Board candidate solicitation

It’s that time of year again: Board elections. If you missed the post last week, check out our introduction to what Board service looks like https://nw-trail.org/2025-board-of-directors-election-announcement/

The application is now open for the NWTA Board. NWTA is looking for excited community members to fill the positions described below. Please contact election@nw-trail.org for any questions including about the application or to discuss the positions.

Volunteer Director – Trail building and maintenance by volunteers is one of the most visible and important things that NWTA does. This role helps ensure we are able to get volunteers and resources to the right places

• Duties
  • Work with Local Stewardship Teams and Crew Leaders to assess needs and organize volunteers for build/maintenance events. 
  • Work with the communications team to spread the word about events
  • Coordinate schedules and manage event postings online
• Qualifications
  • Highly organized
  • Great interpersonal skills, including conflict management
  • Ability to inspire people to volunteer, and to nurture a sense of belonging

Grant Writer – Grants can have a major impact on an organization. A grant writer works to increase our income, which in turn allows us to hire more staff, build new trails, and break ground in new recreation areas.

• Duties
  • Work with the Executive Director and fundraising committee to identify grant opportunities.
  • Work with the Executive Director and others to complete and submit grant applications.
• Qualifications
  • Minimum of two years of grant writing experience with demonstrated success, especially with governmental grant processes.

Project Planner/Coordinator – NWTA has quintupled in size over the last five years. Planning efforts that could previously be tackled in an ad hoc fashion, now require more deliberate efforts to execute effectively. We need someone to work with people across the organization to gather ideas for our 10 year plan, then help organize and delegate the execution of those plans.

• Duties
  • Work with the Board and staff to help plan and coordinate various projects across the organization
• Qualifications
  • Minimum of two years of professional project management experience
  • Experience managing multiple projects and timelines
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Fundraising Director – As the leader of the fundraising committee, this person helps increase our income, allowing us to hire more staff, build new trails, and break ground in new recreation areas.

• Duties
  • Work with the Executive Director and lead the Fundraising Committee to develop fundraising strategies for areas including:
    • Sponsorship
    • Individual donors
    • Campaigns; both restricted and general
  • Soliciting donations from individuals and corporate donors
• Qualifications
  • Experience with sales or fundraising
  • Excellent interpersonal skills

Events Director – NWTA holds many signature events throughout the year separate from our single-day trail build and maintenance events. These events help build community and offer an opportunity for multi-day adventures.

• Duties
  • Lead the Events Committee that organizes events other than one-day dig days such as:
    • St Helens International Festival of Trails (SHIFT) campout 
    • Coldwater Lake campout
    • Sandy River Shuttle
    • TAKMBD
    • LapQuest
    • Movie nights
    • Coordination with sponsors on sponsor-run events
  • Develop process for NWTA event planning and vendor coordination and help guide committee members who each directly lead a specific event.
• Qualifications
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Excellent organizational skills
  • Experience managing events.

Community and Membership Development Director – Expanding access to the sport is one of the core parts of NWTA’s mission and we feel we can most effectively do this through membership. Membership numbers drive our political power, and political power drives our access to land. Membership dues are also the most significant portion of our income.

• Duties
  • Leads the Community and Membership Development committee
  • Growing the membership base in general, including an emphasis on groups that are currently under-represented within NWTA such as: women, people of color, youth, people living outside of central Portland, ability, etc.
  • In conjunction with staff, developing strategies to articulate and maximize the value that NWTA membership brings to help bring on new members and retain current ones.
  • Working to understand and then knocking down the barriers to membership and participation in the sport
• Qualifications
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Excellent organizational skills
  • Passion and exuberance for growing the sport
  • Creative thinking about ways to engage people

2025 NWTA Board Application

Key 2024/2025 dates: 

• Nov 26:  Applications open
• Dec 3: Informational webinar
• Dec 9:  Applications are closed
• Dec 31: Electronic ballot opens 
• Jan 26: Electronic ballot closes
• Jan 28: Results announced at our annual meeting!