In September 2007, the foundation announced the first of its new advisory panels, created as part of our effort to benefit from outside experts and, ultimately, have a greater impact on the world's inequities. We expect these panels will play an important role in strengthening the work of our Global Health, Global Development, and United States Program teams. Panel members are distinguished experts with a range of experiences and perspectives. They are working directly with our program presidents to offer independent, frank assessments of our strategies and to help us evaluate results.
Please note: Our advisory panels do not review specific grant requests or proposals.
Members
You can view the membership of each advisory panel on the following pages:
Selection
Our program presidents worked with their teams to outline goals and evaluation criteria for potential candidates. In consultation with CEO
Jeff Raikes, the presidents invited five to seven individuals per panel to participate, including a chair. Each program president designated a chair.
Responsibilities
- Serve one three-year term
- Participate in two panel meetings a year
- Provide input on program strategies
- Be available periodically to give counsel to program presidents
Each panel chair works with the program president to set meeting agendas, preside over meetings, and summarize discussions for our CEO and trustees.
Compensation
- In recognition of the time and effort required, each panel member is offered an honorarium of $4,000 for each meeting, a figure based on guidelines for U.S. federal government advisory panels. (The panel chair is offered $5,000 in recognition of greater time commitment.)
- The foundation covers all travel-related expenses.
Restrictions
- Panel members are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest, such as an association with one of our grantees. (Because we include on our panels top experts in the issues we address, it is possible that such a connection can arise. The presidents and panel chairs have looked closely at any such potential conflicts of interest and, if necessary, may excuse members from certain discussions or allow temporary absences from panel service.)
- Panel members must abide by confidentiality and insider-trading agreements with the foundation
Timeline
These panels will be in operation for three years. Near the end of that term, we will review how the panels are working and determine whether to continue and, if so, what changes we might make. We know we may not get all the details right the first time.