Pictured: Anika Mehta, Cohort 3; Rachel Gonsalves, Cohort 1,
Khadija Waseem, Cohort 1; Anna Abraham, Cohort 5
By training and placing emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds at the board table for the first time, Rise on Boards is reimagining decision-making spaces, and we want YOU to be part of it!
Since 2017, Fora's Rise on Boards program (formerly Girls on Boards) has trained and placed 170 emerging leaders from a range of backgrounds and experiences at the board table for the first time.
These Young Directors champion gender equity and shape decision-making on governance boards across Canada.
Prior to their board appointment, Young Directors receive in-depth training from expert facilitators in matters of governance, financials, fundraising, communications, problem-solving, and leadership. Throughout their term, each Young Director is supported by a pre-selected board member and volunteer coach, and will also have the opportunity to connect with other Young Directors.
Access to an incredible, experiential leadership opportunity through a one-year placement on a governance board
An opportunity to create social change, impact organizational decision-making, and help drive change in their community
The chance to grow their peer and professional network
1:1 mentorship from senior professionals, who will invest in and support your personal leadership and career development journey
Developing new skills in governance, financials, fundraising, professional communications, and leadership
YOUNG DIRECTORS TRAINED & MATCHED TO A BOARD
COACHES INVOLVED IN MENTORSHIP
GOVERNANCE BOARDS PARTICIPATING
In 2016, Fora launched the “Girls on Boards” program, which trains and places emerging leaders navigating gender discrimination at board tables across Canada.
As the program grew and our organization evolved, we realized that the name “Girls on Boards” was no longer reflective of our community, our participants, or our values.
We heard our Young Directors, Coaches, Boards, and our community when you told us the program name was exclusionary and infantilizing.
At best, it did a disservice to our community. At worst, it caused harm.
Throughout 2022, our team consulted with the experts – our community. We conducted consultation sessions with program stakeholders, sent surveys, and met with gender and branding experts to gather feedback.
What clearly came out of consultations and conversations were the following:
action-oriented
memorable
that sounded positive
uses simple and clear language
is completely non-gendered
and doesn’t include buzzwords that may discriminate or exclude minority groups
It was important to our community that the name can be easily connected to our established Girls on Boards brand, hence the name includes the word “board.” We wanted a name that had positive connotations and captured the program’s mission, without feeling tokenistic.
When we think of Rise, we think of moving forward. Of rising to the challenges we face as leaders (and especially as leaders facing gender-based and other intersecting forms of oppression and discrimination). Of sunrises that stop us in our tracks. And of the long history of the word’s association with positively empowering marginalized groups.
We think of new beginnings – and of the ripple effect that one leader in this program can have on boardroom dynamics, organizational decision-making, and uplifting their communities to rise along with them.
This year, we’re excited to launch the same impactful program with a new name! We know that our program name is just one piece of changing the language in our program to truly reflect our community’s needs and wishes, and to make it a space that's free of harm and welcoming for anyone who navigates gender-based discrimination. As we implement this name change in our organization, we're also implementing changes to our language & overall communications to better reflect these same core values and principles. We acknowledge that this is a work in progress that takes dedicated time, resources, and capacity. As we work on these changes, and as the program relaunches (on February 27) with this language, we ask for gentleness from our community as we work on making sure this change is reflected across the program.
Rise on Boards actively recruits governance boards in all major Canadian cities throughout the year.
Fora works to match all Young Directors with a board in their city of residence (as indicated in their application).
A non-profit board
Located in Canada (all major cities and virtual boards welcome to apply)
Committed to advancing gender equity and inclusion at the board table
… we encourage you to apply!
We accept board submissions throughout the year, and board placements for our 2023-2024 cohort are set to begin in Fall 2023.
Any questions? Read our FAQs here.
A coach is a professional with previous board governance and/or mentorship experience, who supports a Young Director’s personal and professional goals and assists them in navigating issues related to their board experience. Young Directors & Coaches are matched at the start of their board assignment, and Coaches are supported by the Fora team.
Is aligned with Fora’s values and has a commitment to youth leadership and gender equity
Has prior mentorship and board governance experience
Is a mid- to senior-level professional in your field, and understands the experience of navigating gender-based discrimination
Has experience in coaching and/or mentorship on topics related to leadership, professional and personal goals
Experience in coaching youth from marginalized identities an asset
… then we encourage you to apply for the next round of Coaches in Spring 2024.
Launched in 2017, the Rise on Boards (formerly Girls on Boards) program places experienced young leaders from diverse backgrounds on non-profit governance boards or committees in their communities. Rise on Boards is helping youth experiencing gender-based discrimination across Canada access the highest level of decision-making in organizations: governance boards. By providing the training and support to become board members, the program is committed to advancing equity by combatting sexism, racism, and ageism in the non-profit sector, and enhancing representative governance in Canada.
On February 27, Fora is launching applications for the seventh cohort of Rise on Boards! Young Directors will begin training in the Summer of 2023 and board appointments and coaching will commence in the Fall of 2023.
Each Young Director will be paired up with a Coach and a Board Mentor to support them throughout their first board appointment.
Coaches: A coach is a woman or gender-marginalized professional with previous board governance and/or mentorship experience, who supports the Young Director’s personal and professional goals and assists them in navigating issues related to the program, e.g. time management, preparing for interviews. Young Directors and Coaches are matched at the beginning of the board assignment and are provided with a coaching handbook to guide coaching sessions.
Board Mentors: A board mentor is a director on the Young Director’s matched governance board who will be the Young Director’s main contact for the duration of their term. The Board Mentor facilitates the Young Director’s on-boarding process and is their go-to contact on the board. The Board Mentor will be provided with a guidebook to help navigate this mentorship opportunity with the Young Director, including a checklist to structure meetings.
Applications are open to Young Directors who are between the ages of 18 – 25 by the end of 2023 (born between 1998 – 2005), identify as women or gender-marginalized youth, and reside in Canada for the full duration of the program.
Young Directors must demonstrate leadership experience and dedication to community work and volunteering. They should have an interest in board governance and be committed to advancing equity in boardrooms.
Fora will be hosting a Leadership Forum on September 15 and 16 (tentative) in Toronto, Ontario. Participation in the Leadership Forum is mandatory for all selected Young Directors. Travel and accommodation expenses (for Young Directors living outside of the GTA) will be covered by Fora.
Please note that selected Young Directors outside of the GTA will be required to arrive in Toronto on September 14 and depart on September 17.
Fora is a Canadian registered charity working to advance the full participation of young leaders navigating gender-based discrimination in decision-making spaces for over a decade. The Rise on Boards program is funded by the generous support of the RBC Foundation, with contributions from Power Corporation of Canada, Bain & Company, and Edelman.
If you’re interested in supporting the Rise on Boards program, please contact Marija at marija.shaw@foranetwork.org to learn how you can get involved.
