Volunteer Coordinator

Homeless Garden Project; Santa Cruz (CA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Generous paid time off

Job summary

The Homeless Garden Project in Santa Cruz is seeking an enthusiastic Volunteer Coordinator to lead our Cultivating Community volunteer and education program.

This role recruits, orients, trains, schedules and supervises 1,500–3,000 volunteers across the farm, retail store, events, and office, while building partnerships and advancing our mission to end homelessness.

Qualifications

• Outgoing, resourceful and organized candidate with strong coordination skills.
• Experience in volunteer management, outreach, and building partnerships.
• A commitment to ending homelessness and community connection is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead volunteer recruitment, orientation and training.
• Schedule, supervise and recognize volunteers across programs.
• Coordinate internships and develop new volunteer opportunities.
• Engage with community partners and education programs.
• Manage annual volunteer program of 1,500–3,000 volunteers.

Skills

Volunteer management

Outreach

Coordination

Community education

Partnership building

Job description

The Homeless Garden Project, founded in 1990, provides job training, transitional employment and support services to people experiencing homelessness. Integrated with the employment programs, the HGP operates a vibrant community education and volunteer program. All programs take place in our 3.5 acre organic farm and related enterprises.

The Position:

The Homeless Garden Project is looking for an enthusiastic, organized, and community-minded Volunteer Coordinator to lead our Cultivating Community volunteer and community education program in Santa Cruz.

This is a wonderful opportunity for someone who loves bringing people together, building partnerships, and creating meaningful ways for people to connect with our mission. Our Volunteer Coordinator engages 1,500-3,000 volunteers each year—at the farm, retail store, fundraising events, office, and throughout our community. The role includes volunteer recruitment, orientation, training, scheduling, supervision, recognition, internship coordination, community outreach, and developing new volunteer opportunities.

We are at an especially exciting moment at HGP. We are purchasing our farm property and preparing to build our permanent site, creating new opportunities for volunteers and community members to be part of our work for years to come.

We need someone now.

Our Volunteer Coordinator position is currently vacant, so we are hiring immediately for an interim Volunteer Coordinator to help keep our volunteer community connected and our programs running smoothly.

We are open to several possibilities:

• Interim position only, for someone who is available to step in and help during this transition; or
• Interim-to-permanent, for someone who may want to step into the permanent Volunteer Coordinator role after getting to know HGP and the work.

The ideal candidate is outgoing, resourceful, organized, and skilled at coordination, volunteer management, outreach, and building partnerships. A background in agriculture or social enterprise is a plus, as is a commitment to ending homelessness and creating a more connected community.

40 hours/week | $24-$26/hour, depending on experience | Health benefits + generous paid time off

Occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays are required.