About

• Description
• Position Summary
• The Volunteer Coordinator strengthens the YMCA of Columbia-Willamette’s mission by creating and managing a consistent, equity-centered volunteer experience that expands community engagement and supports membership, philanthropy, and operational excellence across all regions.

• Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role ensures volunteers are effectively recruited, screened, trained, supported, and celebrated. The Volunteer Coordinator establishes association-supported systems for documentation, compliance, and tracking while partnering closely with Marketing, Philanthropy, IT, and HR to ensure that volunteer engagement reflects YMCA CW’s values of inclusion, access, and belonging.

• This position plays a key role in connecting the Y to its communities by identifying, planning, and supporting outreach events that engage volunteers, increase visibility, and deepen trust across diverse populations. The role supports a consistent volunteer experience rather than directing strategy, ensuring that regional teams have the tools, information, and coordination needed to deliver high-quality volunteer engagement.
• Requirements
• Key Responsibilities
• Regional Volunteer Coordination & Oversight
• Coordinates volunteer engagement across all branches, childcare sites, and program areas, ensuring consistent, equitable practices in recruitment, onboarding, tracking, and recognition.
• Partners with Executive Directors to assess regional volunteer needs and align roles with community priorities, financial sustainability, and inclusion goals.
• Partners with the association’s sports leaders to strengthen volunteer recruitment, onboarding, and compliance for all youth and adult sports programs.
• Ensures 100% of volunteers complete required background checks, youth protection training, and compliance requirements prior to service.
• Implements and maintains standardized processes for tracking volunteer hours, demographics, and engagement metrics through association-approved systems.
• Collaborates with IT to ensure secure, accurate data connections between volunteer systems, including CRMs and other platforms, including Virtuous and Playerspace.
• Provides quarterly updates to the COO and Executive Directors on regional volunteer activity, engagement, and compliance.
• Supports regional adherence to shared volunteer practices by offering reminders, resources, and technical assistance rather than supervisory authority.
• Helps reinforce the One Association culture through consistent communication, documentation templates, and materials that create a shared volunteer experience across regions.
• All other duties as assigned.
• 2. Recruitment, Onboarding, & Training
• Develops and executes recruitment approaches that reflect the Y’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Partners with Marketing to promote volunteer opportunities through digital media, community partnerships, and local events, ensuring materials support inclusive access.
• Applies the Y’s Equity Lens Toolkit to volunteer recruitment and onboarding in coordination with association leads.
• Coordinates with HR to maintain accurate, secure volunteer records and compliance documentation.
• Builds and sustains partnerships with schools, universities, affinity groups, and corporate partners to expand the diversity and reach of the volunteer base.
• Applies the Y’s Equity Lens Toolkit to volunteer recruitment, role design, and onboarding, ensuring every volunteer has equitable access, preparation, and a sense of belonging.
• 3. Community Engagement & Events
• Identifies and supports participation in at least six community-facing events.
• Collaborates with Marketing and Philanthropy to design and staff events that inspire connection and tell the Y’s story through an equity and access lens.
• Attends key community events as a Y representative, coordinating volunteers and gathering community feedback.
• Tracks event metrics including attendance, demographics, new volunteer sign-ups, and community leads, reporting outcomes to the COO and relevant departments.
• Ensures events are accessible, welcoming, and reflective of the Y’s diverse communities.
• Collaborates with sports and program leadership to strengthen volunteer engagement in youth and adult sports, ensuring recruitment, training, and compliance align with Y standards.
• Partners with Marketing, Philanthropy, and Finance to provide volunteer data, stories, and cost-savings information for the Annual Report.
• 4. Volunteer Experience, Recognition & Culture of Service
• Ensures volunteers feel welcomed, respected, and valued as essential contributors to the mission.
• Develops an annual volunteer recognition calendar that regions can implement, ensuring practices are realistic.
• Partners with Marketing and Philanthropy to share volunteer impact stories that highlight community diversity and inclusion.
• Partners with Marketing and Philanthropy to gather and provide volunteer impact stories.
• Supports the Annual Report by supplying accurate data and stories regarding volunteers.
• Creates feedback channels for volunteers to share experiences and inform continuous improvement.
• Designs recognition practices with association guidance to ensure they align with regional workload and capacity.
• Promotes a culture of service across staff and volunteers by modeling gratitude, partnership, and shared purpose. Reinforces that volunteerism is integral to how the Y lives its mission every day.
• 5. Compliance, Reporting, & Continuous Improvement
• Works closely with HR and Risk to maintain full compliance with background checks, youth safety standards, and policy requirements.
• Ensures IT compliance for volunteer databases by monitoring data accuracy and privacy.
• Tracks and reports volunteer metrics including recruitment, retention, representation, and hours served; disaggregates data to monitor equity and inclusion progress.
• Calculates and reports the financial value of volunteer contributions in partnership with Finance.
• Produces quarterly reports that summarize metrics for COO, CEO, and Regional Executive Directors.
• Continuously improves systems and practices through data review, staff feedback, and volunteer input.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for volunteer-related audits and reporting requirements.
• 6. Collaboration & Internal Coordination
• Establishes and leads a bimonthly Volunteer Engagement Cabinet focused on coordination and best practices.
• Builds capacity among regional staff by coaching them in volunteer coordination best practices.
• Represents volunteer needs within association-level committees by sharing data and observations.
• Key Competencies
• Equity and Inclusion: Embeds DEIB principles in all volunteer recruitment, engagement, storytelling, and recognition practices, ensuring volunteers reflect the communities served.
• Organization and Execution: Manages timelines, logistics, and reporting cycles with consistency rather than directing high-level processes.
• Relationship Building: Develops trust and collaboration across staff, volunteers, community partners, and program leaders, including sports and childcare.
• Accountability: Upholds the Y’s standards for compliance, youth safety, data integrity, and financial transparency related to volunteer service.
• Strategic Collaboration: Works alongside Marketing, Philanthropy, IT, HR, Finance, and Operations to support alignment rather than lead strategic integration.
• Communication: Models clarity, empathy, and mission-centered messaging that connects volunteerism to the Y’s impact and financial sustainability.
• First Year Success Metrics
• Association-wide volunteer management system implemented across all regions with consistent use by staff and volunteers.
• 100% of active volunteers complete background checks and all required trainings before beginning service.
• Volunteer data entered and maintained in centralized systems with at least 95% accuracy.
• Volunteer participation and total volunteer hours increase by at least 10% across the association.
• At least six community-facing events, across association and regional efforts, executed with measurable volunteer recruitment and engagement outcomes.
• Equity and inclusion benchmarks integrated into volunteer recruitment materials, storytelling, and reporting practices.
• Annual volunteer recognition and culture of service calendar launched with balanced participation from all regions and quarterly recognition touchpoints.
• Volunteer stories and data provided quarterly to Marketing and Philanthropy for use in storytelling, campaigns, and the YMCA CW Annual Report.
• Annual calculation of volunteer cost-savings estimate completed in collaboration with Finance and included in quarterly impact updates and the Annual Report.
• Quarterly volunteer impact and compliance reports submitted to the COO and leadership team on schedule.
• Positive staff and volunteer feedback indicating improvements in communication, accessibility, belonging, and recognition.