Volunteer Coordinator Intern

Job Title: Volunteer Coordinator Intern

Department: Grassroots Network

Location:  Remote in California

Reports to: CA Clearcutting Campaign

Duration: 15 hours per week for 6 months, from the date of hire

Context:  At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of interdependence. Together, we remain committed to the fight for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice – a future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. As the climate crisis and deeply entrenched systemic racism all fuel injustice, we will continue to fight for a bold, transformational agenda that recognizes the interconnectedness between our planet, our humanity, and our future. By recognizing that our destinies are tied, we continue to name that all things are fundamentally connected, and the overlap between ecology, race, gender, and representative government will move to either advance our collective humanity or to oppress it. Sierra Club has close to 800 staff across the country and a network of 64 local chapters that are led and fueled by thousands of volunteers. We are also proud to be a unionized employer, with three labor unions representing more than half of our employees.

Scope:  The Stop Clearcutting CA Campaign has approximately two dozen volunteers, who comment on forest-related plans, write blogs and letters to the editor (LTEs), develop website content, build relationships with allies and the press, and post on social media. The Volunteer Coordinator Intern will reach out to new volunteers and support existing volunteers as well as help organize and maintain our digital forest resource documents and public comments. The intern creates and posts educational posts on social media, and organizes educational meetings for volunteers. The intern assists in public outreach events (i.e., conventions, festivals, forest protection forums, public meetings) for the purpose of public education and recruitment of volunteers. The intern will receive education about forests and clearcutting in California and the government policies and situations that allow it to continue. The intern will have an opportunity to improve their ability to lead others and utilize social media and letters to the editor to educate the public about forests.

• Help with initial contact and intake of new volunteers including identification of volunteer skills and interests.
• Provide support to existing volunteers and team leads to maximize their efficiency and effectiveness with letters to the editor, social media, blogs, group meetings and the forest protection forum.
• Solicit, collect and organize relevant material from volunteers, and share it across the broader team. Organize and maintain copies of the campaign’s public comment submissions.

• You have good verbal communications skills, which will enable you to communicate effectively with volunteers.
• You have good written communication skills, which will enable you to develop toolkits and write agendas, minutes, social media posts, and letters to the editor.
• You can competently use Google Docs/Word, Excel/Google Sheets, and PowerPoint.
• You can organize data in a way that makes it easy for others to access and add to.   
• You have extensive knowledge and experience with Facebook and Instagram. You understand what makes a post successful on each platform.
• You are aware of your group identities and how they have shaped your life and experiences at work. You have internally analyzed how racism and other forms of oppression in society impact relationships, systems and culture. You bring experience and skills for working effectively with colleagues across group identities and position/role.

• You have managed a successful social media campaign that increased reach, and was shared and valued widely. 
• You have experience with writing letters to the editor or similar writing.
• You have written meeting agendas, led meetings, and written minutes
• You have managed or supported a team of volunteers. 
• Some background/education in the environmental sciences and/or California forest issues.

To Apply

The Sierra Club provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all staff members. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, lived experience and skills. The Sierra Club does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, immigration status, socioeconomic status, ancestry, age, size, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, familial status, veteran status, disability, AIDS/HIV status, medical condition, prior conviction, arrest history, traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Sierra Club values applicants who are people that identify as Black, Indigenous, and other minoritized groups; women; queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender fluid people.

Explore, enjoy and protect the planet.