Board of Trustees

Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation

Status: Open Location: Edmonton, AB

The Organization

The Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation is currently accepting applications for trustees for 2025 appointment.

The Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees is comprised of dedicated volunteers who are recruited from the communities the Stollery Children’s Hospital serves. Being a trustee on the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation board is a rewarding and meaningful volunteer experience. As the dedicated fundraising body for the Stollery Children’s Hospital, the trustees help represent the wishes of our 100,000 annual donors.

The role of the board of trustees is to assume the overall stewardship of the Foundation by adopting strategic governance practices, overseeing the Foundation’s affairs, and monitoring and assessing the performance and progress in meeting short and long-term goals. The board of trustees is expected to champion the Foundation’s cause and its goals in the community and to support the Foundation in soliciting donations for the Stollery Children’s Hospital. While the day-to-day operations are led by the Foundation’s President & CEO, the board-CEO relationship is a partnership, and the appropriate engagement of the board is both critical and expected.

For more information on the Foundation visit StolleryKids.com.

 Board structure

The board is comprised of 22 voting trustees plus ex-officio members. The board recruits two to three trustees each spring to replace retiring trustees in June.

Time expectations

Trustees serve a three-year term with the option of one renewal term. Trustees attend quarterly board meetings. In addition, each trustee participates in a minimum of two committees. Each committee meets quarterly for 2.5 hours. Prior to each meeting Trustees typically spend two to three hours preparing and reviewing materials. There are also requests and opportunities for trustees to participate in working groups based on current needs and priorities. All meetings are hosted in Edmonton with preference for in person attendance. Video conference capabilities are available when in-person is not possible.

In addition to the board of trustee meeting schedule, all trustees are requested to participate in a minimum of two fundraising events per year, either as a volunteer or participant. Other expectations are to attend and support government relations and media events, hospital tours and donor engagement activities. It is estimated that a trustee can spend between 300 and 400 hours a year volunteering on the board

Giving and fundraising expectations

The Foundation’s mission is to raise funds, thank people, advocate for pediatric physical and mental health care and share the difference donations make for excellence at the Stollery Children’s Hospital and beyond. As a result, all trustees are required to help raise funds for the Foundation. They can do this in a number of ways such as: attend events, introduce potential new donors, leverage connections and help thank donors. Trustees are encouraged to make annual gifts that reflect the Foundation’s fundraising priorities.

The Foundation is embarking upon a multi-year comprehensive fundraising campaign towards a new children’s hospital. Trustees are expected to support the fundraising campaign through introduction to networks and identification of potential donors to support the campaign.

Responsibilities

In order to fulfill their role as a member of the board, trustees are responsible for the following:

General responsibilities

• Attend regularly scheduled board meetings
• Participate on at least two board committees and working groups as needed
• Be prepared for board and committee meetings
• Understand the Foundation’s goals, objectives and programs and how they are decided and implemented
• Know the Foundation’s budgets, budget process and financial status

Strategic oversight responsibilities

• Establish and review clear Foundation vision, mission and values
• Understand the strategic environment and the opportunities and challenges that exist on the horizon; factor these elements into the strategic direction, policies and board calendar as appropriate
• Ensure clear direction is provided to the CEO so they can implement the board’s direction
• Recruit and orient new trustees and regularly assess board performance to effectively plan for board succession and continuity of operations

Entity risk and fiduciary oversight responsibilities

• Ensure that policies are clearly identified and understood, and that the board acts on them as a whole
• Understand the difference between management and board functions, management and board roles, and policy and implementation
• Ensure that effective organizational planning is completed by the CEO to implement board direction, take advantage of opportunities and mitigate risks that have been identified
• Maintain oversight of an integrated risk management framework that anticipates, manages and reports on (at minimum) financial, regulatory, legislative, reputational and donor risks
• Support the CEO and regularly assess their performance
• Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability

Donor, volunteer and stakeholder engagement responsibilities

• Actively and regularly participate in fundraising activities of the Foundation
• Contribute to the Foundation’s stewardship plans and strategies by bringing forward innovation or improvement opportunities, potential donor contacts and other information about the strategic and fundraising environment
• Act as an ambassador of the Hospital and the Foundation at all times
• As a principle, trustees are also expected to be donors as a signal of personal commitment and support for the Foundation

Fundraising responsibilities

• Make a financial contribution to the Foundation
• Ensure that the Foundation has adequate financial resources to implement the board’s direction
• Identify and qualify prospective donors
• Act as an ambassador for the Foundation and cultivate relationships with potential donors and the wider community
• Solicit contributions from contacts/serve as pathways to discussions
• Help to thank and steward donor relationships
• Oversee and actively support the Foundation’s fundraising efforts
• Support the comprehensive fundraising campaign by introducing potential donors, promoting engagement opportunities and understanding the campaign strategy and tactics

Advocacy responsibilities

• Understand and articulate the Foundation’s position and objectives on children’s health
• Seek opportunities for, and participate in, activities to advance the Foundation’s advocacy objectives 
• Contribute to the Foundation’s advocacy objectives and strategies by bringing forward engagement opportunities, potential contacts and other information about the geo-political context and environment
• Support innovation for children’s health by identifying new ideas and themes to be assessed through stakeholder engagement and other activities

Qualifications

This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual who is passionate about the Stollery Children’s Hospital, pediatric care and the future of health care for children. Selected board members will have achieved leadership stature in business, community, government, philanthropy or the non-profit sector. Their accomplishments will allow them to attract other well-qualified, high-performing board members. Previous board participation and/or governance experience is an asset.

Board diversity is important, and the Foundation seeks to balance business acumen, representation of Indigenous peoples including First Nations, Inuit and Metis, and diverse backgrounds to achieve the Foundation’s vision and mission. Acumen is broken into areas related to expertise, knowledge of industry, areas of diversity and inclusion, and connection to the Hospital and Foundation, including previous volunteer experience.

Specific to the 2025 recruitment process, the Stollery Children’s Hospital is seeking candidates that have expertise/experience in the following areas: human resources strategic leadership, financial leadership with accounting credentials, fundraising capabilities, community influence and capital project management. As per the Regional Health Authorities Foundation Regulations that governs the Foundation, all trustees must have their primary residence in Alberta.

Applications

For those interested in becoming a trustee, submit your letter of intent and résumé by March 30, 2025. Shortlisted candidates may be requested to complete a capabilities checklist. This will help in identifying the skills the candidate brings to the board.

Applications can be submitted via email to trusteeinquiries@stollerykids.com or connect@mullenleadership.com

Or by mail to:

Applications are accepted throughout the year. Cut-off for applications is March 30, 2025. A response will be sent before June 30, 2025 during the annual recruitment and selection process.

Thank you in advance for your interest.