\

Volunteer with WriteGirl:
WriteGirl welcomes energetic women of diverse professional backgrounds.

Are you a writer and would like to help a girl find her creative voice? Are you someone with strong communication skills and would like to support our program? Interested in joining a vibrant community of women? We are looking for volunteers to help on each of our eight teams:

• one-on-one mentoring
• public relations
• event planning
• curriculum development
• fundraising
• publications
• membership communications
• administrative support

With more than 20 major events annually and a growing membership of women and girls, WriteGirl can utilize any and all skills you may have to offer. Mentor a girl, help us promote our publications, co-produce a workshop or fundraising event, write press releases, design event flyers, help with member communications. We will do our best to match your skills, interests and availability with our needs. You don’t have to be a professional writer, but all volunteers must have tenacious communication skills and a desire to help support the growth and development of this new organization serving teen girls.

Volunteers are required to attend a training and orientation session (usually held monthly) to learn more about the organization’s goals and needs, meet some of the WriteGirl leadership, gain some specific tenacious communication skills and get answers to your burning questions. We will help you identify the most effective volunteer role for you within one of the eight teams listed above. All activities, whether highly visible or completely behind-the-scenes, directly impact the women and girls of WriteGirl and the quality of their experiences.

WriteGirl volunteers are asked to actively participate at all WriteGirl events, including our full-day workshops during the season (one Saturday each month, October–May), public readings and fundraising events, and to attend organizational meetings as needed. Some volunteer tasks can be accomplished entirely through email and the internet, but we still want to see you regularly and get to know you!

Minimum time commitment for all volunteers: 4 hours per month.

READ MORE:
Volunteer Spotlight: Event Staff
How to apply

Volunteer Spotlight: One-on-One Mentoring

As a one-on-one mentor, you will meet with your mentee weekly at a coffee shop, community center or library convenient to her. Sessions usually last about an hour, and are entirely focused on writing. We will provide you with a wide variety of writing ‘experiments’ (‘exercises’ sound too much like work!) at your initial training and at every workshop throughout the season (October – June) for you to try with your mentee. We will also equip you with plenty of tools and skills to be an effective writing mentor to a girl, helping her to find her voice, put her creative ideas on paper and present her work in public. Together, you will both learn about new writing genres, as well as develop your communication and critical thinking skills.

One-on-one weekly mentors are accepted and matched by WriteGirl’s Mentoring Advisors after reviewing applicants’ expertise, experience, availability and other relevant information. Matching of pairs usually takes place at our monthly workshops, when both partners are present.

WriteGirl provides ongoing training and support for all mentors to help make the most of these rewarding partnerships.

While we realize that one-on-one mentoring requires a significant commitment, we ask all mentors to also participate on one of our eight volunteer teams, even in some small capacity. We’ve found that involvement on a team is the best way for you to get to know other members, and also for us to get to know you – that’s the “community” part of the community of WriteGirl!

By the way, if the commitment of weekly mentoring is not for you, we always need one-on-one mentors at our monthly workshops and seminars.

Volunteer Spotlight: Steph Opitz, Events

WriteGirl produces over 20 events annually. We have about 120 women and girls at each of our monthly workshops. WriteGirl also produces several public readings and fundraisers throughout the season. If you've ever planned a major party, wedding or convention, you have an idea of the volume and array of tasks involved in producing a successful event. From signing people in, to selling books, to catering, to greeting media and celebrity guests, to sending thank you cards, we have many areas where you could help. Steph Opitz, event team volunteer: “Volunteering for WriteGirl, as opposed to mentoring, has been so rewarding. It allows me to vary the amount of time I volunteer from month to month and work on a range of projects, like creative writing workshops, book readings, and VIP events. Plus, I can still mentor-for-the-day at workshops. I love writegirl and all my best friends seem to be writewomen!”

Volunteer Spotlight: Public Relations

WriteGirl is full of energy and inspiration! And we always love to spread the word about our innovative approaches and successful outcomes! WriteGirl obtains media coverage through local, regional and national media outlets. We also need to promote our events and the sales of our books, so we can reach more girls. We have already developed an extensive array of media materials, including a website, media kit with clippings, press releases, so you'll have plenty of promotional materials (and a group of wonderful people) to work with. Help us raise WriteGirl's profile and generate greater support of our program. Sarah Leonard, professional public relations executive and volunteer: "It's so rewarding to use my professional skills to be part of a cause I believe in - empowering young girls. Even though I am not a mentor, I share the success and pride of the group when I see our WriteGirls thrive."

Apply Today

The next volunteer trainings and orientations will be announced after January 1, 2008.

Please download a volunteer application form and email it to us at volunteer@writegirl.org.
DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM: Word

In addition to the application, please submit your resume and two writing samples (any length, any genre) within the body of an email to volunteer@writegirl.org These do not need to be published creative writing samples – we just need to know that you have competent writing skills, since that’s what we’re all about! Feel free to send samples of your business, marketing writing or even personal journal entries.

WriteGirl will respond to your application within a few weeks.

What if you don’t live in Los Angeles?

If you share the goals of WriteGirl but are not currently living in Los Angeles, you may be able to find a local mentoring organization where you could volunteer by visiting:www.mentoring.org

› back to top
› back to join us page