Get Involved

Volunteering | Employment | Internships

Real Change is looking for responsible, committed people to help us fulfill our mission of organizing, educating, and building alliances to create solutions to homelessness and poverty. We exist to provide a voice to poor people in our community, and rely on volunteers and interns to keep the paper and our other programs operational.

Volunteer Opportunities

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Volunteering FAQ
Office Volunteer

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with us! We rely on volunteers to keep Real Change going and appreciate your support.  When you’re a Real Change volunteer you are part of a community of dedicated people working together successfully for real change in our community.  Your volunteer support helps provide an opportunity and voice for people who are low-income and homeless. We would not be able to put out an award winning newspaper without skilled volunteers to help us write and photograph news stories. Volunteers also allow us to provide vendors with quality service by staffing our newspaper sales desk. We would not be able to meet our fundraising goals without the assistance of our volunteer Development Team. In short, our volunteers are the heroes of Real Change.

Our office is open Monday to Saturday, 9am—5pm.  To maximize efficiency and best serve our volunteers, we typically require volunteers to commit to 1-4 hours per week during regular office hours (9am—5pm weekdays) for a minimum of 3 months. Some volunteer roles have flexible hours or can be filled remotely.  We also have a limited number of volunteer roles the require less of a regular time commitment. 

Real Change is a proud participant in the United Way’s Volunteer Impact Program.

Some general opportunities for involvement are:

Fund Development
  - Event Planning Committee
  - Data Entry
  - Telephone Banking
  - Event Volunteering

Vendor Services
  - Teaching Classes
  - Sales Desk (Most popular position)
  - General Office Assistance

Editorial*
  - Transcription
  - Illustrations
  - Photography
  - Graphic Design
  - Writing Articles
  - Website Updates
  - Video Editing

*Most Editorial positions require 3-8 samples of your work prior to acceptance as a volunteer

Volunteer Benefits:

- Gaining meaningful experience with low-income and diverse populations
- Personal satisfaction of representing Real Change in the community.
- Possible school credit
- Pursuant to the volunteer position, potentially learning about non-profit program management, operations, development, marketing or journalism

Interested?

Sign up to attend a New Volunteer Orientation by contacting our Volunteer Manager, Jenn Pearson, at (206) 441-3247 ext. 212 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Commonly Asked Questions:

Can I do my Service-Learning or school-based internship with Real Change?

We offer several unpaid internships each school term. Generally a commitment of 10 hours/week for the length of the term is required, though we can be flexible for the sake of school requirements. Internships include positions in our Editorial, Vendor Services and Development departments.  Several service-learning positions are also available each quarter/semester and typically consist of small projects for Development and Vendor Services or data entry.

Can our group take a tour of the Real Change office?

We can give your students/parishioners/ office mates/friends a tour of our office and present an overview of what we do. Please call in advance to make an appointment.
I have a family or group who would like to do a one-time project for Real Change.

Can we volunteer as a group?

We periodically are able to facilitate high impact one-time projects that are appropriate for all ages. Please contact our Volunteer Manager to see if there is a current need for a group project. We may not be able to accommodate weekend projects.

I am under 18. Can I volunteer?

Yes, but we request that teenagers be 16 years old to volunteer without parents/guardians. Jobs for 16 and 17 year olds include editorial, development and general office tasks, and you must have written permission from your parents/guardians to volunteer. Paper Sales Desk volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.

Can I volunteer with Real Change to fulfill my court-ordered community service requirements?

Yes, we occasionally work with volunteers who have court-ordered community service. In order to make this partnership work, we request that you contact us with a reasonable amount of time to serve your hours. Our volunteers generally work between 2 - 4 hours per week and we may not be able to accommodate a high number of required service hours.

Other Ways To Help:

Buy a paper:  Real Change works because our vendors work.  Our vendors have a job to do, and are proud of the quality product that they sell. Buying a paper from a badged Real Change vendor shows them that they are valued in your community.

Nominate a vendor:  If you admire your vendor, nominate him or her for Vendor of the Week! Use our website or shoot us an email and let us know why you think your vendor should be “VOTW”.  If selected, your vendor will get a chance to have their profile in the paper and will receive a small cash award from Real Change.

Share:  Tell your friends about Real Change. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.  Join our email update list to get the most up-to-date news and information. Talk to local store managers about having a vendor outside their business. Invite a member of our Speaker’s Bureau to your school, work or social or religious organization.

Donate:  Real Change is reader-supported social enterprise.  Our donors are our publishers.  Over 65% of our budget is from donor support.  Our work would be impossible without donor money, in amounts ranging from $5 to $50,000.  At Real Change, every donor is a major donor. 

Host a Party:  Host a Turning Points House Party. Invite your friends and tell them about why you support Real Change. Have a hobby or thing you like to do with your friends? Organize your own event such as bowling, dance party, book reading or wine tasting and ask everyone to chip in for Real Change.

Advertise with Real Change:  If you are looking for a place to advertise your business, take out an ad in Real Change. We have an average weekly circulation of 17,500. Real Change is a great organization to advertise with. We effectively reach a valuable audience of socially minded, politically progressive, well-educated and relatively affluent Seattle area citizens. 
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Be sure to check back frequently for updated volunteer, employment, and internship postings!