, for example we ask one of our trustees to provide mentorship to our Empower Period Committee. In total, you can expect to spend an average of 1-2 hours per week on activities and meetings related to the role. The role is meant to be compatible with a full time job and caring responsibilities, and we always aim for trustee input to be as flexible and time efficient as possible. We are always open to new ideas to make our Board as accessible as possible.

Term: Trustees serve a mutually agreed term, usually of at least 3 years, as agreed by the trustee and the board depending on the needs and desires of the organisation and the individual trustee. As a Board we engage in a continuous cycle of reflection, and each year our Chair meets with each board member, one to one, to review and reflect.

Expenses: Trustees shall be reimbursed whenever possible for all reasonable traveling, subsistence and other expenses incurred in connection with their attendance at meetings or in carrying out any other duties or responsibilities of the role, but otherwise shall not be paid a remuneration.

How to apply

Please share a bit about who you are, your previous experiences and a short explanation of why you would like to become a trustee of Irise International with our Chair, Linda Baines. You can share a CV, your Linked In profile, a personal website or any other relevant materials that tell us a bit more about who you are and what experiences you've had.

Please don't feel that you have to prepare something specially for us. You're also welcome to share your explanation of why you're interested in joining the board in a format that works for you e.g. a short cover letter or a video recorded on your phone.

If you have questions about the role, need any help or support to apply or would like to discuss the opportunity in more detail please get in touch to arrange a time for a phone/video call. We'll arrange a conversation with some of our existing board members to explore with you whether we'll be a good match.

The deadline for applications is 10th July 2024. We'll also reach out to people as they get in touch with us to explore compatibility. Don't worry if you miss the deadline - we do also consider expressions of interest in joining our board on an ongoing basis