Commonweal Institute

Volunteer Openings

The Commonweal Institute relies on the energies of its talented volunteers to build the organization, increase its website content, and extend its outreach capabilities. Volunteer experience is satisfying in itself, AND it often can be used in one's career, to seek promotion or move into a new career field. Most of our volunteer activities can be done by people anywhere in the country--in fact, anywhere in the world, as long as your English language skills are good.

We need volunteers to help us with the following tasks:

a Resources Editor
several Outreach Assistants
an Event Coordinator
several e-Newsletter Researcher/Writers

American Constitution Society

Resources Editor

The Resources Editor compiles, verifies, and edits the results of the Web Searchers’ searches, judges suitability for use, and provides the final material to Commonweal Institute’s webmaster for posting on our website.

What’s involved:

Receive descriptions of websites, URLs, and background files from the Web Searchers.
Check each site briefly to be sure the submitted materials appear to be accurate.
Decide whether the site and the organization it represents appears to be congruent with Commonweal Institute’s core principles, values, and approach; these decisions will reviewed selectively by Commonweal Institute staff.
Check that the organization and its website is not already listed on Commonweal Institute’s website; you’ll probably just keep your own list for easy checking.
For potential links that are judged acceptable, edit the description (if necessary).
Decide into which category/ies of resources the item should be placed.
Send batches of the information periodically to the Commonweal Institute’s webmaster for posting.
Save the background files in an electronic folder for periodic batch transmission to Commonweal Institute staff.

Time and schedule:

Three or four hours per week, at your convenience, is probably realistic. The schedule is flexible, but you’ll probably want to put in some time on a fairly regular basis so you won’t get too large a backlog of submissions from the Web Searchers.

Equipment needed:

Computer, word processing software, Internet access. Commonweal Institute’s staff are working primarily in a Word/Windows environment, so you’ll have to be able to send files in plain text or another format compatible with Word/Windows.

Skills needed:

Ability to verify items on the Internet, given the URLs
Attention to detail
Organized, systematic
Good editing skills
Willingness to confer with Commonweal Institute staff about decisions on specific items and to accept decisions that may not agree with yours occasionally
Communication skills, to provide feedback to Web Searchers regarding the results of their efforts

Dividends for You

You’ll learn a great deal about nonprofit organizations that address a variety of issues
You’ll meet people and likely make new friends
You’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you are playing a key role in building the Commonweal Institute’s capabilities
Your new skills and experience can be added to your resume and are likely to help you in your career
You’ll interact with web searchers and Commonweal Institute staff, who may be useful for job contacts and work references
You’ll contribute to building a database and a website that will be a resource to people who want to revitalize our democracy and improve the political climate in this country.

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Outreach Assistant

The Outreach Assistants will help to raise the visibility of – and hopefully additional support for – the Commonweal Institute by identifying individuals who seem compatible with our goals and principles, and then contacting them with a friendly email describing our activities and inviting them to visit our website.

What’s involved:

Identify people who you think will be sympathetic with our goals and principles, from such sources as the e-mail lists of organizations and online discussion groups to which you belong, “letters to the editor” that you see in newspapers and magazines, and your own circle of friends and acquaintances.
We’ll provide you with a suggested e-mail message that you can adapt to send out in your own name, sending us a blind copy so we know what you’ve sent.
If you think the people might be interested in receiving the Commonweal Institute’s free monthly e-newsletter, let them know you’ll send us their names and e-mail addresses.

Time and schedule:

This activity will most likely take about an hour per week. The amount of time you spend and the scheduling will be at your convenience.

Equipment needed:

Internet access.

Skills needed:

Ability to use e-mail.
Willingness to reach out to others, perhaps including even total strangers.

Dividends for You:

You'll improve your networking skills.
You are likely meet some interesting people and make new friends.
You’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you are spreading the word about an organization that can make a significant difference in revitalizing our democracy and improving the political climate in this country.

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Event Coordinator

The Event Coordinator makes arrangements for Commonweal Institute’s group meetings and sends out invitations. At present, we have breakfast meetings of CI volunteers about every 6-8 weeks. In time, we expect to have occasional meetings of the Advisory Board and of other groups.

What’s involved:

Coordinate with CI staff to find out approximately when a meeting will be scheduled and the desired attendees.
Contact the desired attendees to invite them and determine their time availability. Most contact will be via e-mail, but some telephone contact may be needed.
Set meeting date and time that will ensure best attendance.
Send out reminder message, directions, and agenda to attendees shortly before the scheduled meeting.
Purchase and pick up refreshments and supplies (e.g., napkins) for the event (Commonweal Institute pays for these).
About 30-60 minutes before the meeting, deliver food and supplies to site of meeting (usually in a location near Palo Alto, CA) and set up for serving. You may stay for the meeting itself or not, as you choose.
If you stay for the meeting, help clean up afterwards (optional, but we would appreciate it).

Time and schedule:

For each meeting, about 2-3 hours to line up the attendees and send out the pre-meeting information. Shortly before the meeting (could be the day before), about 1 hour to purchase refreshments. On the day of the meeting, help with set-up (about 1 hour) and optionally with clean-up (1 hour). Volunteer meetings are now held every 6-8 weeks. The greatest frequency of meetings we can anticipate is about one per month.

Equipment needed:

Computer, word processing software, Internet access. Commonweal Institute’s staff are working primarily in a Word/Windows environment and meeting attendees may be in any environment, so you’ll have to be able to send files in plain text or another format compatible with Word/Windows and other platforms. You’ll need a means of transportation for bringing food and supplies to the meeting site.

Skills needed:

Ability to use e-mail.
Warmth, friendliness, and patience to line up attendees and answer their questions.
Experience entertaining as a host/hostess would be helpful, so you can anticipate what might be needed and make good food selections.
Conscientiousness and attention to detail.

Dividends for You

You’ll meet new people and likely make new friends.
You’ll use your social skills.
You’ll develop your organizational skills and flair for entertaining, at least on a small scale.
You’ll have the satisfaction of supporting groups of people who, like you, are seeking to revitalize our democracy and improve the political climate in this country .

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e-Newsletter Researcher/Writer

The Researcher/Writers will identify interesting material and write up short pieces to be published in the Commonweal Institute’s e-newsletter, Uncommon Denominator. We can use several volunteers for this activity.

What’s involved

Identify from the Internet, publications, and other sources timely ideas that appear related to Commonweal Institute’s core principles, may change public attitudes and policy in favorable directions, and/or may be valuable resources for activists who share our moderate-progressive values.
Present the ideas to the newsletter editor, who will select the ideas to be pursued.
Investigate the topic, seeking primary source(s) if possible, and note exact reference of source(s).
Write a short (one to three paragraphs, in English) summary of the topic, which may include reference to Commonweal Institute’s relevant principles, call attention to action that can be taken with this information, etc.
Create a background file for the item, including the source information. If relevant, also include URL (Web address) of the website on which the source(s) can be found.
Send these items to the newsletter editor for review, selection, possible editing, and inclusion in the newsletter.

Time and schedule:

The newsletter is published once a month; frequency may increase to twice monthly or even weekly, in time. Each summary, including investigation, is likely to take 1-3 hours. A few hours per week is probably realistic, but even one summary every month or two would be a help. The more summaries you do, the more material the editor will have to work with. The schedule on which you do your research and writing is flexible, as long as you can meet the deadline for the next issue.

Equipment needed:

Skills needed:

Ability to look for items on the Internet, using search engines such as Google, AltaVista, Yahoo, etc.
Subscription or online access to major news publications (e.g., New York Times, Washington Post), Internet sources (e.g., Salon), and progressive publications (e.g., American Prospect, The Nation, Mother Jones).
English language fluency (we anticipate doing translation into other languages in the future, but not yet)
Good writing skills; journalism experience would be helpful
Curiosity and an investigative mindset.
Dedication to accurate documentation of sources and understanding of their importance.

What topic(s) should I research?

If you’re interested in volunteering for this activity, the newsletter editor can suggest topic areas. You will likely come up with other ideas in the course of your reading—propose them, and if they’re accepted, you can go to work on them.

Dividends for You

You’ll learn about new ideas
You’ll develop your Internet searching skills and discover interesting websites
You’ll practice your writing skills
You’ll get editorial feedback to help you become a better researcher and writer.
Your new skills and experience can go on your resume and be used to advance your career.
You’ll contribute to making a significant difference in revitalizing our democracy and improving the political climate in this country..

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