Orphan Act - Russia

Here is an updated list of OrphanAct volunteer positions with a description of each. Volunteer positions will be of limited scope to insure that volunteers do not become overloaded. Jobs will be split as workload increases.

Some of these positions involve maintaining a small section of the OrphanAct website. Our website hosting is contracted to Club Wizard which hosts many Rotary club websites. The software editor is easy to use and there is technical support for volunteers.

OrphanAct is a 100% volunteer project involving "managing volunteers" who complete their own work, distribute work, and monitor the work of "team volunteers". Look at the menu on the left side. Those menu headings represent the "departments" of the OrphanAct organization. The volunteer jobs listed below are listed according to those menu headings.

To better understand each volunteer position view the actual website page referred to in each job description. The red asterisk * indicates a position is available.

Webmaster: Oversee the entire website or major sections of the website. Coordinate with the Website Committee. Implement new website features.

Orphan Facilities: (website menu item)

Some Background: A basic concept of the OrphanAct organization structure is that each Russian club will have a small support team of volunteers from the donor countries. This volunteer team will work with a particular Russian club and associated children's facilities. The team will also find and work with donor clubs to foster ongoing relationships between donors, the Russian clubs, and childrens facilities. Our goal is for the funding experience to be easy, interesting, rewarding, and long-lasting. The website is an important part of that process and will become even more so as we add new website features that promote involvement. The menu items named Orphan Facilities, Projects (Available, In-Process, Completed), Russian Rotary Clubs, and Sponsoring Rotary Clubs, form the heart of this concept on the website. Now, lets look at what volunteers will be doing.

Director of Russian Club Coordinators: The lead contact person with each Russian Rotary club. All new material from Russian clubs flows through the Head Coordinator. This person helps to coordinate the work of the Russian Club Coordinators who work under this person. This person personally maintains the following summary web pages: Orphan Facilities and Russian Rotary Clubs.

Russian Club Coordinators*: Maintain the web pages for the children’s facilities sponsored by a Russian Rotary club. Once a Russian club has committed to being involved in the OrphanAct project, they need someone to correspond with them on a regular basis to encourage them to find projects and submit the photos and text required. Each volunteer will handle one club and up to five separate facility web pages. Email correspondence will be in English. But you will have the services of a volunteer translator. You will place photos and text on the web pages for each facility. These pages may be updated as often as monthly. Correspondence may be weekly. You will be a Russian Rotary club’s main link to OrphanAct.

You will work with a Russian Club Support Team who are volunteers that will help support the Russian club.

Russian Club Support Team members:

Russian Club Coordinator: See above
Coordinator assistant*: Assist and fill in for the Russian Club Coordinator in their absense.
Donor Relations Specialist*: Maintain web page recognition for donors, and donor clubs. Answer questions from donor clubs, facilitate project completion, and ongoing communications with donor clubs.
Presenters*: Make PowerPoint presentations to Rotary clubs and follow up on funding opportunities.
Translator*: Translate emails and documents.

For examples of the pages you will maintain, click on Irkutsk Rotary Club, and Irkutsk 1.

Projects (Available, In process, Completed) (website menu item)

Some Background: In Rotary clubs, aid work is completed one project at a time. OrphanAct is working within the "project" concept that Rotary clubs have traditionally used. The aid work will be divided into descrete projects and we will fund, complete, report, audit, and recognize donors for specific projects.

Director of OrphanAct Aid Projects: Maintain the “Projects 5010 (Available), Projects 5010 (In Process), and Projects 5010 (Completed)” web pages: Gather information about projects from Russian Rotary Club coordinators. Organize the project information. Update the webpages when projects change or are spoken for. Oversight for the all OrphanAct aid projects. Work with volunteers who maintain the individual project web pages (see Donor Relations Specialist).

Russian Rotary Clubs: (website menu item)

Some Background: OrphanAct is attempting to draw donors and Russian Rotary clubs closer together to enhance the donor's experience. In addition we believe donors want to know who is spending their money and delivering the aid.

For volunteer opportunities see: Russian Club Coordinator and Russian Club Support Team listed above.

Sponsoring Rotary Clubs: (website menu item)

Some Background: Our goal is to give donors recognition and also make it easy for Russian clubs and children's facilites to view photos and information about the donors in an attempt to draw them closer together.

For volunteer opportunities see: Russian Club Coordinator and Russian Club Support Team listed above.

DONATE (website menu item)

Some Background: The OrphanAct approach to fund raising is for the Presentors on each Russian Club Support Team to make PowerPoint presentations at weekly Rotary club meetings, then follow up to insure a committment is made by the club. The Donor Relations Specialist stays in touch with the club during the year to insure continued involvement.

Director of Fund Raising*: This volunteer is responsible for insuring OrphanAct finds potential donors and that potential donors make commitments to fund projects. Work with Presenters and Donor Relations Specialists (see above).

VOLUNTEER (website menu item)

Some Background: This is an ambitious international project depending on volunteers. This makes an already complex project even more challenging. It is the passion and energy of the volunteers who will make this project a success.

Director of Volunteer Relations*: Responsible for recruiting new volunteers and managing volunteer relations. Publish a volunteer newsletter. Maintain the sections of the website (OrphanAct Volunteers, and Members) for volunteers. Train volunteers to insure they have the proper skills.

Home page, Orphans, About us, Newsletter, Documents, Contact Us (website menu items)

Director of Marketing: Be responsible for articulating the OrphanAct message. Maintain the web pages listed above.

Positions not listed as a website menu item

Wire Transfer Manager: Maintain current bank wire transfer information for each Russian club. Prepare wire transfers done by OrphanAct. Supply wiring information for sponsoring clubs who wish to do their own transfers.

Supply a customized “charity letter” for each bank before wiring funds.

Future Project Opportunities

Expansion to other countries: We are currently focused on helping orphans in Eastern Russia. Volunteers who have a special interest or connections in another country with Rotary clubs are encouraged to start an OrphanAct project in that country. Just set up a committee for that purpose and we will add website space as necessary. Some fundraising to cover expenses may be necessary because current funds are already committed to Eastern Russia.

Committee Opportunities

Marketing and Publicity Committee*: Shape and sharpen the OrphanAct message in pamphlets, PowerPoint presentations, publicity releases, and the website. Create and maintain a consistent look in all these marketing tools.

Finance Committee*: Carry out the process of setting up an accounting process for OrphanAct. File yearly tax forms. Plan the budget and consider funding sources to cover operating expenses. Assure “transparency” in our financial records. Look at other international non-profits and Rotary International to insure the best practices. Consider ways to audit financial transactions here and overseas to protect donor’s funds and eliminate potential fraud.

Website and Technology Committee*: Decide on functionality of website software. Oversee the website volunteer activities. Consider other issues such as a shared computer data base or the groupware project listed above.

Board of Directors*: Participate in conference calls to oversee OrphanAct issues with Rotarians from other districts. Shape the strategic plan for OrphanAct. Be active on other OrphanAct committees.

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