The New Zealand AIDS Foundation voted at its recent Annual General Meeting that no fees will be charged for the NZAF membership.

“Anyone who has an active interest in the objectives of the Foundation and backs its mission is welcome to be a member,” says Shaun Robinson, Executive Director at NZAF. “We want to encourage some of the 12000 supporters and participants in NZAF to take the next step to membership and we don’t want to create any financial barrier to that. By being a member you are saying I really want to be seen to support this organisation and becoming a member, gives you voting rights to appoint Board members.”

As per this policy change, all existing members will be contacted by NZAF staff on the anniversary of their becoming members. This is to ask them to confirm their membership for the coming year and also to ensure sufficient time to allow their membership to be current for the required two months prior to any AGM.

Aside of this, NZAF has recently advertised a vacancy on the Board of Trustees. “We’re currently in the process of appointing a new Trustee in this way. An election for three Trustees will be held in November this year and the next appointed vacancy is scheduled to be February 2015,” says Mr. Robinson.

The NZAF Trust Board has seven Trustees, four of whom are elected by the membership of the NZAF, and three who are appointed by the Board. All Board members are unpaid volunteers who meet approximately eight times a year. Board terms are for two years at a time, up to three maximum consecutive terms.

If a vacancy for an elected Trustee arises in any year, an election is held in conjunction with the November Annual General Meeting. In this case, two months before the AGM, NZAF members are invited to nominate other members to stand for election. Candidates are published a month before the AGM. Appointed positions to the Board are advertised when they arise, according to the skills and attributes needed by the Board at that time. Anyone who is interested in joining the Board can apply for appointed positions. Anyone who has been a member for at least two months before the AGM is able to vote online in the electronic ballot.

ENDS

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