Board Member
Position Description

      The volunteer Board of Directors ensures the fulfillment of the Precipitation Northwest’s (PNW) Mission Statement while providing leadership, oversight, and strategic governance to the organization. Board members oversee PNW’s events, programs, and projects, the largest currently being Portland’s Regional Burning Man Event (SOAK), Portland Decompression, and the Burner Barn Maker and Event Space.

Board members have important legal and fiduciary responsibility for the organization, and by extension the greater Portland Burner community. PNW often delegates event management activity to event Producers, however we are ultimately responsible for all activities supported by our organization. PNW is a working board (not advisory board), and our dominant managment philosophy is “servant leadership” where we seek to provide the support and empowerment for the community we serve by fostering the necessary conditions for events to be fun, successful and sustainable.

BOARD MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES: 

  • Reviewing planning and outcomes of projects and programs overseen by PNW and evaluating their impact towards the organization's mission.

  • Contributing to both short and long term planning and sustainability of the organization. 

  • Approving PNW's annual budget, auditing reports, and guiding business decisions as well as legal and fiduciary responsibilities. 

  • Serving on committees and taking on special assignments as needs arise. Examples of committees include finance, communications, development, and programs.

  • Engages with community and board members to ensure that board resolutions are carried out. 

  • Representing PNW to stakeholders by acting as an ambassador for the organization and greater community.

  • Ensuring PNW’s commitment to a diverse and radically inclusive board and staff that reflects the communities that PNW serves.

  • Assisting the board in identifying and recruiting other board members.

  • Note: Board Members are ineligible to participate in some event leadership positions concurrently with being a Board member.

MUST HAVES:

Ideal candidates must meet the following qualifications:

  • A community service mindset that understands the mission of PNW and the unique needs of the Portland Burner community.

  • Commitment to a service term of 3 years.

  • Competent and comfortable with standard online business management tools including telepresence, Google Suite, Slack, and other productivity apps and/or a strong foundation with an aptitude to learn new tools.

  • Experience collaborating in groups containing multiple views and goals; and a williness to drive policy based on group consensus.

  • Ability to manage administrative duties in a timely and effective manner, and to deliver on commitments when you make them.

  • Commitment to ethical behavior in community service, including: integrity, transparency, objectivity, confidentiality and accountability. Engagement in pro-active disclosure and mitigation of any potential conflicts of interest.

  • Ability to occassionally attend in-person meetings in the Portland Oregon metro area (a few times a year).

  • Note: Board members are ineligible to serve in some event leadership positions to preserve clear chains of accountability.

NICE TO HAVES

Ideal candidates may have some of the following: 

  • Professional experience with leadership in business, law, government, philanthropy, or the nonprofit sector.

  • Specific experience with nonprofit accounting and legal support, fundraising, program development, human resources, organizational development, communications platforms such as MailChimp and Squarespace, and volunteer management.

  • An affinity for persuading, convening, facilitating, and building consensus among diverse individuals.

  • An ongoing relationship or engagement with the broader Burner community and culture as well as a past engagement in PNW activities and events.

TIME COMMITMENT

Approximately 10 to 30 hours per month. At minimum, expect 3 hours monthly for board meetings, plus about 1-2 hours a week for administrative work, additional committee meetings, etc. At busy times, you can expect up to 40 hours a month depending on how many responsibilities you have taken on.

COMPENSATION

Service on Precipitation Northwest’s board of directors is voluntary (unpaid) and without remuneration, except for some accommodation costs incurred as a direct result of board members’ duties.

INCLUSION

Precipitation Northwest supports a diverse community of burners and we believe that we can best serve them with leadership that is reflective of that diversity. Currently, the Precipitation Northwest Board of Directors hosts a wide range of ages, racial and gender identities, and neurodiversity. We would like to continue that in our next iteration. We warmly invite all community members to apply for this role, and we look forward to hearing how your perspectives and lived experiences can help contribute to a stronger leadership team and support a more inclusive and vibrant community

INTERVIEW PROCESS

All applications will be reviewed by the Recruitment Committee and select applicants contacted for an interview. The selection panel usually consists of available Precipitation Northwest Board Members with other stakeholders (ex: Burning Man Regional Contacts) included in an advisory capacity. All applicants will be contacted with a final decision. Decision letters will contain feedback and suggestions on ways to engage with the local Burner community.

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

Under the Oregon Revised Statute for nonprofits, Chapter 65, each board member must meet certain standards of conduct. These standards are typically described as Duty of Care, Duty of Loyalty, and Duty of Obedience. For additional information please see ORS Ch. 65

INTERESTED?

 Applications currently open. Apply today!


Questions? Please email recruitment@precipitationnw.org.

Apply here