If you are interested in volunteering for any of the positions below, please click on the title and complete our Ongoing Volunteer Application, accessible by clicking on the volunteer position title, and we will be in touch with you soon! Thanks.

Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities:

Spay/Neuter Fund Distribution Coordinator:

At least once every 48 hours, download spay/neuter assistance requests from voice mail system and/or email box. Return calls and/or otherwise reply to potential fund recipients. Determine level of financial need and whether recipient qualifies for other programs or can afford co-pay. Collect contact info and provide referral to local existing program or veterinarian, if appropriate. Fax approvals to vet or submit check requests to treasurer for processing every Friday.

Follow up with POPPA recipients approximately 3 weeks after our check was mailed asking if the animal(s) were fixed, how the experience went, if they'd like to learn more about volunteer opportunities, and if any other animals have surfaced that need spay/neuter. Access recipient reports from centrally accessible database. Follow up can be made either via email or phone contact.

Need access to email, web and phone.

Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 5 hrs/wk, or 20 hrs/mth

Community Outreach Coordinator:

Make and follow up on contact with community entities to maintain and expand POPPA's presence throughout the state. Form networking relationships and partnerships with schools, churches, politicians, fellow animal welfare groups, chambers of commerce, neighborhood associations, other charity organizations, etc. Seek out opportunities for volunteers to promote POPPA.

Keep on hand a supply of POPPA’s literature and promotional materials, and actively share them with community members and residents. Stock POPPA literature in libraries, pet supply stores and other venues to promote POPPA to potential donors, shoppers, volunteers and recipients of our services.

Use new and existing resources to create 2 tabling kits. Each kit would consist of 1) cardboard, stand-up, tri-fold display decorated with laminated photos, lettering, media pieces on POPPA, and POPPA logo, 2) donation can/jar, 3) seed money for can/jar, 4) sign-up sheet with plenty of space for interested party’s name, mailing/physical address, email address, phone number, and whether or not they’re interested in volunteering, 5) volunteer applications, 6) POPPA brochures, 7) POPPA merchandise, 8) money kit for making change for customers, 9) form for tracking merchandise inventory and donations/sales, 10) pens, 11) scrap paper,12) tablecloth, 13) folding, portable table, 14) blank, disposable name tags for Outreach Assistants, 15) horseshoes, adhesive or clips to secure literature, 16) container to hold most of Outreach Kit, 17) anything else needed for a successful tabling experience.

Solicit invitations to set up in public places such as grocery and pet supply stores and attend community events such as fairs, festivals and conventions/conferences. Provide opportunity to educate wide audience about POPPA and the need to make animals precious again by reducing their numbers via spay/neuter. Encourage the general public and event attendees to immediately and in the future, a) donate to POPPA, b) join our contact lists, c) take and distribute POPPA materials, d) join POPPA’s team of volunteers.

Time Commitment Requirement: Open: 2-10 hrs/wk and/or approximately 4-8 hours per event (plus 1-2 for setup and teardown).

Volunteer Coordinator:

Actively recruit new volunteers at least once a month, and keep log of such efforts. Prospective volunteers can be solicited by word of mouth, advertisement, friend-finding challenges, placing volunteer literature in businesses, etc.

Respond to prospective volunteers within 48 hours of becoming aware of said volunteer’s interest in POPPA. Furnish volunteers and prospective volunteers with our POPPA volunteer application. Follow up to retrieve completed application. Work with POPPA Board of Directors and Recycled Gardens Director to develop and stay aware of available volunteer positions. Match new and current volunteers with compatible position(s).

Schedule or hold volunteer trainings, workshops and orientations as needed to ensure new and current volunteers have the information and education necessary to perform their duties. For example, give informative tours at Recycled Gardens, or match new volunteers with a mentoring senior volunteer.

Working from a list or spreadsheet of volunteers, call, mail or email others to remind them of volunteer opportunities, including special and routine event staffing. Call on volunteers as needed to assist in POPPA functions, and alert volunteers and prospective volunteers to upcoming volunteering opportunities with POPPA.

Personally contact, via email, phone or in person, every volunteer or prospective volunteer at least once every other month (unless they indicate they’d prefer less frequent contact). Thank volunteers and ensure they're well matched to their assignment(s) and have been given every opportunity to work in a satisfying manner with POPPA (a well thought out survey would also be sufficient, if personal contact is impractical, as long as follow-up occurs so we don’t overlook any volunteers).

At least once annually, be in charge of holding an event or making some other special effort to show appreciation for all volunteers and recruit new volunteers.

Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 10-15 hrs/mth

Veterinary Liaison:

Follow up with vets who perform surgeries for POPPA. Verify the spay/neuter amount, discover if there are any leftover POPPA funds from the surgeries, and ensure that no POPPA leftover funding was used, nor will be used for anything other than s/n. Initially send each clinic we use a POPPA Vet Policy document, which is an introduction to our policies and procedures.

Events Coordinator:

Follow POPPA’s Event Planning Outline to manage Publicity, Sponsorships (optional), Refreshments, Event Setup and Event Cleanup at Recycled Gardens.

Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 15 hours per event (3-4 events annually)

Grant Writer/Manager:

Develop database/spreadsheet listing animal-friendly grantors and their timelines for submissions. Submit grant applications to prospective grantor foundations. Follow up whenever allowed by a foundation, within 1 week of submitting application. Submit at least 1 new application monthly.

Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 2 hr/wk, or 8 hrs/mth