To date, teachers at 60% of all the public schools in America have posted classroom project requests on our site. Projects range from paper and markers for a poetry writing unit to violins for a school recital. More than 1.7 million “citizen philanthropists” have supported such projects, channeling books, field trips, technology, and other resources to more than 14 million students from low-income communities. In all, we’ve generated $400 million for learning experiences designed by our country’s most dedicated public school teachers.
GOOD Magazine highlighted us as one of 30 Places We Want to Work , while Fast Company named DonorsChoose.org one of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World —the first time a charity has made this list. Our culture is informal, fast-paced, and fun.
About the team you’ll work with:
We operationalize storytelling and facilitate gratitude , with the support of 300 volunteers. Our team vets and posts each project request, from essay to shopping list, and then delivers the rewarding final touch to funded projects, the donor thank-you. Every day, a group of online teacher volunteers screen submitted projects, and in-office volunteers mail hand-written, crayon-covered student thank-yous to donors.
The Volunteer Program Assistant will work with our Community Engagement Associates to ensure that volunteers have a rewarding, laughter-filled, productive volunteer experience.
About the Role:
As the department that processes student thank-yous, we think our volunteer programs should embody the same qualities as a great thank-you letter: generosity, gratitude, and sometimes a little glitter. We’re looking for a teammate who can foster a warm volunteer environment, even on the rainiest of Mondays.
You will:
Communicate with volunteers – about volunteer applications, about scheduling, about their favorite oreos. (Our favorite is cinnamon bun.) Make sure the remote volunteers feel just as much a part of the team as those you can high-five across the desk.
Prepare for daily programs. Make sure the snack station is stocked and each volunteer has a mail bin with their name on it.
Keep track of volunteer program data. How many hours have the volunteers donated? How many projects have been approved by them, and how many thank-yous have been mailed? You’ll know the answers.
Provide support to Donor Appreciation and Screening team goals as needed.
Your mission is important. This job might be for you if:
You include everyone. You notice the person at the party who feels left out and immediately invite them to join the conversation. Awkward silence? You don’t know what that is.
You are an ace communicator. Your emails make people smile and you can explain just about anything to anyone.
You are an editor. You mentally correct grammar and typos as you read articles and emails.
You are a helper. You find it satisfying to help someone solve a problem and you’re willing to jump in wherever needed (because your sleeves, they will be rolled).
You are tech savvy and comfortable learning new programs and tools quickly. The idea of a fast-paced startup-like environment excites you.
You are a recent graduate, current student, or professional who is motivated to work part-time for a mission-driven non-profit organization. A bachelor’s degree is not required, but is preferred.
The Extras:
Agents are encouraged to attend events like our monthly All Hands meeting, in-office education events, and social events like birthday celebrations! We’ve also got snacks and coffee to keep you fueled.
The Details:
Hours: Between 12 – 20 hours a week, dependent on seasonal workload. The in-office volunteer program is active until 8 PM; must be available during some weekday evenings to supervise.
Location: DonorsChoose.org national office in midtown Manhattan.
Length: February through June.
Compensation: $14 per hour
To Apply:
Apply by submitting your resume and cover letter addressed to Rosanna Domino, Teacher Experience & Workforce Manager.
Your cover letter should include a link to a video – Youtube or Vimeo – of you answering the following questions in two minutes or less. (Don’t worry about production quality, we’re just interested in getting to know you!)
What most interests or excites you about this role?
Imagine that it’s been an unusually high volume week (lots of projects submitted and student thank-yous arriving!) and our volunteers have been heroically hustling to keep up. How will you show our appreciation to the volunteers, both in-office and remote?
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