Volunteer Description
Donor Communications Assistant
Organization Profile
Room to Read partners with local communities throughout the developing world to provide quality educational opportunities by establishing libraries, creating local language children's literature, constructing schools, providing education to girls, and establishing computer labs. We seek to intervene early in the lives of children in the belief that education empowers people to improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, communities, countries, and future generations. Through the opportunities that only education can provide, we strive to break the cycle of poverty, one child at a time.
We are non-governmental, non-religious and work with many local NGOs and community based organizations to implement our programs. We currently work in Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Zambia - countries with a desperate lack of resources to educate their children. In 2007, we began our expansion into Bangladesh.
Since our inception, Room to Read's worldwide team has impacted over 1.7 million children by constructing more than 440 schools, establishing over 5,100 libraries, publishing 226 new children's book titles in 11 local languages, and putting over 4,000 girls onto long-term, holistic scholarships. We are one of ten non-profits to have won the Fast Company / Monitor Group Social Capitalist award five years in a row and have been featured in a variety of media including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and PBS.
Room to Read has an annual budget of approximately US$22 million, and our global staff numbers over 175; both of these figures will continue to grow rapidly in 2008. Our global headquarters is located in San Francisco, our Asia Regional Office is located in New Delhi, and we have program offices in Colombo, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Lusaka, New Delhi, Pretoria, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane. Our long-term goal is to help 10 million children to gain the lifelong gift of education.
Position Overview
This volunteer position is part of the Development Team and is to be based in San Francisco, California. The Donor Communications Assistant is responsible for helping members of the Development Team research new Room to Read donor prospects, developing new and updating existing marketing materials for donors and fundraisers, and editing donor project reports from Room to Read's in-country teams. The volunteer will also utilize and receive training on Raiser's Edge - a widely-used database management system in the nonprofit industry. The position will report directly to Amanda Liberatore, Development Analyst. The position will ideally start on June 15, 2008 for a two to three month duration.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Edit donor project reports that are received from Room to Read's in-country teams
- Research new donor prospects to support Room to Read's programmatic efforts
- Help manage small fundraising appeals
- Support the Development Team as necessary
Qualifications
Required
- Prior success working closely and building relationships with diverse groups of people
- Effectiveness in working or volunteering in a non-profit organization that is focused on maintaining high quality work and low overhead
- Prior experience in a fast-paced, growth-oriented global or regional organization
- Proven track record of achieving results
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
- Ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously and take initiative
To be successful as a member of the Room to Read team, you will also:
- Have a passion for our mission and a strong desire to impact an up-and-coming non-profit organization
- Be an innovative and creative thinker - you are not afraid to try something new and inspire others to do so
- Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness
- Have a strong work ethic, take initiative, and require minimal direction
- Work well independently as well as part of a team
- Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment
Compensation
This is an unpaid, volunteer position. The volunteer position is part-time with an expectation of 20 hours of work per week. The position will be based in Room to Read's San Francisco office, no exceptions.
Application Procedure
Please send a cover letter and resume by email with "Donor Communications Assistant" in the subject line (no letters, calls, faxes, or drop-ins) to aliberatore@roomtoread.org. Due to high applicant volume, you may not receive a response from Room to Read.
Room to Read is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.
