Volunteer & Committee Opportunities

Ready to get involved? Want to make a difference in the lives of animals and the community? Then join BirchBark Foundation!

Established in 2012, BirchBark Foundation is the first of its kind in the Monterey Bay area that encompasses Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties.  While there are many wonderful animal aid groups in these communities, there are no other organizations that are singularly dedicated to saving the lives of pets in loving homes but whose families cannot pay the full amount of critical care when a life-threatening emergency arises.  Our goal is to keep pets with their families—it's the least we can do for the unconditional love and companionship they give so freely.

Join a BirchBark Foundation Committee

Do you want to be a part of BirchBark Foundation but may not be ready for full Board of Director obligations? Join a BirchBark Committee and work with BirchBark board members and staff on specific projects. We currently have several working committees and need enthusiastic community members ready to help make a difference.

Community Engagement - to support and enhance BBF programs and operations through community relationship building. If you like meeting new people, talking with business leaders, and working with other animal organizations, this might be the committee for you. This committee's goals include reaching out to veterinary partners to increase awareness of our services, engaging other animal welfare organizations to promote our services, and establishing referral resources for economical spay/neuter options, preventative care support, and other resources.  Keeping the public informed about our work and connecting with new potential donors/contributors are crucial to our success.

Development - to support and enhance BBF development and fundraising efforts through research, planning, and action in alignment with our operating budget. This committee works in conjunction with the Community Engagement Committee to increase awareness of BirchBark to ensure that we have available funds to fulfill our mission. The Development Committee's area of focus is to identify and cultivate corporate partnerships, grant opportunities, and new individual donors, as well as nurture our existing donor relationships. This committee also works to research and identify statistical data processes required for successful organizational development.

Marketing - to support and enhance marketing and communications for BBF's overall mission. This committee aims to create clear and consistent messages to all BirchBark stakeholders, including our local community, resident veterinary hospitals, corporate partners, philanthropic organizations, and potential and existing donors. The Marketing Committee will work with the Community Engagement and Development Committees to ensure that marketing materials enhance and communicate their specific objectives. Another focus is to identify and establish media relationships and contact avenues.

Events

We need volunteers to help make our events great for everybody, including our attendees, exhibitors, vendors, and four-legged friends!  We have a variety of opportunities available for volunteers to ensure our success. Some duties include setup of tables, chairs, tents, and banners; setup of silent auction items; directing traffic and assisting with parking; cleanup activities; photography; social media blasts, and more.

Tabling/Community Engagement

We need volunteers to help us spread the word about BirchBark Foundation by tabling and providing information to the public. Tabling allows us to connect with people who otherwise wouldn't know about our work. This volunteer opportunity will enable you to educate families about the resources available to them if their beloved pet has a life-threatening issue (that has a good prognosis). It also provides a way to grow the donor base that supports our financial aid grants. The stronger that base of support, the better able we are to ensure funds are available to those who need it most.

Grant Writing

We are looking for experienced grant writers who are willing to write for local, state, federal, and private grants. The grant writer would also request support from local and regional foundations. 

Remote Administrative Assistance

Do you want to help save the lives of pets from the comfort of your own home? Are you organized and detail-oriented? Are you a numbers person that knows everything there is to know about bookkeeping? Do you know how to do a Mail Merge? Are you a creative type that loves designing graphics and media? Do you like doing research and can find pertinent information upon request? If you are a wiz at QuickBooks, Squarespace, Canva, Microsoft Word, Excel, or Powerpoint, BirchBark would love your help. A remote administrative support volunteer position with BirchBark Foundation may be the one for you!

Contact volunteers@birchbarkfoundation.org or scroll down for our volunteer form.  

Have a special skill you don’t see listed? Simply make a note in the comment box, telling us how your skills and ideas can be beneficial. A member of our BirchBark team will get back to you.


Volunteer Form