The International Federation’s membership elects a Board to represent them, under the terms of the “Memorandum and Articles of Association”. Currently the Board comprises seven representatives from different countries, and their backgrounds and current positions are described in the section entitled “Board of Directors”. The Board meets a minimum of once per year with Conference calls taking place every 1-2 months to assess progress of the Federation’s activities and to discuss and debate new strategies, policies, plans and projects.

A number of committees and task forces are currently in operation, namely:

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

IGDF is required to hold an AGM once each year. This is the opportunity for all members to vote on important decisions, such as approving the Annual Report and Accounts or electing the Board of Directors.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is elected by the membership at the AGM. The Board is responsible for developing organisational strategy, appointing committee members and staff, approving new members, and overseeing all aspects of the organisation’s management. The Board meets at least once a month via video conferencing.

Board of Directors List

Accreditation Committee (AC)

The AC has six technical-expert committee members from around the world, including a Chair appointed by the Board. A Board member is the liaison with the AC Chair. This committee is responsible for promoting the technical standards, and monitoring compliance against these. This is achieved through a team of experienced assessors who conduct regular assessments of all new and existing IGDF member organisations. The AC meets once a month via videoconference to review the policies and procedures of the accreditation process and the reports of the assessors as they visit member organisations around the world.

Accreditation Committee List

Communications Committee (CC)

The CC is a sub-committee of the Board and currently consists of three members with extensive experience in the fields of communications, fundraising and advertising. It meets once per month via video conference. CC oversees all aspects of communications with members, the wider guide dog community and the public. The Chair of CC is also the editor of Visionary, IGDF’s quarterly magazine for guide dog professionals.

Communications Committee List

Development Committee (DC)

The DC comprises five of the guide dog industry’s most experienced managerial, instructional, and guide dog breeding professionals. This Committee is responsible for developing new and growing guide dog organisations around the world and helping them to achieve full IGDF membership and compliance with the IGDF Standards. DC also provides advice and support to existing members. Each DC member is assigned a number of Applicant and Enquiring Organisations, and provides dedicated advice and guidance to these to help them work towards full IGDF membership. The DC meets once a month via video conference.

Development Committee List

Education Committee (EC)

The EC was established in December 2020 to improve and strengthen educational and training materials for Guide Dog Mobility Instructors (GDMIs). The first phase of this work is a comprehensive review of the GDMI Curriculum. Once this is completed, the EC will work with IGDF members to identify and promote high-quality training materials and make these available to other IGDF members. EC meets once a month via video conferencing.

Education Committee List

Finance Committee (FC)

FC is a sub-committee of the Board and consists of three members with extensive financial experience. FC advises the Board on budgeting, expenditure, insurance and investments. FC also handles the relationship with the Independent Examiner and oversees the production of the Annual Report and Accounts. FC meets once a month via video conferencing.

Finance Committee List

Standards Committee (SC)

The Standards Committee was established in 2023 and is responsible for reviewing and developing the IGDF Standards to ensure these reflect the changing environment and recommending any changes to the Board. The Committee is made up of technical-expert committee members including two from the IGDF Board. SC meets once a month via video conferencing. 

Standards Committee List