An opportunity to join the Trustee board
The Donor Conception Network (the Network) is the leading charity supporting anyone who is thinking about using or has used donor conception – that may be egg, sperm or embryo donation (with or without surrogacy) – to have children. We support openness in families about these issues.
We are looking for two new trustees to strengthen our skill base and replace departing trustees. We are particularly looking for a trustee with fundraising skills, experience or interest and a trustee with marketing, digital media or IT skills and experience.
What we do
· We provide support and resources to over 2,200 member families, mainly in the UK but also overseas. As well as working directly with families and donor conceived people we work on their behalf – advising clinics, policy makers and other professional bodies.
· Our support extends well beyond our membership via our website content, newsletters, social media presence and connections with other organisations and charities.
· We run a helpline, helping to address the social and emotional issues people face, as well as offering practical information and advice.
· We publish and distribute a unique range of resources, from children’s storybooks, guides for parents and family members, to films featuring donor conceived young people.
· We have a busy events programme of webinars, conferences and workshops to help people prepare for parenthood, and to explore ways of telling children about their conception.
Who we are looking for
This is a really exciting time to join the board. We have a 5-year strategy in place with ambitious plans for the future. We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated people, with a commitment to the aims of the Network, to join us as trustees. Applicants should support fertility treatment and donor conception in general and appreciate the value of openness in families. You might have personal experience and knowledge of infertility issues, including donor conception or surrogacy.
In particular, we are looking for people with experience of or skills in:
· Fundraising
· Marketing
· Digital media
· IT/Website development
Our members represent diverse family types: approximately half are heterosexual couples, with the balance being solo mums and same sex couples. They are geographically and ethnically diverse, based across the UK and internationally. We want our trustees to mirror some of this diversity. Of our five current trustees four have themselves used donor conception to create their families.
We are interested to hear from applicants who have worked on committees, boards or as trustees, but this is not essential.
Trustees normally meet 3 times a year in a central London location (though this may be via zoom if you are based elsewhere) and may have other online meetings through the year. Meetings are held during the working day, usually on a Friday. Trustees communicate mainly via email between meetings. Due to the nature of its work and funding there is an expectation that trustees will contribute actively to the work of the charity and they will receive reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.
How to apply
Download the attached details of the role, application process and who we’re looking for. Your covering letter should describe your interest in our work and the contribution you can make and provide examples to demonstrate how you meet the criteria in the information pack.
Applications close at 5pm on 14 March 2025.
Interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held online on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 March.
Final decisions will be made within a week. A full induction will be provided which will give more information about the DCN and what we do, plus more on the role of the trustee. Our next AGM is at our annual conference in person on Sunday, 27 April in North London and we would hope to introduce the new trustees there.