High Country News is looking for passionate,...
High Country News is looking for...
Background
High Country News is the nation's leading independent source of thoughtful, in-depth reporting on the Western United States. Established in 1970, HCN produces an award-winning monthly magazine and a popular website, along with email newsletters and events. From Alaska and the Northern Rockies to the Desert Southwest, from the Great Plains to the West Coast, HCN is a beloved and essential resource for those who care about this region. HCN is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to inform and inspire people to act on behalf of the West's diverse natural and human communities.
Values
To be members of the High Country News team means to act with integrity, compassion — and passion. Everything we do at HCN requires hard work and dedication; a curious, skeptical but open mind; a willingness to listen and work with unlikely partners; a commitment to accountability, both from ourselves and from outside our organization; and, above all, courage — the courage to be uncomfortable, to embrace change and to stand up for our values. In our work and in our organization, the story is never finished.
High Country News is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion among our staff, volunteers, programs, and partners; and to creating a safe, supportive and accommodating work community.
High Country News is among a growing number of news organizations addressing a historic lack of representation, inclusion and equity in journalism with effective solutions. The board of directors shall reflect the racial and ethnic composition of our region. The culture of racial equity and inclusion through board and staff training and education shall demonstrate our commitment to welcoming board members from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, women, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ people.
What Our Board of Directors Does
HCN's Board of Directors works with the senior management team to ensure that the organization is responsibly managed and financially sound. Board members provide expertise, insights, and personal and professional networks that help us stay resilient and relevant to diverse communities around the region.
High Country News Board members support the mission and values of High Country News by respecting and safeguarding HCN's editorial independence, working to help strengthen the reader base by promoting the magazine within their communities and acting as an ambassador, and by participating in fundraising - realizing that there are many ways to contribute to the organization's development.
The board helps set the editorial direction through strategic planning and the hiring and oversight of the executive director. Board members are also welcome to share story ideas and provide feedback (negative or positive) with the executive director and editor-in-chief. Board members do not get involved with the practice of journalism on the level of individual stories, and decisions about which stories to pursue and publish, as well as how to execute them, are made by the staff.
This is a non-compensated volunteer role. Board members may serve up to three, three-year terms.
Examples of Board Responsibilities
● Set HCN's mission, and help HCN to articulate our vision and values
● Hire, oversee and support the executive director
● Participate in strategic planning and monitor progress toward organizational goals
● Determine which programs are consistent with HCN's mission and monitor each program's effectiveness
● Assist in developing the annual budget, approving the budget, and ensure that proper financial controls are in place
● Ensure that the organization's activities conform with applicable laws, rules and ethical norms
● Participate in 3 full board meetings per year (1-2 in-person meetings at different locations around the West, and the rest over video conference)
● Participate in board committees and task forces: Finance, Fundraising, Governance, Audit, 401k, Marketing - much of the board's work is done in committees, and we ask that you join 2 or more
● Cultivate new board members, donors, and audiences
● Act as an ambassador by promoting the magazine and sharing and activating your networks with HCN
● Participate in fundraising activities through personal giving, donor stewardship, and participation in fundraising and "friend-raising" events
What We're Looking For
At present, we are particularly interested in prospective board members with expertise in:
● Business development, digital media or journalism
● Organizational governance, strategy or leadership
● Fundraising, finance or investment
In order to create a board that represents the West's diverse geography and communities, we are currently prioritizing board member candidates who reside in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, but all are welcome to apply.
We welcome applicants from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, women, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ people.
Board members do not need prior experience in nonprofit news nor do they need significant philanthropic resources to make a meaningful contribution to the organization.
To Apply, please send a résumé, cover letter, and 3 references to board.jobs@hcn.org with "BOARD MEMBER RECRUITMENT" in the subject line.
In your cover letter, let us know how your own skills, broader experience and qualifications would enhance the Board of Directors and benefit HCN and the communities we serve and hope to serve across the West. We're looking for someone who is passionate about the mission and values of HCN, and driven to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion in journalism, in board practices, and in organizational culture.
Submissions received by August 29, 2025 will be considered for board membership beginning in January 2026.
To learn more about our current Board of Directors, go to: https://www.hcn.org/about/board-of-directors/
For additional information or questions about this opportunity, reach out to board.jobs@hcn.org
Background
High Country News is the nation's leading independent source of thoughtful, in-depth reporting on the Western United States. Established in 1970, HCN produces an award-winning monthly magazine and a popular website, along with email newsletters and events. From Alaska and the Northern Rockies to the Desert Southwest, from the Great Plains to the West Coast, HCN is a beloved and essential resource for those who care about this region. HCN is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to inform and inspire people to act on behalf of the West's diverse natural and human communities.
Values
To be members of the High Country News team means to act with integrity, compassion — and passion. Everything we do at HCN requires hard work and dedication; a curious, skeptical but open mind; a willingness to listen and work with unlikely partners; a commitment to accountability, both from ourselves and from outside our organization; and, above all, courage — the courage to be uncomfortable, to embrace change and to stand up for our values. In our work and in our organization, the story is never finished.
High Country News is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion among our staff, volunteers, programs, and partners; and to creating a safe, supportive and accommodating work community.
High Country News is among a growing number of news organizations addressing a historic lack of representation, inclusion and equity in journalism with effective solutions. The board of directors shall reflect the racial and ethnic composition of our region. The culture of racial equity and inclusion through board and staff training and education shall demonstrate our commitment to welcoming board members from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, women, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ people.
What Our Board of Directors Does
HCN's Board of Directors works with the senior management team to ensure that the organization is responsibly managed and financially sound. Board members provide expertise, insights, and personal and professional networks that help us stay resilient and relevant to diverse communities around the region.
High Country News Board members support the mission and values of High Country News by respecting and safeguarding HCN's editorial independence, working to help strengthen the reader base by promoting the magazine within their communities and acting as an ambassador, and by participating in fundraising - realizing that there are many ways to contribute to the organization's development.
The board helps set the editorial direction through strategic planning and the hiring and oversight of the executive director. Board members are also welcome to share story ideas and provide feedback (negative or positive) with the executive director and editor-in-chief. Board members do not get involved with the practice of journalism on the level of individual stories, and decisions about which stories to pursue and publish, as well as how to execute them, are made by the staff.
This is a non-compensated volunteer role. Board members may serve up to three, three-year terms.
Examples of Board Responsibilities
● Set HCN's mission, and help HCN to articulate our vision and values
● Hire, oversee and support the executive director
● Participate in strategic planning and monitor progress toward organizational goals
● Determine which programs are consistent with HCN's mission and monitor each program's effectiveness
● Assist in developing the annual budget, approving the budget, and ensure that proper financial controls are in place
● Ensure that the organization's activities conform with applicable laws, rules and ethical norms
● Participate in 3 full board meetings per year (1-2 in-person meetings at different locations around the West, and the rest over video conference)
● Participate in board committees and task forces: Finance, Fundraising, Governance, Audit, 401k, Marketing - much of the board's work is done in committees, and we ask that you join 2 or more
● Cultivate new board members, donors, and audiences
● Act as an ambassador by promoting the magazine and sharing and activating your networks with HCN
● Participate in fundraising activities through personal giving, donor stewardship, and participation in fundraising and "friend-raising" events
What We're Looking For
At present, we are particularly interested in prospective board members with expertise in:
● Business development, digital media or journalism
● Organizational governance, strategy or leadership
● Fundraising, finance or investment
In order to create a board that represents the West's diverse geography and communities, we are currently prioritizing board member candidates who reside in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, but all are welcome to apply.
We welcome applicants from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, women, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ people.
Board members do not need prior experience in nonprofit news nor do they need significant philanthropic resources to make a meaningful contribution to the organization.
To Apply, please send a résumé, cover letter, and 3 references to board.jobs@hcn.org with "BOARD MEMBER RECRUITMENT" in the subject line.
In your cover letter, let us know how your own skills, broader experience and qualifications would enhance the Board of Directors and benefit HCN and the communities we serve and hope to serve across the West. We're looking for someone who is passionate about the mission and values of HCN, and driven to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion in journalism, in board practices, and in organizational culture.
Submissions received by August 29, 2025 will be considered for board membership beginning in January 2026.
To learn more about our current Board of Directors, go to: https://www.hcn.org/about/board-of-directors/
For additional information or questions about this opportunity, reach out to board.jobs@hcn.org
Posted Online 3 weeks ago
