The Digital Freedom Fund works to advance digital rights through strategic litigation in Europe. We do this through grants that support the legal, advocacy, research, and other costs involved in litigation; through facilitating skill development and networking in the digital rights field; and through facilitating litigators’ access to pro bono legal support.
DFF also co-drives a process to decolonise the digital rights field, which informs all our work. The initiative emerged from conversations held at DFF strategy meetings, which brought into focus the need to reflect on the way in which uneven power dynamics, exclusion, and privilege play out in our field, including how these shape the way in which digital rights are conceived and how they are protected.
DFF is registered in The Netherlands and its office is in Berlin, with staff members in Germany, Belgium, and the UK. Board members are based in various countries.
Collaborate with DFF staff and other board members (all leaders in their respective fields) to provide strategic direction and oversight around the organisation’s activities and budget, with a focus on governance
Ensure accountability to DFF’s mission and values, and help ground our digital rights work in the lived experiences of people and communities targeted by data systems and related technology harms
Participate in four annual board meetings (three virtual meetings, and ideally one in-person)
Get involved with a highly collaborative, highly motivated and dynamic staff team
Participate in occasional strategic planning and reflection retreats with the organisation
Contribute to developing DFF’s financial resilience and membership base by connecting DFF to new networks and donors
Your engagement might include participation in:
Committees: the Board operates through ongoing committees, such as Finance, Grant Making, and Risks and Regulation
Ad hoc Working Groups: established for short periods to work on specific projects
Be available for a minimum three-year term, renewable once
Two Board leadership roles that need to be filled this year: Chair: Chairs the board meetings; creates a purposeful agenda in collaboration with the executive director; helps to assign people to different committees; serves as the contact for board issues; sets goals and objectives with the board and ensures they are met; holds members accountable for attending meetings and completing tasks. Secretary: Assures that an agenda has been prepared by the board chair and director and that the agenda is distributed in advance of the meeting; prepares the official minutes of the meeting and records motions, discussions, votes, and decisions; prepares and provides the previous meeting’s written minutes to board members before the next meeting and records any changes or corrections. Needs to be based in The Netherlands. These roles - and participation on the DFF Board in general - involve significant responsibilities. We are currently updating our articles of incorporation to enable the possibility of (modest) compensation of Board members in recognition for their important contributions. |
---|
As a social reform organisation in the digital rights field, the Digital Freedom Fund is committed to actively integrating an anti-colonial lens in its work. We encourage applications from a diverse range of backgrounds who are impacted by digital rights, and we welcome candidates based both inside and outside Europe.
DFF values the importance of non-traditional and/or non-formal experiences as much as academic and/or formal work experiences.
Affinity for oversight and/or strategic direction and NGO leadership
Strong understanding of or excitement to learn more about strategic litigation and the digital rights landscape in Europe
Commitment to - and expertise in- social justice and anti-colonial values and practices
(Based on gaps among current Board membership - if you have *any* of these skill-sets, we would really love to hear from you!)
Grassroots movement experience: professional and/or personal experience in grassroots advocacy around social, racial, economic, or environmental justice
Decolonising work and anti-oppression: professional experience leading or supporting organisational change efforts to promote anti-colonial, anti-oppressive, and accessible practices. Check out our “Decolonising Digital Rights” project to get a clearer sense of what we mean by all this!
NGO leadership: experience in an Executive Director role (or another role with similar responsibilities) at a nonprofit organisation
Organisational development and\\\\or human resources
Fundraising and/or grant making processes
Financial management
Media and digital communications
If you think this Board could be a fit for you, we’d love to talk more! We’re happy to answer questions and provide more information; Please feel free to reach out to the director Mauricio Lazala at mauricio[at]digitalfreedomfund[dot]org.
Once you’re ready to apply, please send the following to info[at]digitalfreedomfund[dot]org with \\\"[board application+your name]\\\" in the subject line: Board application
CV
A statement of motivation (1 page maximum), answering the following questions:
What does DFF\\\'s mission (found on our website) mean to you?
What interests you most about joining our Board of Directors?
How would your skills and experiences (personal and professional) translate into success in this role?
We look forward to hearing from you!