The DCAD Asks You to Help Us Help You
Take a look at the volunteer jobs we have for you!
This page is for our most valuable assets: our volunteers. And we have had a lot of wonderful volunteers over the years. We strongly believe DCAD has much to give, incentive-wise, to the deaf community of DC that will encourage a refreshing jolt of creativity in our volunteers. We at DCAD are also committed to creating exciting events that our volunteers can help us with. Specifically, we mean the kind of events that benefit the DC deaf community and our allies in Metropolitan Washington. For example:
- Do you want the opportunity to lead a project?
- Are you the kind of person who enjoys meeting new people?
- Do you believe in the power of deaf people who have an “I can do it!” attitude?
- Do you like being behind-the-scene and do the work on DCAD’s project(s)?
- Do you want to host a party for a good cause?
- How would you feel about being instrumental in creating our first Deaf Culture Street Festival?
- Are you interested in developing and expanding our website?
Are you someone who would love to plan or give a workshop on an interesting topic?
Are you the person who wants to collect DC Tour Information or other interesting tidbits and put this on our website?
If any of the above projects interests you, then please reach out to us! See the list below of volunteer positions. We need volunteers for these positions:
Board Member – Some positions are open until we have enough members on the DCAD Board. We want the kind of people who are energetic, with leadership potential, and who want to make a positive contribution. These positions will continue until we have our next election, sometime in November 2015. The current openings we have on the DCAD Board are:
- Members-at-Large (1)
Core Team – DCAD plans to setup a core team of people who will coordinate, lead, and plan Special Events for DCAD. Suggested events that DCAD plans to review as possible events to host are:
- Town Hall Meeting
- ASL Movies
- Annual Events and Festivals
- Games – Baseball or other sporting events
Email Editor – (DCDeaf eNews) We want someone who will be dedicated in making DCDeaf eNews “the” newsletter everyone will be more aware what is happening in the deaf community. If you’re up to the challenge, click here to read the full job description.
Media Coordinator – We seek someone, or more, to work with the Board in developing press releases, media and advertisement kits, distribute educational information to media and the public, answer inquiry emails, draft DCAD positions on deaf-related issues affecting the DC Deaf Community (as well as nationwide). The Media Coordinator will collaborate with the Email Editor on DCDeaf eNews.
Vlog Coordinator – This individual will work closely with an In-House team to lead all aspects of v-log production: collect information, create scripts, interview sign candidates, schedule filming, monitor filming and select production assistants as needed. The candidate for this position should be familiar with production of vlog commentaries and the equipment needed to produce a visually pleasing vlog.
Web Administrator and Assistants – We want a Web Administrator who is creative as well as committed to making our website a “must read” by the local and national deaf community. We seek someone with web skills that include familiarity with working with HTML editor programming and coding. We also need Web Assistants who feel as committed as our web administrator. We believe that the key to a successful DCAD website is a team-work ethic from both the Administrator and Assistants that will keep the webpage up and running as well as making it a site people will want to come back to again and again for relevant news, vlog commentary, and resources.
Ambassador(s) – On a couple of occasions, DCAD has been asked either to affiliate with other organizations or to send a representative to attend Advisory Board and other local meetings on behalf of DCAD and the DC Deaf Community. If you’re interested, please let us know. Examples of past requests came from these organizations: DC Metropolitan Police’s Deaf Advisory, DC Statewide Independent Living Council, a PCRID committee, Commission for the Deaf Task Force, Deaf Senior Citizens Assisted Living Center.
Committee(s) – We do group up our Board members and some of our volunteers to let them specifically focus on advocacy and other issues of pressing concern. If there is a specific committee you are interested in contributing your knowledge and energy to, please let us know. Below is a list of committees we are thinking of.
- Fund Developing
- Special Events
- Membership Recruitment
- Volunteer Council
- ASL Movies
As we continue to create new positions or committees for our volunteers we are aware that we may need to divide the responsibilities between two or more persons. So, if you see a specific task in one job position that you would like to help with, please contact us with your plans and proposals.
To sign up for a volunteer position or join a committee, contact us at [email protected].
Job Descriptions
Email Editor (DCDeaf eNews)
The person in this volunteer position is responsible for managing all aspects of our email newsletter and its distribution, including list management. DCAD is currently using PHPlist email distribution software (see www.phplist.com).
Duties/Requirements:
- Receive and reformat news or announcements for DCDeaf eNews according to DCAD eNews policy;
- Maintain email listing (add/drop/change) so it is always up to date;
- Strong English writing skills preferred, but not required.
Webmaster and Assistants
The person in this volunteer position is to maintain, update, and upgrade DCAD’s website. We need someone who is not only technically computer-savvy, but also someone who has knowledge and experience with web development and can proactively lead a team of assistants. The team will be a part of, and guided by, the Board’s Web Team Committee.
Duties/Requirements:
- Strong knowledge of, and experience with web programs, other HTML Editor programming, other HMTL coding; WordPress, and CiviRM;
- Availability to do quick updates and/or post on the web;
- Knowledge of fast changing technology and new possibilities for features and/or web-based software that will benefit the DC Community. One possibility is to use video blogs, called vlogs. DCAD’s vlog will contain news, press releases, and other information presented in American Sign Language;
- Serve as an alternative person for email distribution if/when Email Editor is not available.
Membership Database Coordinator
The person in this volunteer position is responsible for managing all aspects of the membership database. DCAD is currently using aMember, a web-based membership software. You may review the program at https://https://www.amember.com/. If there’s a new and better ready-made web-based membership software available on the market at a reasonable price, DCAD would consider changing the current database program. Recommended to use CiviRM.
Duties/Requirements:
- Collaborate with Board Treasurer on updates and maintenance of new and continuing member records;
- Knowledge of and experience in HTML, WordPress, CiviRM and MySQL preferred but not required. Minor customization and coding will need to be done;
- Will collaborate with Webmaster for developing integration and layout standards as well as utilization of plug-in web-based programs (to be integrated into aMember);
- Provide membership statistics and reports on a regular basis;
- Serve as an alternative person for email distribution if/when the Email Editor is not available.
In the near future, DCAD is planning to integrate the membership database program with web and email software.
All three above positions will work with several DCAD Board and members. These positions require dynamic people with a” think big” personality. Not only that, any of you who have a zest for change, you can be a social change agent and push with your vision, ideas and creativity. It is time now for anyone who would like to come forward to share your ideas and try them out.
We encourage individuals with a big vision for developing our website and membership database to please apply for a contact us at [email protected].