Background: In 66 countries around the world, LGBTI+ people are criminalised because of who they are and who they love. In 32 of these countries, homophobic, lesbophobic, biphobic, transphobic and intersexphobic laws imposed during the British colonial era have yet to be repealed or reformed. In many others, the protective legislation and policy needed to close the gaps that enable discrimination and violence to take place remain to be adopted or implemented. To this end, we support civil society change-makers working to protect and promote LGBTI+ rights in their countries. We influence political leaders in the UK and beyond to ensure they are doing what is needed. And we bring diverse sets of actors in government, global institutions, and civil society together into international coalitions for change. Our work is driven by the simple beliefs that LGBTI+ people should be able to live free, safe and equal lives everywhere and that no LGBTI+ person should be left behind in the fight for freedom, safety and equality.
Our Board: Kaleidoscope Trust’s Board of Trustees are dedicated volunteers who are passionate about the human rights of LGBTI+ people. The charity has an enormous task on its hands – that’s why we have worked hard to build a supportive and skilled Trustee membership with an inspiring network of strategic thinkers who hold key accountability for the delivery of our mission. Our Trustees are jointly and individually responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of Kaleidoscope Trust; they maintain oversight of the organisation’s financial health and ensure that it operates within the scope of its governing document as well as in compliance with relevant legal and regulatory guidelines. Our current Treasurer is due to complete their final term of the Board, so we are keen to find a strong candidate for them to hand over to. With support from the operations, finance and compliance team and with oversight from the Executive Leadership and the Board Chair, the role serves to: ● ensure the financial affairs of the organisation are conducted within legal requirements and accounting best practice; ● collaborate with the Chair, Executive Director and Senior Management to ensure the financial viability and development of the organisation; ● reliably participate at Board and committee meetings as follows: ⇒ Quarterly Board meetings in East London (Feb, Apr, Jul, Oct) ⇒ Quarterly Audit and Risk Committees via Zoom ⇒ Quarterly Fundraising & Communications Committees via Zoom ⇒ Bi-Annual HR and Remuneration Committees via Zoom
Key responsibilities The Treasurer will provide the following support: ● Preparing and presenting financial reports at quarterly Board meetings. ● Ensuring that the charity maintains and reviews its reserves policy. ● Advising on the financial implications or risks of the organisation’s strategic plans. ● Working with the finance team to support the external audit process and to ensure annual financial statements are prepared and disclosed in the form required by funders and the relevant statutory bodies, i.e. Charity Commission and Companies House. ● Keeping the Board informed of its financial duties and responsibilities.
Person Specification: We commit to ensuring our work is intersectional. We consider how social and political identities like gender, race, class, religion, ability, and socio-economic status impact on the lives of – and contribute to – the structural inequalities faced by LGBTI+ people of diverse backgrounds. It’s crucial to us that our Board membership is representative of the people we work alongside. We know that diverse Boards are the most effective: they can think creatively, make balanced decisions, and hold each other to account. We enthusiastically encourage applications from trans people, women, Black people and people of the global majority, people from working class backgrounds and people of faith. We are looking for a candidate with relevant experience who can demonstrate and deliver the following: Essential ● Current knowledge of accountancy, auditing, bookkeeping and financial management practices at a senior level. ● Strategic financial planning, forecasting, and reporting skills. ● The ability to present and communicate complex financial information in an accessible way. ● An understanding of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of a trustee. ● A commitment to devote the necessary time to prepare for, attend and contribute meaningfully at Board and committee meetings. ● A commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. ● A willingness to lead according to our values: o Accountability: We are open and transparent, in both our organisational culture and in the work we carry out across the world. o Collaboration: We strive to work with and for LGBTI+ communities in our countries of focus, co-creating strategies that are sustainable and speak to the needs of the community. o Compassion: At the heart of our fight for the human rights for LGBTI+ people is the understanding that, in order for all people to be treated equally, we must extend our compassion to those who may look, live, or love differently to us. o Expertise: We ensure our interventions are both informed by experts and underpinned by best practice. o Intersectionality: The way we work considers how social and political identities like gender, race, class, religion, ability, and socio-economic status contribute to structural inequalities faced by LGBTI+ people. Desirable ● Knowledge of the type of work undertaken by the charity. ● Experience of charity finance, payroll, fundraising and pension schemes. ● Previous experience as a Trustee / Treasurer.
Time Commitment and Location ● The Board meets four times per year at 18:30 (Feb, Apr, Jul, Oct) in East London. ● In addition to Board meetings, the Treasurer will also be required to attend our sub committees: o Quarterly Audit and Risk Committees via Zoom o Quarterly Fundraising & Communications Committees via Zoom o Bi-Annual HR and Remuneration Committees via Zoom ● The term for Board membership is three years, which can be renewed for a second term. ● The role is voluntary and unpaid, but reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.
How to apply: Please send a completed Recruitment Monitoring and Analysis Form, your CV and a one-page covering letter explaining: (i) your interest in joining Kaleidoscope Trust and; (ii) your relevant experience as per the skills and competencies outlined above. Please title your communication: ‘Vacancy: Treasurer’ and email through to: [email protected] Closing date: Tue 31st October 2023 at 23:59 Interviews: To take place in London during the week commencing 6 November 2023 Start date: Induction to start in November 2023. The successful applicants’ first Board meeting is scheduled to take place in February 2024.