The election process to appoint new members to the CIVICUS Board is now officially open. This presents an opportunity for CIVICUS Members to play an active role in the governance of the Alliance and to help shape and steer its next Five-Year Strategic Plan.

The terms of office of two Board members will come to an end on 31 December 2026, while three current Board members will be eligible to stand for re-election for a second three-year term. We are therefore seeking five committed, diverse, and passionate civil society leaders to join the continuing members of the Board in governing the CIVICUS Alliance for the 2027–2029 term.

Make your nomination by midnight GMT+2, Friday, 04 September 2026. The CIVICUS Board particularly encourages nomination of representatives from traditionally excluded communities."

The Board's Nominations Committee (NomsCo), established to oversee the 2026 Board election, comprises four current Board members and one external member. The Committee members are Mario Roset, Sonia Kwami, Vandita Morarka, Irene Petras, and Anabel Cruz, who serves as the external member.

NomsCo will be responsible for shortlisting up to 15 qualifying candidates for presentation to the CIVICUS Voting Membership for election.

In selecting candidates, the Committee will be guided by a broad range of considerations. In addition to the standard eligibility criteria outlined below, these will include the skills and expertise required by the Board, regional and sectoral representation, diversity, and the inclusion of historically underrepresented groups, among other factors.

Between its first and second meetings, the NomsCo hosts a Question-and-Answer session for prospective candidates. The session provides an opportunity for the Committee to learn more about the candidates, including their backgrounds, motivations, and aspirations for Board service.

For nominees, the session offers an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the election process and to engage directly with serving Board members, providing first-hand insight into the responsibilities, expectations, and experience of Board service. 

In order to stand for Board election or vote for a preferred candidate, you must either be an individual CIVICUS Voting member or a nominated representative of an organisation with CIVICUS Voting member status.

We welcome all civil society actors who demonstrate that they are committed to strengthening civil society and citizen action, adhere to the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and use peaceful means to pursue their objectives.

Further criteria considered by the Nominations Committee will include:

• Active commitment to and support for CIVICUS’ Mission, Vision and Goals, Commitment to the principles of accountability, diversity and inclusion that we value and represent as an alliance
• Ability to devote the time and energy to responsibilities of the Board, including regular attendance at meetings, serving on sub-committees of the Board and representing CIVICUS externally where needed
• Contribution to our strategic vision by providing direction and inputs to the development of a strategic plan that is backed by measurable goals and financial resources
• Willingness to understand, accept and comply with Board responsibilities and policies
• Support to shared outcomes needed through teamwork, enthusiasm, innovation and candidness
• Support to advancing the learning and achievements of the alliance through critical insights and judgements.

Details on the Board Legal Duties and Code of Conduct can be found here.

Note: To be eligible to stand for election, you will need to be a verified CIVICUS voting member.

Please contact John Mang’ana at for further information on the CIVICUS Board or the elections process.

Please see the following section on how to become a Voting member.

CIVICUS members are authentic foundations, civil society organisations, national or regional civil society platforms or networks, social movements or individual who have attained recognition in their communities or among their peers. They abide by and promote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, embody CIVICUS’ Vision, Mission, and Values, and adhere to CIVICUS’ Code of Conduct for members.

Voting members collectively set the agenda and priorities for the CIVICUS alliance, playing a leadership role in key activities, increasing their visibility, and enhancing the diversity and resilience of the alliance through support to the CIVICUS Solidarity Fund.

To become a voting member:

1. Fill in the Online Form
2. Complete the three-tier assessment:

   i. a self-assessment on your commitment to human rights and social justice,

   ii. a peer review from an organisation, activist or constituent related to how your values are reflected in your work, and

   iii. an indication of the supporting documentation you have.

Pay the Voting membership fee. Please note – the Voting membership fee is optional if you are an individual or if your organisation has an annual income of under $80k. The membership fee goes towards the CIVICUS Solidarity Fund.

Detailed information on becoming a CIVICUS Voting member can be found on our website or through contact with our Membership Team at .

Guidelines on the elections process and some frequently asked questions

1. Where do I find additional information on the elections process?

Detailed information on the elections process is available on the election webpage in the CIVICUS website. But you can also get in touch with our elections team using the following email address:

The Nominations Committee plans to hold an open question and answer session on Wednesday, 09 September, where nominees can clarify any matters related to the election process and directly hear from current and former Board members on Board related responsibilities. The actual time for the sessions will be communicated at a later stage when it is possible to determine the potential candidates’ time zones. 

2. Are candidates allowed to campaign?

To ensure a level playing field, the Nominations Committee will publish standardised information on all candidates on the election webpage. The same information will also be available through the voting platform.

While CIVICUS encourages equal access to information for all candidates, it does not prohibit candidates from reaching out directly to their networks within the Voting Membership to seek support. Candidates and members may also engage through the Mango platform, which is open to all verified Voting Members. However, CIVICUS discourages aggressive campaigning or the use of intrusive campaign tactics.

CIVICUS will not share its membership list with candidates for privacy and security reasons. Firstly, 71% of CIVICUS members operate in countries with obstructed, repressed, or closed civic space, where public association with CIVICUS could expose them to unnecessary risk.

Secondly, CIVICUS is bound by applicable data protection legislation, including the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) in South Africa and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the United Kingdom. These laws prohibit the disclosure of members' personal information without their consent. Although members are asked when joining whether they consent to having their details shared, only around 25% of Voting Members have agreed to do so. Recognising that members' circumstances and preferences may change over time, CIVICUS adopts a precautionary approach by treating members' personal information as confidential unless there is clear and current consent to disclose it.

3. Can the elections be audited?

Yes, CIVICUS uses election platforms that allow for the auditing of voting and election outcomes. Currently CIVICUS uses either a voting platform available via the Mango App or Helios.