Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity in Cape Elizabeth? Do you share our passion for conserving and stewarding lands that are available for the enjoyment and education of all people? Do you have talents to share particularly in conservation/land resource management, non-profit governance or development/fundraising? If so, we would love to hear from you!
For almost 40 years, our volunteer board and committees have been the strategic heart of CELT, ensuring that we deliver strong results and maintain the highest ethical standards to be worthy of our community’s support.
Our committee members are your neighbors, friends and fellow community members who meet regularly and help with our conserved properties and trails, in the classroom with adults and children, and at special events. As a CELT committee member, you will:
- Join other interested persons in volunteering in the areas of Education, Finance, Governance, Membership and Development, and/or Stewardship.
- Participate in committee meetings, special events, and other associated activities such as helping with our educational walks and talks, removing invasive species from CELT lands, building and maintaining trails, connecting with our members to keep them apprised of CELT happenings, helping with fundraising initiatives, among other things
- Become a CELT ambassador in the community
Our board members are energetic leaders who support our dynamic staff team in every facet of CELT’s work. As a CELT board member, you will:
- Actively participate in the strategic governance of our organization through eight Board meetings per year, currently held on the 4th Monday of the month from 6:30PM to 8:30PM.
- Serve on at least one of our committees: Education, Finance, Governance, Membership & Development, or Stewardship.
- Make an annual financial contribution to CELT in an amount that is personally meaningful to you—whether $50 or $5000 or more—or anywhere in between—and participate in CELT’s ongoing fundraising efforts.
- Be an ambassador for CELT in the community and among your friends, neighbors, colleagues and peers.
- Hold yourself, your fellow Board members, and the CELT staff to the highest ethical standards.
- Serve a 3-year term (with the possibility of renewal).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SERVING ON CELT’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Q: Do I need to have served on other non-profit boards to be considered for the CELT Board?
A; Although prior non-profit board experience is helpful to have, it is not a prerequisite to serving on the CELT Board.
Q: Can I serve on the CELT Board if I don’t live in Cape Elizabeth?
A: CELT’s current by-laws allow up to two people who are not Cape Elizabeth residents to serve on the Board.
Q: What is the time commitment for a CELT board member?
A; CELT Board members serve a 3-year term, which may be eligible for renewal for a total of three consecutive 3-year terms. Board meetings are held generally eight times a year on the fourth Monday of the month, typically from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Board members serve on a committee of their choosing. Committees generally meet 4-6 times per year at times, locations and frequencies that suit their members.
Q: Does CELT offer training to new board members? What information and resources are available to board members?
A: CELT provides a comprehensive orientation for each new board member, which includes an introduction to the history, structure, policies, and practices of the organization. The CELT office maintains relevant materials, including books, past newsletters and other information available to board members. In addition, CELT is a member of the national Land Trust Alliance, www.landtrustalliance.org, which provides helpful information and support on its website and through its programs. CELT board members also have access to training through the Maine Association of Nonprofits and the Maine Land Trust Network.
Q: What level of personal annual giving is expected of a CELT board member?
A: CELT board members make annual financial contributions to CELT in amounts that are personally meaningful to them—whether $50 or $5000 or more—or anywhere in between. That typically is done at a level that reflects CELT as one of each board member’s top philanthropic priorities. Board members also participate in CELT fundraising activities, support fundraising events, and make contributions to major land project or endowment fund campaigns where 100 percent of board participation is important to demonstrate to outside donors and foundations. That said, each board member decides for themselves how best they can contribute to CELT—whether through providing financial support, volunteering their time, and/or using their skills and experience to help CELT fulfil its mission of conserving and caring for lands cherished by the community. THERE IS NO SET LEVEL OF FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION REQUIRED FOR ANYONE TO SERVE ON THE CELT BOARD.
If you are interested and/or would like more information, please email the CELT Administrator at caitlin@capelandtrust.org. Or call the CELT office at 207-767-6054. Thank you for your interest in CELT!
