The team here at Rivers for Change needs a few more leaders to help us scale RFC into our next decade of adventure, conservation, and education!!! Have some time on your hands? Need to get involved with a good cause? Want to join a wonderful community of people creating positive change in the world? Have experience with fundraising? Donor Development? Accounting? Legal? Education? Or you, just LOVE rivers and want to be an active member of an organization? Let us know!!!
WE’RE SEEKING:
- Board Chair
- Treasurer
- Development/Fundraising expert
Rivers for Change is a nonprofit made up of a passionate group of river advocates dedicated to changing how people think about, protect, and interact with water. Through adventure, conservation, and education, we connect individuals and communities to rivers. Our vision is a world where every person is an active and passionate river steward, appreciating and protecting the interconnectedness and interdependence of all things.
Mission: We engage, collaborate with, and promote connections of individuals, communities, and organizations to our rivers through supporting source to sea expeditions, community conservation events, and education. We do this by:
- Providing grants to Source to Sea adventurers and educators to inspire and support conservation and exploration through storytelling and media.
- Conducting river and ocean clean-ups that allow individuals and communities to be hands-on supporters of their watershed and help restore their environment.
- Offering Source to Sea Schools and Train the Trainer curriculum that introduces young people and adults to the interconnection of the many uses and users of rivers.
Position Overview
Rivers for Change is looking for enthusiastic, creative, and committed community leaders to serve as active volunteer board members. This is an extraordinary opportunity for those passionate about the environment, connecting people to rivers, source to sea adventures, watershed stewardship, diversity, community engagement, conservation, and fun!
Selected board members will have achieved leadership stature in business, government, philanthropy, conservation, non-profit, and/or adventure sports. We are especially looking for individuals with financial experience, fundraising, communications/marketing skills, donor development, or previous board of directors experience. However, we value folks with diverse backgrounds and experiences, so if you are new to these areas and still feel like you would be a great fit, we welcome your application!
The board supports RFC and provides mission-based leadership and strategic governance. While many day-to-day operations are currently managed by RFC’s director, all volunteer board members work to help fulfill tasks and programs. Appropriate involvement of the board is both critical and expected.
Examples of Board Member responsibilities include some of the following:
Strategic Planning: Serve as an advisor to the executive director (ED) & assistant director (AD) as they develop and implement RFC’s strategic plan.
- Provide thoughtful leadership, governance, and oversight for Rivers for Change.
- Help to determine which of the organization’s programs are consistent with its mission and monitor the effectiveness of these programs; work with the ED, AD, and board to create metrics for evaluating impact, and regularly measure performance and effectiveness using those metrics.
- Apply hands-on working knowledge of outdoor travel, enrichment, and education best practices to present as potential RFC pursuits.
Internal Workings: Assist in developing and successfully implementing RFC’s annual budget, audit reports, and material business decisions.
- Ensure that RFC has the financial and human resources it needs to fulfill its mission.
- Contribute to an annual performance evaluation of the ED & AD.
- Support RFC’s annual giving program by considering a donation and outreach to friends and family.
- Assist the ED, AD, and board chair in identifying and recruiting new board members.
Board Member Meetings and Assignments: Serve on committees or task forces and take on special assignments.
- Partner with the ED, AD, and other board members to ensure that board resolutions are carried out.
- Build a collegial and respectful working relationship with other board members.
- Regularly attend board meetings and important events; allocate time in between meetings to assist with material preparation and review, such as comment on minutes and reports.
- Volunteer for and willingly accept assignments.
External Workings: Represent RFC to stakeholders and the public; acting as an ambassador for the organization, promoting its mission, values, and programs.
- Research new information and avenues of learning related to RFC.
- Participate in fundraising for the organization.
- Identify and cultivate relationships with potential donors.
- Emote, exude, and relay a love of rivers, natural water resources, and the opportunities they provide for everyone.
- Lead by example.
Board terms/participation:
Board Members are re-elected annually but a two-year commitment is preferred. Virtual board meetings are typically held monthly; committee meetings will be held in coordination with full board meetings. Service on RFC’s Board of Directors is without remuneration with 5-10 hrs of work expected per month.
Ideal candidates will have the following qualifications:
- Significant professional experience and leadership accomplishments in education, sustainability, organized paddlesports, adventure sports, conservation, business, government, philanthropy, environmental/outdoor education, or the nonprofit sector.
- An understanding of RFC’s beneficiaries, preferably based on experience.
- Clear, direct, and respectful communication skills and a natural affinity for cultivating relationships, advocacy, convening, facilitating, and building consensus among diverse individuals and interests.
- Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and a passion for creating positive change through source to sea work.
Specific Skills sought:
- Accounting/Bookkeeping
- Fundraising
- Grant Writing
- Marketing/PR
- Social Media
- Outreach and connections within your extensive network
- People, organisational, and knowledge Management
- Volunteer/Ambassador/member management
- Legal
- Graphic Design
- Educational Design and Leadership
Additional qualifications
Helpful to have paddling or outdoor recreation skills, especially within a leadership or guiding role.
How to apply:
Diverse ideas, lived experiences, perspectives, and identities are what power the work and impact of Rivers for Change. We celebrate and are committed to cultivating inclusive teams and welcome all applicants.
Please submit a cover letter and your resume to Danielle@riversforchange.org with a subject headline: Board Member. Your cover letter should include the following: your thoughts on RFC and personal connections/drive with our work, how your passions, experience and skills will help you fulfill the listed responsibilities, and what strengths you bring to a collaborative setting.
For more information, visit RFC’s website at https://www.riversforchange.org/workwithus; contact Co-Founder Danielle Katz at danielle (at) Danielle@riversforchange.org; For more information on current board members, please visit: https://riversforchange.org/our-team/.
