Greater Philadelphia Cares - Volunteer Project Leaders

Thank you for your interest in leading others in volunteer service! You can make a difference in the lives of others, as well as your own, by becoming a Greater Philadelphia Cares Project Leader! We are constantly looking for great volunteers to become more involved and take on leadership roles. Active Project Leaders are the backbone of successful Greater Philadelphia Cares projects!

Please read through our FAQ's section to learn more about becoming a Project Leader. Call us today for more information at 215-564-4544. Please feel free to pass this information on to a friend that you know would make a great Greater Philadelphia Cares Project Leader!

Project Leaders, or PLs, are the primary volunteer contact for Greater Philadelphia Cares projects, serving as the liaison between Greater Philadelphia Cares and its volunteers. The PL provides organization and leadership for service projects by maintaining ongoing communication: fielding and responding to calls from interested volunteers, working with Greater Philadelphia Cares and project partners to confirm projects, and ensuring that projects run smoothly. The PL is also responsible for making sure that volunteers sign in for every project and that sign in sheets are returned to the Greater Philadelphia Cares office. Most importantly, the PL is a Leader - which means team builder, problem solver, and cheerleader for each project.

Communicate: Before, during, and after projects, the PL is the communications link betweenGreater Philadelphia Cares and its volunteers, providing project details, feedback, and evaluations.
Confirm: Prior to the project, PLs confirm project activities with project partners and Greater Philadelphia Cares staff, and also field calls for volunteer sign-ups. Leaders are not required to recruit volunteers (although we appreciate it if they do!), PLs are only responsible for signing them up and leading them in service.
Organize: During the project the PL organizes volunteer activities and provides direction necessary to complete project activities.
Complete: After each project, the PL completes and returns an evaluation that is critical to our keeping abreast of program activities, attendance and areas for improvement.

To qualify to become a Project Leader, you must have attended an orientation and have volunteered on at least 3 Greater Philadelphia Cares calendar projects - this is so the PL is familiar with how Philadelphia Cares' projects work and will feel more comfortable in the leadership role. PLs must have a demonstrated ability to work with teams, and must have strong organizational and planning skills. PLs should be capable leaders with effective interpersonal and communication skills. They must be recommended by an existing project leader. Then fill out an application and go through a phone interview.

If you are selected to be a PL, we ask that you attend a Project Leader Training session and shadow an established PL. We ask for a 1-year commitment to Project Leading. The amount of time PLs will spend on project-related responsibilities will vary from month-to-month, depending on the frequency and type of project you are leading. Most PLs lead once or twice a month on average. Outside of the actual time spent on the project itself, time is spent handling PL administrative responsibilities, including making phone calls to confirm volunteers, filling out attendance sheets and project evaluations.

Not only will you get to work with great people and give back to your community, but you will also develop your leadership skills, and make an ongoing commitment to an agency and to your volunteer work with Greater Philadelphia Cares. You will have a strong network of volunteers and Greater Philadelphia Cares staff to back you up, and leading projects will give you a greater voice in how to improve the "volunteer experience" from the inside-out.

To apply to be a Greater Philadelphia Cares Project Leader, please contact Ji Su Yun at 215-564-4544 or jisu@gpcares.com.