Nominate Yourself to Join The Carpentries Board of Directors

Carpentries leaders are needed! Do you have:

A desire to join Carpentries leaders from around the world in shaping the future of The Carpentries and assuring our continued success?
A desire to expand your sense of contribution to The Carpentries by doing it at a global level?
A desire and willingness to advise and represent the entire organisation?
Knowledge and experience that will assist The Carpentries Board of Directors in strategically leading and guiding the organisation?

If yes, then The Carpentries needs YOU!

In the search for qualified candidates to serve on The Carpentries Board of Directors, every member of The Carpentries community is invited to participate in the process by nominating themselves for one of the seats coming up for election. Nominations close on 9 October, 2026, Anywhere on Earth (AoE).

The Board of Directors is the governance body for The Carpentries, and is responsible for strategic and organisational planning.

Community-elected Members

The Carpentries community will elect up to four individuals to the Board of Directors to serve a three-year term. Candidates for the election must self-nominate, and must already be voting members in The Carpentries as outlined in Article V Section 5.04 of The Carpentries bylaws. Any candidates who are not elected may be automatically considered for one of the Board-elected positions next year.

Nominate yourself for a community-elected position using The Carpentries Board of Directors: Community-Elected Positions form. Your answers will be used in a blog post announcing the candidates for the community election. You can read previous Election Nominee statements for inspiration.

What expertise are we looking for?

As The Carpentries continues to evolve, we are looking to strengthen the Board with a diverse range of experiences, perspectives, and expertise. In particular, we are interested in candidates with knowledge or experience in one or more of the following areas:

Innovation, technology, and organisational change, including artificial intelligence, new product development, evolving programs and services, and organisational restructuring.
Financial sustainability and resource development, including revenue generation, alternative revenue models, grant writing, fund development, and fundraising.
Partnerships and professional development, including building cross-sector partnerships and identifying training and growth opportunities for the Core Team.
Global perspectives and diverse contexts, including experience working across different geographic, cultural, and funding contexts.

We welcome candidates who bring experiences and perspectives that can strengthen the Board and help guide The Carpentries into the future. Above all, we are looking for candidates whose values align with the core values of The Carpentries and who are committed to supporting its mission and long-term sustainability.

Nominations for Community-elected positions close on 9 October, 2026, Anywhere on Earth (AoE).

Self-nominate for a Community-elected position

Please review the FAQ below before submitting a nomination.

The Carpentries Board of Directors Election FAQ

The Carpentries Board of Directors election process is determined by The Carpentries Bylaws. Below are several frequently asked questions that will help you understand the process.

1. What does the Carpentries Board of Directors do?

The Carpentries Board of Directors is the governance body of The Carpentries organisation. It is responsible for strategic and organisational planning, selecting the Executive Director and evaluating their performance, financial oversight, identifying revenue streams and resource development, approving and monitoring The Carpentries programs and services, and enhancing The Carpentries’ public image. Members of the Board also serve as advocates and ambassadors for the organisation, leveraging their networks to benefit the organisation’s reputation and fundraising. The Board carries out these responsibilities through quarterly meetings, regular correspondence, and collaboration via email and online platforms.

2. What expertise does the Board of Directors need?

In general, Board of Directors members possess some of the following characteristics:

Experience with strategic planning for a non-profit or another type of organisation
Experience with non-profit finances and fundraising, especially concerning sustainability
Familiarity with non-profit and open-source governance
Membership in or previous experience working with diverse communities
Expertise in educational pedagogy
Understanding and passion for The Carpentries mission and vision
Time to participate fully in Board and other Carpentries activities
Previous experience on a Board of Directors

3. How long is the Board term, and when does it start?

The first term for community-elected Board members is three (3) years, with new terms beginning on February 1st, following the election. Terms are staggered so that community members are elected every three years.

4. How much time would I need to commit to serving on the Board of Directors?

The Board meets online at least four (4) times per year—usually once a quarter—for 60-90 minutes. Members are expected to attend at least 75% of these meetings. The Board typically meets face-to-face once a year, and members must make themselves available to travel to this event. Standing Committees meet monthly—for 30-60 minutes—in addition to this, and individuals are responsible for taking on work between meetings (e.g. pre-reading meeting materials, writing and editing documents, and organising meetings and discussion sessions for the board and for the community). Board Officers and Standing Committee Chairs have an extra monthly meeting with the Executive Team—for 30-60 minutes—and spend considerable additional time on Carpentries matters.

5. Are Board members compensated?

Board members are not compensated for their contributions to The Carpentries, except for travel and accommodation costs related to their Board duties. This generally covers the one in-person meeting per year, but does not cover travel to CarpentryConnects or other Carpentries-related events.

6. How do I know if I am a voting member?

Only voting members of The Carpentries can vote in the election and self-nominate for community-elected positions. To be a voting member, you must meet one of the following conditions as outlined in Article V Section 5.04 of The Carpentries Bylaws: Individual Community Members meeting one of the following conditions are eligible to nominate and elect At-Large Directors to the Board and to vote for At-Large Directors (Section 6.03) in all Board elections.

Every individual who has completed Instructor or Trainer certification in the past year
Every individual who has completed their Instructor or Trainer certification in the last two years and has taught at least one official workshop of The Carpentries
Every individual who is a certified Instructor or Trainer and has taught at least two official workshops of The Carpentries in the past two years
Any individual who has contributed to The Carpentries through participation on a Committee or Task Force, serving as a mentor or Maintainer, or otherwise making a significant contribution to any Lesson Program or The Carpentries in the past year, and thus is considered active in the community.

Any individual who has participated on a committee, served as a mentor or maintainer, or otherwise made a significant contribution to any Lesson Program or The Carpentries organisation in the past year is also considered active in the community and is welcome to apply for Voting Membership by completing the application for voting membership.

7. What is the timeline for the elections?

September 6: Nominations open
October 9: Nominations close
October 16: Deadline for candidates to submit statements
October 19: Confirmation emails sent for voting status
October 23: Blog posts from candidates for community-elected positions are available to the community
November 2-13: Voting is open for community-elected positions
November 18: Election results confirmed by Board of Directors

8. What is the difference between community elections and Board elections?

For community elections: members of the community nominate themselves and are voted in by a majority of Individual Community Members during a public voting period.

For Board elections: an individual is nominated by a member of the Board and elected by a majority of the Board at a quarterly meeting.

Community and Board elections occur during consecutive years and help to stagger Board Directors’ terms of office. More information about elections can be found in The Carpentries Bylaws.

Need Help?

If you are unsure if you are a voting-eligible member, log in to AMY to see if the records show you are eligible based on the criteria above.
If you need records updated, help logging into AMY, or have any questions, please email team@carpentries.org.
If you have taught workshops that are not registered, please include a link to the workshop website(s) in your email to team@carpentries.org. We will also email each Instructor their status before voting opens.