PUBLIC CALL FOR APPLICATIONS TO THE NIED BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED) is accepting applications to fill vacancies on its Board of Directors.

The deadline to submit completed applications is September 14th, 2021. Interested individuals should submit their resumé, and their responses to the questions listed under the “Application Process” section below, to michelle@nied.ca.

Please note that the contact information for two professional references may be requested as part of the application process.

Questions regarding this nomination process may be directed to Michelle D’Amico at 613-795-8414, or by email at michelle@nied.ca.

About NIED

The National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED) is a national, not-for-profit organization that assists people coping with the effects of Eating Disorders by providing educational, informational, and other recovery-oriented resources related to the prevention and treatment of Eating Disorders in Canada. NIED’s purposes are to:

  1. Promote education by using research, evidence and insights from people with lived experience and professionals to design high quality programs aimed at supporting improvements in the treatment of and recovery from Eating Disorders;
  2. Promote health by providing public education related to Eating Disorders through evidence-based educational symposia, social media and traditional media; and,
  3. Promotes health by providing information regarding support services and other resources available to help persons coping with the effects of Eating Disorders.

In carrying out the above purposes, NIED identifies and responds to resource, information, and service gaps such that:

  • People suffering/recovering from Eating Disorders, caregivers, and health care providers:
    1. Have better access to evidence-based resources and education;
    2. Know how to provide better support and care for people affected by Eating Disorders; and,
    3. Are able to better communicate and collaborate to support recovery;
  • Caregivers desperately seeking information and guidance have an initial point of contact for information on available resources and community services; and,
  • Eating Disorders are recognized as a serious and life-threatening mental illness, on parity with other mental and physical illnesses in Canada.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NIED’s volunteer Board of Directors is responsible to the wider community across Canada and its donors to develop educational, awareness-building, and other informational resources related to preventing and supporting recovery from Eating Disorders. Specifically, the Board is responsible for ensuring that NIED fulfills its educational and awareness building mandate by adopting high standards of performance, consistent with its multi-year strategic plan.

Term and Location

Directors will serve until the next Annual Meeting of Members (held in June), with eligibility for reappointment for additional consecutive terms of one year.  These positions will commence in October, 2021. The majority of NIED’s Board meetings take place virtually.

Time Commitment

Meetings of the Board of Directors take place quarterly, and are 90 to 120 minutes in duration, from September to June. Directors are asked to participate and/or co-lead at least one Board committee. Additionally, Board members should expect to participate in discussions in between Board meetings.

Skills and Experience

The nomination and selection process for new Board members is designed to strengthen board composition in the following areas:

  • Finance (Treasurer position)
  • Fundraising
  • Business Leadership
  • Education
  • Law

Board members must be able to work in English (read, write, speak). The ability to also work in French is an asset.

Board Members Responsibilities 

NIED’s Board of Directors is committed to making decisions based on the best interests of the organization as a whole, in keeping with its mission, strategic plan goals and objectives. In carrying out this responsibility, Board Directors shall:

  • Act honestly, respectfully, in good faith and in the best interests of the corporation;
  • Support the majority decisions of the Board and work collaboratively with fellow Directors to further the mission of the organization;
  • Monitor and facilitate improvements in the performance of the organization;
  • Establish, evaluate, and amend, from time-to-time, policies that will provide sufficiently clear direction to management, staff and volunteers related to the implementation of its mission/charitable purpose;
  • Supervise management, as well as selecting and evaluating the performance of its chief executive;
  • Commit to applying the highest standards of financial stewardship of monies it collects from donors and clearly communicating how these resources are used to further the organization’s mission/charitable purpose;
  • Ensure that the organization complies with all applicable legislation and its corporate policies and governing documents; and,
  • Exercise due care in the exercise of their responsibilities outlined in all applicable laws and its corporate policies.

Application Process

We invite individuals to apply who have an interest in Eating Disorders, and who are committed to using their skills and experience to further advance NIED’s business and strategic objectives.

Board members must be at Ieast 18 years of age; not in the status of bankrupt; and, a permanent resident within the meaning of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) ordinarily resident in Canada.

Download application form