Help Green Foothills Expand Our Board

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Announcement: We Are Looking for 2-3 New Board Members

Green Foothills is a local, vocal, and effective nonprofit organization based in Palo Alto. Together with our partners we have helped to permanently protect over 183,000 acres in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties through over 900 advocacy campaigns since 1962. We are training the next generation of environmental activists through our Leadership Academy, having graduated over 200 changemakers thus far. Green Foothills is working toward a vision of the region where wildlife thrive, everyone has natural beauty to enjoy, and communities live in balance with nature.

We are seeking energetic people who believe in our mission to apply to serve on our Board of Directors. Our board is currently composed of community leaders from the nonprofit and for-profit sectors who are dedicated to protecting open space, farmland, and natural resources.

Read on for more information. To express interest in joining our Board of Directors, kindly fill out this interest form and we will be in touch. Thank you for your consideration!

What we do

Green Foothills champions nature and wildlife in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Advocacy, education, and grassroots action has been our long-standing vehicle for change.
We achieve this by:

  1. Engaging in Local Land Use Issues. We engage in land use policy, proposals, and planning processes that pose an opportunity or threat to our natural environment. We conduct thorough research and seek community input to inform our advocacy goals.
  2. Educating Decision Makers and Community Leaders. We provide the support and information needed for current and future decision makers to be champions for conservation and inclusive public processes.
  3. Partnering With and Mobilizing Community Members. We bring together and mobilize people to effectively navigate the land use process. We train, mentor, and learn from diverse leaders and communities in equitable, inclusive environmental activism.

Board Member Expectations

Serving on the Green Foothills Board of Directors is an extraordinary opportunity for individuals who are passionate about protecting open space. Board terms last for two years and members can serve for up to four consecutive terms. Generally board members spend 5-10 hours/month conducting board business including board and committee meetings. Board members are also expected to:

  1. Be fully committed to our mission, vision, and values.
  2. Make board meeting attendance a high priority. Our board meetings are on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, 7:00pm-9:00pm. Read board materials in advance of meetings and come prepared to ask questions and participate in discussions. Due to COVID-19, board member meetings are held virtually.
  3. Serve on one or more active committees and actively participate in committee work.
  4. Approve and monitor the budget to ensure that the organization remains fiscally sound.
  5. Make a personally meaningful annual financial donation and actively participate in one or more fundraising efforts.
  6. Responsibly represent Green Foothills to their respective communities and advocate for Green Foothills’ mission, vision, values, and programs as appropriate.

Desired Skills and Expertise

We are currently recruiting for leaders from a diverse range of backgrounds and life experience. Green Foothills would greatly benefit from people with knowledge/experience of indigenous history of the area we serve. We invite members who can diversify our donor portfolio and create a sense of belonging for all members in our community, especially BIPOC donors and supporters who are under-represented in our board.

Areas of experience and expertise that we are especially recruiting for include the following listed below. However, we encourage all interested candidates to apply!

– Strategic planning/ Executive leadership
– Governance/ Prior nonprofit board membership
– Fundraising/Donor Drives
– Advocacy/Land Use
– Leadership Development
– Program Evaluation
– Accounting/Financial management
– Marketing/Advertising/Social media
– Public speaking
– Indigenous Allyship
– Litigation/law
– Equity and Inclusion practitioners
– Farming/Agriculture
– Climate resilience
– Human Resource Professionals
– Life sciences, anthropology, and earth sciences

What to expect from the recruitment process

  • To express interest in joining our Board of Directors, kindly fill out this interest form.
  • In November and December, our Governance Committee will reach out to set up a conversation so we can get to know one another better and to answer any follow up questions we or you may have.
  • In January, finalists will be presented to and vetted by the Board of Directors, advisory board, and staff.
  • In February and March, prospective board members will be invited to meet the Board of Directors at the February or March meetings. The Board will then vote on whether to invite them to join the Board of Directors. If the invitation is accepted, Board membership is effective immediately and service begins at the next Board meeting.

Thank you for your consideration! To express interest in joining our Board of Directors, you can fill out this interest form and we will be in touch. 

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