Eligibility Determination of BOD Nominees

If you are nominated by a delegate for an open seat on the LifeRing Board of Directors, you will need to meet the requirements listed, adhere to the Commitment Letter, and provide the following Personal Information to the Registrar of Voters (registrar@lifering.org) on or before May 31st, 2025.

Board Member Requirements

 

    • You must be a person in recovery with lived experience with problematic substance use.

 

    • You must be a member of LifeRing Secular Recovery.

 

    • You must be at least 21 years of age.

 

    • You must have abstained from alcohol or nonmedically indicated drugs continuously for at least two years before commencing service.

 

 

 

Board Member Commitments

You agree to abide by these conditions if elected to the Board of Directors
Full BOD Commitment Letter

Time Commitment

 

    • As a Board Member, you will participate in our monthly Board meetings, which are usually held by conference call on the second Sunday of each month and last about ninety minutes. Please take the time to prepare for these meetings by reading any document sent to you before each meeting.

 

    • We encourage you to take on one of the Officer positions (such as Secretary or Treasurer) or any other of the administrative positions, since all work at all levels, except for our part-time office administrator, is done by volunteers.
      We expect that you will be active in the organization in other ways as well, by starting a LifeRing meeting in your area, helping to convene existing ones, or by serving as a local, regional, or online coordinator. Alternatively, you could serve on one of our committees for fundraising, outreach, website planning, annual conference planning, etc.

 

    • Five to six hours of your time per month should suffice to meet these obligations. However, you are more than welcome to build your commitment as your situation allows.

 

    • You are strongly recommended to attend the LifeRing Annual Meeting and Congress. Traditionally, this is a two-day event opening with the Annual Meeting and concluding with the Annual Congress. The dates and gathering format are selected by the board and usually occur in early June June.

 

 

Fundraising

 

    • We ask that you as an individual set an example by making such regular financial contributions to LifeRing as your personal circumstances allow.

 

    • LifeRing's continued success depends on fundraising. Fundraising is a critical Board function and the Board's Fundraising Chair has the lead responsibility here. However, each member of the Board must commit to working together with the Fundraising Committee, the Board Chair, and the Executive Director to develop an effective plan for improved performance in this area. You will be asked to participate in the organization's regular fundraising operations, such as mailings, follow-ups, and writing thank-you notes.

 

    • We hope that you will be active in helping to identify sources of potential grant money, and to solicit individuals whom you know or members of your community with whom you are connected to make donations to LifeRing.

 

 

Electronic Communications

 

    • Communication is crucial to a well-run organization.

 

    • LifeRing, because of costs and the diverse location of board members, relies on email communication between monthly meetings to get the work done. As a result, we request that you, as a board member, make a conscious and routine effort to check your board email every day and respond if applicable in a prompt and appropriate manner.

 

    • To help with LifeRing communications, each board member will be given a LifeRing email address. All Board communication will use this LifeRing email address.

 

    • All board meetings use Zoom. You need access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone with video/audio availability and a reliable internet connection to participate. Call-in numbers are available for phone use as a backup. The LifeRing office will provide the meeting credentials and phone numbers for the Zoom service as needed.

 

 

Personal Commitment

 

    • LifeRing Board Members not only represent the organization and what it stands for but are also exemplars for other people in recovery who come to LifeRing for help and support. Members of the Board of Directors must themselves be in recovery and have at least two years of sobriety at the beginning of their term.  Board Members who do not remain sober automatically resign their positions.

 

    • Unless there is a compelling reason agreed to by the rest of the Board to the contrary, your name and your LifeRing email address (see "Electronic Communications" above) will be published on our website, and your name and short biography may be included in grant applications that we submit to organizations or individual grant givers.

 

    • You will be protected by LifeRing's Directors and Officers Liability Insurance in the unlikely case a claim is filed against the organization during the time you serve on the Board of Directors.

 

- End of BOD Commitment Letter Summary -

 

Personal Information Required of BOD Candidates:

 

    • First and Last Name (posted on the website)

 

    • Location (City and State/Province information will be posted on the website)

 

    • Telephone number (not posted on the website)

 

    • Personal email address (not posted on the website)

 

    • Length of consecutive sobriety time (posted on the website)

 

    • Length of time with LifeRing

 

    • Personal Statement | Why do you want to be on the Board of Directors? What talents and abilities will you bring to the Board? (posted on the website)?

 

Please forward this information to the Registrar of Voters (registrar@lifering.org) or by postal mail (LifeRing address listed in the footer) at your earliest convenience.

Note: Your name, location, length of continuous sobriety, length of time with LifeRing, and your Personal Statement will be posted on the website. Other personal information will be used for internal messaging and will not be posted publicly.