Volunteer & Community Engagement Coordinator

Job Description: Volunteer and Community Engagement

Coordinator

Who We Are:  

• Eye Thrive is a locally recognized 501c3 nonprofit that empowers children to pursue their full potential by delivering essential eyecare across the St. Louis region.
  Each school year Eye Thrive provides 14,000+ vision screenings, 5,000+ comprehensive eye exams, 7,000+ prescription glasses, 2,000+ replacement glasses, and 200+ follow-up care referrals, all completely free of charge.
• Eye Thrive is positioned to double our capacity with a second Mobile Vision Clinic in 2025 allowing us to double our impact on the lives of kids in St. Louis.

Job Overview:

As a key member of our organization, the Volunteer Coordinator plays a critical role focusing on all Eye Thrive volunteers to grow and strengthen the organizational volunteer workforce, to support internal stakeholders, and meet the community needs of our 150+ school and community partners. This role requires expertise in managing multiple projects at once, the ability to communicate comfortably with people of all levels of experience and accurately represent Eye Thrive in the community. The Volunteer Coordinator partners cross-departmentally at the organization and leads the development of and execution of robust volunteer programs.

In this role, you will have the unique opportunity to impact nearly every aspect of Eye Thrive’s process. From recruitment, screening, training, and coordinating, you will be integral to maintaining consistent, compassionate, and mission-driven relationships with volunteers. You will plan and coordinate both small-scale individual volunteer projects and larger group events, ensuring that volunteers are effectively utilized, motivated, and supported.

Job Type: 

• Permanent; Full Time; Exempt.
• 40 hours/week; Monday-Friday 8 AM-4:30 PM.
• Reports to Development Director.
• Participation in morning/evening meetings and special events will be required as needed.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Recruitment, Onboarding, Training

• Develop and execute strategies to recruit a diverse pool of volunteers.
• Manage the application, screening, and onboarding process for new volunteers.
• Organize and facilitate orientation sessions to familiarize volunteers with the organization’s mission, policies, and programs.
• Create and deliver training materials and sessions to ensure volunteers are prepared and confident in their roles.

Volunteer Management

• Maintain accurate records of volunteer profiles, schedules, hours, and roles in volunteer management system.
• Coordinate volunteer assignments to ensure they align with individual skills and organizational needs.
• Regularly communicate with volunteers to provide updates, feedback, and recognition.
• Provide ongoing mentorship, resources, and opportunities for skill-building and development.
• Ensure volunteers feel valued and appreciated through consistent communication and acknowledgment.
• Coordinate volunteer participation in events, campaigns, and special projects.
• Lead the evaluation of volunteer programs by collecting feedback from volunteers and staff to assess the effectiveness, impact, and areas for improvement of volunteer initiatives.
• Analyze volunteer performance to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement, ensuring that volunteer efforts are aligned with organizational goals and mission.
• Develop and implement strategies to enhance engagement, retention, and growth.

Development

• Build strong relationships with new corporate partners and maintain existing connections for deeper collaborations, alliances and financial support.
• Assist the Marketing Director with documenting group volunteer events for social media posts, emails, and newsletters.
• Participate in public speaking engagements to educate new organizations about Eye Thrive’s mission and work in the community and encourage participation in group volunteering.

Internal Collaboration

• Work closely with internal departments (e.g., program, development, and communications teams) to align volunteer efforts with organizational priorities.
• Build strong cross-departmental relationships to facilitate a positive environment, effective engagement, and meaningful experience for volunteers.

Partnership Development

• Develops collaborative relationships with other organizations supporting volunteerism or serving as potential sources for volunteers.
• Acts as liaison with the neighborhood council and community groups to enhance organization and community relations.
• Serve as ambassador at Eye Thrive events, other organizations, and in the community to share information about our mission and volunteer opportunities. Limit 2-3 per month.

Additional Responsibilities

• Support and participate in Eye Thrive special events.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Development Director and CEO.

Competencies:

• Collaborative — Values a team approach; Recognizes and identifies strengths; Builds meaningful relationships; Inspires and motivates others; Cooperative work style.
• Dedicated – Supports organization’s goals and mission; Upholds Eye Thrive values and reputation; Understands the needs of the wider community in the Greater St. Louis region; Interests in continuous learning and improvement.
• Efficient — Highly organized; Strong time management skills; Excellent attention to detail; Effectively communicates; Writes and speaks clearly.
• Intuitive – Anticipates needs; Proactively solves problems with strong analytical and problem-solving skills; Willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges; Knows when to apply rules to specific problems to produce practical answers.
• Reliable — Delivers high quality service; Handles multiple tasks, projects, and timelines; Maintains composure under pressure; Honest and ethical.
• Empathetic – Recognizes emotions and needs of others; Understands other people’s perspectives on a situation; Listens carefully to what someone is trying to tell you; Builds relationships with children/families based on compassion and respect.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Salary starting at $55,000, commensurate with experience.
• Competitive benefits package; Including medical, dental, vision, life insurance and Employee Assistance Program services.
• 403b employer matching program.
• Competitive personal time off policy.
• Mileage reimbursement.
• Professional development opportunities.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Nonprofit experience is preferred.
• Must have access to a reliable vehicle to move volunteer event materials between office locations.

Professional Skills:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects with attention to detail.

Computer Skills:

• Proficient skill level with Microsoft Office applications.
• Proficient skill level with Google Documents, Sheets, and Calendar.

Personal Attributes:

• Commitment to the mission and values of the organization.
• High degree of integrity, discretion, and professionalism.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic environment.

Work Environment:

• Works at a shared workspace office at Eye Thrive headquarters at the Delmar DivINe and at Eye Thrive’s warehouse in Maryland Heights.
• Occasionally travels to Mobile Vision Clinic at various schools and community centers throughout Greater St. Louis.
• Occasionally travels to various speaking engagements throughout Greater St. Louis area.

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to lift and carry 25 pounds on occasion when support Eye Thrive visits and/or events during set-up and tear-down.
• Ability to move up and down stairwells.

Submit a cover letter and resume at eyethrive.bamboohr.com/jobs Priority is given to early applicants; applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and position is open until filled.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the person assigned to this position.  They are not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. 

Because we operate as a team, all employees may be asked to support other positions and pitch in to ensure the organization’s success.

Eye Thrive is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We are committed to promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity throughout our organization.