The Department of Bioregion is a Washington State 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2019, working toward an interconnected world of bioregions and bioregional movements. We are the legal and institutional home of Regenerate Cascadia, and we serve as a fiscal sponsor for bioregional projects across the Cascadia bioregion and beyond. We are inviting one to two new members to join our Board of Directors, and applications are open on a rolling basis.
What the board holds
The Board of Directors holds fiduciary responsibility and ultimate legal authority for the organization. Directors approve the annual budget, set organizational policies, hire and oversee the Executive Director, and ensure compliance with nonprofit law. Because the Department of Bioregion is a fiscal sponsor, the board also carries oversight for every sponsored project: it ratifies new projects, reviews organizational risk, and holds the discretion and control over funds that the law requires of a sponsor. Directors owe the organization the duties of care, loyalty, and obedience, and they owe each other honesty, preparation, and follow-through.
Board service here is also something more than oversight. Our foundational document describes leadership in this movement as stewardship: holding responsibility, accountability, and care for something that belongs to all of us. Directors steward the organization so that the people doing place-based work across the bioregion do not have to hold the institutional layer alone.
Who we hope to find
Our bylaws keep board membership deliberately open. Membership is open to residents of the Cascadia bioregion and to anyone who demonstrates a commitment to advancing the mission, and no individual is excluded because of their background or way of life. We mean that. Lived experience of the communities and landscapes we serve counts as expertise here, alongside professional skills.
Perspectives we would especially welcome in this round include nonprofit finance and accounting, law and compliance, fundraising and philanthropy, communications, and deep community relationships within the bioregion. Prior board experience is not required. New directors receive an orientation, a board handbook, and a partner on the board for their first season.
What to expect
- The full board meets at least quarterly, with remote participation supported, plus committee work between meetings.
- Directors serve two-year terms, renewable up to three consecutive terms.
- Board service is a volunteer commitment. Directors serve without compensation, with expenses reimbursable under board policy, and the organization indemnifies its officers and directors to the full extent permitted by law.
- Directors sign a conflict-of-interest disclosure at seating and act under the organization’s governing policies.
How the process works
Submit the form below with a statement of interest and your resume. You will receive an acknowledgment right away, and a member of our team will follow up personally. From there the process is a mutual one: a conversation with one or two current directors, materials for your own due diligence, and an invitation to observe a board meeting before any decision. New directors are elected by a majority vote of the board, as our bylaws provide. We review applications on a rolling basis, and we respond to everyone who applies.
If the timing is not right for the board itself, there are other ways in. Our committees may include people who are not yet directors, and committee service is a natural first step. Questions are welcome through our contact page.