Grow with us
Sustainability Matters volunteers, ranging in age from 13 to 88, have included writers, farmers, professors, carpenters, naturalists, artists, students, chefs, judges, musicians, and curators. Most of our current staff started as volunteers!
Right now, our generalist volunteers are drawn from the schools with whom we partner, Mountain Vista Governor’s School and the Smithsonian Mason School of Conservation. We’re looking for adult volunteers primarily in specialized fields: fundraisers and board members to help us grow, and professional videographers and photographers to help tell our story. If you have other skills that you think might be of use, though, feel free to reach out through the interest form below.
volunteer interest form
Tell us about you.
Volunteering FAQ
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We’re in-person in Virginia’s Northern Shenandoah Valley, Northern Piedmont, and Northern Virginia regions. Video & photo work is largely in this region. However, some of our most active volunteers in specialized fields like development work entirely virtually with us, and live all over the world.
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We’re looking for volunteers who have the time and interest to make a significant commitment, though this doesn’t necessarily have to be the same amount of time each week or month. It takes a lot of staff work and resources to onboard volunteers, so we need to be sure you want to be a full member of our team!
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Enthusiasm and professionalism! We expect our volunteers to take their Sustainability Matters “job” as seriously as they would a paid job. Reliability and work quality are key: we’re perfectionists, and it shows. Most of our volunteers are professionals in the fields in which they volunteer for us. All are motivated, curious, collaborative individuals, always seeking new challenges.
Have we scared you yet? Don’t worry; we’re extremely friendly, fun-loving perfectionists. Really.
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Not necessarily. Most of our volunteers have specialized skills, however, which may or may not have been gained through formal education. Most videographers and fundraisers tell us they’ve learned best by doing!
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Absolutely! Sustainability Matters always needs ambassadors and enthusiastic supporters. Spread the word about us on social media, like sharing our events and posts in Facebook Groups. Join our own Facebook Groups and post or comment. Forward our e-news (sign up to receive it, if you haven’t already) to your friends.
We also very much need financial support. Please, join us as a Member! Or host a Facebook fundraiser for us, and point any businesses who might be interested toward our Business Partnership opportunities.
Join Our board
Right now we're looking for creative, collaborative doers to join our Board of Directors. Board members are Sustainability Matters' foremost ambassadors, and as in most nonprofits, must also be our foremost fundraisers. A personal financial contribution (according to capacity) is expected from the board, as is active participation in helping acquire and steward additional donors and sponsors. Prior experience on nonprofit boards isn't necessary, but experience scaling up organizations - nonprofit or for-profit - is deeply desirable. We welcome potential board members both from within our current geographical footprint (Northern and Northwestern Virginia) and from well outside this area. Continuing to expand our reach is a priority: our virtual programming already enjoys a global audience.
Our board members share our high standards, persistence, far-outside-the-box thinking...and sense of fun! Sustainability Matters is one of the most rapidly growing environmental nonprofits in our region, looking for team members eager to join us on an inspiring, unpredictable, and deeply impactful ride. If this might be you, please email us with information about you, your background, and your interests.
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Two years ago, we approached Sustainability Matters for advice on planting a native pollinator meadow on our septic field. Sustainability Matters helped us plan this and other conservation projects, and even access funding. Our septic field’s now blooming merrily, and I’m such a Sustainability Matters fan that I joined the Board of Directors.
- Don Gust
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I first got involved with Sustainability Matters in my role as a forester with the Virginia Department of Forestry. I’ve participated in Sustainability Matters initiatives as diverse as workshops on mushroom growing in invasive tree logs, sharing DOF’s conservation funding opportunities through forums for landowners, and leading Winter Tree ID walks (with holiday potlucks!). The uniquely vibrant, impactful nature of Sustainability Matters programs quickly made me a huge fan, and I now engage even more deeply with the organization by serving on the Technical Advisory Board.
- Matt Wolanski
Specialized skills at glamorous landfills
Even our Technical Advisory Board has fun (and never goes thirsty)
Sustainability Matters' band, the Plant-Based Jam (the llama's just a groupie)
Teaching at a landfill "Making Trash Bloom'' site
Willingness to climb tall ladders is always appreciated
Welcome to our community.
We can’t wait to meet you!
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I've had other volunteer gigs where I sit in a room by myself and stuff envelopes, then go home and wonder if anything I did mattered. But with Sustainability Matters, I always know I've made a difference, and I always feel appreciated. What's more, I actually have fun. My meetings with Sustainability Matters staff and volunteers are filled with laughter and running jokes, and I have new friends I can turn to for help with my vegetable garden, or talk to about knitting or playing the harp. I loved volunteering so much that after two years, I joined the organization as staff. And I am now honored to be the Interim Executive Director. It's amazing how many fun people with common interests I've met volunteering here!
- Kara Balcerzak