W&A Ambassadors' Guidelines

 

Guidelines for the Designation of a W&A Ambassador​

 

1. Word and Action, Inc wants to enroll the volunteer services and supports of prominent individuals from the worlds of art, sport, literature and entertainment to highlight priority issues and to draw attention to its mission and activities. It is demonstrated that celebrities can contribute to W&A efforts to raise awareness of the aims, objectives and priorities of the Organization, to convey messages about its several programs and to extend its public outreach. Therefore, due care must be exercised in making such designations and in managing the resulting relationships.

 

2. To ensure consistency and the maintenance of a high standard in the selection, designation and involvement of prominent individuals in the work of Word and Action, the following guidelines have been adopted.

 

Definition and Selection Criteria

 

3. Individuals designated by Word and Action shall be given the title of W&A Ambassadors.

 

4. Individuals invited to serve as W&A Ambassadors shall:(a) Possess widely recognized talent in the arts, sciences, literature, entertainment, sport or other fields of public life;(b) Be persons of integrity who demonstrate a strong desire to help mobilize public interest in, and support for, the mission, purposes and principles of the Word and Action, and who demonstrate the commitment and proven potential to reach out to significant audiences, including decision makers;(c) Possess the personality and dignity required for such high level representative capacity;(d) Normally be influential beyond their national borders, thus having the ability to promote the values of the Word and Action internationally;(e) Be knowledgeable about Word and Action goals and programs and be able to articulate them.

 

Selection and Designation

 

5. Only the members of the Executive Board of W&A may designate W&A Ambassadors. However, those members shall inform the Executive Director of their intention to designate an individual as W&A Ambassador before any commitment is made, not less than four weeks prior to the announcement of the designation.

 

6. Other W&A members shall not designate W&A Ambassadors.

 

7. On notifying the Executive Director of the intention to designate a W&A Ambassador, an explanation of the reasoning behind the designation shall also be provided, along with proposed terms of reference and confirmation that the appropriate review to determine suitability has been conducted.

 

8. W&A Ambassadors are not considered Word and Action staff members and may not be appointed to an established Word and Action position or office. Therefore, they shall not be granted a Word and Action “Letter of Appointment”.

 

9. W&A Ambassadors shall be granted a “Letter of Designation” issued by the Executive Director.

 

10. The “Letter of Designation” shall set out their terms of reference and length of designation. A standard attachment to the “Letter of Designation” shall provide details regarding their status and entitlements, as described below.

 

11. Designation of a W&A Ambassador is to be considered rare and exceptional. The designating W&A Executive Member should ensure that the number of designees is not excessive, in order to maintain the value attached to the designation.

 

12. Requests for the participation of W&A Ambassadors shall be made through W&A Headquarter in Orlando.

 

Role of W&A Ambassadors

 

13. W&A Ambassadors may, at the invitation or request of the designating Executive Board Member, or the Executive Director, as appropriate, engage in public advocacy; fundraising where authorized and in accordance with the applicable regulations, rules, policies and procedures of W&A Mission, and in public awareness activities. They may participate in certain Word and Action events and visit Word and Action interventions outside of the United States.

 

14. The designating Executive Board Member, or the Executive Director, as appropriate, is responsible for establishing specific terms of reference for individual W&A Ambassadors. In general, however, W&A Ambassadors are expected to: • Respect the impartiality and independence of Word and Action and to refrain from any conduct that would adversely reflect on the Word and Action;• Refrain from any activity incompatible with the purposes and principles of the Word and Action;• Exercise good judgment and discretion in all matters relating to the performance of their functions for the Word and Action;• Obtain guidance on their specific activities from the Executive Board Members and/or staff assigned to liaise with them.

 

Conditions of Service 

 

15. 3 years, renewable, based on mutual agreement by the parties on the basis of satisfactory fulfillment of the role and their demonstrated interest in continuing the relationship. W&A Ambassadors shall be designated for a period of three years.

 

16. W&A Ambassadors shall not be paid a salary, although a symbolic payment of $1 per year or equivalent may be granted to them. W&A Ambassadors may be given travel and daily subsistence allowances when they are traveling on behalf of the Word and Action.

 

Communication and Information

 

17 The W&A headquarter and/or Programs shall ensure that the special skills and talents of all designees are well utilized for the benefit of the Organization, and that designees are provided with regular and appropriate guidance on their activities on behalf of the Word and Action. The W&A headquarter and/or Programs shall consult the W&A office of Public Relations on activities involving W&A Ambassadors.

 

18. The public Relations office shall maintain an updated list of all W&A Ambassadors.

 

19. The Public Relations Office shall be the focal point for consultation and communication on policy issues relating to W&A Ambassadors and other celebrity advocates, including their designation and status. The Public Relations Office will also facilitate the sharing of information and best practices in the management of relationships with W&A Ambassadors. Termination 20. The designation of a W&A Ambassador shall be terminated if, in the view of the W&A Board of Directors the designee is unable or unwilling to carry out the role envisaged in the terms of reference, if the W&A Ambassador engages in any activity incompatible with his/her status or with the purposes and principles of the Word and Action, or if the termination is in the interest of the Organization. –A copy of W&A Mission Statement is attached.

 

DISSCLAIMER: This document is modeled after the United Nations’” Guidelines for the designation of Goodwill Ambassadors and Messengers of Peace”. This document is by no means linking Word and Action to the UN. This document does not engage the UN in any ways. This document is only adapted to meet the goals, objectives, and the mission of W&A’s Ambassadorship Program.