Volunteers

We at LEDC value the work of volunteers to help fulfill our mission to improve the wealth-building capacity of low to moderate-income Latinos and other underserved communities in the DC metro area. We work to provide worthwhile opportunities with concrete benefits for all who choose to donate their time and energy in support of our work.

Please see posted below our current Summer 2010 volunteer opportunities!

Let us know how you want to get involved! If you would like to apply for a volunteer position, fill out a volunteer application and send it to Ash Kosiewicz, development and communications manager at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . If you would like to be added to our volunteer list for updated volunteer announcements, please email Ash Kosiewicz as well.

Summer 2010 Volunteer Opportunities

Click on the volunteer description types listed below within each department to see what current volunteer opportunities are available.

Preservation of Affordable Housing

Outreach Volunteer

The Affordable Housing Outreach Volunteer helps our Affordable Housing team prepare for and help run Tenants’ Rights forums, events, and fundraisers. Get to know our community organizers and learn some of the ins-and-outs of community advocacy as you walk through communities in DC hanging up and handing out fliers, reach out to tenants before events, assist with mailings, and collect signatures on advocacy campaigns in support of quality, affordable housing.

Communications Volunteer

The Affordable Housing Communications Volunteer helps our Affordable Housing team create visually appealing graphics, fliers, and posters for tenant rights’ forums and events and write stories and testimonies with our tenants. Flex your creative muscle, build your design portfolio, and get to know the diverse immigrants that call DC home by working with our staff to design fliers, write client stories, write client testimonies for legislative hearings, and help tenants when appropriate to identify how their stories could connect with larger advocacy campaigns.

Evaluation Volunteer

The Affordable Housing Evaluation Volunteer helps our Affordable Housing team evaluate the impact of the Affordable Housing Preservation Program. Does the program meet the needs of program participants? How could it improve? Help us interview program participants in-person and on the phone using an existing evaluation survey and help make recommendations regarding how we can improve our program.

Small Business Development

Outreach Volunteer

The Small Business Development Outreach Volunteer helps our Small Business Development team conduct outreach to drive new clients to LEDC’s lending, small business, and facade programs in the DC metro area. Get to know our small business team and learn some of the ins-and-outs of business outreach as you walk through DC communities hanging up and handing out fliers, identify new community partners, assist with mailings, recruit new members to our three Local First business alliances, and represent LEDC at community events.

Development

Development Volunteer

The Development Volunteer helps our Development team create visually appealing graphics, fliers, and posters for funding appeals and fundraising events. Help our Development team conduct donor research for the next up and coming fundraising opportunities to support community economic development. Flex your creative muscle and get to know some of the ins and outs of raising funds for a community-based nonprofit in DC.

Preservation of Affordable Housing

Outreach Volunteer

Position Title:	Affordable Housing and Tenant Outreach Volunteer
Open/Close Date:	May 2010 – August 2010 (ongoing positions available too)
# of Volunteers Needed	5
Accountable to:	Farah Fosse, Affordable Housing Program Director
Objective:	Conduct outreach for tenant rights forums and events.
Duties:	Hang up fliers and posters in target neighborhoods Door-to-door outreach Hand out fliers at metro stations and shopping centers Make remind calls to tenants before events Assist with mailings Collect signatures on petitions, postcards for affordable housing campaigns.
Qualifications:	Knowledge of DC neighborhoods (preferred) Effective verbal communication skills Willingness to walk around / be on your feet Outgoing personality Understanding of issues that low-income tenants face. Ability to speak Spanish, Amharic or Chinese is a plus!
Benefits:	Learn about tenant rights and issues facing low-income renters Opportunity to talk your neighbors and other DC residents about important issues! Make an impact in your community to preserve affordable housing and protect tenant rights!
Time Commitment:	Afternoons, evenings or weekends leading up to specific events. Very flexible! Min 2 hours.
Training:	Orientation is provided. New volunteers are paired up with someone more experienced.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at LEDC, please submit a volunteer application to Development and Communications Manager Ash Kosiewicz at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Communications Volunteer - Tenant Stories Writer

Position Title:	Tenant Stories Writer
Open/Close Date:	Ongoing
# of Volunteers Needed	2
Accountable to:	Farah Fosse, Affordable Housing Program Director
Objective:	Interview low-income residents and help them to tell their stories and write testimony.
Duties:	Interview tenants participating in LEDC’s Affordable Housing Preservation Program Assist tenants in writing up their stories When appropriate, assist tenants in linking their stories to issues they are interested in advocating around Write up testimonies with tenants for legislative hearings and advocacy campaigns
Qualifications:	Effective verbal and written communication skills, preferably in English and Spanish Understanding of issues that low-income tenants face. Experience conducting interviews and writing personal narratives a plus! Audio equipment and editing skills a plus!
Benefits:	Learn about tenant rights and issues facing low-income renters Opportunity to talk your neighbors and other DC residents about important issues! Make an impact in your community to preserve affordable housing and protect tenant rights! Fulfill school community service credit requirements & receive recognition letters of volunteer service!
Time Commitment:	Afternoons, evenings or weekends. Very flexible!
Training:	Orientation and training is provided. New volunteers are paired up with someone more experienced.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at LEDC, please submit a volunteer application to Development and Communications Manager Ash Kosiewicz at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Evaluation Volunteer - Affordable Housing Preservation Program Evaluation Volunteer

Position Title:	Affordable Housing Preservation Program Evaluation Volunteer
Open/Close Date:	Ongoing
# of Volunteers Needed	2
Accountable to:	Farah Fosse, Affordable Housing Program Director
Objective:	Assist in the evaluation of the impact, success and future needs of LEDC’s Affordable Housing Preservation Program through program participant interviews.
Duties:	Conduct phone and in-person interviews with program participants based on an evaluation survey. Compile evaluation information and make recommendations to staff based on interviews.
Qualifications:	Effective verbal communication skills in English and Spanish Understanding of issues that low-income tenants face. Understanding of program evaluation.
Benefits:	Learn about tenant rights and issues facing low-income renters Opportunity to talk your neighbors and other DC residents about important issues! Make an impact in your community to preserve affordable housing and protect tenant rights! Fulfill school community service credit requirements & receive recognition letters of volunteer service!
Time Commitment:	Flexible times – some nights and weekends preferred. Min 10 hour commitment.
Training:	Orientation and training is provided.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at LEDC, please submit a volunteer application to Development and Communications Manager Ash Kosiewicz at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Small Business

Outreach Volunteer - Business Alliance Volunteer

Position Title:	Business Alliance Outreach Volunteer
Date:	July 21, 2010
Open/Close Date:	July 21- Sept 1
# of Volunteers Needed	1-2
Accountable to:	Emily Coronado, Director of Small Business Development
Objective:	LEDC is incubating two business alliances which serve to promote the unique character of Wheaton’s and Silver Spring’s local business community. Fundamental to these alliances’ work is business owners’ participation in an online business directory (similar to www.localfirstchicago.org). The volunteer will populate this business directory with business information and seek out increased participation into the business alliance through hands-on training of the use of this web portal.
Duties	Populate the directories with existing information Demo the use of the directory on-site at the place of business Work to breach the digital divide with less tech-savvy alliance members by providing hands-on training on the use of the directory
Qualifications:	Excellent computer skills: word processing, upload photos, web, etc… Good attitude Highly organized
Benefits:	Chance to work in the community in a hands-on way Gain insight into issues that underserved entrepreneurs face and think of ways to help them better engage the community.
Time Commitment:	Approximately 2-5 hours per week through November 1st. Flexible schedule.
Training:	Director of Small Business Development will set work plan and timelines and go on-site to businesses until volunteer is comfortable going alone. Intermittent support will be available as needed.
If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity, please send a completed volunteer application to Development and Communications Manager Ash Kosiewicz at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Development

Development Volunteer