Volunteer Coordinator Assistant Team Member and/or Manage/Director, Volunteer Services [Volunteer]
Spokane,
United States
Assist, or take the lead, managing RPG Research's volunteer engagement strategy as a Volunteer Coordinator. Part-time (1 to 5 hours per week), remotely manage RPG Research's international 200+ volunteers spanning 6 continents. Most volunteers at RPG Research have full-time jobs, school, family, etc., so we are very understanding and flexible about scheduling and variability of availability as life happens week to week.
We have three positions available for this role. We need to fill the roles at the Assistant (entry-level), Manager (1-2 years experience), and Director levels (3+ years experience).
Responsibilities
1 to 5 hours per week.
Assist existing team member or step up to become manager or director of the department.
Post and manage recruitment process to fill needed volunteer positions
Manage new volunteer applications initial screening and routing to correct interviewing managers or department heads.
Manage routing & tracking of application process, interview scheduling, and follow up on interview results.
Stay on top of "onboarding", and "offboarding" of volunteer staff, sending reminders and pointing them in the right direction to enable their work.
Implement volunteer recruitment strategies, manage and grow the existing volunteer programs and partnerships with schools, communities, media, etc.
Connect with universities to meet their degree requirements encouraging students to meet their intern and volunteer hours by volunteering at RPG Research.
Will train appropriate candidates as needed.
Challenges
200+ volunteers.
Volunteers scattered across 6 continents and many time zones.
We have grown from 10 volunteers in 2018, to nearly 200 in 2021.
Most of our volunteers have full-time jobs, school, family, etc., and we go out of our way to be flexible about scheduling, commitment hours per week/month, "life happening", etc.
RPG Research is 100% volunteer run. Not a single member of staff, including the founders, make any money through RPG Research, we are here to serve.
We have very little financial support, especially compared to other organizations our size, and with our level of impact. We accomplish an amazing amount with very little thanks to our incredible volunteers!
We stress that all of our volunteers must be careful to not overload on commitments or hours, so they are encouraged to remain with the organization year-after-year, rather than the typical volunteer model at other organizations that tends to burn them out. We try to keep all volunteers to around only 4 to 5 hours per week, with a maximum of 10 hours being rare, using a distributed teams work-load model.
Our programs support a wide range of populations, from 2 years old through senior adults, including people with disabilities, brain injuries, and neurodifferences.
Our staff comes from a wide range of populations, cultures, and languages.
Many of our volunteer staff members have a variety of disabilities, brain injuries, or neurodifferences, so compassion, considerate patience, and sometimes repeated follow-up is critically important to keep things running.
Requirements
Strong work ethic (reliability), strong grit (stick to it over the long haul).
Patience and compassionate.
Strong communicator (keep in the loop)
Well organized
Willingness to commit to 6 month minimum as assistant volunteer coordinator or 1 year at the manager/director level, and always try to recruit and train a replacement if transitioning away.
Commit to 1 to 5 hours per week (flexible schedule).
Must pass background check
Will train, but prefer someone with 1+ years experience managing volunteers.
Skills
Strong collaboration skills
Ability to work effectively with RPG Research donors, volunteers, agencies, and community representatives around the world
Ability to set and achieve short and long-term goals individually and for a team
High degree of personal responsibility, integrity, and strong work ethic
Demonstrated skills in the areas of administration, project management, and volunteer program development
Ability to react quickly to change and make decisions in a fast-paced environment.
Works well under pressure and is flexible, creative, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable of the community and possess a high commitment to working to achieve RPG Research's
Personally and professionally supportive of organizational mission, vision, impact, codes of conduct, policies, staff, etc.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including interpersonal communication and public speaking skills.
Passionate and engaging, proactive, energetic, self-motivated, solution-oriented team player.
Outstanding organization and time-management skills.
Proficient computer skills, especially Libreoffice (related to Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint).
Will train, but prior experience with Odoo / OpenERP, or other ERP or CMS is helpful.
Prior experience managing volunteer/worker databases
Position Summary
Primary responsibility is to develop, engage, coordinate, and support RPG Research's volunteering programs and tracking progress of each volunteer's related volunteer training, and keeping volunteers engaged.
Additionally you will coordinate presenters for staff trainings and working with community members who want to donate services, funds, products, or other resources helpful to our volunteers and volunteer training
The Coordinator may also conduct occasional internal staff training sessions.
Volunteer database management.
On-boarding processes.
Working with non-profit organizations.
Working with staff internationally in many different time zones.
Assist with department and organization events, initiatives, and presentations as needed.
Workplace Location(s): 100% Online. Also welcome if in Spokane area, but working with clients globally.
This is a volunteer unpaid opportunity.
Reports To: CEO & Vice President.
Days/Hours: Part-time, Average 5 hours/week (2 - 8 hours per week). Flexibility to work evenings or weekends as needed for organization and community programs and events, and to work around your regular schedule.
Learn more about RPG Research's Vision
Education and Experience:
1+ years experience working with volunteers in leadership role.
1+ years working with volunteers and/or a non-profit organization.
Benefits:
Remote Work
Very flexible schedule
Volunteer hours may be applicable to educational program requirements depending on your institution and degree.
Possibility of internship hours and school credits depending on institution and degree program (case-by-case basis).
Salary: $0.00 /year (unpaid volunteer)
ABOUT RPG RESEARCH
RPG Research is a 100% volunteer-run international 501(c)3 non-profit research & human services organization studying the effects of music and role-playing games, and their potential to improve quality of life for people around the world. http://www.rpgresearch.com
RPG Research has been involved with role-playing games since the 1970s and researching their effects since 1983. We have also helped run programs in schools since 1985, and in therapeutic settings since 2004.
We have been offering the world's most comprehensive repository of research information on role-playing games, freely and openly, online since 2004.
We are a 100% volunteer-run international research & human services 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization.
We are dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families living in the communities we serve around the world.
In 2020 we directly improved the lives of more than 30,000 people worldwide, with fewer than 130 volunteers and less than $10,000 USD in donations!
We aim to further our mission, vision, and impact through:
Continuing to provide the world's largest, free and open research repository on the effects of cooperative music and role-playing games, including: tabletop, live-action, electronic, and hybrids.
Community Events - we host a multitude of events, often educational or recreational in nature, throughout the year with the hopes of offering residents in our target communities, or online, a positive alternative in their lives.
Regular online broadcasts and special event programs to educate and raise awareness.
Speak at public events like professional conferences and fandom conventions.
Tour the USA with the wheelchair accessible, and stimuli controlled, RPG Bus and RPG Trailers, advocating and raising awareness
Especially providing programs to under-served and un-served locations all but ignored by most other organizations.
Community Outreach Programs - we offer a number of programs directly to sectors of our target communities including schools, libraries, community centers, parks, events, and other locations to help serve many populations from 2 years old through senior adults, at-risk and high-risk youth and adults, incarcerated populations, people with disabilities, brain injuries, mental health challenges, learning challenges, neuro-differences, Deaf and hard of hearing, visual impairments, and many others.
Application Questions
How many years of volunteer experience do you have?
How many years of volunteer coordinator experience do you have?
How many years of volunteer management experience do you have?
How many years of volunteer program experience do you have?
Do you know American Sign Language or other sign language?
Do you speak Arabic?
Do you speak English?
Do you speak French?
Do you speak German?
Do you speak Italian?
Do you speak Japanese?
Do you speak Mandarin?
Do you speak Portuguese?
Do you speak Russian?
Do you speak Spanish?
Are you willing to undergo a background check, in accordance with local law/regulations?