In Counsel With Women - Membership Application

We have listened to your feedback and we are changing the membership selection process.

We believe the changes will:

create a streamlined, fair & transparent process that is easily understood by the membership;
cut down on the number of hours (and reams of paper) involved in the process;
attract high quality candidates;
maintain the intimate & meaningful experience ICWW is known for;
quickly acclimate new members into the group
give ICWW more lead time to for major projects like the Directory, annual dues renewal, etc.

Important things to know about the changes:

The process will be "by invitation only."
The number of new members invited to join every year will be in the range of 4-6 so that we can quickly acclimate newcomers and not be overwhelmed by new classes of 15+ members. If you don't have the "perfect" candidate, resist nominating someone until you do.
No potential member will be asked to fill out an application unless she has already been invited to join. By the time the applicant is filling out paperwork, she is being invited to join ICWW.
We have eliminated the need for multiple reference letters; they didn't add meaningful info to the process in the past several years.

2012 Membership Process

ICWW member fills out a one page sheet (112K PDF) proposing a candidate for membership. Note that the candidate is not assured membership at this point, so to avoid any awkward situations, please complete this form with discretion—it is up to you if you let the proposed candidate know she is under consideration at this point.
Late February - DEADLINE to submit a name for consideration. You have less than a month, so act quickly if you have the perfect candidate.
Early March - Membership committee meets to review proposed candidates.
March 16th - Slate of new members is presented for approval at the ICWW board meeting.
Same day - Membership committee calls nominators with results.
ASAP - Nominator calls candidate and invites her into membership. If she accepts, ICWW will e-mail her the application and dues invoice.
April-August - New members are invited to attend Wicked Wednesdays to get to know the membership in small, intimate gatherings.
August - New members are formally introduced at the summer reception.

Please see the Membership Proposal (112K PDF) and Criteria for Membership (117K PDF) forms. Remember, the deadline to propose a new member for consideration is February 28!

Selection Guidelines for In Counsel With Women Membership

We seek women who are top leaders, including:

Leaders in their organization
Leaders in their field
Leaders in civic and community activities
Leaders with established and meaningful spheres of influence

For candidates employed by public companies or large enterprises (annual revenues $500 million and above), women who:

Occupy an executive position within two reporting positions from the chairman, CEO or managing partner (whether local or national)
Have broad strategic responsibility and at least 7 years of leadership experience
Have an established and meaningful sphere of influence as demonstrated by interaction with senior leaders in the community

For candidates employed by a small or midsize company (annual revenues under $500 million), women who:

Direct the business or report directly to the CEO
Have broad strategic responsibility and at least 7 years of leadership experience
Are in a business with minimum annual revenues of at least $1 million with significant clients and a demonstrated growth record
Have an established and meaningful sphere of influence as demonstrated by interaction with senior leaders in the community

For candidates employed by a professional services firm, women who:

Are partners or equivalent
Have broad strategic responsibility and at least 7 years of leadership/partnership experience
Have an established and meaningful sphere of influence as demonstrated by interaction with senior leaders in the community

For candidates employed in the nonprofit sector, women who:

Are executive directors or equivalent
Have broad strategic responsibility and at least 7 years of leadership experience
Oversee a budget of $5 million or greater - or -
Have an established & meaningful sphere of influence as demonstrated by interaction with senior leaders in the community, or strongly align with the mission of ICWW

For candidates self-employed as consultants, women who:

Direct the business full time
Have broad strategic responsibility and at least 7 years of leadership experience
Are in a business with minimum annual revenue of $250,000 with significant clients
Have an established and meaningful sphere of influence as demonstrated by interaction with senior leaders in the community

Other factors considered:

Is the candidate considered a leader in her organization, industry, and community?
Is the candidate's organization a leader in its industry?
Do the candidate's peers consider her pre-eminent?
Is the candidate's firm a sustainable concern?
Will the candidate contribute to a diverse membership?
Is the candidate committed to active participation in In Counsel With Women programs?
Will the candidate enrich In Counsel With Women membership?
Has the candidate demonstrated support of other women?

In Counsel With Women would like to thank The Cleveland Foundation for its support of this website.