Volunteer
Do you like talking to people and attending community events? Do you want to help OEC keep on top of our daily workload in the office? If you want to get involved with OEC, this is your chance!
OEC volunteer and internship opportunities are unpaid unless otherwise indicated.
Are you interested in becoming an OEC volunteer or intern? Explore our opportunities below and then take a moment to tell us a bit more about yourself by completing our volunteer form. We'll do our best to match your interests and skills to the great work we have.
Volunteer Opportunities:
- Community Events Volunteer
- Become an OEC Community Champion!
- Become a Community Messenger
- Office Volunteers
- Internships
Community Event Volunteers
Do you like talking to people and attending community events? If you want to get out there and engage with people about how to "live green" and connect them to the fantastic work OEC does, this is your chance!
Outgoing, eco-happy volunteers staff our booth at various events in the Portland area, connecting people to solutions and getting the word out about OEC.
OEC has had a booth at a variety of events, including the Green Sprouts Organic Baby Festival, the Welcome the Rain event, the Salmon Festival, and the Better Living Show. Look at our events page to see where we'll be next!
General Information
Typically, these commitments are on weekends with morning and afternoon shifts of three to four hours maximum. Volunteers are encouraged to develop their own outreach style and good communication skills are a plus.
Do you live outside of the Portland Metro area, but still want to volunteer?
We need your help! We're looking to expand our reach at community events across the state. Help us connect individuals in all of Oregon's cities and towns to OEC's great information and resources. Contact us to learn more.
To become a Community Outreach Volunteer, please fill out our volunteer interest form.
Become an OEC Community Champion!
What: Do you wonder how people can know the *right* thing to do, but fail to make these changes in their everyday lives? Would you like to learn strategies directly from Oregon Environmental Council about how we empower Oregonians to safeguard what they love about Oregon? If you’d like to be a leader in bringing OEC’s strategies and programs into your local community, join us for our summer training. We’ll give you the tools and know-how to plan your own outreach campaign for OEC’s programs and engage your community to become better environmental stewards.
This volunteer experience will give you the tools to engage your local community and foster behavior change towards a more sustainable future. Topics will include an overview of OEC’s strategic goals, getting to know OEC’s outreach programs, asset-based community development, and community-based social marketing. Volunteers will be responsible for attending all training sessions and developing an outreach project with oversight from the OEC Outreach Team.
To take the training you should be:
- A community leader and a committed volunteer
- An effective communicator
- Self-motivated and has the ability to take initiative
- A team-player
- Looking to get involved in their local community
- Supportive of the mission of OEC to advance innovative, collaborative solutions to Oregon’s environmental challenges for today and future generations
At the end of the training volunteers should be willing to:
- Recruit additional volunteers who share OEC’s values and can get people excited about the work OEC does around the state
- Spread the word about OEC’s work and get community members involved and ready to take action
- Have 5+ hours a month to dedicate to OEC’s mission
- Work with fellow volunteers to coordinate at least one small project in your local community within six months of completing the training
Benefits:
- Gain experience in outreach and event planning
- A valuable networking opportunity
- Acquire the tools you need to get to know your neighbors and your local community
- Learn the elements to outreach that inspire behavior change
Please contact Lauren Roden at volunteer at oeconline.org or 503-222-1963x115 with questions.
Become a Community Messenger
One of the best things about your neighborhood hang-out is the free, interesting, local stuff to read while you wait. Wouldn’t it be great if OEC’s newsletter was in among the pile of community papers, magazines and brochures?
OEC’s fall newsletter has arrived! We would love your help to stock our newsletter in neighborhood libraries, coffee shops, community centers and other gathering points. If you’re interested, drop us a line with the neighborhood you plan to cover. Then all you have to do is pick them up and deliver them! With your help, we can spread the word about OEC to everyone with a library card or a coffee habit!
Help us get information out into local communities to inform your neighbors about OEC and the work that we do. Contact Lauren if you’re interested in becoming a community messenger!
Office Volunteers
General Information
Typically, office volunteers come in Monday-Friday between 9am-5pm. Volunteers commit to a couple hours of work per week and complete a variety of tasks. These may include, but are not limited to: data entry, data checking, mailings, and recycling projects. Occasionally we have an especially big task requiring extra hands, which sometimes occur on evenings and/or weekends. If you would like to be ‘on call’ for these volunteer opportunities, please contact us.
Do you have the skills we need?
We tend to look for Office Volunteers who:
- are fast typers
- love data entry (proficient with Excel)
- good phone skills and willing to make calls
- have good writing skills and an interest in blogging
- have stellar web research skills
- have foreign language expertise
Do you have another specialty skill you would like to utilize as a volunteer? Let us know and we will try to match your skills to the work we have available.
To become an Office Volunteer, please fill out our volunteer interest form.Internships
General Information about OEC Internships
Our internships consist of about 80% program-related work and 20% administrative work. They are unpaid positions unless otherwise indicated. OEC seeks interns who possess excellent research, writing and communication skills, and have the ability and motivation to work independently. We offer a fun, pleasant atmosphere, easy to reach by public transportation, and flexible schedules.
Available internships are posted in the jobs section of our website.
Click here to download Jobseeker Resources [PDF], our helpful fact sheet for those seeking environmental positions in Oregon and beyond.
