Sewall Foundation Seeks New Members for Board of Directors
The Elmina B. Sewall Foundation is searching for up to 5 individuals to serve on our board of directors. We are particularly interested in bringing in new board members with familiarity and knowledge of the communities we serve as well as experience in nonprofits, grassroots efforts, philanthropy, governance, non-traditional organizational structures and impact investment. As part of our commitment to diversity, younger people, people of color, and people from very rural communities are prioritized. (Please see section on Priority Areas for Board Recruitment below for full information of our priority areas in recruitment.)
The Sewall Foundation is committed to improving the wellbeing of people, animals, and the environment in Maine, while fostering equity and centering community voices. We believe all life in our ecosystems is interconnected and that our work must be informed by the communities we work with. We seek to support the well-being of all life in our ecosystems in relation to one another. Equity, climate justice, and humaneness are the through lines that guide our work.
Sewall has been on a journey towards becoming an equity-driven organization for many years and, as such, we align ourselves and strive to practice the principles and approaches of trust-based philanthropy, a movement to create a new kind of philanthropy that addresses the power imbalances inherent in philanthropy and centers trust-based relationships and philanthropic practices that shift power and decision-making towards those most affected by the issues we care about.
Since 2011, EBSF has awarded over $84 million in grants to support communities and organizations working to empower, advance and protect Maine's most crucial resources - people, animals, and their environments. Over the past few years, EBSF has been going through an intentional transformation to ensure that all internal and external efforts are mission- and values-aligned.
As part of this intentional transformation, we are seeking to add up to five (5) new board members by the end of 2021. We invite you to read this Call for Applications before filling out a brief online application linked below.