Steering Committee Member - Sierra Club Ohio

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Sierra Club Ohio seeks two Steering Committee Representatives

Do you have skills in rebuilding and re-envisioning? In this position, you will have the opportunity to help expand Sierra Club Ohio’s success as an organization. Be a part of something new, important, and vital to the environmental and social justice initiatives in the state of Ohio.

The vision of the Sierra Club Ohio Steering Committee is:

By 2025, the Ohio Chapter will be well positioned as a vibrant, dynamic, place-based hub working in solidarity and mutuality with our communities to connect people to nature, build local grassroots power and win environmental victories. The Ohio Chapter is empowered to create a welcoming and inclusive space that reflects the diversity of our communities and prioritizes transformational relationships in order to be an integral and respectful partner in the movement toward equity and justice. The Ohio Chapter is sustainable, innovative, and resilient, intentionally working to ensure that our communities are places in which people and the environment thrive.

To help accomplish this vision, the specific responsibilities of this position include:

Core Responsibilities:

Steering CommitteeResponsibilities:

• Provide Leadership and Vision
• Create long-range/strategic planning
• Monitor and evaluate Sierra Club activities
• Responsible for the overall financial management of the Chapter
• Ensure financial stability and solvency
• Modify and allocate resources; ensure consistency with the opportunities, the abilities, and the commitment of the chapter/group
• Ensure Equal Opportunity Policy is followed. (Volunteer Managers/Staff Supervisors considered a Mandatory Reporter)

Steering Committee Individual Member Responsibilities:

• Understand and promote the mission and values of the Sierra Club
• Attend Steering Committee meetings
• Participate in long-range/strategic planning
• Contribute a sense of camaraderie and collaborative teamwork
• Responsible for the overall financial management of the Chapter
• Contribute to maintaining a healthy, welcoming, inclusive, and equitable culture

Additional materials regarding the Steering Committee's role, responsibilities, and expectations:

The Sierra Club Board of Directors has established the following goals for the Steering Committee and other Sierra Club leaders working with members of the Ohio Chapter during its suspension:

1. Rebuild Sierra Club functions in Ohio and transition to a well-functioning, effective member-elected Ohio Chapter volunteer leadership. This will include establishing new community agreements to build trust among volunteer leaders, maintaining intellectual honesty and respectful dialogue, addressing disagreements constructively, creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere where all leaders can thrive and new leaders feel welcomed, and establishing a governance structure that engages members and the community in work that advances Sierra Club’s mission.
2. Provide support to improve Chapter volunteer leadership and management capacity to engage in addressing potential problems before they evolve into conflicts and constructively resolve disagreements.
3. Create an Ohio Chapter Strategic Plan setting forth a cohesive statewide approach to implementing the Sierra Club’s mission throughout the state of Ohio.
4. Build the communications with and the capacity of the Ohio groups to engage members and supporters in meaningful ways to advance Sierra Club goals.
5. Build a mutually beneficial relationship with the national Sierra Club and national staff working in Ohio.
6. Maintain the core functions of the Chapter: advancing Sierra Club’s mission (conservation, litigation, outings, political, equity), providing service to members, supporters, and the public, building local resources, and complying with bylaws, policies, and standards.
7. Ensure compliance with applicable Sierra Club policies and requirements.

For additional information about this position, please review the FAQ here.

Leadership and Management Characteristics that would be useful:

• Understanding of an equitable and inclusive community
• Experience or enthusiasm for building and rebuilding an organization
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Passion for environmental and social justice issues
• Enjoy meeting new people, enthusiastic and creative thinker
• Ability to build strong relationships and interact with new people, businesses, volunteers, staff, and other outside organizations
• Experience in managing people and event/project/program development
• Comfortable with digital tools
• Self-starter that works well independently and proactively as part of a team

• General nonprofit experience with an understanding of the needs of advocacy organizations
• Experience with defining roles, responsibilities, and expectations among staff and volunteers to establish co-leadership and healthy partnership
• Ability to create and look at bigger picture visions and hold the whole and make decisions that are in the best interest of the Chapter and Sierra Club.
• Experience developing and implementing strategic plans
• Ability to manage committees and teams within a complex organizational structure
• Willingness to support and contribute to efforts to improve the financial health of the Chapter (fundraising efforts, understanding finance and budgets)
• The committee should have members from around the Chapter. Brings diversity geographically
• Openness to new ideas and new ways of doing things
• Ability to uphold behavioral and performance standards, willingness to engage in generative conflict

Benefits:

• Support Sierra Club Ohio with ongoing critical work in our network of staff and volunteers
• Join a team and meet new people around the state
• Build your skills for collaboration and communication
• Raise funds to help with fighting environmental efforts
• Putting your skills to use to help advocate for Environmental and Social Justice

This position is unpaid and the time commitment is for 2 years. Anyone applying must be from or live in Ohio. We highly encourage all interested parties with diverse backgrounds to apply! Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Nicole Wolcott ( nicole.wolcott@sierraclub.org ) with any questions or concerns.