Volunteer Resources
This document contains a compilation resources to assist and support volunteers in their roles as well as tasks were volunteer help is most needed.
Table of Contents: Click on title to go to section
Resources for Open House Volunteers
Resources for Program Coordinators & Staff
Current Volunteer Needs ( ** indicates urgency)
MARKETING **
FACILITIES UPKEEP **
ONGOING PROGRAMMING SUPPORT
NEWSLETTER
OTHER VOLUNTEER NEEDS
Important Staff / Volunteer Contacts
Resources for Open House Volunteers
- Umdze Instructions
- Host Instructions
- Shambhala Ritual and Forms – Video Transcript of teachings by Acharya Suzanne Duquette
- Sunday Open House Umdze Guidelines (Concise Version)
- Open House Volunteer Sign-up Sheet
*To inquire about training to be a Host or Umdze for open house, please reach out to practiceandeducation@seattleshambhala.org.
Resources for Program Coordinators & Staff
- Shambhala Volunteer Coordinator Folder – This includes all forms and instructions necessary for program coordinators, including email templates, rota templates, coordinator checklists, and more.
- Everyday Life Coordination Folder – These are resources specific to the “In Everyday Life” series classes.
Current Volunteer Needs
We are full of gratitude for our many volunteers who support our offerings and classes. Please see below for a list of ways you can get involved at the Seattle Shambhala Center.
Contact the Co-Directors at director@seattleshambhala.org to inquire further.
[FILLED!]
Role: Marketing assistance for Center programs
Time commitment: 10-20 hours a month; get trained by Annica by working with her in July/Aug.
Skills: Marketing experience preferable, familiarity with photo editing software, a sense of design, familiarity with FB for Business is a plus
Job Description: Finds images for programs, create posters, work on FB ads and marketing for programs, post events on FB, schedule IG and FB posts on Hootsuite. (Optional: writes copy for FB ads, email highlights, and newsletter blurbs for programs.)
[FILLED!]
Role: Posting programs on Shambhala Database / Website calendar
Time Commitment: Varies depending on number of programs; 0-3 hours/week; must have ability to post programs in a timely fashion. Get trained by Annica in July/Aug.
Skills: Familiarity with computers and ability to navigate technology
Job Description: Works with Sydney Munger, Director of Practice and Education, to post upcoming programs through the Shambhala Database.
Role: Facilities related upkeep and tasks
Time Commitment: 1-2 hours a week
Skills: Familiarity with Harrison House, experience with upkeep of a building and grounds
Job Description: Pays attention to the household and grounds including changing light bulbs, reporting broken items/fixtures or grounds issues to JoAnn, working with repair people, and take care of small maintenance needs as possible.
[FILLED!]
Role: Thursday Night Coordinator
Time Commitment: Up to 3 hours a week
Skills: Comfort and familiarity with different roles associated with open house
Job Description: The Thursday night coordinator makes sure that we have volunteer staff to support our Thursday night open house each week. This may include reaching out to volunteers to fill spots if needed and reminding the staff for each week that they are on deck in their roles. Ideally this is a person who can often attend the Thursday night open house.
[FILLED!]
Role: Sunday Morning Coordinator
Time Commitment: Up to 3 hours a week
Skills: Comfort and familiarity with different roles associated with open house
Job Description: The Sunday morning coordinator makes sure we have volunteer staff to support our Sunday morning open houses each week. This may include reaching out to volunteers to fill spots if needed and reminding the staff for each week that they are on deck in their roles. Ideally this is a person who can often attend the Sunday morning open house.
[FILLED!]
Role: Open House Food/Snack Coordinator
Time Commitment: 1-2 hours once a week
Skills: Preferably has a car or easy transportation
Job Description: The Open House food coordinator makes sure we have the items needed for Thursday and Sunday open houses in the kitchen each week. This may include checking to see what’s leftover from the previous week, then purchasing what’s needed and stocking the kitchen for the week. This person would be given an PEX (cash/debit) card to make purchases.
[FILLED!]
Role: Checking voicemail
Time commitment: ~20 minutes twice a week
Skills: No special skills needed.
Job description: Calls into the Shambhala Center and checks voicemail twice a week. This person writes down the messages and sends them to the co-directors to route to the appropriate party.
[FILLED!]
Role: Checking and sorting the mail
Time: Must be done at least once a week
Skills: Discretion on financial and administrative documents & matters.
Job Description: Bring in the mail from the mailbox and sort into finance related, tennant mail, and other as needed. Communicate with Finance Manager, Meli-Tashi if there are questions on finance related documents; may have to scan and email a copy to her.
Role: Garden Care Team (3-4 people)
Time commitment: Spring/Summer – 2 hours/week per person, Fall/Winter – 3-5 hours once a month
Skills: Garden enthusiasm!
Job Description: Keeps an eye on the garden and helps with small tasks as needed (e.g., weeding, deadheading, etc). Attend gardening party days when able. Assists with watering during the summer months, including following the soaker hose schedule (Schedule TBD).
NEWSLETTER – NOTE: If these roles are not filled the newsletter will likely go on hiatus during Annica’s leave (Sept. – EOY)
[FILLED!]
Role: Newsletter Editor(s)
Time commitment: 4-5 hours total, once per month (1-2 weeks prior to 2nd Sunday); Get trained by Annica in July/Aug.
Skills: Familiarity with Google Drive, strong writing and editing skills, understanding of layout design a plus.
Job description: The newsletter editor receives articles from the coordinators, Larry Steele and Andrea D’Asaro, and edits as needed. The editor also produces the content document, which contains the actual copy that is used in the newsletter with links to stories on the blog where appropriate. This content document is then sent to the Newsletter Designer, who imports into Mailchimp.
[FILLED!]
Role: Newsletter Designer
Time commitment: 2-3 hours, once per month (1 week prior to 2nd Sunday); Get trained by Annica in July/Aug.
Skills: Basic familiarity with HTML and CSS, some photoshop or photo editing experience, familiarity with Mailchimp a plus.
Job description: The newsletter designer receives the newsletter copy in Word document format and sets up and formats the email campaign in Mailchimp.
- Program Coordinators & Staff – If you wish to volunteer as a program coordinator or staff member, please reach out to Sydney Munger at practiceandeducation@seattleshambhala.org.
- Open House Support – We always need more open house hosts and umdzes! To receive training in these areas, reach out to Sydney Munger at practiceandeducation@seattleshambhala.org.
- Ikebana Assistance – Contact Shelley Pierce at shelley@shelleypierce.com for more information.
- Awake in Action! – Join our Awake in Action volunteer team once a month and uplift the lives of residents of the Union Hotel, a part of Downtown Emergency Services. To learn more, contact Sandra Noel at noeldesignllc@centurytel.net.
- Building Maintenance – We need a cadre of people with electrical, plumbing, carpentry, painting, and general maintenance skills. If you can help, contact Annica Holder at facilities@seattleshambhala.org.
Important Staff / Volunteer Contacts
Center Co-Directors – JoAnn Schindler and Annica Holder director@seattleshambhala.org
Seattle Shambhala Governing Council council@seattleshambhala.org
Facilities Manager – Annica Holder facilities@seattleshambhala.org
Finance Manager – Meli-Tashi Happy finance@seattleshambhala.org
Membership Coordinator – Samuel Taylor membership@seattleshambhala.org
Director of Practice and Education – Sydney Munger practiceandeducation@seattleshambhala.org
General Questions seattle@shambhala.org
What are we missing? Let us know what resources would be useful to include on this page by emailing director@seattleshambhala.org.
