About EWB-USA

Engineers Without Borders USA partners with communities and develops leaders to build a better world.

For more than two decades, Engineers Without Borders USA has partnered with communities to build the infrastructure that makes thriving communities possible: clean water systems, bridges, solar energy, sanitation. Since 2002, more than 80,000 volunteers have delivered 1200 projects across dozens of countries and communities in the United States.

We are at a pivotal moment. EWB-USA is scaling its Purposeful Partnership Model: a proven approach that centers community leadership, local leadership, long-term sustainability, and measurable impact. To get there, we need board members who can open doors, mobilize capital, and bring the networks that will take us to the next level.

We Are Recruiting New Directors

EWB-USA is recruiting new members to its Board of Directors for terms beginning in 2027. We are building a board capable of driving philanthropic growth at scale, and we are looking for leaders who are ready to be active architects of that growth.

Board members are expected to make a personally meaningful philanthropic commitment and actively engage their networks in support of EWB-USA’s mission. We are seeking leaders who can open doors to capital, to partnerships, and to audiences we don’t yet reach.

If you have led at a senior level, have demonstrated ability to mobilize financial support for a cause you believe in, and are looking for a board where your engagement will matter, we want to hear from you.

What We Are Looking For

We are prioritizing candidates with strength in the following areas:

• Philanthropic fundraising and major donor networks: experience activating five and six-figure gifts, running capital campaigns, or working closely with foundations and high-net-worth donors.

• Senior executive leadership: C-suite or VP-level experience with a track record of organizational growth.

We actively seek candidates who bring perspectives from outside the engineering sector, and from communities that are underrepresented in leadership of global development organizations.

Board Member Responsibilities

Ambassadorship and fundraising

• Make a personally meaningful annual philanthropic commitment to EWB-USA.

• Actively engage your personal and professional networks to introduce EWB-USA to prospective donors, partners, and supporters.

• Represent EWB-USA publicly and serve as a champion for the organization’s mission and impact.

• Participate in donor cultivation and stewardship activities as appropriate.

Governance

• Attend and actively participate in quarterly Board meetings (held in Denver, CO; some virtual attendance possible).

• Serve on at least one Board Committee, contributing between meetings.

• Provide strategic oversight of organizational policies, finances, and operating plans.

• Exercise fiduciary responsibility and oversight of organizational risk.

Time commitment

Quarterly board meetings: 10–20 hours per quarter including preparation. Board meetings are typically held in Denver, Colorado. 

Committee work: approximately 5 hours per month.

Annual National Conference attendance (March 4-6, 2027, St. Louis, MO).

Service term: 3 years, with potential for renewal.

Logistics

Board meetings are held at EWB-USA headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Travel and accommodation are at the Director’s expense. 

Our meeting space is wheelchair accessible. EWB-USA is mindful of time zones when scheduling.

Our Commitment to You

EWB-USA is committed to building a board that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve and the world we want to help build. We actively welcome applicants regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, age, or any other status.

You will join a working board that takes governance seriously, values every voice, and is in the middle of one of the most exciting chapters in our organization’s history.

How to Apply

Begin your application on this page. You will be asked to provide a LinkedIn profile or CV.

After submitting, you will receive an email with a form to answer the follow-up questions below (to be completed in 200 words or less). Your application will not be considered complete until those questions are submitted.

• What draws you to EWB-USA, and why now?

• Describe a time you mobilized financial support for an organization or cause you believed in.

• What networks, relationships, or resources would you bring to EWB-USA that we may not currently have?

• Board members are expected to make a personally meaningful philanthropic commitment and actively engage their networks on EWB-USA’s behalf. Does that align with your intentions and capacity?

• Which of the priority competency areas above best describes what you would contribute? How do you see yourself applying it?

Application deadline: August 10, 2026 — this applies to both your initial submission and the follow-up questions.

Finalists will be contacted by August 21, 2026 and invited to meet with staff and board leadership. We encourage applicants to let us know of any accommodations needed during the interview process.