Maneesh Varma, a recent graduate of Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark and RFA intern and volunteer 2001-2004 © Pete Lavigne

Volunteers & Interns

RFA always welcomes interns and other volunteers for a variety of support tasks including fundraising, graphic development, translations to and from Spanish and Portuguese, office administration, issues research and a host of other tasks. Call 503-781-9785 about volunteering with us.

The Rivers Foundation of the Americas, an international environmental foundation headquartered in Flagstaff, AZ and Gunnison, CO, is looking for interns (unpaid) and other volunteers (prefer 4 month, 1/2 time or more commitment for interns) board communications, database and computer systems, fundraising, English-Spanish-Portuguese translations, environmental policy research and various publicationand book projects, and other activities. Activities include administrative support, database management and mail-merge projects, fundraising, tracking project details, proposal writing and editing, working with donors and board members, board communication, publications and web updates, and many other tasks. Education credit can be arranged.

Applicable Skills

Ability to multi-task while being great with people; interest in fundraising or supporting fundraising for river protection; database management, mailmerge etc.; special event management and promotion; graphic design; excellent writing skills, PowerPoint, PhotoShop and other computer and web (Dreamweaver) skills.Spanish and/or Portuguese fluency and translation ability a plus.

We also have specific volunteer projects that can be arrangedas well, for example:

• Outgoing person needed to work on sponsorship donations, and on publicity efforts.
• We have events coming up that need help with
  preparations and publicity.
• Writers needed to profile RFA's work and place articles in magazines and other outlets.
• Research on current work of environmental ngos in various countries in Central and South America.

RFA's mission: To promote and fund the protection and restoration of rivers and their watersheds in North, Central and SouthAmerica. The Foundation serves to preserve and protect riversby raising an initial $30 million endowment to fund efforts focused on environmental education, river leadership, and river restoration. The Foundation is the only organization of its kind and is unique in the breadth of its geographical coverage and for its wide-ranging commitment to protect and restore fragile or endangered river ecosystems to ensure ecosystem health including human health and quality of life.

Our mission is inspired and informed by the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."And by the words of the late David R. Brower: "Let us begin. Let us restore the Earth. Let the mountains talk, and the rivers run. Once more and forever."

To that beginning we will work to bring our boldest, highest and most expansive thinking and actions to forward our visionof all people knowing vibrant free-flowing rivers, drinking clean water, living on healthy, uncontaminated lands and breathing clean air.

To apply for a 4 month or longer internship or for another volunteer position please mail or email a letter and resume and 3 references to:

Peter Lavigne, Founder 

The Rivers Foundation of the Americas, 451 Candlelight Lane, Gunnison, CO 81230