This page covers what we're looking for in this election cycle, the timeline, eligibility, and what happens if you're selected for the slate.
There are 3 board seats open this election.
You do not have to be a software engineer to serve on this board.
If you work in software but don't write code — in sales, marketing, partnerships, operations, finance, or community — you are exactly who we're looking for this cycle.
The board needs business expertise, not technical expertise. We have brilliant engineers across our project committees and working groups doing the technical work. What we don't have enough of on the board itself are people who know how to grow revenue, tell our story, build partnerships, and run a nonprofit well.
So if you've been reading this thinking "they probably don't mean someone like me" — they do. We do. Please nominate yourself, or send this to someone you know who fits.
The Foundation's next chapter depends on it.
The .NET Foundation Board sets strategy, manages finances, builds partnerships, and represents the Foundation in the broader industry. The work is governance, not engineering.
For this election, we are specifically seeking candidates with experience in one or more of these areas:
Required: Experience working in or around the software industry. Board members need to understand our members and the ecosystem they operate in — but you do not need to be an engineer to have that understanding. Sales, marketing, BD, ops, finance, partnerships, and community roles all count.
Not required: Writing code. Contributing to open source. A GitHub profile. A computer science degree. The board does governance work, and we need people who are great at that.
Board candidates must be members of the .NET Foundation. Membership is free.
If you're interested in running and aren't yet a member, apply to join here — please get your membership in before nominations close on May 24, 2026 so you're eligible to appear on the slate.
You can review the full expectations for board members here.
You can nominate yourself or someone else. If you're nominating someone else, please confirm with them first that they're willing to run.
After a nomination is submitted, the nominee will receive a Nomination Acceptance Form by email. They must complete it by May 27, 2026 to appear on the slate.
Some of the answers from your nomination acceptance form will be shared publicly to help voting members make informed decisions.
You will be asked to provide answers to a set of campaign questions. Answers can be written, or preferably, recorded as a 2–3 minute video.
Submit your nomination here.
Questions? Email [email protected].