Our Task is a largely voluntary organization. We give our volunteers clear guidelines and plenty of room for initiative and innovation. The result is some awesomely good work! Here are some of our volunteer opportunities in the areas of program, management/administration, and fundraising:
To volunteer: Please e-mail a cover letter (resume optional) to Dr. Gerald O. Barney, Executive Director, Jerry@OurTask.org and Monica Moore, Program Coordinator, Monica@OurTask.org.
Training: Everyone will be trained in the specifics of your tasks and in the basics of using of NationBuilder (the awesome online platform we use for organizing!).
Program Opportunities
Earth 2100 Conference Volunteers. Find more details about the conference here.
Registration. Welcome and process pre-registered attendees and distribute registration materials.
Lobby Displays. At the beginning of the first and second day, you will help welcome those who have a display and help set up their areas.
Usher. Help direct participants from the parking garages to the Johnson Student Center.
Facilitator. Keep table discussions focused and on track. Some training needed.
...More to come!
Mobilization Volunteers. For young people to have a voice on the major global issues that will dominate their entire lives, they need to mobilize, to come together as a community. So, the mobilization program is key to everything else Our Task does.
Point Persons. “Point persons” are the people who make mobilization work. You can be a point person for your school, or for your club, or company, or community. Duties: stay in touch with 6-8 people. Recruit them to attend the July Conference and attend OT MeetUps. Qualifications: internet and phone access, an hour per week. We provide training on messages for your people and on the use of NationBuilder. It is easy, fun, and important.
Social Media Blogger/Reporters. The key to mobilization with social media is producing a steady stream of “social” posts, meaning posts that contain information that is useful to the young adults of Our Task. We need bloggers on internship opportunities, educational opportunities, and environmentally related news stories. Duties: regular posts every week. We provide training in writing a good blog and in posting with NationBuilder.
“Crash Course” Developer. Students now often graduate from high school and even university without a core understanding of what is happening to Earth. Participants in our 2012 conference requested that Our Task prepare a “Crash Course” on what is happening to our planet and on global thinking. Our program coordinator has developed “Global Thinking 101” which is a series of short videos on key aspects of what is happening, and OT aspires to create an “institute” to provide remedial education on global thinking. To avoid reinventing the wheel, we need volunteers to search out other similar efforts from which we can learn.
Management/Administrative Opportunities
Volunteer Coordinator. The number of OT volunteers has reached the point that we need several volunteer coordinators. The volunteer coordinator functions like a “point person” (see above) who is staying in touch with other point persons. Duties: Providing tips, messages, and encouragement, recruiting additional point persons, and solving problems. Fun, rewarding, and very important. Qualifications: internet and phone access, 2-3 hours per week. We provide training on messages, volunteer management, and use of NationBuilder.
Volunteer Trainer. This person helps the Executive Director and Program Coordinator train our volunteer coordinators, social media bloggers, and mobilization point persons. Qualifications: experience in volunteer management, internet and phone access, 4-6 hours per week.
Comptroller. Volunteers perform the OT management function of comptroller. Duties: maintain the OT books in QuickBooks (15-20 transactions per month); prepare quarterly and annual financials for the board of trustees; reconcile back, credit card, and PayPal accounts; filing various reports (including federal form 990, annual state reports registrations), payroll for 2-3 employees; keep accounting procedures up to date, and attend occasional meetings. Qualifications: one or more years experience with QuickBooks and general accounting principles; at least an associate’s or equivalent degree in accounting required, bachelor’s degree preferred.
Fundraising Opportunities
Development Coordinator. This volunteer works directly with the Executive Director and Program Coordinator to prepare and post email appeals, enhance the OT mailing list, report to funders, to identify and research potential donors, make presentations on OT work, prepare proposals, and visit potential donors. We provide training on the basics of fundraising and in the use of NationBuilder. Qualifications: Some previous experience in fundraising, internet and phone access, 6-8 hours per week,
Other Opportunities
We also need a volunteer video producer and Wiki Master for our Earth Wiki. If you are interested, contact us for details.
