WCSL Advisory Committees

2025-2026 Wildlife Center of Salt Lake Advisory Committees Program

Purpose of the Advisory Committee

The advisory committee exists to support, commit focus, and advise the Executive Board of

Directors by providing expert insight, professional guidance, and community-driven support in

three core value areas—science, conservation, and integrity.

The committee network strengthens the organization’s capacity to fulfill its mission, expand

partnerships, cultivate funding opportunities, and champion wildlife stewardship.

Advisory Committee Structure

Reports to: Executive Board of Directors

Authority: Advisory; propose initiatives, strategies, and programs.

● Composition/Membership:

○ Committee chairs (leaders) represent the committee

○ Committee members (3-8 is a good number, but can expand)

■ Volunteers, professionals, community partners, liaisons

○ Both chairs/leaders and members are appointed (not voted on)

● Responsibilities:

○ Coordinate cross-committee communication

○ Present quarterly updates to the Executive Board

○ Ensure alignment with organizational mission and strategic plan

○ Identify opportunities that overlap between core values and committees

○ Review and approve annual committee work plans for submission to the Board

○ Oversees 1 of 3 core values

○ Meeting frequency and term length are decided within the committee

● Time commitment

○ Committee chair: 2-6 hours per week

○ Committee members: 1-3 hours per week

Subcommittee Strategic Plan

● Science Advisory Committee

○ Core Value

■ Science

○ Purpose

■ To identify, develop strategies, and implement opportunities for scientific

contribution in wildlife, ecology, rehabilitation, and related fields, while

forging partnerships with academic and research institutions and other

aligned nonprofits

○ Goal

■ To guide the Wildlife Center of Salt Lake’s value of science through work

in research, data collection and integrity, contribution to wildlife scientific

body of knowledge, and professional collaboration. Always being guided

by the WCSL mission, “Conserving Utah native species through science,

education, and rehabilitation.”

○ Key Responsibilities

■ Identify potential research projects aligned with wildlife issues

■ Advise on data collection standards, record-keeping, and ethical research

practices

■ Develop relationships with universities, government agencies, scientific

groups, and aligned nonprofits

■ Promote dissemination of findings (posters, papers, conference

presentations)

■ Collaborate with integrity and conservation committees when appropriate

● Annual Initiatives

■ Identify 2–3 feasible scientific projects or collaborations

■ Review prior initiatives and reevaluate successes and challenges

■ Develop protocols for data collection and documentation

■ Produce an annual “State of Wildlife Science in Our Region” report

including at least 1 contribution from WCSL and 2 from other aligned

organizations

○ Fundraising Component (Science-Aligned)

■ Monetary funding generation for committee projects and the center

(create wildlife science campaigns, fundraisers, and identify grants),

donor program for “Adopt a Research Project”

■ In-Kind funding generation/sponsorship of research equipment (lab tools,

GPS units, telemetry tags, measurement tools, etc.)

■ Assist in drafting grant proposals to scientific foundations (animal welfare

research funds, ecological research support)

● Conservation Advisory Committee

○ Core Value

■ Conservation

○ Purpose

■ To identify top human-wildlife conflict issues in the region and develop

strategies, partnerships, and outreach programs that strengthen wildlife

coexistence and conservation outcomes.

○ Goal

■ To educate the community through action (volunteerism, outreach) about

human-wildlife conflict using informed strategies. Always being guided by

the WCSL mission, “Conserving Utah native species through science,

education, and rehabilitation.”

○ Key Responsibilities

■ Collect and assess regional data on human-wildlife conflict (vehicle and

window collisions, poisoning, entrapments,domestic animal impacts, etc.)

■ Identify priority species and habitats at risk

■ Establish partnerships with municipalities, agencies, conservation

organizations, and businesses.

■ Recommend conflict mitigation strategies (community education), and

promote coexistence education aligned with the nonprofit’s mission

■ Integrate rehabilitation data into broader conservation efforts

■ Develop action plans for each campaign

○ Annual Initiatives

■ Produce a “Human-Wildlife Conflict Risk Assessment” for the region

■ Identify at least one public education campaign (community forum or

training session

○ Fundraising Component (Conservation-Aligned)

■ Fundraising initiatives should emphasize coexistence, habitat protection,

and human-wildlife conflict mitigation

■ Sponsorships/monetary donations for habitat restoration, native

landscaping, or mitigation equipment (wildlife fencing, nest boxes,

signage)

■ In-Kind donations for conservation supplies

■ Grants for conservation education programming

■ Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns tied to community service events

● Integrity Advisory Committee

○ Core Value

■ Integrity

○ Purpose

■ To enhance community engagement, support grants for the

organization’s internship program, and build sustainability initiatives.

○ Goal

■ To guide the image of Wildlife Center of Salt Lake through upholding

trust, outreach excellence, and sustainability, ensuring the organization

remains a respected, community-driven leader. Be at the forefront of

lifting up future wildlife and conservation biologists and ecologists

especially through underrepresented communities. Always being guided

by the WCSL mission, “Conserving Utah native species through science,

education, and rehabilitation.”

○ Key Responsibilities

■ Identify community engagement activities (open houses, school

partnerships) and match with appropriate messaging or program.

■ Assist in writing and supporting grants, especially for the internship and

education program

■ Develop sustainability initiatives (green practices, energy-efficient

solutions, waste reduction)

■ Support DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) practices in outreach and

internship recruitment

○ Annual Initiatives

■ Identify and assist in writing grants supporting education, internships, or

organizational sustainability, etc.

■ Develop an annual report summarizing community and sustainability

impacts

○ Fundraising Component (Integrity-Aligned)

■ Fundraising initiatives should support other committees and WCSL

■ Corporate sponsorships with businesses

■ “Green Guardians” donor circle supporting facility sustainability features

(solar, waste reduction, composting)

● Advisory Workflow

○ Meetings as discussed by committee members

○ Review progress toward goals

○ Assign deliverables to committee members

○ Identify challenges and resource needs

○ Identify collaborative opportunities between committees

○ Prepare strategic brief for the Executive Board quarterly or annually

○ Annual Planning Process

■ Review previous year's achievements and metrics

■ Update revised documents

■ Submit Annual Advisory Committee Report to the Executive Board

○ Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

■ Quality improvements in rehabilitation practices based on science

■ Budget and ROI (hours spend, resources)

■ Number of human-wildlife conflict mitigation projects implemented

■ Community reach of conservation campaigns

■ Partnerships established with conservation organizations

■ Number of community events, volunteer events, or outreach activities

Grants applied for and funding received

Improvements in sustainability metrics (waste reduction, energy use, etc.)

■ Number of donors or sponsors engaged

■ Year-over-year fundraising growth