Thank you for your interest in running for office on the SFWA Board of Directors! The following information will give you a good idea of what positions are available in the current election cycle, what holding those particular offices entail, along with explaining the duties and benefits of serving as a volunteer in this capacity.

There are particular requirements as dictated by our organization’s bylaws for each of the following positions, and you can find our bylaws here. As you read on, if you decide that running for office is right for you, make sure that you can meet the requirements, or ask the election committee to check for you.

The Board

The SFWA Board is made up of:

• President
• Vice President
• Chief Financial Officer
• Secretary
• Five (5) Director-at-Large Positions

 

In the current year, the Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and two (2) Director-At-Large Positions are up for re-election.

General eligibility requirements for all positions include at least two years’ active SFWA membership in good standing, in addition to other requirements listed below.

Vice President

Eligibility Requirements

To be elected Vice President, the member must have previous experience on the Board or other significant experience relative to the position as specified in the OPPM.

• Must be a Full Member who has maintained their membership in good standing for a period of at least two consecutive years at the start of their prospective term.
• Must have Internet access.
• Must be able to attend regular board meetings throughout their service.
• May not be employed as a regular or contract employee with SFWA in any capacity, while serving or within two years thereafter, with the exception of SFWA Publications contractors.
• Must sign an NDA before start of term.

The role as seen by current VP, John Murphy:

“First, the VP is a member of the Board, with all of the responsibilities that entails: keeping tabs on matters of concern to the community, being available to the members, participating in meetings of the Board, and fulfilling fiduciary responsibilities. Like other Directors, the VP can and should pursue their own projects to advance SFWA’s mission. Beyond that, the Vice President’s fixed role is deliberately vague, requiring only that the VP serve as backup to the President.

In practice, that means that the Vice President needs to be much more involved with staff and the operation of SFWA than other Directors, to be able to step in where needed. The Vice President should be willing and able to act as a close advisor to the President; as the President’s and Vice President’s respective terms are staggered, that relationship is key to maintaining continuity in leadership, and the two roles bring each other up to speed.

Beyond that, the role is whatever it needs to be. Every Board and every President will need different things, and adaptability in a VP will serve the organization well. In my view, what SFWA needs most out of a Vice President is inside support: enabling the rest of the Board to do what they were elected to do, pinch-hitting where needed, understanding the needs of staff and the volunteer organization. Ideally, the VP would have strong project management skills, an even temperament, and great patience for criticism. I have none of those, though, and have muddled through reasonably well.”

 

Chief Financial Officer

We are seeking someone with extensive expertise and experience with non-profit entities to further ensure the success of the organization. One of the more heavy-duty roles of the organization, time commitment can be considerable each week.

Eligibility Requirements

• Must be a Full Member who has maintained their membership in good standing for a period of at least two consecutive years at the start of their prospective term.
• Must have Internet access.
• Must be able to attend regular board meetings throughout their service.
• May not be employed as a regular or contract employee with SFWA in any capacity, while serving or within two years thereafter, with the exception of SFWA Publications contractors.
• Must sign an NDA before start of term.

Core Duties of the CFO, in addition to the duties listed for Directors-At-Large:

• Keep or maintain adequate and correct books and accounts of SFWA’s properties and transactions.
• Send financial statements and reports to the Board of Directors as needed and share a general financial statement with the membership at least twice a year (at the business meeting).
• Deposit all money and other valuables within ten days of receipt.
• Administer and review SFWA’s investments according to the rules laid out in the OPPM.
• Prepare a budget with the President once a year, near the start of the fiscal year.
• Work with SFWA Publications to set subscription costs, fulfill contracts, submit annual budgets, and keep records of such transactions and paperwork.
• Receive Givers Fund Grant applications and send them to the Grants Committee for review. Notify recipients of the funds and disburse the funds.
• Manage the comptroller and bookkeeper and work with them on budgets, financial statements, and annual statutory filings.
• Place four calls for budget items to the membership for the upcoming draft budget and manage requests from members for changes to budget line items.
• Administer the Emergency Medical Fund, Legal Fund, and Givers Fund grants.
• Review and approve the ACA affidavit.
• Chair the Audit Committee and lead it in reviewing outside audits and presenting the audits to the Board.

From the eyes and experience of a past CFO: “The Chief Financial Officer position has changed remarkably in the last eight years from simply making deposits and writing checks to managing the organization’s investment and bank accounts, setting financial policies, ensuring accurate and timely tax reporting, keeping the Board informed on SFWA’s financial standing, organizing and managing a multi-year budget, and evaluating advice from the Financial Advisory Board, Comptroller, Tax advisor, and Bookkeeper.”

 

Directors-At-Large

Eligibility Requirements

• Must be a Full Member who has maintained their membership in good standing for a period of at least two consecutive years at the start of their prospective term.
• Must have Internet access.
• Must be able to attend regular board meetings throughout their service.
• May not be employed as a regular or contract employee with SFWA in any capacity, while serving or within two years thereafter, with the exception of SFWA Publications contractors.
• Must sign an NDA before start of term.

Directors-at-Large shall:

• • Familiarize themselves with SFWA’s Bylaws, Operating Policies and Procedures Manual (OPPM), mission statement, and the restrictions placed on 501(c)(3) public charity organizations.
  • Perform fiduciary duties for SFWA, including reading, understanding, and approving the annual budget, basic financial statements, investment strategy, tax filings, and the use of SFWA’s resources.
  • Facilitate communications with and represent concerns to the Board. To do this successfully, Directors should read SFWA Publications; participate in and/or monitor online discussions on the SFWA Forums, Discord, and outside of SFWA; and correspond with members and potential members when possible.
  • Act as liaisons for committees, reporting to the Board and the membership on committee activity, and otherwise facilitating the committees’ work.
  • Vote on issues in a timely manner; contribute to discussions and advise the President and Vice President on decisions, including appointing committee chairs and commissioners and hiring SFWA staff.
  • Consider and propose potential changes to the membership requirements, if needed.

 

Okay, Now What?

Still interested?

Great! The next step on your path to running for office would be to submit your name to our current Elections Committee. You can reach them at elections@sfwa.org. They will go over your eligibility and be able to answer or find someone who can answer any further questions you may have.

Once your eligibility has been confirmed via a check of our membership database, you will be asked to provide a platform. This platform will be linked to on the ballot as well, for those members who do not use the membership discussion boards. Every member who chooses to participate in the elections will be able to see the reasons why you have thrown your hat into the ring. The more detail on what you’d like to see the organization accomplish and how you’ll ensure that if elected, you’ll be able to shepherd those processes, the better.

Timeline

A typical timeline for our election process begins in mid-January.

Should you wish to run for SFWA office, please contact elections@sfwa.org when the call for candidates is announced. You will be asked to submit a statement of intent and platform with a strict deadline.  You must have your eligibility validated by the election commission and SFWA Executive Director BEFORE posting your platform.

Typical timeline (for reference) – This may not be the exact timeline for the 2025 election.

• Official call for candidates 1/15
• Platforms must be posted 2/15
• Voting link posted & optional paper ballots mailed 3/14
• Ballots counted after 4/11