Become a RRCT Board Member

Do you love land conservation? Live in the Royal River watershed? Want to get involved?
Royal River Conservation Trust is always looking for new volunteer board members. Please read the job description and the expectations below. We would love to hear from you! We accept expressions of interest at any point, with a focused recruiting period beginning in February of each year.

Many future board members first serve on an RRCT committee, to get a sense of the organization. Our webpage has overview information on our mission, vision, and governance to help board prospects understand our work. Others volunteer or give generously as early steps toward board consideration. RRCT events are another way to get to know the organization and how you might fit in. Stop by the office or call us any time. This webpage describes all of our volunteer opportunities.

Passion and Commitment: As board members, we conserve land. We support public access and active outdoor recreation. We make communities stronger. We make our organization strong.

Give and Get and Grow: RRCT’s annual fund goal of $425,000/year requires generosity, along with our land acquisition and endowment campaigns. Nearly all of our operational funding is private and charitable. Board members are expected to “give and get and grow.” “Getting” can be as easy as helping with visits with foundations or major donors, working to strengthen municipal partnerships, and thanking others for generosity. “Giving” from our board members ranges from $50.00/yr to $10,000.00/yr. All board members are expected to contribute financially annually at some level, and to contribute at some level to all or most of our campaigns and events. “Growing” involves growing the organization with your networks, offering up or reaching up to your personal and professional contacts and helping reach out to new neighbors or new forums to broaden the networks and influence of RRCT.

Organizational Savvy & Leadership: We work in a complex world of non-profit organizations, governments, funding, staff, volunteers, and change. We depend upon teamwork and hard work every day. Most of our board members must at some point step to the plate to chair committees, chair campaigns, chair initiatives, or serve in executive leadership positions. All board members are expected to participate on at least one board-level committee. Board members are expected to attend most of roughly eight board meetings per year, committee meetings, and some of RRCT’s several signature events and programs.

Geography: We seek board leadership representing the towns we work in: Yarmouth, North Yarmouth, Gray, New Gloucester, Pownal, Durham, Auburn. We work in people’s neighborhoods; our board has a passion for the entire watershed and its many communities.

Diverse Voices: We seek board leadership representing the full range of perspectives and backgrounds of those who live in — and visit — our watershed. We will work to listen to, and support, board nominees whose perspectives we need in order to make our organization vibrant and responsive.

Networks & Profile: We bring our personal, professional, neighborhood, and civic networks to the table to support organizational goals. We have a good reputation as individuals, and as an organization.

Professional Skills: Our board members serve on board committees and add value with skill and networks: law, real estate, marketing, communication, writing, graphics, finance, fundraising, and conservation, natural resources, land use, and project management.

Policy and Liability: RRCT maintains an insurance policy for directors and officers. We ask that directors affirmatively commit to compliance with board-adopted policies including policies to avoid conflicts of interest.

Recruiting happens all year long; we are always inviting expressions of interest. RRCT actively begins board recruitment in early February each year. Please see the Board Member Application below if you are interested in becoming involved this year, or give us a call!

If you are interested in becoming a board member, fill out the Board Member Application, or send a letter or email describing your interest and background to to PO Box 90, Yarmouth, ME 04096 or Info@RRCT.org

Call us at any time to learn more!