Volunteer

Whether you're looking to build your resume, to add to your creative portfolio, to develop new expertise in preparation for a career change, or just looking for a way to make a difference, Rail Passengers Association has dozens of immediate volunteer openings available nationwide. These are meaningful, ongoing roles which you can use to jump-start your professional life or to contribute in a hands-on way to our work for more and better trains.

It’s also a great way to contribute your professional talents to your association. We need volunteers in administrative, communications, advocacy/programs and technology.

While these positions are unpaid, the results they produce -- for you as well as for Rail Passengers -- are real. You'll make a difference while generating work products, references and networking opportunities. It's a win-win! You can read more about these opportunities by clicking through the Volunteer menu to find each job listing page. If you think you're up to the challenge, apply by sending your resume and a cover letter by email to [email protected].

Administrative

Office Manager (eight to 10 hours, weekly, based in Washington, DC)
Data Entry Assistant (five to eight hours weekly, multiple positions available, based in Washington, DC)
State Support Coordinator (eight to 10 hours, weekly, multiple positions available)

Communications

Blogger (five to seven hours, weekly, multiple positions available)
PR And Marketing Associate (eight to 10 hours, weekly, multiple positions available
Email Marketing Associate (eight to 10 hours, weekly, multiple positions available)
Graphic Design Associate (variable time commitment; project-based, up to 24 hours per month on a mutually agreed schedule, multiple positions available)

Advocacy/Program Work

Routes Spokesperson (variable time commitment, multiple positions available)
Certified Citizen Advocate (variable time commitment, multiple positions available)

Technology

Web Content Assistant (variable time commitment; up to five hours, weekly, multiple positions)

Other Volunteer Opportunities

Here are just a few ways that Rail Passengers members are helping to spread the word about passenger train advocacy and Rail Passengers' work in their communities. If you are interested in doing one of these in your community, or if you have another idea (we're all ears!), please email us or call 202-408-8362.

• Receiving regular deliveries of Rail Passengers membership brochures and newsletters and leaving them for others to take aboard trains (in the café or lounge car), in train stations, at coffee shops, libraries, gyms, houses of worship, or other public places where there are community literature racks.
• Doing Rail Passengers outreach on a college campus by hosting a table at a student fair or speaking to a class or student organization.
• Speaking to local civic and business organizations about the importance of better passenger train service and how it benefits the economy and quality of life.
• Writing letters (postal or email) to elected officials at all levels of government about why passenger trains matter, followed up with phone calls, so that you get to know your elected officials and their staffs.
• Other work that helps the traveling public, such as being a volunteer station host or caretaker at your local Amtrak station.
• Organizing a meeting of Rail Passengers members in your local area to discuss current events affecting passenger train service and strategize towards affecting improvements.

You should also reach out to the local passenger advocacy organization in your area to see what volunteer opportunities they have available.

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Blogger

Blogger Job Purpose:
Supports association advocacy goals by contributing lively, engaging content to association blogs. Researches and writes articles in a conversational style to engage readers and encourage them to take action. Collaborates with Rail Passengers communications staff to ensure blog content captures readers' interest while promoting Rail Passengers' agenda. Uses appropriate tools to help Rail Passengers communications staff gather and understand site-related metrics. Uses on-line and off-line social networking techniques for collaboration with volunteers and staff inside and outside the organization.

Blogger Time Commitment:
Varies; estimate is five to seven hours weekly, on a mutually agreed schedule

Blogger Job Duties:

• Researches, writes and posts new original articles on relevant topics, in collaboration with the Rail Passengers headquarters communications staff. Items should be grammatically correct, lively and engaging. Proofreading all posts before they are made public is a must.
• Curates relevant items from social media and the web by identifying, assembling, and linking to appropriate content produced by others.
• Creates image, video and other resource links, and ensures links are accurate, functioning and up to date.
• Ensures blogs are accessible from a variety of different online environments and to all users.
• Ensures image quality by reviewing display and appearance, cropping, etc.; also ensures all images are used legally and in accordance with rights and permissions.
• Produces a consistent visual image on blog(s) by maintaining and using templates and image archives appropriately.
• Uses the latest syndication and blogging tools and apps as needed.
• Assists with implementing marketing and advertising campaigns by working with the Headquarters Marketing/Communications staff to create and produce content supporting Rail Passengers marketing and advertising strategies, plans, objectives and events.
• Accomplishes organization goals by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.

Skills/Qualifications: Writing, editing, speaking persuasively; demonstrated engaging and conversational writing skills with a professional tone, including links/clips/references to previously published items. Computer skills; Internet skills; search-engine skills; familiarity with SEO strategies for blogging is a plus. Reliable, dependable, professional, team player. Should be a Rail Passengers member, or prepared to join Rail Passengers to participate. To apply, send a resume, clips/links and a cover letter by email to [email protected].

PR & Marketing Associate

PR And Marketing Associate Job Purpose:
Supports association advocacy goals by helping to develop and implement marketing and advertising campaigns, both nationally and locally; tracking results data (press mentions, clicks, traffic); maintaining promotional materials inventory; assisting with the planning of meetings and events; assisting with maintaining databases and assisting with preparing reports on marketing results.

PR And Marketing Associate Time Commitment:
8-10 hours weekly, on a mutually agreed schedule

PR And Marketing Associate Job Duties:

• Assists with implementing marketing and advertising campaigns by working with the Headquarters Marketing/Communications staff to prepare marketing and advertising strategies, plans, and objectives; planning and organizing promotional presentations; updating calendars.
• Keeps promotional materials ready by coordinating requirements with headquarters staff and collaborating with graphic designers and others in preparing new materials; maintaining a stock of materials for distribution locally.
• Supports membership development staff by providing data, market trends, forecasts, account analyses, new product information; relaying customer services requests.
• Helps to plan meetings by identifying, assembling, and coordinating requirements; establishing contacts; developing schedules and assignments; coordinating mailing lists.
• Helps the headquarters communications staff compare and analyze actual results with plans and forecasts.
• Accomplishes organization goals by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.

Skills/Qualifications: Writing, editing, speaking persuasively; Direct Marketing, Market Segmentation, Marketing Research, Coordination, Project Management, Reporting Research Results, Understanding the Customer, Process Improvement, Initiative, Planning, Financial Skills; Demonstrated professional experience (two to five years) as a marketing assistant, PR assistant, communications assistant or similar role. Should be a Rail Passengers member or prepared to join Rail Passengers as a member.

Email Marketing Associate

Email Marketing Associate Job Purpose:
Supports association advocacy goals by helping to develop and track email campaigns that win supporters, advocates and ultimately new dues-paying members.

Email Marketing Associate Time Commitment:
8-10 hours weekly, on a mutually agreed schedule

Email Marketing Associate Job Duties:

• Managing email campaigns from start to finish under the direction of the Rail Passengers headquarters staff, including planning, testing, evaluating, and reporting.
• Developing and optimizing lead-nurturing campaigns.
• Segmenting contact lists and personalizing emails based on recipients' interests and needs.
• Optimizing email for mobile devices.
• Keeping up to date with practices and standards in the email marketing industry.
• Growing our email list organically, not through bought or rented lists.

Skills/Qualifications: Writing, editing, speaking persuasively, Direct Marketing, Market Segmentation, Marketing Research, Coordination, Project Management, Reporting Research Results, Understanding the Customer, Process Improvement, Initiative, Planning, Financial Skills; Demonstrated professional experience (two to three years) in email marketing, with good understanding of best practices in email marketing and strategy. Also competent in email marketing concepts, inbound marketing/SEO and the use of metrics such as Sender Score, deliverability and sender reputation. Should be a Rail Passengers member or be prepared to join Rail Passengers as a member. To apply, send a resume and cover letter via email to [email protected].

Graphic Design Associate

Graphic Design Volunteer Job Purpose:
Supports association advocacy goals by producing logos, graphics, interactive elements, infographics and other visual project deliverables under direction/request from the Rail Passengers national staff. Visuals will support social media, marketing, advertising, advocacy and new-member campaigns, both nationally and locally.

Graphic Design Volunteer Time Commitment:
Varies; project-based, up to 24 hours per month on a mutually agreed schedule

Graphic Design Volunteer Job Duties:

• Develops visual imagery to communicate a broad idea, a specific concept or a detailed message, synthesizing discussion by the national communications staff and bringing to life the team’s vision.
• Create visuals that are compelling enough to move people to take action.
• Produce illustrations, graphics, edited photo imagery and logos for use across multiple media: Web, social media, print, banners and displays.
• Delivers imagery and products in industry-standard formats and in a ready-to-use state.
• Accomplishes organization goals by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.

Skills/Qualifications: Strong creativity; good listening and comprehension; team player; the ability to work quickly with minimal rework. Demonstrated high proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite tools, including but not limited to Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc. Comfort in an online environment. Working knowledge of image copyright and use laws. Access to image libraries is highly desirable. A portfolio of previous work is requested. Should be a Rail Passengers member or be prepared to join Rail Passengers as a member. Apply by sending a portfolio, resume and cover letter via email to [email protected] .

Routes Spokesperson

Routes Spokesperson Job Purpose:
Supports association advocacy goals by becoming the passenger “expert” on a specific route or set of routes, and sharing that expertise with grassroots organizations, elected officials and staff, the press and the public; supporting internal association analyses with data and field feedback; develop passenger-centered “wish-list” items related to the route of responsibility.

Routes Spokesperson Time Commitment:
Varies

Routes Spokesperson Job Duties:

• Works closely and collaboratively with relevant Rail Passengers state reps, state nonprofits, legislative officials, local government and railroad managers as needed to advance promotion of the route(s) of responsibility.
• Develops deep subject-matter expertise on a route, its origin-and-destination pairs, its financial viability, its degree of local and regional political support, and its economic relevance to the communities it serves.
• Maintains a passenger-centric focus by concentrating on passenger needs associated with a route (i.e., new service or frequencies, fares, amenities, station and intermodal issues).
• Maintains strong relations with the general public, other grassroots orgs, the press, local and regional officials and relevant Rail Passengers state reps and headquarters staff; adopts a pro-active approach to initiating and maintaining contacts with these groups. Strives to maximize “evangelism” for a route or service.
• Promotes the route(s) of responsibility through talks, articles, blogging, appearances at political functions, occasional travel and station visits.
• Keeps promotional materials ready by coordinating requirements with headquarters staff and collaborating with graphic designers and others in preparing new materials; maintaining a stock of materials for distribution locally.
• Accomplishes organization goals by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.

Skills/Qualifications: Writing, editing, speaking persuasively; Pleasant, positive, professional and polished public manner; Strong independent research skills; Initiative; Team-oriented; comfortable with social media tools (Facebook, Twitter, etc.); Ability to use email and computers. Demonstrated experience in government, politics, local agencies or similar is a plus. Should be a Rail Passengers member or be prepared to join Rail Passengers as a member. To apply, send a resume and letter of interest to [email protected] .

Certified Citizen Advocate

Certified Citizen Advocate Job Purpose:
Supports association advocacy goals by developing expertise on rail passenger policy and Rail Passengers' agenda, and sharing that expertise with local elected officials and staff from the passenger’s point of view.

Certified Citizen Advocate Time Commitment:
Varies

Certified Citizen Advocate Job Duties:

• Works closely and collaboratively with relevant Rail Passengers state reps, Rail Passengers staff, Rail Passengers Routes Spokespeople, state nonprofits, legislative officials, local government and railroad managers as needed to promote the passenger agenda.
• Develops deep subject-matter expertise through research and personal contacts on rail policy and progress, to become the “go-to” resource for local officials on rail issues.
• Develops deep subject-matter expertise through research and personal contacts on local political developments and personalities, key legislative actors, committees and government/agency/regulator interactions.
• Maintains a passenger-centric focus by concentrating on rail passenger needs; avoids commentary on railroad management, operations or other non-passenger items.
• Maintains strong relations with the general public, other grassroots orgs, the press, local and regional officials and relevant Rail Passengers state reps and headquarters staff; adopts a pro-active approach to initiating and maintaining contacts with these groups.
• Promotes rail and intermodalism through talks, articles, blogging, appearances at political functions, occasional travel and station visits.
• Keeps promotional materials ready by coordinating requirements with headquarters staff and collaborating with graphic designers and others in preparing new materials; maintaining a stock of materials for distribution locally.
• Accomplishes organization goals by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.

Skills/Qualifications: Writing, editing, speaking persuasively; Pleasant, positive, polished and professional public manner; Strong independent research skills; Initiative; Team-oriented; comfortable with social media tools (Facebook, Twitter, etc.); ability to use email and computers. Legislative, political or local government experience a plus, but not required. Completion of Rail Passengers Citizen Advocate training (both distance-learning and in-person). Should be a Rail Passengers member or be prepared to join Rail Passengers as a member. To apply, please send a resume and letter of interest to [email protected].

Web Content Assistant

Web Content Assistant Job Purpose:
Under the direction of the Rail Passengers headquarters staff, maintains Rail Passengers website and public-facing app integrity by facilitating publishing content to Rail Passengers web sites and assessing and resolving technical challenges in displaying the content.

Web Content Assistant Time Commitment:
Varies; estimate is five hours weekly, on a mutually agreed schedule

Web Content Assistant Job Duties:

• Assist in developing and maintaining style guides governing fonts, page appearance, behavior, functionality and other core web-content parameters.
• Troubleshoot web-content problems by reviewing data for deficiencies; resolving discrepancies by using standard procedures; evaluating performance of vendor-supplied and in-house systems; working with vendor technicians as needed to resolve difficult problems.
• Assess and monitor functionality by continually testing site areas and pages and building and repairing pages and directories as needed, correcting errors, preparing and troubleshooting images, text and other page items for display.
• Aid the Rail Passengers headquarters staff by advising on content-publishing problems and solutions.
• Secure information by maintaining professional computer- and network-security practices.
• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

Skills/Qualifications: At least five years’ documented professional experience in the field; Good communication skills (both verbal and written); Self-starter and quick study; Strong planning and organizational skills; knowledge of HTML, CSS, HTML5/Javascript/CSS3 (J Query library also a plus); proficiency with Adobe Dreamweaver and Adobe CS Software Suite, including InDesign, Adobe Professional, Illustrator, and Photoshop; solid understanding of Illustrator, CSS, and database structures; Experience and knowledge of social networking sites, and technical familiarity with technologies such as YouTube, RSS feeds, blogs, podcasts, etc.; comfort in both Windows and Macintosh platforms; Willingness to learn other systems; excellent team skills. Should be a Rail Passengers member or be prepared to join Rail Passengers as a member. Should be prepared to sign a non-disclosure agreement upon appointment. To apply, send a resume and letter of interest via email to [email protected].

Office Manager

Office Manager Job Purpose:
Supports association operations by helping the full-time DC staff to maintain office systems and to oversee other volunteer staff.

Office Manager Time Commitment:
8-10 hours weekly, on a mutually agreed schedule

Office Manager Job Duties:

• Maintains office services by helping the full-time DC staff with the following tasks: organizing office operations and procedures; controlling correspondence; designing filing systems; reviewing and completing supply requisitions; carrying out certain clerical functions and monitoring clerical functions performed by volunteers.
• Troubleshoots issues with phones, voicemail, office equipment, and directs problems to the correct resources for resolution.
• Helps the full-time DC staff to define procedures to retain, protect, retrieve, transfer and dispose of records, both paper and electronic.
• Helps the full-time DC staff carry out and design office policies, and maintains standards and procedures; measures results against standards; making necessary adjustments.
• Helps maintain clerical records.
• Helps to keep executive and volunteer leadership informed by reviewing and analyzing special reports and participating in reviews of office procedures and trends.
• Maintains records of national volunteer staff, coordinates scheduling and remote support of national volunteer staff. Helps the full-time DC staff manage the intake of applicants for national staff vacancies.
• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

Skills/Qualifications: Supply Management, Informing Others, Tracking Budget Expenses, Delegation, Staffing, Managing Processes, Supervision, Developing Standards, Promoting Process Improvement, Inventory Control, Reporting Skills. Demonstrated experience as an Office Manager, Executive Assistant, Office Administrator or similar job experience. Should be a Rail Passengers member or be prepared to join Rail Passengers as a member. Should be prepared to sign a non-disclosure agreement upon receiving the appointment. To apply, send a resume and letter of interest via email to [email protected].

Data Entry Assistant

Data Entry Assistant Job Purpose:
Maintains database by entering new and updated member, donor and account information.

Data Entry Assistant Time Commitment:
5-8 hours weekly, on a mutually agreed schedule

Data Entry Assistant Job Duties:

• Prepares source data for computer entry by compiling and sorting information; establishing entry priorities.
• Processes member, donor and account source documents by reviewing data for deficiencies; resolving discrepancies by using standard procedures or returning incomplete documents to the team leader for resolution.
• Enters member, donor and account data by inputting alphabetic and numeric information on keyboard or optical scanner according to screen format.
• Maintains data entry requirements by following data program techniques and procedures.
• Verifies entered customer and account data by reviewing, correcting, deleting, or reentering data; combining data from both systems when account information is incomplete; purging files to eliminate duplication of data.
• Tests member, donor and account system changes and upgrades by inputting new data; reviewing output.
• Secures information by assisting with completing data base backups.
• Maintains operations by following policies and procedures; reporting needed changes.
• Maintains member and donor confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

Skills/Qualifications: Organization, Typing, Data Entry Skills, Attention to Detail, Confidentiality, Thoroughness, Decision Making, Independence, Analyzing Information , Results Driven, Energy Level. Successful candidates will be expected to sign a non-disclosure agreement. To apply, forward a resume and letter of interest via email to [email protected].

State Support Coordinator

State Support Coordinator Job Purpose:
Supports association operations by serving as an administrative and liaison resource for Rail Passengers Council state representatives as assigned, supporting Council reps as needed with organizational help, materials, lists and related tasks.

State Support Coordinator Time Commitment:
Varies; estimated at 8-10 hours weekly, on a mutually agreed schedule

State Support Coordinator Job Duties:

• Works closely and collaboratively with relevant Rail Passngers reps, Rail Passengers staff, Rail Passengers Routes Spokespeople, college and university administrative staff and state nonprofits as needed to promote the passenger agenda.
• Keeps promotional materials ready by coordinating requirements with headquarters staff and collaborating with graphic designers and others in preparing new materials; maintaining a stock of materials for distribution locally; anticipating needs for additional materials in advance.
• Receives, routes and fulfills requests from Rail Passengers Council reps for administrative support including, but not limited to, mailing lists, email lists, phone numbers, making contacts and coordinating contact results.
• Helps assigned Council reps respond to requests and correspondence from Rail Passengers members, local officials, and other Rail Passengers volunteers and headquarters.
• Maintains contacts with national volunteer staff, coordinates scheduling and remote support needs of State reps for national volunteer staff.
• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

Skills/Qualifications: Reporting Skills, Administrative Writing Skills, Microsoft Office Skills, Scheduling, Managing Processes, Organization, Professionalism, Problem Solving, Verbal Communication. Documented professional experience as an assistant, receptionist or administrative staff is desirable. Should be a Rail Passengers member or be prepared to join Rail Passengers as a member. Should be prepared to sign a non-disclosure agreement upon appointment. To apply, please forward a resume and letter of interest to [email protected].