2. Contents
Letter from Ashden Acting Chair & Founding Director
About Ashden
About the role
Timetable
How to apply
3. Welcome letter from Ashden Acting Chair & Founding Director
Thank you for your interest in Ashden.
Ashden is a small but fast-growing and dynamic charity based in central London. Since 2001
we have been promoting the benefits of sustainable energy in the UK and the developing
world. We are now recognised as an important player in this sector by many in the UK and
beyond with support from corporates like Eurostar and Citibank and government
departments like DFID in the UK and MNRE in India. This is an exciting time for Ashden with
many opportunities presentingthemselves.
We are now seeking a new Chair of our Development Board (DB) to provide leadership to
the Board to help it achieve its role in fundraising for Ashden’s awards and programmes.
The Ashden Development Board plays an integral role in securing the resources the charity
needs to fulfil its mission: to uncover the best in sustainable energy and show the world its
potential to improve lives, boost economic growth and accelerate the transition to a low-
carbon world.
This voluntary post will support the Head of Development (HoD) in implementing the
fundraising strategy and achieving fundraising targets. Working closely with the Head of
Development, the DB Chair will play a leading role in helping raise £2 Million over the next
two years. The new DB Chair will work proactively with the HoD and the Founder Director
tobroker introductions to potential funders and supporters. The DB Chair will also lead and
support the other DB members, helping them fulfil their responsibilities forAshden.
Full details of this exciting and rewarding role can be found below and I/we look forward to
receiving your application and welcoming you to our organisation.
Jonathon Porritt / Sarah Butler-Sloss,
Ashden Acting Chair/ Founding Director
4. About Ashden
Ashden is a charity that champions and supports the pioneers in sustainable energy to
accelerate the transition to a low-carbon world.
Our vision is of a world where there is sustainable energy for all. But today 1.5 billion people
lack access to modern forms of electricity. Some 3 billion – more than a third of the world’s
population – cook on smoky inefficient stoves and fires, causing dangerous indoor air
pollution which causes 4.3 million premature deaths every year. That's more than double
the number of people who die from malaria and HIV/AIDS combined.With greenhouse gas
emissions at record-breaking levels, urgent action is needed to mitigate climatechange.
Our mission
We believe sustainable energy is the biggest challenge – and the biggest opportunity – of
our time. We uncover the best in sustainable energy and show the world its potential to
improve lives, boost economic growth and accelerate the transition to a low-carbonworld.
Since our creation in 2001, our winners have transformed the lives of more than 37 million
people in the UK and developing countries. Their solutions range from simple solar lanterns
in Africa that allow children to do their homework after sunset, to low-carbon building
innovators in the UK.
Their inspiring stories show how, with ingenuity and determination, even the toughest
challenges can be overcome. The impact of their work can be seen in enhanced educational
standards, better health and improved livelihoods for the poor, as well as cleaner, more
profitable businesses.
Together, they offer a vision of a better future for all.
5. Chair of the Development Board
Role Description
The purpose of a Chair of the Development Board is:
To provide leadership to the Development Board in achieving its mission to help
Ashden fundraise £2 million for its awards and programmes over the next two years.
To support the Head of Development (HoD) in the implementation of Ashden’s
fundraising strategy and targets, as relates to the role of the DevelopmentBoard.
To sit on Ashden’s Trustee Board, (at least twice a year) thereby providing a strategic
link to Ashden’s governance.
The duties of a Chair to the Development Board include:
To provide leadership to the Development Board in fulfilling its fundraisingpurpose
To ensure the Development Board members are supported to fulfil their remit: are
able and willing to share contacts, help broker meetings and advocate on Ashden’s
behalf, are able to commit time for board meetings three times a year and attend
Ashden fundraising events as well as ad hoc meetings and engage incorrespondence
on Ashden’s behalf.
To ensure the proper and efficient conduct of meetings
To approve the agenda for each meeting and consider and review the papers for the
meeting.
To seek consensus where appropriate.
To encourage all attendees at board meetings to contribute.
To balance the need for a full debate on key questions.
To reach clear decisions.
To be proactive in helping HoD deliver fundraising targets through:
Providing introductions to potential funders.
Facilitating meetings and where appropriate attending meetings with funders.
Acting as an advocate for Ashden and promoting the value of its work.
Inviting potential funders to attend Ashden’s fundraising events.
6. Specific tasks:
To act as chair Ashden Development Board meetings for two years (approx. two
hours, four times per year).
To discuss and approve the agenda, drawn up by HoD, for each meeting and approve
the minutes.
To be present at the Ashden Awards Ceremony, to meet and greet current and
potential funders and VIPs, and to attend two or three other fundraisingevents.
To regularly meet with the HoD (two or three times a year) to discuss Ashden
business, and to be available for consultation with the HoD on Ashden business that
arises between meetings.
To attend two Ashden Trustee Board meetings per year.
To support the HoD in the recruitment of their successor as Chair of Development.
Time Commitment
The post is for a two year tenure.
Three Development Board meeting per year for approx. 2 hours
Two main board meetings per year
Minimum of four meetings per year with the HoD
Awards Ceremony plus other fundarising events (approx. 2-3, evenings)
Support the HoD in the recruitment of the post successor; the time required to do
this may vary
Person Specification
Individuals are sought who have a strong empathy with our mission. The Board of Trustees
are jointly and severally responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of the
charity, its financial health, the probity of its activities and developing the organisation’s
aims, objectives and goals in accordance with the governing document, legal and regulatory
guidelines.
All trustees, should also be aware of, and understand, their individual and collective
responsibilities, and should not be overly reliant on one or more individual trustees in any
particular aspect of the governance of the charity.
7. Experience:
Successful experience of operating within a board in a charitable, public sector or
commercial organisation
Demonstrable experience of building and sustaining relationships with key
stakeholders and colleagues to achieve organisational objectives
A proven track record of sound judgement and effective decision making
A history of impartiality, fairness and the ability to respect confidences
A track record of commitment to promoting equality and diversity
We welcome applications from candidates with a variety of backgrounds and
would be particularly interested in those who can demonstrate thefollowing:
Well networked with high net worth individuals, corporates and/or government
institutions.
Proactive in pursuing fundraising leads and contacts and able to advocate on
Ashden’s behalf to funders and potential funders.
An understanding of and commitment to sustainable development and is supportive
of what Ashden does.
Someone with the time and commitment to provide the appropriate support to
Ashden and the HoD.
8. The timetable
The closing date for applications is Monday 16th
March2015
Preliminary Interviews with Trustees Unlimited: TBC late March
Shortlisted candidates informal visits to Ashden: TBC mid-late April
Final Interviews with Ashden Nominations Committee: TBC mid-late April
Please advise any dates during these periods that are not convenient at time
of applying
How to apply
To apply for this post, please provide thefollowing:
A short letter of motivation explaining your motivation for applying for this role;
a supporting statement, explaining how you believe your skills and experiencematch
the requirements of the role, directly addressing the person specification;
a comprehensive CV including details of your achievements in each role,and
including details of two referees, one of whom should be your current ormost
recent employer. Referees will not, of course, be contacted without your prior
consent
Interested candidates should then upload these documents to the relevant fields via the
application link below:
TU4289 Ashden Development Board application link
Like most trustee roles, this is an unpaid voluntarypost.
