River Voices: March 2026
Welcome to the March 2026 edition of River Voices. This month we’re sharing an update from our board on our search for a new Executive Director. Also, general registration for River Rally is now open.
Read an update from John Weiss, Chair, River Network Board of Directors, on the search for River Network’s next Executive Director and the future of River Network.
It’s time to register for River Rally 2026 in San Antonio, Texas! Registration pricing increases on April 17. Registration will remain open until we reach our registration cap.
Mentorship at River Rally is back! Plus, we’re offering even more opportunities for collaborative problem solving through plenaries and our new community convenings.
We are still accepting applications for our next Executive Director for River Network.
River Network is a remote organization and we are seeking candidates in the U.S. Read the full job description posted by Chaloner, a national search firm who is leading the search. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and we highly encourage those interested to apply as soon as possible.
The learning series Mastering the Grant Lifecycle gives a playbook of processes, tools, and strategies for nonprofits to make their management of existing grants more efficient and ultimately help them secure more funding down the road. This five-episode series covers the pillars of grant management, prospecting, proposal and budget development, and grant execution.
Join a Training Series in Our Online Learning Platform
Our Online Learning Platform offers entirely self-paced trainings to help grow and strengthen network members. Current topics include equitable development, building trust with water utilities, the Clean Water Act, State Revolving Funds, and more.
Managing Stormwater in Small Communities
March 5
This WaterNow Alliance webinar will explore how intermunicipal collaborations can enable communities to leverage their resources, meet regulatory requirements, and unlock new funding and financing to pursue shared stormwater management goals.
Avoiding Water Shutoffs Learning Sessions
March 10 and March 24
The first learning session will provide a brief overview of the best practices and tools included in Keep the Water Flowing, a guide with best practices to avoid water shutoffs, and lessons from Chicago’s use of these practices. The second learning session will be a brainstorm and discussion on how to implement these best practices, with fellow advocates and River Network staff.
Advancing Nature-Based Solutions Through Economic Valuation
March 18
This interactive two-part workshop series—hosted by Earth Economics, River Network, and the Urban Waters Learning Network—explores how ecological economics can strengthen advocacy for watershed restoration.
Register for Session 2: Communicating the Real Value of Nature-Based Solutions
State Policy Showcase: State Funding Programs for Water
March 25
Join River Network’s next State Policy Showcase! Usman Mahmood, Policy Analyst, Bayou City Waterkeeper, and Mark Nardone, Director of Advocacy at Delaware Nature Society, will tell us about state-level water funding initiatives in Texas and Delaware—including the nuts-and-bolts of the policy and what drove action by decision makers.
What We’re Reading
- 🌳 Trees — not grass and other greenery — associated with lower heart disease risk in cities (UC Davis Health)
- 🏃 The Transformative Power of Many-Year Grants (Center for Empowered Philanthropy)
- 💸 Long-Haul Grantmaking: How Many-Year Grants Can Transform Nonprofit Jobs and Amplify Impact (Fund the People)
- 🌉 A Bigger We: A strategy to foster the belonging, bridging & building of collective agency needed to revitalize our democracy (The Faith, Bridging, and Belonging Program of the Freedom Together Foundation)
