2027 Board nominations are open!
PEAK is filling 4 to 6 Board seats for terms beginning June 1, 2027. Nominations opened Aug. 27, and members will have three ways to participate in the 2027 Board nominations process:
A New Approach to Board Nominations for 2027 and Beyond
PEAK is updating the cadence of its Board nominations process, moving from an annual to a biennial Board nominations cycle. Board terms will remain the same, with members serving three-year terms and having the option to renew for a second three-year term. In listening to staff and member insights and reviewing PEAK’s current needs, this change is meant to build greater continuity, stability and accountability while keeping member voice central to PEAK’s governance. Members will continue to play an important role in shaping PEAK’s leadership through nominations, self-nominations and service on the Nominating Committee. For the 2027 cycle, PEAK is seeking four to six new Board members.
Introduction to Board Service
The PEAK Board is comprised of seven to 20 volunteers—your peers in philanthropy—who commit to:
- Setting the direction and strategy for the organization
- Providing necessary resources for growth and sustainability
- Ensuring policies and procedures are in place for effective and prudent governance and oversight
- Meeting legal obligations by exercising proper oversight of the organization’s operations and maintaining the legal and ethical accountability of its staff and volunteers
- Participating fully in five board meetings and an annual retreat each year
- Serving on and participating in periodic committee meetings each year
- Representing the organization in the field
- Advancing our work to improve practices
For each nominations cycle, we seek additional volunteers to serve on the Board through an open call for nominations. Read on to learn about the timeline, eligibility, qualifications, and responsibilities for board service.
Nominating Process & Timeline
- August 27, 2026: Call for Nominating Committee volunteers and opening call for Board nominations.
- September 25, 2026: Deadline to express interest in joining the Nominating Committee.
- September 30, 2026: Deadline for colleague nominations to join the Board.
- October 19, 2026: Deadline for self-nominations to join the Board.
- October through December 2026: The Nominating Committee reviews potential candidates, interviews candidates who best meet the qualifications and recruitment priorities, and develops recommendations for the Governance Committee.
- January 2027: The Governance Committee makes final recommendations, and the Board reviews and finalizes the slate of nominees.
- February 2027: Selected Board nominees are notified.
- March 1, 2027: Slate of Board candidates announced to PEAK membership.
- March through April 2027: PEAK membership votes electronically for Board candidates. The election is open for 30 days, ending one day after the Annual Membership Meeting.
- April through May 2027: Incoming Board members participate in refreshed onboarding.
- June 1, 2027: Board member terms begin.
Eligibility to Serve
Board candidates must be voting members of PEAK Grantmaking.
Qualifications to Serve
PEAK seeks Board members who possess substantial leadership skills and are equipped to provide the strategic leadership needed to drive the growth and impact of the organization. For the 2027 to 2030 term, the PEAK Governance Committee has identified the following qualities, capabilities, and demographics as critical or desirable to add to the Board.
For the 2027 to 2030 term, we are looking for 4-6 new board members and are especially interested in candidates who bring one or more of the following:
- Demonstrated dedication to PEAK, our Principles, and community
- Commitment to and experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Demonstrated financial acumen
- Experience, ability, and interest in fundraising and resource development
- Background in board governance, organizational culture, strategic planning, and operations
- Communications experience
- Executive performance management experience
We are dedicated to having a board with diverse personal lived experiences (including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status), as well as ensuring a variety of professional backgrounds and organization types are represented.
To ensure representation from across our diverse community, in addition to racial and ethnic diversity, we are especially interested in board candidates with any of the following experiences: individuals from Tribal Nations, individuals from unrepresented chapters and caucuses (including PEAK Mideast, PEAK Pacific Northwest, PEAK Northern Plains, and the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Caucus), or individuals from other philanthropy-supporting organizations.
General Qualities
We are interested in candidates who have some of the following personal and professional qualities:
- Visionary and future-focused, possessing an entrepreneurial spirit and critical mind.
- Appreciate the strength that diversity, inclusion, and inquiry bring to deliberation and decision-making.
- Strategic decision-makers who, in partnership with staff leadership, utilize a range of planning approaches and tools.
- Risktaking, with the ability to balance the need to take chances with the traditional stewardship responsibilities of board service.
- Have a track record of leadership in the field.
- Exhibit a belief that good grants practice can enhance effective grantmaking.
- Can review outcomes and metrics created by PEAK for evaluating its impact, and regularly measuring its performance and effectiveness using those metrics.
- Effective communicators who understand the importance of good communication at all levels.
- Appreciate the distinct differences between the roles of the board and staff.
- Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and a passion for the mission on behalf of all PEAK members.
- Willingness to be constructive critics.
- Part of a Board that is geographically dispersed and hybrid in nature.
General Capabilities
Some combination of the following capabilities is desirable:
- Experience and accomplishments in philanthropy and/or the nonprofit sector.
- Specific experience and/or knowledge in at least one of the following areas: grants management, effective philanthropy, trends and best practices in philanthropy, fundraising, finance/accounting, and working in philanthropic research/studies/academia.
- At the forefront or a change agents in philanthropy or field-wide change.
- Ability to support PEAK Grantmaking’s ongoing fundraising efforts by making connections, identifying donors, and when able, accompanying staff to solicit funds through the board member’s organization or others.
- Ability to network within the community and use professional connections to build relationships, generate leads, and identify opportunities to support PEAK’s vision and mission.
- Ability to commit to all five board meetings, whether virtual or in person, the annual board and staff retreat, and the annual convening, including travel when events are held in person, and to take an active role in discussions and decisions before the Board.
- During board membership term, commit to fully participate in and/or chair at least one standing or ad hoc committee.
Responsibilities of the Board
Legal Obligations
The board acts as trustee of the organization’s assets and ensures that the nonprofit is well managed and remains fiscally sound. In doing so, the board must exercise proper oversight of the organization’s operations and maintain the legal and ethical accountability of its staff and volunteers. The main legal responsibilities of a nonprofit board are often summarized in the “three Ds”:
- Duty of Care: Board members are expected to actively participate in organizational planning and decision-making and to make sound and informed judgments. Directors must serve in good faith, in a manner reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the corporation and with such care, including reasonable inquiry, skill and diligence, as a person of ordinary prudence would use under similar circumstances. Under the principle of justifiable reliance, directors are entitled to rely in good faith on information, opinions, reports, or statements, including financial statements and other financial data, prepared or presented by officers, employees, lawyers, accountants, and board committees.
- Duty of Loyalty: When acting on behalf of the organization, board members must put the interests of the nonprofit before any personal or professional concerns and avoid potential conflicts of interest. Directors must have undivided loyalty to the mission and basic well-being of the organization and therefore are prohibited from using the position to further their own interests and are prohibited from engaging in self-dealing.
- Duty of Obedience: Board members must ensure that the organization complies with all applicable laws and that it remains committed to its established mission. Directors take action to ensure that the organization operates to further its mission in compliance with legal requirements under the federal tax laws and regulations, legislative/regulatory developments, state laws and regulations governing nonprofits and solicitation of charitable contributions.
Strategy
The PEAK Grantmaking board defines the purpose of the organization (mission and vision) and what it wants to accomplish (strategy). It grounds strategic decisions in a set of values aligned with the organization’s purpose.
The Board oversees strategic planning. Planning enables PEAK’s board and staff to translate the broad mission of PEAK into long-term goals and objectives that can be measured, accomplished, and evaluated. The board sets the direction for the organization; on the basis of that direction, the staff fleshes out the plan, defines the strategies to achieve the plan, and determines the operational objectives.
On an ongoing basis, the board provides strategic oversight and direction. Boards that think strategically anticipate the future, explore future scenarios, identify emerging trends, and constantly strive to realize their vision.
The Board is responsible for initiating, leading, and overseeing the strategic plan. Implementation of the plan falls on the shoulders of the President and CEO, with advice and counsel provided by the Board.
Resource Development
One of the most important roles of the board is to ensure PEAK has the financial and other resources needed to meet our goals. The board approves resource targets and goals that align with PEAK’s plan.
Board members are ambassadors and champions of PEAK and should be willing to do what they can to increase resources by “word and deed.” Every board member is expected to make an annual gift in alignment with their means. Where possible, board members are responsible for providing entry to their grantmaking institutions and/or be willing to open doors to other funders and, when appropriate, accompany staff on solicitation visits.
Policy
A primary role of the board is the setting of policies and procedures on any number of operational and legal standards with the goal of implementing effective and prudent governance and oversight.
The board must continue to develop policies that safeguard the organization (risk, fiduciary, employment, conflict of interest, etc.) and organizational procedures, as well as anticipate the strategic goals of PEAK and its cultural traditions.
The Board of Directors Audit Committee ensures that all policies guiding the business of PEAK are in place, reviewed, and updated on an annual basis.
Time Commitment
The full PEAK Board meets five times per year. Travel expense reimbursement is available if needed.
In addition to these board meetings, board members serve on committees and lend their time and expertise to PEAK to represent the organization in the field, advance our work to improve practices, and ensure that PEAK has the financial resources to meet its goals. Each board member works with staff to develop a personalized plan matching their time and talents to PEAK’s needs.