AboutAbout the Water Sentinels and the Sierra Club
Water Sentinels
The Water Sentinels are a national program of the Sierra Club. Volunteers are a critical part of both local and national Water Sentinels success, and Sierra Club staff assist the volunteers. The national program director is Scott Dye, assisted by new deputy director Tim Guilfoile. The Long Island Water Sentinels are directed by Sierra Club volunteer Linda Freilich. There are no paid Water Sentinels staff in New York State. A national listserve helps groups and volunteers keep in touch.
Long Island Sierra ClubThe Long Island Sierra Club is a "Group" in the Atlantic (New York) Chapter of the national Sierra Club organization. The group operates relatively independently of the state and national organization, receiving only enough funding each year to barely cover the newsletter costs, and limited only by the need to be consistent with state and national policies.
With approximately 6,500 members, The Long Island Sierra Club is led by an elected executive committee of 11. Every one of the NYS Sierra Club’s 11 groups has a similar structure. NYS Sierra Club with about 40,000 members is led by an executive committee of 28. Each group and chapter relies on volunteers to make things happen. The LI group and chapter newsletter is put together by volunteers. So is the LI group and the Atlantic Chapter Sierra Club website. Thousands of volunteer hours protect NYS’s environment.
The Sierra Club and Sierra Club Foundation
Sierra Club is unique among America ’s environmental organizations in that we ELECT, by Democratic Vote, our leadership.
Most environmental organizations are run by staff and major donors. Sierra Club is different in that any member can get involved and make positive things happen for the environment through the Sierra Club’s committee structure. Every member has a voice. Every member has a vote.
The 15 member Board of Directors of the National Sierra Club is elected from the approximately 750,000 dues-paying Americans that make up the national Sierra Club. Look for a ballot every March to elect members to the National Sierra Club.
Sierra Club’s 300 employees are here to help the volunteers move the Club’s agenda. And that agenda comes from the membership.
There are actually two entities that share the name Sierra Club. Your annual dues are not tax deductible, because Sierra Club endorses environmental candidates. We are non-partisan. We endorse more Democrats than Republicans because Democrats frequently have a friendlier disposition to our issues than Republicans, but Sierra Club does endorse good environmental Republicans. There is also the Sierra Club Foundation. The Sierra Club Foundation is in the business of environmental education, and promoting environmental causes through the legal process. Donations to the Sierra Club Foundation are tax deductible.
Sierra Club isn’t just about nice calendars or coffee table books. Sierra Club is about 750,000 motivated dues-paying Americans that want a better environment for themselves and their families.
Bylaws, Policies:
