We are always looking for volunteers to help with our financial education whether it’s teaching clients or creating informative materials. Find out more about what you can do to get involved by reading our volunteer position descriptions below and visit our calendar or contact talia@innovativechanges.org to find out about upcoming volunteer trainings.
Volunteer Opportunities
Innovative Changes (ICS) is committed to providing comprehensive and in-depth financial education as a means of empowering individuals and families in responsible economic decision-making for healthy households. We do this through a combination of workshops, coaching sessions, seminars and in-touch training opportunities. As a volunteer, you will join a team of dedicated trainers and coaches who help people develop and achieve their short and long term financial goals. ICS is dedicated to helping you be a successful volunteer by providing you with training, resources and ongoing support.
One-on-One Financial Coach:
Drawing on your own experience and sensitivity to clients’ varied backgrounds and circumstances, you will help guide individuals and households by equipping them with the tools, skills, and confidence necessary to meet their immediate financial needs, and achieve their short- and long-term financial goals. Based on clients’ self-identified needs and goals, coaches spend time working in 4 major areas: personal cash flow management; budgeting; saving and goal setting; building, repairing and protecting credit; and access to banking and community services. Coaches are always needed.
Requirements for financial coaches:
- Attend a Training of the Trainers session in IC$’s coaching materials;
- Shadow an IC$ Coach at least once;
- Coordinate directly with, and commit to meeting with, a client at least once a month for three to six months either at one of IC$’s offices or in a public setting such as a library or coffee shop;
- Research referrals appropriate to your client’s needs as necessary;
- Take notes during coaching sessions and document client progress or setbacks; and
- Maintain ongoing communication with IC$ staff contact to provide feedback and updates on client progress.
Financial Writer:
Every month we publish Innovative Connections, a toolkit chock full of tips, resources, advice, product highlights and community events for our clients. We also have a blog that we would like to keep more updated on upcoming financial legislation, organizational happenings and client stories. If you like to research, write and/or are interested in the policy side of financial access and are able to commit a few hours a month from our office or home, this is a great position for you!
Special Topics Presenter:
Every month Innovative Changes offers a seminar that cover special topics of interest to our clients and the community. If you have expertise in a certain area and would be interested in teaching an hour long seminar, we would love to have you! Or, if you have the ability to recruit seminar presenters and help organize monthly seminars that would be great too.
- Past workshops have included: risk management, investing, new banking regulations, consumer protection, dealing with debt, holiday resources and budgeting, and student loan repayment and consolidation.
- Future topics that we hope to cover include: foreclosure avoidance and the impact of foreclosure on an individual’s financial well being, bankruptcy, marriage and joint assets, child support, custody and family law, financial planning during life transitions, retirement planning, and wills.
Seminar Development:
Do you like developing curriculum and presentations but don’t feel like you are a complete expert in one of the topics mentioned above? We have tons of ideas about seminars that we want to create, but can’t find enough time in our day to develop them. Topics on our list include: money and relationships, budgeting and planning for seniors and behavioral economics. Work with us or on your own to create an interactive one hour seminar that we can offer for years to come! This work can be done in our office or from home.
Communications Specialist
Are you good at succinct messaging? Do you love tweeting? Have a knack for Facebook and its ever changing ways? We are looking for someone to help us beef up our social media and web presence. If you have a couple hours a week to devote to online messaging and communications, we would love to work with you! Graphic/web design experience is a plus!
Financial Household Resiliency (FHR) Workshop Co-Facilitator:
This four-part workshop series guides participants through tactics and tools for personal cash flow management, budgeting and saving, successful banking, and building, repairing and protecting credit. Participants leave the class with concrete steps towards accomplishing their goals (financial and beyond). Each session is two hours long which includes worksheets, lively discussions, group problem solving and individual planning. Financial Resiliency Facilitators are provided with IC$ curriculum and are encouraged to draw from their own personal experiences to enrich the class as well.
Requirements for workshop facilitators:
- Attend a Training of the Trainers session in IC$’s curriculum;
- Co-facilitate one FHR workshop;
- Commit to facilitate or co-facilitate a full series or at least 4 individual workshops over the course of a year; and
- Provide feedback on curriculum and update IC$ staff on each workshop facilitated.
General Volunteer Qualifications
- Committed to the mission of Innovative Changes.
- Pass a criminal background check.
- Competent in subject matter and/or willing to learn.
- Flexibility and comfort working with diverse clientele. Strong intercultural communication skills.
- Understanding of the potential challenges and barriers experienced by communities living in generational poverty and/or who are underserved by traditional banking institutions
- Committed to working in a collaborative team environment.
- Able to maintain client confidentiality.
- Follows through on commitment.
- Willing to work collaboratively, communicate with and provide feedback to IC$ staff.
- Spanish language skills a plus.
