Immediate and Temporary Volunteer Opportunities

2005 Calendar Sales:

• Help us sell the 300 Man�s Best Friends calendars donated to us by Animal Aid in Wisconsin (thanks, Animal Aid!). The calendars feature firefighters and other rescue workers with rescued animals, and promotes spay/neuter and adoption and pet retention. The suggested retail price is $11.99, but with time flying we are offering them for a suggested minimum donation of $4-10.
• Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 10 hours to completion

Tom & Mom Cat Special:
To learn more about this annual, Portland-based, multi-organizational high volume, low cost spay/neuter event with about 30 veterinary clinics participating to get hundreds of needy cats altered. We have needs in the following areas:

• Publicity and Marketing:
  Get out the word about this great event, in honor of Spay Day USA. Submit press releases and follow up with media outlets such as newspaper, radio, and television. Or, distribute fliers in low income areas to raise awareness of the event.
  Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 10 hours to completion
• Veterinary Relations:
  Call or visit veterinary clinics to invite them to participate in the Special. Best calling hours are 10am-12pm and 2-4pm. Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 10 hours to completion
• Fundraising:
  Every $20 we can raise will pay for a queen (female cat) to be spayed!! Male cats will be neutered at no cost to us. The more queens we can sponsor during the Special, the less moms and entire litters that will have to altered later in the year at full price.
  Time Commitment Requirement: Open: approximately 10 hours to completion

Volunteer Coordinator Assistive Positions

New Volunteer Recruitment & Follow-Up:

• 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. Forward application to other volunteers who assist with volunteer coordinating, then keep readily accessible on file.
• Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 2 hrs/wk, or 8 hrs/mth

Volunteer Placement:

Work with POPPA Board of Directors and List of volunteer opportunities, and POPPA’s online Calendar of Events to be familiar with the positions available with POPPA. Match new and current volunteers with compatible position(s). Coordinate with Volunteer Support and New Recruit Follow-Up to address volunteer needs.

Volunteer Training:

• Schedule or hold volunteer trainings—including how to access and use POPPA’s online Calendar of Events, 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.
• Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 2 hr/wk, or 8 hrs/mth

Volunteer Contact Tree:

• 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.
• Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 2 hrs/wk, or 8 hrs/mth (plus additional time just prior to special events). This task can be divided among several volunteers.

Volunteer Support:

• 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).
• Duties also include writing occasional submissions for our Volunteer Online Forum with updates, requests, etc. And, upon request, writing letters of accommodation for job files, courts of law (when the volunteer has performed community service), and/or college applications.
• Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 2 hrs/wk, or 8 hrs/mth

Volunteer Appreciation:

• 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 20 hr/yr

Volunteer Data Coordinator:

• Compile volunteer hours from hand-written calandar at recycled gardens and from online calander into a central database. Enter data from new volunteer applications into central database.
• Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 4 hr/mo. Need to be available at the end of the month

Event Planning

Events Coordinator:

• Follow POPPA’s Event Planning Outline to manage Publicity, Sponsorships (optional), Refreshments, Event Setup and Event Cleanup
• Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 15 hours per event (4-5 events annually)

Publicity:

• Write and submit press release to all media outlets at least one month in advance of event�follow up one week prior to event Email constituents to announce event and invite volunteers, public attendance, and donations/sponsorships
• Optional: Send announcement to mailing list
• Create and distribute event fliers, postcards and/or coupons Secure donations of advertisement in media outlets

Sponsorships:

• Draw up sponsorship proposals and submit them to corporations and private companies. Follow up within 1 week of submitting proposal.

Refreshments:

• Determine Menu Plan Secure donations of as many needed items as possible prior to the event, including: Beverages, Sweets, Salties, Napkins, Utensils, Serving & Eating Dishes, Setup (Table, Tablecloth, etc),
• Set up food service area
• Set up receptacle for donations
• Handle sales of refreshments during event (optional)

Event Setup:

• Remove any merchandise and other displayed items from the barn that do not pertain to the event
• Thoroughly clean event site
• Ensure the site will be as comfortable for attendees as possible: pleasing music, right temperature (buy kerosene for heater), fun atmosphere, visually presentable & decorated
• Event Cleanup: Dispose of or recycle trash and clean up any debris left at event site
• Tear down displays and decorations and store for later use.
• Thank as many donors, volunteers and attendees as possible. Email is first choice, calling 2nd choice, mailing 3rd choice.

Community Outreach:

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, and convey those opportunities to Outreach Assistants.
Time Commitment Requirement: Open: 2-10 hrs/wk

Outreach Assistant:
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 with spay/neuter. Encourage passers by to immediately and in the future, a) donate to POPPA, b) buy POPPA merchandise, c) join our contact lists, d) take and distribute POPPA materials, e) join POPPA’s team of volunteers. Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 4-8 hours per session

Outreach Kit Designer:
Use new and existing resources to create 3 tabling kits for Outreach Assistants to use. 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) rocks, adhesive or clips to secure literature, 16) container to hold most of Outreach Kit, 17) anything else needed for a successful tabling experience.
Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 15 hours to completion

Resource Liaison:
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.
Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 1 hr/wk, or 4 hrs/mth

Spay Neuter Program Volunteers:

Photographer/Videographer:
Collect testimonies from people who have received assistance from POPPA, document animal recipients of POPPA spay/neuter funding, portray POPPA’s mission and beneficiaries. Visual medium will be used in POPPA newsletter, promotional materials, outreach events, and other opportunities to promote our work.
Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 1 hr/wk, or 4 hrs/mth

Recipient Support:
Follow up with POPPA spay/neuter 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 needing s/n. Access recipient reports from centrally accessible database. Follow up can be made either via email or phone contact.
Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 1 hr/wk, or 4 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.

Spay/Neuter Data Entry:
Enter data about checks cashed into a central database.

Ongoing Volunteer Positions:

Crafter:
Work with Crafts Coordinator to make saleable garden art, pet-themed gifts, pet supplies, and other POPPA merchandise from reduced, reused, or recycled materials. Create approved crafts of your own invention, or work from prototypes. Work alone at home, or attend crafting circles with other crafters.
Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 2 hr/wk, or 8 hrs/mth

Recycled Yardage Pet Bandana Designer:
Work with Recycled Yardage Coordinator to produce POPPA’s one-of-a-kind pet bandanas. Use our patterns or create your own style(s). Work alone at home, or attend sewing circles with other sewers. There may also be opportunities to sew other types of POPPA merchandise.
Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 2 hr/wk, or 8 hrs/mth

Materials Scout:
Collect reduced, reused, and recycled items for reworking/resale. Bring materials where needed, such as to Recycled Gardens or crafter’s homes. Coordinate with POPPA’s Recycled Gardens Art and Crafts and Recycled Yardage Pet Bandanas Coordinators to keep abreast of needed items from garage sales, Freecycle, etc.
Time Commitment Requirement: Approximately 1 hr/wk, or 4 hrs/mth

Grant Writer/Manager:
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

Project Coordinators:

Recycled Yardage (RY) Coordinator:
Oversee pet bandana production, distribution, and sales. Keep a running list of sale opportunities during special and routine events, and work with others to fill retail orders and secure new retail outlets. Lead RY projects, including sewing circles and requesting and collecting donations of reclaimed fabric scraps.