Join Us

 

Volunteer Park Trust was created by friends and neighbors to preserve and enhance this city and national landmark today and for generations to come. We are a volunteer organization that would love your help.

Volunteer opportunities which fit your schedule and maximize your talents are available, whether that’s volunteering at our Spring and Fall Restoration days, cleaning up the park at our Second Saturday Work Parties, helping with an event, or joining one of the following committees.

 

Join Any of Our SIX Committees

EMERGING LEADERS COMMITTEE

Emerging Leaders

If you’re someone who is:

  • • In your 20s to 30s
  • • Has a service-oriented disposition and is interested in learning more about board service
  • • Passionate about making a difference in your community

then join the Emerging Leaders Committee (ELC). This is a new initiative of Volunteer Park Trust to provide guidance and training to the next generation of Seattle-area people who are passionate about our mission to preserve and enhance Volunteer Park.

ELC members have opportunities to:

  • Create, plan and participate in service activities (volunteer days, volunteer drives, awareness campaigns, etc.)
  • Help plan and host fundraising events (happy hours, crowd-funding campaigns, etc.), and
  • Interact with other VPT Committees

For more information on the ELC, click here:

 

The ELC is actively recruiting individuals to join and kick-off this new initiative – we’d love to have you join!

DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

If you’re someone who loves:

  • • Showing appreciation
  • • Getting others to join your cause, or
  • • The challenges and successes of fundraising

then this is the committee for you. We plan and manage engagement with our donors and committee members. Our major tasks each year are:

Donor Acknowledgement

Our donors make our mission possible, whether by giving dollars, time, or expertise. We send handwritten thank you notes to our donors, and maintain the VPT database.

 Recruitment

Volunteer Park Trust’s work is done mostly by volunteers and we help make sure each of our program committees has enough people to get the job done while still having fun.

Fundraising

We design, plan and produce VPT’s:

•  Spring Donor Reception, usually held in May/June at the Volunteer Park Conservatory. (This year we will be brainstorming ways to do this virtually!)

•  GiveBIG! online fundraising campaign in May.

•  Business sponsorship requests for our events and programs. Our past sponsors have included Kaiser Permanente, BECU, and Heritage Bank, as well as dozens of in-kind donors to our events.

•  Fall Campaign, involving:

○ Email and direct mail letters in October ○ Giving Tuesday online fundraising participation in November ○ Holiday giving online requesting end-of-year gifts in December

We are a focused and friendly group committed to achieving our goals. Our meetings are held the second Monday of the month at 5:30 PM, usually on Capitol Hill or via Zoom. Come join us!

LANDSCAPE COMMITTEEVPT Landscape Committee

Do you love gardening? Are you looking for hands-on, outdoor activity with immediate results? The Landscape Committee runs monthly events to spruce up the garden beds in Volunteer Park.

We keep a general eye on the park, making recommendations on areas that need to be restored, or other items that may need repair. We make sure the tools, gloves, and equipment are ready for our volunteers, and returned to our shed in good condition. We also serve as VPT’s contact with Seattle Parks & Recreation groundskeeping staff.

Our work parties and informal committee meetings are held the second Saturday of every month in the park from 10:00 AM to noon. Larger restoration events are held each spring and fall with the help of VPT’s Events Committee. Come dig in the dirt with us!

EVENTS COMMITTEEVPT Events Committee

We know how to throw a party! Join us for the FUN as we plan and produce VPT’s big community-wide celebrations:

  • April – Spring Restoration Day in Volunteer Park
  • July – Summer Picnic in Volunteer Park
  • September – Fall Restoration Day in Volunteer Park
  • October – Halloween Pet Parade
  • December – Holiday in the Park

We handle every detail of the event process, including:

  • Setting dates, day-of-event schedules, and goals
  • Booking performers
  • Hiring sound and lighting professionals
  • Outreaching to vendors and participants
  • Event sponsorships
  • Signage, advertising, and posting event posters
  • Raffles and prize items/gift baskets
  • Volunteer management
  • and lots more!

Joining the Events Committee is a delightful, easy, and engaging way to get to know Volunteer Park Trust. Meetings are held the second 2nd Tuesday of every month from 5:30-6:30 PM.

MARKETING COMMITTEEVPT Marketing Committee

If you’re a creative type, such as a writer, editor/grammarian, designer, photographer, WordPress guru, or just someone who spends waaaay too much time on Facebook, we want you!

The Market Committee handles:

 Communications for VPT, including creating content for our:

  • Website
  • Monthly e-newsletter: “View from the Water Tower”
  • Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube accounts

Promotions for all VPT events, including:

  • Designing event invitations/graphics
  • Creating brochures and other materials
  • Maintaining the VPT brand

The Marketing Committee meets online, usually at 4:00 PM on the 1st Tuesday of each month – but flexibility is what we’re all about.

CAPITAL PROJECTS COMMITTEEVPT Capital Projects Committee

Hello there! We handle the physical improvements to Volunteer Park. Need a beautiful new fence around your lily ponds? No problem. Are your light poles all rusty? We’re on it. Does your amphitheater need replacing? We’ve got your back.

The Capital Projects Committee prioritizes, recommends, implements, and manages all projects hands-on, from start to finish, including:

  • Community outreach and feedback
  • Project bidding
  • Hiring design and manufacturing/installation contractors
  • Budgeting and accounting
  • Coordination with Seattle Parks & Recreation, Landmarks Preservation Board, and our many community partners

This committee is for you if you’re interested in:

  • Architecture
  • Historic preservation
  • Engineering
  • Finances/budgeting
  • Project management
  • Public process,

or just making lasting bricks-and-mortar changes to Volunteer Park.

We meet via Zoom at 5:30 PM on the third Monday of each month, usually for just a half hour. Our members attend project-related meetings as needed, such as with Seattle Parks & Recreation, Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Park, Landmarks Preservation Board, and others.

Join a Volunteer Work Party

We hold volunteer work parties (limited to 15 people)  in the park every second Saturday of the month from 10:00 AM to Noon, rain or shine.  RSVP is required due to current pandemic restrictions.  We provide all tools You’ll need to bring gloves, your face mask, a bottle of water, and be sure to dress for the weather.  For more information about our volunteer work parties, as well as on our annual Spring and Fall Restoration Days, look for the information for each event on the Events page.