Volunteer or Intern

OEC volunteer and internship opportunities are unpaid unless otherwise indicated.

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.

Community Outreach 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. More recently, you may have spotted us at City Repair's Earth Day event or your local farmers' market.

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 Carrie to learn more.

To become a Community Outreach Volunteer, please contact Carrie at 503-222-1963 ext. 115 or  volunteer[at]oeconline.org for more information.

Office Volunteers

Currently we have enough fabulous volunteers to keep us on top of our daily workload at our beautiful, historic office in Old Town. Check back in soon for opportunities to join our collaborative, team-oriented, family-friendly office, where laughter is frequent.

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 Carrie.

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.

Internships

1) Communications/Marketing Volunteer

*Deadline Extended: June 30, 2009*

Primary Responsibilities:
We are seeking a volunteer to develop a communications (PR/earned media) for the Oregon Living Building Initiative, a project to build the nation’s first high-rise living building.

Responsibilities will include:

• Developing and implementing communications strategy (web, media and public education plan) for the project
• Liaison with other key groups/partners working on communications
• Updating website and keeping web site up to date (http://livingbuilding.wordpress.com)
• Writing blog entries
• Communicates with the public by responding to emails and comments posted on both sites
• Assist OEC staff with related OLBI assignments

• A minimum of four or more years experience in communications and marketing
• Excellent written communications skills
• Experience with online communication
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment and meet goals in a timely manner
• Demonstrated ability to work well independently.

•  Hours: a minimum of 10 hours a week. Flexible work hours. Pro bono.

• Duration: at least 4 months, preferably 1 year or more
• Start date: July 1, 2009 - flexible
  

To apply: Send resume and cover letter to Laura Rost at laurar[at]oeconline.org no later than June 30, 2009. No phone calls please.

About the Oregon Living Building Initiative
The Oregon Living Building Initiative (OLBI) is a consortium of nonprofits and businesses committed to sustainability issues and protection of natural resources, land use, and public health in Oregon. The group formed in 2008 with the primary goal of promoting the adoption of living building standards in Oregon’s built environment. The secondary goals of the Oregon Living Building Initiative are to promote shared space, improve efficiencies, and enhance collaboration across the community by allowing nonprofits, businesses, the public sector, and academia to cohabitate.

About the Oregon Sustainability Center
The OSC is the collaborative vision of a unique public/private partnership between city and state government, higher education, nonprofit organizations and the business community. At the core of this project is a 200,000+ square foot urban, mixed-use high rise positioned to become the regional hub for Portland and Oregon’s sustainability activities.

The Center will also be the world’s first “Living Building” of its scale. Adhering to the prerequisites of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council’s Living Building Challenge, the Center will produce 100% of its energy on site through self-sustaining energy generation and distribution systems; its design also includes integrated water reuse (for black, grey and storm water management), net-zero energy consumption and no carbon footprint.  See: http://oregonsustainabilitycenter.wordpress.com/

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2) Development Intern

We are seeking a creative, energetic problem-solver to work with Development Team to design a prospect research program given few resources and part-time capacity.

Primary Responsibilities

• Gather, synthesize and analyze information found through free public sources on OEC prospects (individuals, companies and foundations) and present findings both verbally and in writing to development team, program directors and executive director.
• Utilize free online resources to identify new prospects by matching their interests with institutional needs.
• Assist with grant proposals and reports.
• Collaborate with development team to develop prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and overall fundraising strategies based on prospect research.  
• Review local and national news and business publications, keeping abreast of prospect information and local and regional business developments and economic trends. Send articles to staff as appropriate. 
• Update database with new information in collaboration with Development Assistant.
• Assist Development Team with other projects such as events and direct mail.
  

Qualifications

• Excellent research and writing skills; extensive computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft office software, especially Excel; searching on-line databases and the Internet.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment and meet goals in a timely manner. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, an attention to detail, an aptitude for logical thinking and sound judgment, a commitment to professional ethics, and the ability to work with sensitive and confidential information.
• Creative, problem-solver.
  

Commitment

• Hours: 10-15 per week, flexible
• Duration: At least 6 months, preferably 1 year or more
• Start date: mid-August/early September - flexible
  

Training and Supervision

• Provided by Development Director and includes opportunity to participate in APRA (Association of Prospect Researchers for Advancement) NW chapter activities: http://www.apra-nw.org/templates/System/default.asp?id=39617

To apply: Send resume and cover letter to Kristina Engstrom at kristinae[at]oeconline.org. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, until position is filled. No phone calls please.

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3) Research Intern, Fall 2009

Oregon Environmental Council (OEC) is recruiting a Research Intern to assist our Executive Director, Andrea Durbin.

Job responsibilities for a Research Intern include policy and legislative research, some media research and other projects as needed. A qualified candidate will have some experience in a policy field and an interest in environmental issues.

Application Deadline: August 7, 2009. Position open until filled.
Start Date: September 1, 2009. Flexible.

If interested, please send resume and cover letter to Laura Rost at laurar[at]oeconline.org.

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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.

Click here to download Jobseeker Resources [PDF], our helpful fact sheet for those seeking environmental positions in Oregon and beyond.

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