Call for Applications: Serve on the American Alpine Club Board of Directors

Photo by B. Miller.

The American Alpine Club (AAC) is looking for people with a passion for climbing and the community it inspires to serve on the Board of Directors (Board). If you are excited about connecting climbers of all backgrounds, engaging our community—in the gym, at the crags and boulders, and in the alpine—to reach new levels, and protecting public places and wild spaces, we are interested in hearing from you! 

Serving on the Board is an incredible way to give back to your climbing community and to further the mission of the American Alpine Club.

*We are not currently accepting applications to the AAC Board of Directors.

What does the American Alpine Club Board of Directors Do?

Photo by Graham Zimmerman.

The American Alpine Club is a nonprofit community of climbers: Gym climbers and trad climbers. Sport climbers and mountaineers. Boulderers, backcountry skiers and alpinists. Some of us are beginners, some of us are experts. We’re young, and young at heart. We’re from every corner in the country, and every background. We are the largest community of climbers in the country and you belong here. 

The Board of Directors is the volunteer governing body of the AAC, responsible for overseeing the organization as outlined in our bylaws. This includes developing the strategic plan, approving the budget and tracking organizational financial performance, hiring and managing performance of the Executive Director, electing the Board’s officers, setting organizational policies and procedures, and supporting advocacy and fundraising. 

Board Directors (Directors) also serve crucial roles on our various committees, alongside staff and community volunteers.  Our experience is that many Board members find a great deal of satisfaction lending their professional expertise and lived experience in this way.

Who is on the American Alpine Club Board?

While each board member has a passion for climbing and respect for the places we climb, we are all different and bring unique experiences. When considering new Directors, we look at professional background, skills, lived experience, and personal identity. We seek to build a board that reflects the vast diversity of our climbing community, because we believe different perspectives make us more innovative, creative, and successful in delivering the AAC’s mission. 

We consider Directors on the basis of gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, outdoor activities, geographic location, profession and professional experience, and skillset. The Governance Committee also looks at what an individual candidate will uniquely contribute to complement the existing Board’s skills and experiences. Importantly, you do NOT need to be an expert climber to join the Board!

Who should apply to be on the volunteer AAC Board of Directors:

We are looking for people who are:

  • Passionate about the mission and values of the AAC and are committed to growing a united community of competent climbers and healthy and safe climbing spaces.

  • Interested in engaging in strategic conversations about building a stronger and more impactful AAC. 

  • Able to build bridges across the climbing community and inspire our staff and members to do the same.

  • Engaged with the climbing community in a meaningful way and with a passion and vision for the future of climbing.

  • Willing to volunteer their intellectual and time resources to advocate for and advance the AAC’s goals. 

  • Aware of the historical and institutionalized inequities that have existed in the outdoor community and in the AAC’s own history and who will work both for the AAC and personally to create a more equitable climbing community.

As a Board Director we ask that you can commit to:

  • A three-year term. Directors are then eligible for a re-election to a second three-year term for a total maximum tenure of six years. 

  • Four Board meetings per year (typically 1 to 1 ½ days on a Friday and/or Saturday)

  • Travel and accommodation to attend in-person Board meetings (travel reimbursement may be available on a need-based basis)

  • Serve on one or more of the Board’s committees (typically 2 hours per month) 

  • Contribute your skills, experience, and voice as you are able to ad hoc needs (e.g. temporary committees, public advocacy, events, etc.)

  • Make a financial contribution to the AAC, at whatever amount is feasible and meaningful to you

For 2023, we are especially looking for applicants with the following skills:

  • Finance and budgeting

  • Fundraising and donor cultivation

  • Legal 

  • Executive / Nonprofit administration and Management

  • Previous nonprofit board experience

Examples of other professional skills that are valuable to the Board include nonprofit or business leadership, communications, conservation and public lands, DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion), finance, fundraising, legal, public policy, strategic planning, volunteer management. 

How to apply:

Applications are currently closed.