Salary: Day rate of £475 for approximately six days’ work per year. All additional expenses are paid, including travel, accommodation and childcare if required

Closing date: 9am on Thursday, May 9, 2024

Expected interview dates:

Corporate accountability, Thursday, May 23

Democratic accountability, Friday, May 24

Media, Tuesday, May 21 

Starting date: October 2024

Background

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) wishes to appoint four co-opted members to join our Power and Accountability committee from October 2024. They will have expertise relating to corporate accountability and reform, democratic accountability and reform, and power and accountability and the media.

About the committee

Under the Power and Accountability programme, the Trust makes grants to groups working to strengthen corporate accountability, democratic accountability and responsible media. This role is an opportunity to inform the decision making of one of the UK’s leading independent funders.   

JRCT is an endowed, charitable Quaker foundation based in York, England. 

The Power and Accountability committee currently comprises two members of JRCT’s board of trustees, together with four co-opted members, supported by two staff. We anticipate expanding membership to bring in four new co-opted members this year across the committee’s remit. 

The Power and Accountability programme is working towards a vision of a world in which power is more equally shared, and in which powerful institutions are more responsive and accountable to wider society and more aligned with the long-term public interest.   

JRCT is a responsive grant maker and we seek to support a variety of approaches that support systemic change from groups with ideas, expertise and passion across our broad programme areas. The programme mainly funds work in the UK, with a small number of grants for wider pan-European work. For details on the work we fund see our grants policy for the programme. 

We have recently been doing work on the origins of our endowment which has identified that the Rowntree company purchased cocoa and other goods produced by enslaved people and benefited from colonial indenture. This is an important context for our future work and we will be considering the implications for our funding overall at the Trust and taking action to strengthen our contribution to racial justice in our grant-making, investments, governance and team diversity. In this context we particularly welcome applications from people of colour with relevant skills and expertise who might wish to join our committee.

What is involved?

The role of a co-opted member is to complement the trustees’ grant-making knowledge with expertise in one of our core policy areas (responsible media, corporate accountability or democratic accountability) and holding powerful actors to account. Co-optees offer input on the context within which we make our grants and advise on which new applications to support, as well as other issues that arise in our work. We are looking for someone with knowledge of the policy/practice landscape and current challenges and opportunities as well as an awareness of organisations working in the field. 

For current work areas, please read our grants policy. 

The main work of the committee is assessing grant applications and making funding decisions. Co-opted members are fully involved in this process, which includes reading and commenting on proposals, and contributing at the committee meetings, as well as meeting with applicants. We also welcome contributions on the strategic context for funding and member support with learning and reflection about how we might make best use of our funds during a period of organisational and political change.

The committee usually meets three times a year, typically in February, June and October. These meetings are usually in central London or York. Co-optees also participate in assessment meetings with applicants – normally once a year.  Overall, the role requires a total commitment of around six days per year, including three days for committee meetings, two days for meeting with applicants, plus additional time for reading and commenting on applications.

The appointment would be for three years in the first instance, with the possibility of renewal for a further period of three years. 

Person specification

The committee is seeking an individual who will be able to contribute effectively to the full range of the committee’s work, but the committee is looking in particular for people with experience of issues of:

- Corporate accountability and reform (x2 roles)

- Democratic accountability and reform

- Power and accountability and the media

Please click on each role for more detailed information, including information on how to apply.