Call for Leaders
The Chicagoland Food Science Foundation (CFSF) seeks charitable professionals who want to give back with volunteering to help fortify the future of the food science industry by guiding students and illuminating their available careers options in food and beverage research & development, processing, quality assurance and allied specializations.
You can achieve this by serving as a member of CFSF’s Board and Committees. For more about these rewarding leadership opportunities in our community of practice, please read on.
Position Details
Each CFSF Board member serves a 3-year term beginning in September and ending in August. The Board meets monthly during September – June, usually via conference call. Board members are expected to attend a minimum of two-thirds (6 of 9) of all scheduled Board meetings which typically take one hour.
You need not be a food industry professional to qualify, but you should be devoted to the future of food and be committed as a catalyst for change. Board members should be actively engaged in CFSF efforts to encourage and guide high school, community college, and university students currently enrolled or living in the Chicagoland area.
During the first year of Board membership, you will be paired with a current Board member to learn about our organization’s service role in partnership with the Chicago Section IFT. In the second year, you can immediately apply what you learned by coaching/mentoring first year Board members. The desired outcome is to achieve a high level of engagement and continuity among the members.
In addition to their professional expertise, all Board members should have practice experience in one or more of the following areas: marketing, fundraising, business development, investment portfolio management, strategic thinking and/or social media skills.
Additional qualities sought include:
Encourages accountability: You reinforce a culture of accountability among the Board members, and you can effectively delegate tasks to Committee members.
Strategic decision maker: You are a future-focused thinker, and you proactively lead discussions about the future of food science.
Well-networked catalyst: You have contacts in the industry, and you can successfully secure their support for CFSF events, meetings, and objectives.
Each Board member should commit to these actions:
Being an active advocate and ambassador for the values, mission and vision of CFSF.
Inviting professional and social contacts to events (i. e. especially fundraisers) hosted by CFSF.
Leveraging connections to help CFSF expand its base of volunteers and donors.
Raising visibility of CFSF with measurable results in terms of donors, volunteers and community partnerships.
Working with fellow Board members to fulfill the obligations of Board membership.
Preparing for meetings by reviewing materials and bringing the materials to meetings.
Remaining informed about the organization, its issues, and its connection to the community.
Supporting the charitable contributions operation of the Foundation (e.g., donations and/or fundraising).
As needed, using professional contacts and expertise to benefit the Foundation.
Effectively collaborating with and respecting the authority of the Foundation’s leadership staff.
Board Member ApplicationWhat is Required of Committee Members?
The Foundation depends on its Committees to implement the strategies developed by the Board of Directors. Each board member is expected to actively support at least one committee.
Committee leaders/members may devote a few hours a year to selected events or they may lead fundraising efforts on a more regular basis.
CFSF’s Committees offer many ways for you to contribute to the future of Food Science. We invite you to review the list of current Committees and choose a level of commitment that works best for you.
Committees
AUDITING COMMITTEE
Responsible for ensuring the annual audit is conducted in a satisfactory manner. Time commitment: 2-4 hours/month from December-March annually to review the 3rd party audit reports.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Responsible for annual budget, for reviewing all financial reports (monthly), and for presenting financial status to the Board. Time commitment is 1.5 hrs/month (Sept-June) and approximately 3 hours/month (April-June) for budgets.
FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE
Responsible for supporting fundraising events and identifying new fundraising opportunities. Time commitment for fundraising can range from 5-10 hours to provide support for a small event or 10-30 hours for larger events. We will accept anyone interested in supporting at any level!
GIVING COMMITTEE
Identifies and recommends giving opportunities. Manages the CFSF Competitive Scholarship Program. Time commitment ranges from recommending giving opportunities annually for 1-3 hours (April/May), to serving as a juror for 1-3 hours (April), to supporting the larger activities of the scholarship program for 10-15 hours (Jan-June).
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Manages all changes to policies, bylaws, and call for board members. Time commitment: 2-5 hours annually to review policies and recommend updates (May/June and/or Sept/Oct).
MARKETING / COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
Works with the CFSF Business Office to review CFSF marketing and communications such as social media marketing and the Annual Report. Time commitment: 1-2 hours/month.
OUTREACH / OUTREACH EVENTS: Drives awareness of CFSF by inspiring today’s youth and increasing their awareness of a food science career path. Time commitment: Volunteering at one or more events. We strongly recommend all board members to commit to volunteering as able.
If you don’t have time to commit to being a board member, but would like to volunteer on a committee, please contact us!
All applicants will be notified by July 31, 2023 on the status of their application.
The term for newly-selected Board members begins September 1, 2023.
Save the Date! Leadership Training In-Person – August 28, 2025