Tag: johtokunta

Would you like to enhance your leadership skills and gain valuable experience of managing a small association? KVT is looking for a new chair person for 2026!

What?

Chair of KVT’s board is a voluntary position in which you will coordinate the work of the board, chair board meetings and collaborate closely with the office staff for example in preparing topics for the board’s meeting agenda. More information on tasks of the board can be found here. You won’t be carrying all the chair responsibilities alone but will share tasks with one or two vice chairs depending on each of your interests. You will also get briefing and support from the previous chair. 

Why would I want to become the chair?

You will get valuable experience of administration of a small association and volunteer coordination. Working together with a great crew of volunteers, you will get to enhance your leadership, collaboration and practical facilitation skills. If you already have ideas of how you would like to see KVT develop in the near future, as a chair you will be in a great position to advance those goals (and if you don’t, no worries – general motivation to be the chair is equally important)! You will also have a great opportunity to get to know KVT’s partners and networks, both in the SCI’s international network and the Finnish NGO sector.

What are the requirements?

We hope for the new chair to already be at least somewhat familiar with KVT’s activities and have previous experience as a board member of a non-profit association. Knowledge of written Finnish is an asset (although does not need to be native-speaker level), as the position involves dealing with official documents written in Finnish. To enjoy the tasks coming up with the position, it is also helpful to like working with people and doing things together, building group spirit and motivation among other volunteers, and at least tolerate administrative tasks.

Does being the chair mean that I need to be always available?

No. The chair, too, is a volunteer who is carrying out their tasks according to their own capacity and other commitments in life. It is possible and even recommended to share responsibilities with the vice chairs and to delegate tasks to other board members. However, it is good to have time for the board meetings (although you don’t need to be able to attend every single one of them) and for coordinating the board’s main responsibilities, such as preparation of the annual report and plan of action. We hope you are ready to commit to the position for a full year, but acknowledge that sometimes life happens and that’s totally ok. 

I might be interested, how can I apply and where can I get more information?

Message the current chair Hanna () and ask for more details! Applications for the position can be sent to the same email at the latest by Monday, November 24th. In your application, please tell briefly

• who you are,
• why you are interested in the chair position, and
• what kind of previous experience you have with KVT and/or other associations.
• (optional:) If you have a particular aspect of KV’s work in mind that you would like the board to focus on improving next year, you can also share that.

The new chair will be elected in KVT’s fall annual meeting on November 27th along with the other board members. The meeting will be organized at Rauhanasema, Helsinki on Thursday, November 27th at 5:30pm. Online participation is also possible.

Are you interested in association activities and gaining a deeper understanding of how to manage a small organization? Would you like a front-row seat to make an impact on what happens in KVT? Apply to join the board for 2026!

KVT’s activities are planned and carried out by a board, known as “Johtis,” consisting of 9-12 volunteers elected by KVT members. In Johtis, you will gain a deeper understanding of KVT’s work and peace activities both locally and internationally. You’ll gain experience of governance of an association and have the opportunity to do meaningful volunteer work in a great team. As a board member, you can develop your skills not only in traditional board activities but also by participating in events, trainings, and seminars.

The board meets about once a month, and meetings are held both in person and online, depending on the preferences of the board members. It’s also possible to attend in-person meetings remotely when needed.

You are welcome to join Johtis with any level of experience with association work; there are roles for both beginners and veterans. Board members share tasks based on their interests: you don’t need to know everything beforehand, and you will not be working on things alone. The most important things are enthusiasm for influencing KVT’s activities, active participation in the board’s work, and sharing KVT’s values.

Board members and chair person will be elected in KVT’s fall annual meeting on Thursday, November 27, starting at 5:30pm at Rauhanasema. It is also possible to join the meeting online.

What kinds of positions are available?

We are looking for people for the following roles in KVT’s 2026 board:

• Chair person (see a separate call for applications)
• 7 other actual members, amongst whom 1-2 vice chair will be nominated
• 1-4 vice members

Vice members participate in the activities of the board like actual members, apart from that they cannot act as a chair or vice chair and can only vote when an actual member is absent. The board will select the vice chair(s) in its first meeting of the year.

What does the board do and what can I do in the board?

The board plans, implements and evaluates KVT’s annual activities together with the office staff and working groups. The main responsibilities of the board are creating and following KVT’s annual plan of action, representing KVT as an employer, following up on the association’s finances, and making important decisions concerning KVT’s activities and future plans (including updates on the annual budget, approving proposed voluntary workcamps for the coming camp season, recruiting new employees, applying for project grants or joining international projects..).

In addition, activities of the board depend on the interests of its individual members. As a board member, you can decide yourself what kind of tasks or topic you would like to focus on. Here are some examples:

• Secretary tasks in board meetings, participating in writing of annual report, plan of action or grant applications 
• Organizing events (e.g., the annual volunteer weekend) and recreational activities
• Following up on finances
• HR-related tasks, such as acting as a contact person for the office staff, annual development discussions, recruitment processes 
• Fundraising
• International relations: e.g., joining SCI’s international seminars or working groups
• Communications tasks, such as writing membership letters, creating content for social media, or visiting events, educational institutions, or youth work organizations to tell about KVT
• Monitoring climate impact of KVT’s activities and developing environmentally friendly practices
• Equity and accessibility issues, such as multilingual and accessible communication, improving inclusivity of KVT’s activities for volunteers from diverse backgrounds and in different life situations 
• Perspectives of young volunteers on developing KVT’s activities

How can I apply?

If you are interested or would like to know more, please be in touch! To apply, you can send a short introduction of yourself to KVT’s current chair Hanna () at the latest by Monday, November 24th. In the introduction you can share:

• who you are
• how well you know KVT beforehand
• why you would like to join the board, and
• what kind of tasks or topics you would find especially interesting.

Welcome on board!