Volunteers

Serve on a Core Grant team

Work directly with nonprofits and community members to provide preliminary design services. Volunteers are Philadelphia area architects, planners, landscape architects, engineers, interior designers, preservationists, sustainability consultants, development consultants, artists, graphic designers, community engagement specialists, cost estimators, and others, and range from industry veterans to those new to their field. If you're a firm, you can put together a team drawn from your staff. If you're an individual, we'll place you on a team with other professionals.

After completing a volunteer application, you'll receive quarterly emails with upcoming volunteer opportunities and you may respond to express your interest in a specific opportunity. Once on a Core Grant team, a Collaborative staff member will introduce you to the project. Then you will visit the site and meet with the nonprofit client. While the process varies based on the unique needs of each nonprofit, you’ll likely be participating in team meetings, facilitating community meetings, presenting at peer review meetings, and developing drawings to communicate conceptual designs.

Core Grant Team volunteering includes:

• Multidisciplinary opportunities – all fields related to design, development, and community engagement
• Individuals and Firms
• 6-month timeframe (typical)
• Mentoring opportunities for individuals
• Summer intern program opportunities for firms
• Design/build opportunities
• Architecture in Education opportunities

Learn more about Core Grants
 

Join us for Design Review meetings

All Collaborative feasibility projects have a peer review component, where an in-progress Design team informally presents its work to Collaborative volunteer peer reviewers. As a reviewer, you'll have the opportunity to provide feedback, learn about current projects, and meet other volunteers. We host these meetings throughout the year, advertising them to the Volunteer mailing list. Once you complete a volunteer application, you’ll receive information about all of our volunteer opportunities, including Design Review. Being a reviewer does not require an official or minimum commitment; participate whenever you're available. CEUs are available for AIA and ASLA for all Design Reviews.

Core Grant Review volunteering includes:

• Multidisciplinary opportunities – all fields related to design, development, and community engagement
• Individuals
• 1-hour lunchtime meetings

Learn more about Core Grants
 

Help us provide Technical Assistance services

Engage directly with nonprofits, individually or with one other volunteer, to provide a limited scope of services in a short timeframe. Volunteers typically include experienced architects, landscape architects, and engineers, but may also include other design, development and community engagement professionals. After completing a volunteer application, you’ll receive information about all volunteer opportunities including calls for technical assistance.

Technical Assistance volunteering includes:

• Multidisciplinary opportunities – all fields related to design, development, and community engagement
• Individuals and Firms
• 1-2 month timeframe (typical)

Learn more about Technical Assistance
 

Discover more ways to volunteer

The Collaborative offers other opportunities to volunteer such as serving on a committee, being a Collaborative Ambassador, or assisting us with special events.

Committee Members
Help us make strategic decisions by serving on one of the following committees:

• Board of Directors
• Advisory Council
• Design Services
• Governance
• Resource Development and Communications
• JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion)

Event Volunteers
Help us plan and implement one (or more) of the following events:

• Leverage
• Bowling Ball/Fall Friend-raiser
• Volunteer Appreciation 
• Special Programs

Collaborative Ambassadors
Help us get the word out about the Collaborative by representing us at any one (or more) of the following:

• Board, Advisory Council, Committee, Task Force meetings that you already attend
• Community meetings and events that you already attend
• Community meetings and events in neighborhoods that the Collaborative has not yet served
• Desk-side briefings with elected officials

Other Opportunities
Help us achieve our mission and goals by providing:

• Administrative assistance
• Communications/PR/graphic design assistance
   

If you’d like to find out more about ways to get involved, contact Tya Winn, at tya@cdesignc.org or 215-587-9290.