'The Next Level': 30 Years In, Friends Of Sleeping Bear Dunes Seeks First-Ever Executive Director

The National Park Service (NPS) might be the primary steward of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, but there is also a separate nonprofit entity that marshals the efforts of some 500 volunteers to support the park. Last year alone Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes hosted educational programs, supported piping plover protection efforts, built a garage for storing park vehicles and equipment, spearheaded accessibility projects, cleaned up trails and beaches, and more. Now three decades into its mission of “protecting resources and heightening visitor experience” within the National Lakeshore, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes is prepping for a game-changing moment: the hiring of its first-ever executive director.

According to Bonnie Bastian, director of communications, the organization has until now subsisted almost exclusively off the contributions of volunteers. The nonprofit was officially formed 30 years ago this spring, when a group of 20 or so people got together and identified a need for the NPS to have more support “in managing and developing the natural and historic resources of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.” Since then, everything the organization has done – from developing new trails, to publishing visitor guides, to assisting the NPS with grant requests – has been spearheaded by volunteers. The only paid position the organization has ever had is a summer communications intern, which it added just three years ago.

“Our organization has had a tremendous impact on the park just with our volunteers and the dedication they put into it, but as we got to our 30th anniversary, we wanted to take the next step, and part of that is finding someone who can be on staff and can lead the organization to further growth,” Bastian says. “Particularly around fundraising, program management, those kind of things, we think having an executive director will take our organization to the next level, beyond what volunteers are able to do.”

In 2023, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes tallied more than 11,000 volunteer hours and donated more than $262,000 to support programs and projects at the park. Bastian points to those numbers as clear proof that the nonprofit’s volunteer-only structure is still working. But a desire to do even more – along with pervasive economic challenges – prompted the organization’s board to create the executive director position.

“As with anything, the costs of supporting the park have gone up,” Bastian tells the Leelanau Ticker. “Because of that, we realized a couple of things, and the biggest one is that we wanted to continue to support the park in meaningful ways. To do that, we need to increase donations. We see other organizations that are doing significant fundraising, and they all have a staff. We don't. So, when we decided it was time now to ramp up our fundraising activities, we realized we need somebody on staff full-time who is committed to doing that, both with personal donations and corporate donations.”

Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes announced the search for its first executive director about a month ago, noting the person hired “will be tasked with fostering community relationships, overseeing fundraising efforts, leading operations, supporting programs and projects, and enthusiastically promoting the mission of the Friends amongst other duties.” The executive director will “work closely with board members, volunteers, donors, the NPS, and community stakeholders to achieve the Friends’ goals.” 

Bastian says Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes plans to accept applications until August 23. At that point, the Moran Company – the Kansas-based national search firm Friends has retained to lead the hiring process – will work to narrow the applicant pool.

“Our goal is to have a decision made in October,” Bastian says. “Then, depending on that person’s circumstance – such as whether they’re local or regional, or have to move because they’re national – we’re hoping to have our new executive director in place shortly after.”

As for the new leader’s first big task, Bastian notes that Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes has been wanting for years to put together a comprehensive strategic plan. That document would include visioning for the future, a rundown of organizational policies and procedures, and an annual work plan for the nonprofit’s various volunteer teams. Additionally, Bastian says the strategic planning process will also likely include some soul-searching about whether Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes should consider other future staff positions to fill in gaps and further supercharge growth.

“Our hope is that the staff will grow,” Bastian says. “What that looks like, we don't know yet. But we've been doing extensive research on other organizations that are on similar paths that we are on, and it seems that once that first employee is hired, it continues to grow. So, to be proactive, we’ll look for areas that could benefit from having additional staff in place.”