About Us

A new initiative has been formed by Ethiopians and friends living abroad to support environmental and water management activities around Lake Tana. This association aims to restore a healthy biodiversity and a well-managed aquatic environment by addressing current challenges such as the spread of water hyacinth and water pollution. Lets support activities to save the lake so that it will continue to provide its economic and social benefits for people living in the region and beyond.

Roles and Responsibilitites

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees oversees the operations of the organization, ensuring that organizational objectives and plans are met, the mission addresses a community need, the practices are ethical, and legal requirements are met. The board is responsible for assuring the financial integrity, solvency of the organization and establishing procedures to safeguard the organization from any risk. The roles and responsibilities of the Board include:

  • Monitors the organization’s adherence to state, federal and international laws and regulations
  • Establishes organizational policies and strategic direction to facilitate the organization in fulfilling its goals
  • Ensures that programs/projects are consistent with the organization’s mission, and services provided are according to best practices, and that they are regularly evaluated and monitored for greater effectiveness
  • Reviews and monitors all financial assets to insure prudent management, safekeeping, and protection
  • Adopts policies and procedures to create a culture of legal and ethical standards that guide every aspect of the organization and established bylaws and policies for effective governance and fiscal oversight
  • Review and approve annual plan of actions and budget of the organization
  • Provides strong financial oversight to safeguard the organization’s tax exempt status and ensure the organization is accountable to its donors and the public
  • Advices thoughtful plans and programs to mitigate risk and creates contingency plans to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of services
  • Assess the Executive Committee performance and offer direction for developing or enhancing skills, increasing productivity, and obtaining resources for meeting organizational  goals

Chair Person

The Chair of the Global Coalition for Lake Tana Restoration is responsible for making sure that the day-to-day organizational activities are well planned and executed effectively and timely.  The Chairpersonship is a volunteer service appointed by the Executive Committee for a period of two years, subjected to evaluation.  The chair will be evaluated every two years and his term may be extended for another term based on performance. One chair will not serve more than two terms. His performance is evaluated by the Executive Committee. The roles and responsibilities of the Chair include:

  • Execute day-to-day activities of the organization
  • Represent the organization in bilateral or multilateral negotiations or activities
  • Sign bilateral agreements on the behalf of the organization when agreed by the executive committee
  • Coordinate, follow-up and supervise activities of each Committee of the organization
  • Lead discussions on action plan development with the Management Committee and execute them accordingly
  • Recruit members and assign them in different activities based on their skills and interest discussing with different committee leads
  • Prepare annual plans in collaboration with Management Committee and present the draft to the Board of Trustees for comment and approval
  • Communicate and give directions to Chapters to support them during fundraising
  • Regularly review the Committees’ performances and ensure that appropriate policies and procedures are in place
  • Report the organization’s monthly and annual technical and financial report to the Management Committee and Board of Trustees
  • Provide technical support to partners in Ethiopia
  • Co-sign checks for purchases and expenses when approved by the Management Committee

Deputy Chair

The Deputy Chair is an immediate subordinate to the chairman with the following roles:

  • The Deputy Chair will assist the chairman in all activities and will act for a chairman in his/her absence
  • The Deputy Chair is a member of one of the committees  and will carry the Deputy Chair function in conjunction to his/her primary role
  • The Deputy Chair will be nominated by the executive  committee

The Scientific Committee

The Scientific Committee will be responsible for conducting and coordinating scientific research on the water hyacinth issue in the Lake Tana. The committee will engage the Ethiopian and international community to provide scientific inputs to the discourse of water hyacinth in the Lake Tana. The Scientific committee will facilitate studies on the impacts of the water hyacinth on the lake ecology and its socio-economic importance. The committee will also use different technologies to follow the status of the water hyacinth coverage at different times. The committee may also facilitate scientific debate and disseminate available findings on social media, and the Collation website. In summary, the tasks for the scientific committees include:

  • Conducting and coordinating scientific research on water hyacinth and related challenges in the Lake Tana
  • Preparing and reviewing road map for sustainable removal and management of the water hyacinth in the Lake Tana
  • Preparing proposals to get funding for capacity building, removal of the water hyacinth, and other activities that ensure sustainable Lake Tana management
  • Facilitating scientific debate and disseminate available findings on social media, and the Collation website
  • Proposing and/or providing capacity building training to personnel who engage in water hyacinth removal and management activities

Information Technology Committee

The information technology committee oversees and performs the following responsibilities:

  • Responsible for building, testing, maintaining, expanding, and scaling GCLTR website
  • Collect important documents for the GCLTR and save in centralized database
  • Setting up and maintaining a secure donation and bank account links
  • Follow up with GCLTR social media accounts, YouTube account and email address and actively monitor online groups affiliated with GCLTR
  • Periodically update web contents and improve website features
  • Maintain online membership database
  • Coordinate with web designers and committee to meet website specifications and requirements
  • Recruit additional IT members to support the day to day tasks

Finance Committee

The finance committee oversees and performs the following responsibilities:

  • Develop and enforce strong internal controls and financial management policies
  • Ensure accurate and complete financial reporting and proper maintenance of financial records and information
  • Regularly assess risks and whether and how such risks should be mitigated in regards to financial matters
  • Keep a calendar of fund receiving and withdrawing requests and have clear assignments to help ensure they are all met in a timely manner
  • Have the Coalition’s financials audited whenever required or advisable
  • Report to the executive committee annually and when requested
  • Report monthly financial statements to the Executive Committee
  • Have the Coalition’s annual financial reports audit by an independent outside body

Public Relations Committee

Public relations (PR) is about managing reputation. A career in PR involves gaining understanding and support for your customer and partners, as well as trying to influence opinion and behavior of others towards the organization. Therefore, the PR officer at least have the following duties and responsibilities:

  • Use all forms of media and communication to build, maintain and manage the reputation of the organization. These range from public bodies or services, to businesses and voluntary organizations
  • Communicate key messages, often using third party endorsements, to defined target audiences in order to establish and maintain goodwill and understanding between an organization and its public base
  • Monitor publicity and conduct research to find out the concerns and expectations of your organization and its stakeholders and report and explain the findings to its management
  • Planning, developing and implementing PR strategies
  • Communicating with colleagues and key spokespeople; as well as liaising with, and answering enquiries from media, individuals and other organizations
  • Researching, writing and distributing press releases to targeted media; collating and analyzing media coverage
  • Writing and editing in-house magazines, case studies, speeches, articles and annual reports
  • Preparing and supervising the production of publicity brochures, handouts, direct mail leaflets, promotional videos, photographs, films and multimedia programmes
  • Devising and coordinating photo opportunities
  • Organizing events including press conferences, exhibitions, open days and press tours
  • Maintaining and updating information on the organization’s website; including managing and updating information and engaging with users on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook
  • Sourcing and managing speaking and sponsorship opportunities; commissioning market research; fostering community relations through events such as open days and through involvement in community initiatives
  • For the purpose of our Coalition, the interim PR has also roles and duties that span from proper PR to IR and some aspects of marketing

Fundraising Committee

The fundraising and event committee oversees and performs the following responsibilities:

  • Create strategies to generate contributions and donations
  • Motivate and facilitate supporters to maximize the funds they raise
  • Inspire new supporters to raise money, while maintaining and developing the relationship with existing supporters
  • Recruit sponsors, participants, or volunteers for fundraising events
  • Design and Prepare materials for events such as posters, Websites, advertise fundraising events
  • Develop and coordinate web based fundraising
  • Develop new and imaginative fundraising activities
  • Raise awareness of the organization and its works at local and national level
  • Develop and maintain good and ethical relationship with prominent figures and general public
  • Develop and maintain media contact lists
  • Develop and maintain record of donors’ contacts and preferences information and build strong relationship with potential donors

Audit and Evaluation Committee

The audit committee is an extension of the Board to assure that proper financial management is in place.  The Committee oversees and performs the following responsibilities:

  • Independence – In addition to helping define WHO an audit committee member should be, independence is considered a basic continuing responsibility of an audit committee member, and each member of the audit committee must be independent and remain so.
  • Responsibilities relating to the Independent Auditor – The Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the work of auditors who provide audit services to the organization (whether the services are provided by the principal auditor or another firm).
  • Procedures for handling complaints – The Audit Committee must establish procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, including procedures for the confidential anonymous submission by members (whistleblowers) of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.
  • Authority to engage advisors – The audit committee have the authority to engage independent counsel and other advisors as it deems necessary to carry out its duties.
  • Funding – The organization must provide appropriate funding for the audit committee to compensate the outside auditors and any independent counsel and advisors it employs and to fund ordinary administrative expenses of the audit committee that are necessary in carrying out its duties.
  • Reporting – Presents the organization’s financial performance and audit reports to the Board of Trustee
  • To carry out that function, the audit committee shall meet with both management and auditors to gain an understanding of the significant risks and exposures facing the organization. It is also important to understand how the organization is reducing its exposure through adequate internal controls.