Committees of VGIF
The work of the Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund is conducted primarily by volunteer committees and the VGIF Board of Directors. VGIF Board and committee members donate their services to the organization with no recompense for time, travel or expenses incurred in the operation of their respective committees. VGIF maintains a small office in New York City that is funded by a generous endowment from one our members. This endowment also pays for the services of our indispensable Executive Director, Fay Kittelson.
Committees and Board meet biannually in October and April in New York City to conduct the business of the organization. All contributing and prospective members are invited to attend. Please check the dates of the coming meetings on the VGIF Calendar.
Committee Reports are submitted online after each meeting and after individual committee meetings as interim reports. Contact vgif@vgif.org to obtain the password.
Minutes from the Annual Meeting are available after the Annual Meeting in April.
New committee members are always needed. Please contact vgif@vgif.org with your area of interest and expertise.
VGIF Officers
The Officers of the Corporation are: a President, two or more Vice Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer and such other Officers as the Board of Directors determine. Officers are the representatives of the membership and are elected by them, with the exception of the Convener of the Project Grants Committee, who is appointed by the President to serve as Second Vice President.
Standing Committees
Constitution
and Bylaws
The Constitution and Bylaws committee maintains the files of current
Bylaws, Board Policy Sheet and Working Rules for all committees; reviews
for approval and recommendations with the Board of Directors the proposed
amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws and/or Board Policy Sheet; corrects
Bylaws after action taken at the Annual Meeting.
Development
The Development Committee supports the mission and vision of the
organization by planning fund development and identifying funding
opportunities from major donors, foundations, and other sources. This committee also engages member donors in support
of the organization and its annual grants program. The committee is guided
by the VGIF Strategic Plan and the Board of Directors.
The Development Committee facilitates the work of the organization in planning for fund development and searching out sources of funding from major donors, foundations, business and governmental agencies. The work of the committee is driven by the Strategic Plan.
Documents to Download
Gift Acceptance Guidelines
New Fund Creation Guidelines
Finance and Investment
The Finance Committee gives advice on all VGIF financial policy and administration; supervises the investment of its funds; reviews and evaluates portfolio statements as prepared by the financial advisor; prepares an annual budget for the approval of the Board of Directors; is responsible for ensuring that the expenditure of VGIF funds remains within the terms of the budget approved by the Board of Directors; works with other committees, such as membership development, to consider alternative methods of fundraising. The Finance Committee, along with a member of the Board, is responsible for reviewing the audit and recommending its approval to the full Board.
Membership
The Membership Committee is responsible for increasing the funding base
of VGIF by recruiting new contributing members and retaining the current
membership. The committee works in conjunction with the Development Committee and the Marketing Committee.
Nominating
The Nominating Committee shall present the slate of nominees for Officers, except for the Second Vice President, and members of the Board of Directors to the Secretary sixty (60) days prior to the Annual Meeting.
The members of the Nominating Committee consider the following factors when preparing the slate: qualifications for the position under consideration; nominations submitted by the Membership; nominations from committee members; review of achievements of current board and committee members; leads to potential leaders among other members; potential member information; review of “History of Service” files; review of form letters to be sent to potential candidates.
Project Grants
The Project Grants Committee is responsible for determining how the funds
of the organization will be disbursed for the year. Project Grants applications
are submitted to the committee by November 1 of each calendar year. From
December to March, the Project Grants Committee make a selection of appropriate
applications to be submitted to the VGIF Board of Directors for approval
at the April Annual Meeting.
Special Committees (as of April 2009)
40th Anniversary Committees
The two 40th Anniversary Committees are coordinating the VGIF trip to India in November 2009 and year-long celebration (April 2009-2010).
Communications and Information Technology
The Communications and Information Technology committee is responsible for VGIF Publications
such as the bi-annual edition of the VG
Update newsletter; the production of recruitment materials such
as the VGIF brochure and other recruitment materials such as slideshows
and flyers when needed by other committees such as Development, Marketing,
and Membership; coordinates and manages the web sites; maintains the online Project Grants Library with project
grant updates and reports and photo scans.
It provides technical support for the information technology used by VGIF staff.
The committee ensures that the work of the Gildersleeve can continue in times of crises whether the cause be from illness of our Board, Committee members or office staff or a physical disaster such as fire, an act of terrorism or causes of nature.
Funded Grants Evaluation Committee
The Funded Grant Evaluation Committee is responsible for post-grant evaluation processes, including on-site visits. >> learn more
House Committee
The House Committee is responsible for planning any moves of the VGIF office.
Human Resources
The Human Resources Committee is responsible for developing personnel policies, and for recommending salaries and benefits.
Marketing
The Marketing Committee determines how best to describe the work of the
organization to the membership and general public. The Marketing Committee
works in conjunction with the Membership, Development and Communications and Information Technology committees.
The Marketing Committee is also responsible for Public Relations committee - coordinating and generating the disbursement of current items of interest to the VGIF membership and the general public. The Public Relations Committee produces a quarterly online newsletter called the VG Flash.
Projects Grants History
The Project Grants History Committee maintains the database of all
Projects funded complete with descriptions of the original funding
proposals and subsequent reports and updates.
Strategic Planning Committee
The Strategic Planning Committee is responsible for drafting a strategic plan for VGIF.
United Nations
VGIF is associated at the United Nations as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in consultative status to ECOSOC and in association with Department of Public Information (DPI). As such VGIF can have 5 representatives in New York in addition to the President. NGOs are expected to disseminate as effectively as possible information about the UN among its members. This VGIF does through a column “UN News” which appears in each issue of VGIF Update. >> learn more
The Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund, Inc.
3 West 29th Street, Suite 1002, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. 10001
A 501(3)(c) organization incorporated in the State of N.Y.
©2010, VGIF, All rights reserved.