Volunteer

Please see below for the details for various volunteer roles and the "How to Apply" tab for details on the volunteer onboarding process.

Group Program Volunteers

Program Assistants: Do you love to interact with other people? Then consider being a Program Assistant! These program volunteers help support program execution by preparing set-up, welcoming and engaging with families, facilitating activities, supporting participants’ successes, and cleaning-up after the program. The program assistant role requires orientation, about 2 hours of virtual training, group program observations, and a background check.  This volunteer opportunity is open to people aged 13 and up. Minimum commitment is 1 session (3 - 4 months), with programs occurring weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

Program Leaders:  Are you a natural-born leader and love making things happen? Then consider being a Program Leader! Program Leaders play an integral role in facilitating educational and therapeutic skill development activities and connecting with families by leading programs.  It is preferred but not required that Program Leaders have experience or studies in education, music, dance, art, nutrition, fitness, therapy (any discipline), or a related field. GiGi's Playhouse provides program guides, sample lesson plans, and a host of resources to help support program success! This role requires orientation, about 4 hours of virtual training, group program observations, and a background check. This volunteer opportunity is open to people aged 18 and up. Commitment is for one session (3 - 4 months), with programs occurring weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

Program Greeters: Are you a People Person? Do you have a few hours where you would just like to tell people “Welcome!”, chat, and help them when needed? Then consider being a GiGi’s Greeter! We want to make the program check-in and check-out process as smooth and friendly as possible. Greeters ensure the safe entry and exit of program participants and their families during our busiest times. This role requires orientation, about 1 hour of virtual training, and a background check. This volunteer opportunity is open to people aged 13 and up, depending on the program. Commitment is for one session (3 - 4 months), with programs occurring weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

Gen G Youth Board Mentor: Are you interested in mentoring the next generation?  We are looking for a leader interested in mentoring high schoolers with and without Down syndrome in creating the Gen G Youth Board for the GiGi’s Playhouse New Orleans location.  The goal is to help teens support the Playhouse and spread the message to “Be Accepting. Be Generous. Be Kind.”  This role requires orientation, about 4 hours of virtual training, group program observations, and a background check. Commitment is for one year.  Please list “Gen G Youth Board Mentor” in the comments section of the Volunteer Application.

One-on-One Tutors

Literacy and Math Tutors:  Do you love to read, or do you love numbers? This is an exciting one-on-one opportunity to help those with Down syndrome learn to read or do math skills! The Literacy tutoring program has flexibility in choosing which books and activities to do every week and is well-suited to creative volunteers. The Math tutoring program is laid out with learning activities in a step-by-step order and is well-suited to volunteers who like to follow set instructions. This tutor volunteer role requires orientation, 3 to 4 hours of virtual training depending on subject and level, and a background check. The time commitment is 1 hour per week plus prep time for lessons. Commitment is for one session (about 10 weeks). Tutors will be matched with a learner (child or adult) based on mutual availability input in the tutor application. This volunteer opportunity is open to people 18 and up (or 16 and up during staffed hours).

New Family Coordinator: Are you interested in checking-in with families who have a new baby with Down syndrome?  We are looking for a volunteer interested in reaching out to new families in our community.  This role requires orientation and about 3 hours of virtual training.  A parent of a child with Down syndrome is preferred.  Commitment is for one year.

Event Volunteers

Event volunteers help plan, set-up, decorate, staff, manager, and/or clean-up for our special events which are essential to fundraising and keeping GiGi’s Playhouse’s free for participants. GiGi’s Playhouse New Orleans’ main events are the Golf Tournament (spring), the GiGiFit Acceptance Challenge (summer), and the Lagniappe Gala (fall).  Event volunteers sign-up for shifts using a Sign-Up Genius list that is emailed a few weeks prior to the event. This role requires orientation. To be added to our event volunteer sign-up list distribution, please state "I want to be an event volunteer" in the comments section of the volunteer application. 

Administrative Volunteers

Administrative volunteers help with various tasks that need to be completed at the Playhouse. This role requires orientation and is open to people aged 13 and up. Please state "I want to help with administrative projects" in the comments section of the volunteer application.

Volunteer Committee Members

All committee roles require volunteer orientation. Committee chairs may require additional virtual training and/or a background check.  Commitment is for at least 1 year (or one major event for the Events Committee).  Please state which committee(s) you are interested in on the volunteer application.

Events Committee: Events committee volunteers plan and execute fundraising events.  From logistics and planning to promoting the event and filling the room to securing in-kind donations and sponsorships, to making the room beautiful, the events committee knows how to throw a party, engage donors and ensure smooth events for all guests!  A team of committee members will be needed for each major fundraiser: Golf Tournament (spring), the GiGiFit Acceptance Challenge (spring), Crawfish Boil (summer) and the Lagniappe Gala (fall).  Commitment varies but is generally short term, with strong emphasis on the 1-2 months before the event.

Fundraising Committee: Do you have a development background, or do you just love engaging with people and telling the story of GiGi’s Playhouse? The fundraising committee builds a fundraising execution plan to achieve funding goals from a mixture of events, grants, donations, and campaigns.  Members identify major donor opportunities, research, write and follow-up on grants, execute donor presentations and ensure proper donor acknowledgements and stewardship.

Marketing Committee: Marketing Committee volunteers plan communications to families, donors and community members including social media, monthly e-newsletter, periodic blog posts and content updates to website, all using GiGi’s Playhouse’s standardized templates and tools. Members also seek ways to engage with the local media to promote GiGi’s Playhouse coming to our community.

Outreach/Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee: Committee members build relationships with schools, therapy centers, medical professionals, community organizations, local businesses, and people of different backgrounds to spread the word about GiGi's Playhouse in the community!

Program Committee: Program committee volunteers learn about the various GiGi’s Playhouse program options, define the program lineup, learn about family preferences, recruit program volunteers, and ensure proper training and execution of programs.

Facility Committee: Facility committee members help with minor items: paint touch-ups, light bulb & air filter changes, and minor repairs & installations.

Board Members

Board Members:  Seeking members of the community who are natural leaders, work well in a team environment, can bring connections to the playhouse and who want to support our mission of changing the way the world views Down syndrome!  The board is responsible for ensuring sustainable success of the playhouse.  Commitment is 2 years, with a minimum of 5 hours per month.  All board members must either serve in an executive role (President, Vice President, Treasurer or Secretary) or serve on a committee.