Become an IGLYO Board Member 2023-2026

Hop on Board!

IGLYO — The International Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and Intersex Youth and Student Organisation is the leading youth development and leadership organisation working with LGBTQI young activists. With over 110 Member Organisations based in more than 40 countries in the Council of Europe region, IGLYO unites a great variety of individual and community experiences. You can learn more about IGLYO here.

We extend a warm invitation to young LGBTQI activists to apply for the IGLYO Board. Board election terms are three years. A vote for the nominated candidates will take place at the IGLYO Annual Members Conference (AMC) in Podgorica, Montenegro, on 19-23 October 2023. Successful candidates for this call will serve from the AMC in October 2023 until the AMC in 2026, and will have the option to run again for a second term. Two terms are the limit.

Read through the full call below and apply by Wednesday 13 September 2023 at 23:59 CEST. You can also download this full call in PDF here.

What is the IGLYO Board?

The IGLYO Board consists of a dynamic and dedicated team of young volunteers legally mandated by the organisation’s General Assembly to oversee the governance of the organisation, represent its membership, and lead and contribute to the strategic direction of the network in collaboration with the Secretariat. Being an IGLYO Board Member is an unpaid legal position, and an important one: All Board Members share legal ownership of the organisation! You can meet current IGLYO Board Members here.

To help them in their role, IGLYO Board Members are supported by a Governance Team, who provides them and the Secretariat with guidance on several topics such as budgets, work plans, human resources and opportunities.

Who can apply?

The Board Member role speaks to you? You can apply if you meet the following requirements:

Be between 18 and 30 years old at the time of application;
Agree to represent IGLYO as a Board Member, fulfilling all required governance duties;
Be officially nominated by a Member Organisation of IGLYO (see full list here)
While you must be nominated by a Member Organisation of IGLYO, you do not have to be a staff or volunteer of this organisation
The organisation by which you are nominated cannot be located in France, Greece, Slovenia, Portugal, Armenia or Iceland as we already have representation on the board from these countries. In other words, you, as an individual, can be based in France, Greece, Slovenia, Portugal, Armenia or Iceland, but the organisation nominating you cannot. This is because we already have representation from these countries on the Board, and the IGLYO Statutes stipulate that each country may only be represented once on the Board.
Be able to attend the IGLYO Annual Members’ Conference Podgorica 2023 (19-23 October 2023), if possible in person, or in an online capacity during sessions related to Board Elections. You will also be asked to join the online pre-AMC meeting (date TBC).
If possible, be able to travel and attend Board Meetings with the Secretariat at least once every three months (all travel and subsistence costs will be covered by IGLYO).
A fluent level of English (preferred), as all work is done strictly in English.

IGLYO particularly encourages applications from underrepresented groups and communities such as young women, trans youth (including non-binary), intersex youth, young people from Black communities, other communities of colour and ethnic minorities, refugees/migrants, sex workers, disabled youth (including neurodivergent youth), young people living with HIV, and fat young people.

What would my duties be?

The role of a Board Member in IGLYO involves:

Overseeing the governance of the organisation including, but not limited to, reviewing financial documents and budgets, reviewing policies, and legally representing the organisation before local authorities
Leading and contributing to the strategic direction of the network
Being a spokesperson for LGBTQI youth across Europe
Be in contact with our internal advisory colleagues

Why should I apply?

Being part of the IGLYO Board is an exciting adventure on the human level wherein you’ll contribute as much as you will learn! If elected as a Board Member of IGLYO, you will notably:

Get a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of LGBTQI youth and student activism internationally
Collaborate with a motivated and inspiring team
Help to build capacities of our 100+ Member Organisations and young LGBTQI activists
Expand your knowledge and grow on the personal and professional level

The list doesn’t stop there; the more invested you are, the more you’ll get out of your mandate!

How do I apply?

To apply for the IGLYO Board, you simply have to fill out this application form by Wednesday 13 September at 23:59 CEST.

Please note that, in the form, you will be asked which IGLYO Member Organisation nominated you, as well as to provide your motivation to join the Board (max 300 words) and the experience and expertise you would bring to this position (max 300 words). The application shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes to complete!

What happens next?

You’ve read the call and filled in the application? Great, you’re done with the initial part! You might be contacted afterwards in case additional information is required.

There will be an online pre-event at the AMC where we will explain more about the functioning of the AMC procedures (including the elections), and we will include some interaction activities for the participants to get to know each other. We encourage you to attend!

At the AMC Podgorica in October, you will have the chance to give a short presentation about your application, either in person or online, and then the General Assembly will vote.

Our team will be in touch with you shortly after the application deadline to provide more information on your presentation and the voting process.