Have you ever wanted to be more involved in how CiviCRM makes decisions? The Community Council election starts soon.
What the Council Does
The Community Council is an elected group of community members. It interacts with Working Group leaders and the Core Team, providing the community with a channel for concerns and conflicts. It offers direction for the future of CiviCRM. Learn more here: https://civicrm.org/community-council
Where the Council Came From
The idea started at the 2018 Governance Summit where community members asked for three things: 1) more transparency, 2) a clear process for community direction, and 3) stronger participation from contributors.
An Establishment Committee formed in November 2018. After discussion, an elected, advisory Community Council was identified as the best fit during the 2019 Global CiviCRM Summit in Barcelona. The first Council took office in April 2020 and began meeting monthly by video call. A planned in-person summit that year fell through due to the pandemic.
The original plan called for half the seats to open every year, starting in 2021. Covid pushed that plan back, with the last election being held in 2023. Candidates filled every open seat, making the election uncontested.
Why This Election Matters
CiviCRM keeps growing, with new organizations installing it, signing up for an In the Cloud offering, or subscribing to Spark every month. The product gets stronger with each release. All that growth brings new questions, new voices, and new energy into the community. The Council sits right in the middle of it.
Consider joining or nominating someone to join. Seats are open, and the community needs candidates who bring fresh ideas and a commitment to participation.
The role fits inside a normal schedule. Council members join one video call each month. They talk through issues on a private Mattermost channel, coordinating on small tasks that come up between meetings. Most members spend just over two hours a month on Council work.
Timeline
| Date | Item |
| September 17, 2026 | Announcement of the election. Log in or create your civicrm.org account by October 21. |
| October 21, 2026 | Declaration of candidacy due, with two seconders per candidate. Seconders must be active in the CiviCRM community. |
| October 28, 2026 | Candidate statements due |
| October 29, 2026 | Voter list exported from civicrm.org and imported into the voting platform |
| October 30, 2026 | Candidates announced |
| November 2, 2026 | Voting opens |
| November 13, 2026 | Voting closes |
| November 12-17, 2026 | Results confirmed with winners |
| November 20, 2026 | Winners announced |
How to Get Ready
Log in to your account at civicrm.org this week, whether you plan to run or just vote. Your account needs to have a login within the past two years to be included on the voter list.
If you don’t have an account, you can register for one at civicrm.org/user/register.
If you’d like to be considered as a Council candidate, you can start your statement now. You will need your location, your history with the CiviCRM project, what you want to bring to the Council, and two other individuals who are members of the CiviCRM community to second your nomination.
Encourage anyone who fits the Council to nominate themselves. If you have any questions, contact communitycouncil@civicrm.org.
