Sierra Club - Organization

Organization

The Sierra Club is governed by a 15-member volunteer Board of Directors. Each year, five directors are elected to three-year terms, and all club members are eligible to vote. A president is elected annually by the Board from among its members and receives a small stipend. The Executive Director runs the day-to-day operations of the group and is a paid staff member. On January 20, 2010, the club announced that its new executive director is Michael Brune, formerly of Rainforest Action Network. Brune succeeded Carl Pope, who continued in the role of chairman before stepping down in November 2011.

All club members also belong to chapters (usually state-wide, except in California) and to local groups. The state of California has 14 chapters. National and local special-interest sections, committees, and task forces address particular issues. Policies are set at the appropriate level, but on any issue the club has only one policy.

In addition to the members who are active as volunteers, the club has approximately 500 paid staff members. Many of them work at the national headquarters in San Francisco, California, but some work in the lobbying office in Washington, D.C. and in numerous state and regional offices.

All members receive Sierra magazine, a bimonthly glossy magazine describing the club's activities and spotlighting various environmental issues. Each chapter publishes a newsletter and/or schedule of activities, as do many local groups. The Sierra Club also has a weekly radio show called Sierra Club Radio.