Pictured here: Almeera Khalid - Cohort 1 Young Director

Girls on Boards is building the next generation of decision-makers in Canada!

By placing experienced, emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds at the board table, Girls on Boards is putting forward a new vision for governance in Canada.

Meet the 2022 Cohort of Young Directors!

Learn more about Cohort 6 here

ARE YOU A NON-PROFIT BOARD INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING?

Girls on Boards actively recruits and receives applications from 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).

Board placements for our 2022-2023 Cohort are set to begin in Winter 2022. Applications submitted at this time will be considered for the 2023-2024 Cohort!

We are currently recruiting Boards in the following cities:

Ontario: Ottawa, Toronto, Niagara Region
Quebec: Montreal
British Columbia: Vancouver, Kelowna
Alberta: Edmonton, Calgary
Manitoba: Winnipeg
Virtual Boards

Learn more about participating as a board

Apply as a non-profit board here

135

YOUNG DIRECTORS TRAINED & MATCHED TO A BOARD

80

COACHES INVOLVED IN MENTORSHIP

105

GOVERNANCE BOARDS PARTICIPATING

Who can apply?

If you are:

A young woman or gender-diverse youth, ages 18 to 25 by the end of 2022 (born between 1997 – 2004)
Residing in Canada for the full duration of the Girls on Boards program
And someone who has demonstrated a history in leadership and/or community engagement

Then you're eligible to apply as a Young Director for our next Girls on Boards cohort!

2022 applications are now closed.

ARE YOU AN INDIVIDUAL INTERESTED IN COACHING A YOUNG DIRECTOR?

A coach is a professional woman 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. With the help of a coaching handbook, Young Directors and Coaches are matched at the beginning of their board assignment.

Applications are now closed.

How does Girls on Boards work?

Each year, Fora partners with non-profit boards across Canada to help 30 Young Directors secure placement as a voting director for a minimum one-year term.
Applications are open to individuals across Canada. Young Directors are selected for their demonstrated history in leadership and community engagement. Young Directors are young women or gender-diverse youth, ages 18 to 25 years old.
Prior to their board appointment, Young Directors receive in-depth training from world-class facilitators in matters of governance, financials, fundraising, and problem-solving, as well as personal and team leadership.
Throughout their term, each Young Director is supported by a pre-selected board member (“mentor”) and a volunteer coach (provided by Fora).

Why Does Girls on Boards matter?

Pictured: Alexandra Ages - Cohort 1 Young Director

The past two years have illuminated the urgency of good governance and the importance of equitable representation in decision-making spaces. Between the ongoing effects of COVID-19, our national reckoning with the realities of inequity in Canada through movements including #BlackLivesMatter and #EveryChildMatters, and threats to a healthy democracy, it’s more important than ever to build equity into all decision-making spaces.

Young women and gender-diverse individuals from diverse backgrounds and identities have been left out of these spaces for far too long. Their voices, experiences, and ideas are essential in moving towards a more equitable future.

To build equitable boards of the future, we are training a new generation of board directors who would otherwise be left out of the decision-making processes in organizations across Canada.

Any questions?

Read through our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about how Girls on Boards works, and how you can get involved as a Young Director, Coach, or participating board.

Read our FAQs here