Responsibilities for Members of Broads Board of Directors

Following Board direction, Great Old Broads for Wilderness has been speaking with the passion, humor, and voice of our founding elders since 1989.  The Board of Directors has evolved and grown stronger through the years by the addition of activists from different parts of the country and by increased Board involvement in the organization and its programs.

Though Broads is a staff driven organization, the Board actively provides guidance on the direction and focus of energy and resources.

The Board has fiscal responsibility and must approve the organization’s budget and provide oversight for spending decisions in accordance with our basic philosophy. The Board hires the Executive Director who in turn hires the staff.  The staff reports to the Executive Director and the Executive Director is accountable to the Board.

The term for board members is 3 years, renewable by mutual agreement.

The Board of Directors meets every month or two by conference call, generally limited to 90 minutes, to focus on the budget, programs, activities, and fundraising.  The most important meeting is the annual winter retreat in which we gather for a weekend to review past actions and plan future direction. At this annual meeting, we discuss Broads activities and develop the annual plan for staff use. We have been holding this in Durango, Albuquerque, or Salt Lake City in either November or January.  Each Board member is responsible for her/his own travel expenses, as well as a portion of the food and accommodations.

We ask that Board members stay informed about our campaigns; contribute their wisdom, knowledge and experience; be imaginative and think broadly; participate in our conference calls and annual meetings (of course, not always possible); participate in membership building and fundraising; attend Broadwalks and events when possible; speak for Broads to the public; and just be there in all their Broadness, ready to jump in and take on whatever needs to be done.

We encourage each Board member to donate to Broads, annually, an amount that is meaningful for the individual as well as for organizational budgeting.  This can be accomplished by any number of means – by becoming a sustaining member and/or making a direct contribution, soliciting donations and new memberships, or hosting a fundraising event. This donation is considered to be distinct from annual auction donations and solicitations.

We currently have the following Board teams:  Membership; Fundraising; Broadbands; and Communications.   These are comprised of a staff person, Board members, and non-Board individuals from the community or Advisory Board.  We ask that each Board member participate on at least one team to help further the mission of Broads and to ensure our voice and presence remain strong and relevant.  Team participation keeps Board members aware of and involved in all of our issues and enhances the Board experience.

We are a working Board, meaning that we expect each member of the Board to take an active role in the organization.  The following are some of the attributes of a working Board member.

Minimum Expectations:

• A working Board member stays informed.  She/he reads online reports, such as the Wilderness Support Center’s wilderness report, and newspapers such as High Country News, in addition to a local newspaper to stay informed on local issues.  She/he reads newsletters and alerts from nonprofit environmental organizations.
• She/he gives to and raises money for Great Old Broads, keeping her/his membership current, and giving personally as much as she/he can every year.  She/he organizes a fund raising event, thinks of other ways to raise money, or looks for potential new donors and foundations for the staff or Board member to contact.  She solicits donations for our annual on-line auction.
• She/he recruits new members.  This is important for revenue, as well as for strengthening the organization and for stature in seeking foundation grants.
• She/he actively seeks potential new Board members.
• She/he volunteers for at least one Board team and for other ad hoc needs.
• She/he serves a full term if possible and makes a big effort to be at board meetings.  She/he participates in at least one Broadwalk or workshop each year and supports staff efforts while there.

Additional Options for Participation, applicable on an individual basis:

• She/he forms a Broadband.
• She/he goes to hearings and speaks, either mentioning membership in Great Old Broads or (with the Executive Director’s agreement) speaks for Great Old Broads.   An example would be Roadless hearings.
• She/he distributes Broadsides and/or brochures, particularly to places that display environmental information, like REI, bookstores, outdoor stores, etc.   She/he distributes Broads information at community, political, and club events, hiking groups and other outdoor groups.
• She/he responds to Great Old Broads Action Alerts, such as by writing letters or making phone calls.
• She/he submits comments to the BLM, Forest Service, and local, state and other national agencies about Wilderness issues, including mining, oil drilling, OHV abuse and grazing.  She/he represents Broads positions in land management processes and mentions Great Old Broads as appropriate.
• She/he gets media publicity for Great Old Broads, and perhaps volunteers to be interviewed about Broads by local paper or other media writers.  She/he speaks at hearings where media is present, and writes letters to the editor.
• She/he stays in touch with the staff with questions, suggestions and lots of encouragement.

Mission

Our mission is to use the voices and activism of elders to protect and preserve wilderness and wild lands.

Vision

Wild places will have the respect and protection needed to preserve them for future generations.

Core Values and Beliefs

• Wilderness is for everyone, our heritage, our gift to future generations
• Wild places once destroyed are gone forever
• The spirit and intent of The Wilderness Act must be honored
• Humor, grace and common sense are integral to our advocacy
• Dialogue, being open to all viewpoints, is essential to resolve conflicts
• Passionate advocacy which respects sound science forms a basis for informed decisions
• Cultivating appreciation of wilderness and engaging future generations is how wilderness will be preserved
• Success requires being bold and courageous for wilderness, unafraid to enter the belly of the beast
• Broadness is a state of mind, embracing these values and beliefs

Acceptance Procedures:

Nominees to the Broads Board of Directors must be voted on and approved by the Board. For this we need some information that can be circulated to the board, so they can take a vote.

Please e-mail Lois Snedden (1) a brief curriculum vita/resume; and (2) a brief cover letter that addresses these general questions:

• Why do you want to be on Broads Board of Directors?
• What are your particular talents, expertise, and areas where you feel you could contribute to the Broads?
• Have you had other experience with nonprofit organizations?
• What are your thoughts on fundraising?   Fundraising is constantly on our minds and agenda, so we are interested in what role you might be able to play.  There are a number of ways to take on a fundraising role as a Board member, and the organization provides guidance and support with Board efforts.
• What else would you like us to know about you?