Are you interested in learning more about serving on Delta Institute’s governing Board of Directors?

In brief: the Role of our Governing Board

Delta Institute is a mature, established 501c3 nonprofit with more than 27 years of operational experience and accomplishments—with hundreds of projects completed throughout the Midwest. If you have not already had a chance to do so, please familiarize yourself with our key three service areas / initiatives:

Nature-Based Climate Solutions

Resilient Agriculture

Sustainability and Support Services

We are also pleased and proud to serve as an Environmental Finance Center for USEPA’s Region 5.

We are looking for candidates to engage, share, and learn more about who have experience (very generally defined) within our programmatic efforts, and who are committed to our vision for the Midwest. We have a governing Board of Directors, with a maximum of 19 serving Directors per our By-Laws, who provides the following direction, guidance, and best practices:

• Fiduciary Responsibility: Governing Board Directors, as mandated by the IRS and the State of Illinois Attorney General’s Office, have fiduciary responsibility for the organizations whose boards they serve on.
• Strategic Direction: Monitors and evaluates progress toward our stated strategic goals and related objectives, ensuring that Delta Institute’s programs are moving us closer to our vision of an equitable, resilient, and innovative Midwest region.
• Ambassadorship: Delta Institute does not take a one-size-fits-all approach to Board service, recognizing that networks and capacity vary from person to person. We ask that every Board Director serve as an ambassador on behalf of our projects, helping us net additional support, connections, and introductions as appropriate.
• CEO Performance Process: The governing Board provides an annual performance review process of Delta Institute’s CEO, per our organizational policies.

General Logistics and Considerations

Time Commitment, Meeting Cadence and Structure

Delta Institute’s Board meets quarterly for 3-hour-long hybrid meetings on Friday mornings, along with 1-hour-long virtual Committee meetings the month prior. All Board Directors are required to sit on one Standing Committee, i.e. Development, Finance, or Governance and Nominating. Ad hoc committees are created and convened on an as-needed basis, with participation being entirely optional.

Current and previously serving Board Directors estimated their personal time commitment (to fully achieve participation parameters) to range from 4-8 hours per month, with months including meetings to be on the higher end.

We also have an Annual Board Retreat (8 hours) every July that is a full day of presentations, site visits, and capacity building activities. Further, we ask that all Board Directors attend a minimum of one Delta Institute-hosted special events annually. The Annual Board Retreat and most special events are hosted in-person in Chicago.

Delta Institute’s Board of Directors are offered two terms of three years each, with a maximum of six total years. After the first term of three years, a reflective conversation occurs to ensure that Board service is still beneficial to both the Director and Delta Institute prior to nomination for a second term. Board Directors term off, and may return to Board service in the future if it aligns with their and Delta’s needs.

Participation Agreement

Beyond attendance, we ask that all Board Directors review and engage with materials, ask questions, and engage with us at a meaningful level.  Please review our Board Participation Agreement that provides more specifics. We review the Participation Agreement annually, and ask for an annual re-pledge to the Agreement.

Please note that we do not have a set “Give and Get” policy, with no set required amount for a Board gift. Instead, we ask that every Board Director give a personal gift that is meaningful to them, and places Delta Institute within your top 3 supported nonprofits/causes.

Please note that we have a Travel Stipend to reduce the financial burden that Board service often carries, with an automatically provided Stipend (Directors may select to Opt Out, instead of Opt In) to support transportation costs, child care, and other essential costs.

Annual Timeline / Next Steps

Delta Institute’s annual governing Board recruitment process typically follows:

• December: Official kick-off of the recruitment season
• January-March: Candidates are identified / fielded
• April: Interviews with Candidates who match our current needs occur
• May: Nominations are finalized by the Governance and Nominating Committee
• June: Election at the Quarterly Board Meeting
• July 1: Official start of service

Please review the above and related links to your satisfaction before completing this form. If you have any questions, or we can provide accommodations to support your application, please reach out to Sidney Freitag-Fey at sfreitagfey@delta-institute.org.

Please note that we are accepting applications for prospective Board service start on July 1, 2025 until April 15, 2025; after that time all applications will automatically roll over for consideration for prospective Board service in 2026.

Please also note that candidates who may not move forward with 2025 Board service at this time will also automatically roll over for consideration for prospective Board service in 2026.

Thank you for considering Board Service at Delta Institute!