Trustee with Financial and Accounting Experience

The Organisation:

The Sathya Sai Sanctuary Trust for Nature, also known as the Sathya Sai Donkey Sanctuary, is a non-profit charity in County Sligo, Ireland, dedicated to providing refuge for neglected, unwanted donkeys, as well as some ponies, horses, and mules.  Founded in 1991 by the late Sue Paling, we aim to offer these animals a peaceful place to live out their lives and in selected cases, find new loving homes. The sanctuary is located near the ancient Neolithic site of Carrowkeel in the Bricklieve Mountains, an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Our primary mission is to serve as a Sanctuary for unwanted, sickly, abandoned or abused donkeys. Numbers in our care vary (as we actively try to place young healthy donkeys in adoption homes), but many of our intake remain with us in their twilight years, and it is not uncommon for donkeys to reach 40+ years of age.

Biodiversity, flora and fauna.

Our farmyard and sheds are home not only to donkeys, ponies. mules and horses, but a myriad of native Irish Wildlife and Flora. Look out for Devil’s Bit Scabious and Marsh Fritillary. Females lay hundreds of eggs on the underside of leaves. Larvae hatch and spin a web forming a protective silk sheet and feed on the leaves. Tiny yellowish brown larvae with conspicuous black heads change into darker larvae with conspicuous bristles and into brown larvae with a band of whitish speckles. Because they need to move to adjoining plants, females don’t lay on isolated plants. Marsh Fritillary butterfly is rare and on the Red Endangered List and is dependent on Devil’s Bit Scabious – both part of our sanctuarys’ biodiversity.

The Role:

Sathya Sai Sanctuary Trust for Nature is currently engaged in the process of moving from a Trust to CLG, with this hopefully completed soon. We have a requirement of a minimum of three trustees and are actively looking for our next Trustee with skills and experience in 

Finance and Accounting.

We are looking for someone who:

·       Has sound financial knowledge and an interest in understanding the financial operations of an animal welfare non-profit

·       An understanding of financial accounting within the nonprofit or voluntary sector

·       Will assist the board in maintaining financial records and help present them for audit

·       Will help develop and strengthen fiscal policies that protect the sanctuarys’s financial integrity and long-term sustainability

·       A genuine commitment to Sathya Sai Sanctuary’s mission and the time needed to carry out the role effectively

Applicants must be committed to “Animal Welfare” and the objects of the charity. 

Skills:

In addition, applicants must have the following skills: 

·       Commitment to highest levels of corporate governance

·       Experience serving on a board or committee or working closely with a board in a senior role, is an advantage.

·       Strong communication and people skills, with the ability to work well with trustees, staff, and other stakeholders. Able to provide constructive support and challenge and explain complex information clearly

·       Able to attend board meetings and carry out any follow-up tasks

·       Takes initiative, identifies problems, suggests practical solutions, maintains confidentiality, and acts fairly and impartially.

Charities Regulator’s General Duties of a Charity Trustee

• Comply with the Charity’s governing document
• Ensuring charity is complying with its charitable purpose for the public benefit
• Acting in the best interest of the charity
• Act with Reasonable Care and Skill
• Manage the assets of your charity

By being a trustee of Sathya Sai Sanctuary Trust for Nature, your responsibilities will include the following:

·       Providing input to the strategic direction of the organisation and contributing with insight, oversight, and experience at board meetings and any additional commitments

·       Policy development and implementation as required

Board Meetings:

Currently, The Board of Trustees of Sathya Sai Donkey Sanctuary convenes monthly, and meetings re conducted virtually via Zoom. However, moving forward, we hope to move this to every 6 weeks. Board meetings typically last for 1.5 hours.

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to:

Anne Stevenson sai.donkeys@gmail.com