Following the 2017 and 2021 reforms of the Bylaws of Open Source Matters, the organization needs to appoint an Advisory Board and we would like to hear your suggestions and recommendations to help find the right people for such a role.

With the change in the leadership structure back in 2017, the Bylaws added an additional governance body in the project: the Advisory Board.

Unfortunately, the role of the Advisory Board was not well defined and there were some gaps in the responsibilities and expectations, and its place in the overall structure.

The new revised Bylaws, approved in 2021, include a more comprehensive description of the Advisory Board structure and clarifications about its responsibilities.

What is an Advisory Board

From Wikipedia:

An advisory board is a body that provides non-binding strategic advice to the management of a corporation, organization, or foundation. The informal nature of an advisory board gives greater flexibility in structure and management compared to the board of directors. Unlike the board of directors, the advisory board does not have authority to vote on corporate matters or bear legal fiduciary responsibilities. Many new or small businesses choose to have advisory boards in order to benefit from the knowledge of others, without the expense or formality of the board of directors. [...]
The function of an advisory board is to offer assistance to enterprises with anything from marketing to managing human resources to influencing the direction of regulators. Advisory boards are composed of accomplished experts offering innovative advice and dynamic perspectives. [...]

The role of the Advisory Board In Open Source Matters

The role of the Advisory Board is formally defined in Section 9.10 of the Bylaws of the Corporation. 

Responsibilities include:

• Support the Corporation through strategic advice.
• Facilitate networking with other FOSS projects.
• Increase the visibility of the Joomla! Project.
• Facilitate the process of finding new sponsors, through networking initiatives.
• Review the operation of the Full Board and provide suggestions or recommendations.
• Act as a resource of knowledge and information for the Board of Directors.
• Provide market and business insights.

Who would be right for such a position?

• Individuals not currently affiliated with the Joomla Project, or those without an active role within the Joomla Project.
• Accomplished experts in the Web industry and the Nonprofit sector.
• Directors and leadership of other FOSS Projects.

How does the appointment work?

It’s the responsibility of the Full Board of Directors and Officers of Open Source Matters to appoint the Advisory Board, however, the Board has decided to open up this process, allowing the Community to encourage those qualified individuals to self-nominate for the position of “Member of the Advisory Board”.

The appointed individuals shall serve for a One-Year Term.

The Advisory Board shall meet at least on a monthly basis and publish meeting minutes on the Volunteers Portal.

Should you have any questions about the role please write at or join the public channel called “Advisory Board Recruitment” in the Joomla RingCentral Glip Workspace.

We are looking forward to appointing between three and seven individuals as Members of the Advisory Board.

Submit a nomination for the Advisory Board

Nominations are open until May 15th, 2021 23.59 UTC.