Application Form - SDI Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is the governing body of Spiritual Directors International. With the role comes fiduciary, visionary, strategic planning, and Executive Director oversight responsibilities. Board members serve three-year terms, and new members are appointed as members of the Board complete their terms of office.

As part of this Board’s commitment to Diversity and Belonging, we strongly encourage people from varied backgrounds, gender identities, ethnicities, nationalities, and religious traditions and/or spiritual orientations to apply. We deeply value, cherish, and encourage you all.

“Our Call To You” is in the linked PDF on the right. Please read it first.

SDI Board Members Call To Serve

Important Deadlines

February 27th: Applications open

March 30th: Applications due

May 1st: Short list candidates selected and contacted for interviews

June 15-30: Final decisions by the board

July 1st, 2026: New terms begin for selected applicants

Instructions

Please complete the application below. We highly recommend you type your answers to the questions in a separate document, save it, and then copy/paste your answers into this application form. That way, if you have any technology issues, you won’t accidentally lose any of your writing. When the form is all filled out with your responses, click the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom, and wait for the green notification saying your application was successfully sent. Thank you.

SDI Board of Directors - Application Form

Please upload a small photo of yourself (jpeg, png formats preferred, 2mb max size)

Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload

First or Given Name

Family or Last Name

Title, Suffix, Credential

What are your pronouns?

City, State, Province, or Territory

Country

Telephone

Birth Year

Gender

Spiritual, Religious, or Denominational Tradition(s)

Please identify yourself as:

Lay or equivalent
Clergy or equivalent
Other (describe) Spiritual Director or Companion working outside of organized religious traditions

How many years have you been a member of SDI?

What was your training or formation process in spiritual direction or companionship? Who were the significant people in that process? (50-150 words)

What is the most important aspect of the SDI Guidelines for Ethical Practice to you, and why? (250 words)

What contemplative practices “make your heart sing?” (50–100 words)

Describe the current setting or role in which you provide spiritual direction or companionship. For how many years have you served as a spiritual companion and in what contexts? (50-100 words)

Write a brief biography that SDI could use to explain to our members your sense of call to serve on the Board of Directors and what you would bring in your service as a Board of Directors member. Include the skills, gifts and experiences that would contribute to your role. (250 words)

Describe your vision for the future of Spiritual Directors International. (250 words)

In what ways have you been involved in Spiritual Directors International to date? (50-150 words)

With a focus on the last ten years, in what ways have you been involved in other nonprofit organizations, spiritual centers, and training programs? Tell us about any governance experience serving on the board of directors of nonprofits. Tell us about any executive experience (secretary, treasurer, chair). How many years? Tell us about any public relations, marketing, and fund-raising experience, and if you have experience mentoring and educating spiritual directors or companions. (50–300 words)

SDI is deeply committed to diversity and belonging, in our outward-facing offerings, in our structures and processes, and in our governance as a Board of Directors. Please give us a sense of your experience with inclusive initiatives and activities that you have been a part of in some way. And/or briefly share a story of how you effected systemic change in a sphere you occupy. (Please note, it is our sense that for all of us, this is a process of becoming, so true stories of movements still in-process are most welcome and held in confidence.) (up to 300 words)

If you have been involved personally or professionally in programs or initiatives that wrestled with growing diversity, please tell us a bit about them, and what if anything was helpful to you, and, what if anything did not meet your needs or expectations. (up to 250 words)

Please describe any experience you have had with strategic planning whether on a professional level or a high level volunteer role. Please reflect briefly on what difference the strategic planning process made to the organization. Provide 1-2 examples (350 words)

Tell us about your current experience of receiving supervision, or other entity that you hold yourself accountable to, as a spiritual director/spiritual companion (refer to SDI ethical guidelines). How often do you meet with that person or entity? Please add any other thoughts on how you structure reflection on your practice (300 words)

What is your experience with managing others, providing constructive/corrective feedback, conducting performance reviews, and discussing compensation? What is your comfort level with these areas of responsibility? (The Board is responsible for providing guidance to the Executive Director in all these aspects.) (250 words)

How much time (in hours per month) can you comfortably give to board service in the coming year? As an international board, we have quarterly meetings at times that work across many time zones (3 hours each). You will also be asked to participate in board committees, and affinity groups, with their own frequency (usually 2 hours every other month, but some may require more intensive involvement). We also have a yearly board retreat (3 days in duration) either in person or virtually. If in person, this will involve additional time traveling to and back from this retreat. Additionally, we have a yearly 3 day SDI conference to which we add a 1 day board gathering, for 4 days total, either in person or virtually. If in person, this will involve additional time travelling to and back from this conference and gathering.

Application Form - SDI Board of Directors

“Our Call To You” is in the linked PDF on the right. Please read it first.

Important Deadlines

Instructions

SDI Board of Directors - Application Form

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