Expressions of interest to join the Global Board of More in Common

More in Common is seeking to appoint up to four members of its Global Board by mid-2025.

Our name reflects our vision: to build more united, inclusive and resilient societies in which people believe that what they have in common is stronger than what divides them. Our mission is to understand the forces driving us apart, find common ground and bring people together to tackle shared challenges.

Founded in 2017, in the wake of the assassination of the British Member of Parliament Jo Cox, we now have teams in in the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, France, Spain and Brazil, with a total staff headcount of fifty.

We conduct large scale opinion research on social fragmentation and polarisation, using political science and social psychology to map the identities and values of populations. Our research is among the most widely used in our field. Our work has been featured in hundreds of media articles, and we are frequently called upon to brief senior political leaders, governments, civil society, philanthropy, the media and business.

But we are more than a think tank: we use our evidence base to help leaders across sectors and issue areas that are being impacted by the forces of polarisation. We have more than 200 partners in philanthropy, civil society, politics, government, the media, unions, faith groups and businesses, deploying these insights to navigate divisions and bridge divides.

In our work, we strive for originality, strategic rigour and the creation of a sound evidence base for our field. We are committed to deepening our insights, improving our approach and measuring our impact. With learning at the centre of our work, we are committed to sharing our own insights generously. We are proud of our strong and vibrant internal culture, which values collaboration, generosity, ambition and fun.

More in Common is funded from a mix of grants and consulting projects, with the largest source of funding coming from private philanthropic foundations. We have about 30 current funders and receive more than 50 grants each year.

THE GLOBAL BOARD

The Global Board of More in Common, attached to our UK entity, oversees the implementation of the organisation’s strategy and mission, working with our two co-founders - Mathieu Lefèvre (CEO) and Tim Dixon - and our team.

The Board currently consists of eight individuals who serve as non-executive (voting) directors and two non-voting executives. Gemma Mortensen, who is also a co-founder of More in Common, serves as Board Chair until the end of the year, when her term ends. She will be succeeded by Ali Noorani as Board Chair.

You can read about our current members here:
https://www.moreincommon.com/about-us/governance/

Members of the Global Board are appointed as Directors of More in Common under UK company law. Board terms are set at three years, renewable once.

The Board’s main responsibilities include:

a. Contributing to the development, approval and monitoring of our four-year global strategy (our current strategy runs to the end of 2025)
b. Overseeing compliance with the objects, purposes and values of the organisation and with its governing documents
c. Providing ad hoc advice to More in Common’s leadership team between meetings
d. Reviewing and approving annual consolidated budgets
e. Overseeing the financial management and solvency of the organisation
f. Maintaining the organisation’s brand, reputation and good standing
g. Contributing to the Chair’s annual review of the performance of the two co-founders, who act as senior executives

We are fortunate to have a Board culture in which members are actively engaged and lead individual pieces of Board work, for example, salary reviews or contributing to key hiring decisions.

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST TO JOIN THE BOARD

As some Board members are coming to the end of their respective terms, we are seeking to bring on four new Global Board members to join by mid-2025. To ensure we have representation from all countries where More in Common works, we are seeking to appoint at least one member from Brazil and one from the United States.

We are looking for candidates who have a passion for our mission and who bring skills, networks and experience in non-executive governance and management, including but not limited to, organisational strategy and development, fundraising, non-profit finance, leadership transition, management of geographically distributed teams, political communication and policy making. Experience across multiple country contexts will also be an advantage.

The task ahead of us is daunting but, in line with our policies on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, we believe we have a better chance at success if our Board reflects a broad range of social and cultural backgrounds, beliefs, political persuasions and life experiences. We value diversity across many dimensions, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, education, age, religious belief, military service, geography and political orientation.

WHY APPLY TO JOIN?

Board Membership is unpaid but is rewarding in other ways, including:

• Joining a group of engaged and supportive peers, each of whom is a leader in their field and shares a commitment to liberal democracy, pluralism and building more cohesive societies.
• Making a positive impact by contributing to vital strategic conversations and innovative work in many different country contexts, addressing some of the most critical issues of our time.
• Learning from More in Common’s research and the wide range of projects and initiatives underway in each of our country offices.
• Enjoying a Board culture which is focused, effective and fun.

COMMITMENT REQUIRED

The Global Board meets four times per year: three times virtually for 2.5 hours, and once in person for a two-day meeting in a different location every year. Board members are also called upon to provide advice between meetings, as needed by the organisation.

Although the role is voluntary and unpaid, travel expenses for in-person meetings are covered by More in Common. We also provide administrative support to the Board to help it fulfil its responsibilities, including the preparation of carefully assembled board packs ahead of each meeting.

HOW TO EXPRESS INTEREST

We are seeking to appoint up to four new Board members by mid-2025, to take the place of Directors whose Board terms are expiring in 2024 and 2025.

If you wish to be considered for membership of the Global Board, please email your resume and a one-page cover letter summarising the reasons for your interest to Cath Roderick at cath@moreincommon.com by 20 September 2024.

For more information on More in Common, please visit our global site https://www.moreincommon.com/