Are you interested in supporting Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge/Battle of Midway National Memorial? We encourage you to apply for a position on the board of directors of the Friends of Midway Atoll (FOMA).
Our working board is seeking individuals to assist us in making our 2026-2028 plans a reality, and to bring creative energy, people power, and expertise to our work.
In addition to board members, we’re also actively recruiting volunteers to support special projects and committee work advancing FOMA's mission.
If you’re unable to commit to board service at this time, you may use the same application process to indicate what skills and talents you’d like to share with FOMA.
What are the key tasks of a board member?
- Attend monthly board meetings online
- Join and support the work of at least one committee
- Participate in the annual retreat to help shape and guide FOMA’s vision
- Advocate for the refuge and the monument
- Contribute your lived experience, knowledge, and talents to create, implement, or sustain opportunities for sharing Midway’s extraordinary stories
- Help promote FOMA’s online merchandise
- Make an annual financial contribution that is meaningful to you
What characteristics are most helpful to FOMA as a Board member?
- Passionate about preserving, protecting, and restoring the biological diversity, historic and cultural resources of Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll ) within the larger Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Roots in or connections to Midway and/or the Hawaiian Islands
- An earnest commitment to the fiduciary responsibilities and legal obligations required of a nonprofit board member
- Familiarity with matters of interest to FOMA and the Monument
- Ability to bring good will and curiosity to the board’s deliberations
- Willingness to share opinions and contribute to decision making
- Commitment to participate in an annual Board Self Evaluation
What kind of skills and experience would currently be most helpful to FOMA as board member and volunteer?
- Willingness and ability to be a “doer” and actively contribute to a volunteer team (not just an idea-generator or decision maker)
- Prior experience with (or willingness to learn and support) fundraising activities
- Knowledge of or interest in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, especially its natural and human history and culture
- Outreach, education, and/or communications skills, e.g., content development, social media, graphic design, media relations, writing, editing, podcasting, etc.
- Experience or willingness to engage with advocacy efforts, grassroots mobilization, and/or policy research
- Relationships with Native Hawaiian, conservation, military and other constituent networks with strong ties and interests in Midway
Time and Availability
The board meets monthly as does each committee. Since Midway is not accessible to us, we operate as a distributed team through virtual technologies. This means that we’ve perfected our Zoom-ing aptitudes. Geographically we are scattered from Honolulu to Boston with folks in multiple time zones in between. Refuge staff also participate in our meetings, providing regular updates to ensure we’re informed to support their work. We occasionally convene for in person events when this fits the work, and board members availability and schedule.
IMPORTANT: We are a working board, meaning the board of directors (with support from additional volunteers) lead and implement the work of our organization. If you are unable to contribute time and effort beyond board meeting attendance, please reconsider applying at this time.
Nomination Process
If you are interested in serving on the board, here is the process and timeline:
- By Sep. 20, please submit a brief resume, bio, a statement explaining why you would like to serve on the FOMA Board, and share your particular volunteer interests via this online application form
- By Oct. 5 you can expect a notification from the Governance Committee about your interest and/or to schedule an interview with Governance Committee members.
- The Governance Committee anticipates it will make its recommendations for new board members to the FOMA Board during its November 2026 meeting, when it will vote on new members.
- Newly appointed board members will be notified by Nov. 30, 2026
- New members will be invited to the first meeting of the new year, during January 2027, and be included in a new board member onboarding process to orient you to our team, how we operate, and your responsibilities
Applicants are encouraged to explore our website prior to applying.
Any questions can be directed to hdunlap@hdunlapconsulting.com or jen@friendsofmidway.org.
Click here to download a recruitment announcement to share with other Friends.