NGO Management and Administration

NGO MANAGEMENT & ADMINISTRATION - Experience the day-to-day running of a grass-roots NGO

Program description
This versatile NGO management & administration experience and observation program gives insight into all aspects of running the Aldeas de Paz Foundation. This program is focused on those who are interested in starting their own charity or want hands-on experience in the day-to-day running of a grass-roots NGO. Volunteers and interns observe and assist the coordinator and director with office work, as well as in-community project support, administrative work and the coordination and supervision of community programs and participating volunteers. The NGO management volunteers and interns also help ensure the well-being of our volunteers and their coordination and full integration into various programs offered, as well as into the social life of the community. The foundation relies on NGO volunteers & interns to ensure smooth operations and therefore requires flexible and dedicated volunteers. Direct work with our primary beneficiaries is an essential part of the work of Aldeas de Paz, so the NGO volunteers and interns are also expected to participate in foundation-wide events and activities involving our beneficiaries.

Volunteer placement, apprenticeship or internship
You can join this program as a volunteer, apprentice or intern. As a volunteer you are free to commit any number of hours per week. That's up to you! As an apprentice or intern however you probably have to fulfill requirements set by your school or university. Please inform us of your school or university internship requirements in advance so that we can work out your personalized work plan together. Also tell us about your personal expectations and goals. We are happy to give students academic credit or provide a report outlining the learning outcomes and deliverables achieved during the placement.

Requirements
No previous experience or special skills are required. A typical NGO administration and management volunteer and intern needs to be enthusiastic, willing to learn, ready for a challenge and has to have a desire to take initiative in coordinating a group of volunteers and daily tasks. Friendliness, care, commitment and patience are among important qualities. The ideal volunteer would have a passion for development aid, some experience in international volunteering and a desire to help other volunteers to have a great stay with us. Activities that a volunteer can participate in are entirely dependent on motivation and previous experience. Staff and other volunteers will support the participant. Basic conversational Spanish is very helpful for some activities but even without knowledge of the Spanish language, there is lots of work to do. To enable deeper integration into the community we provide free Spanish classes on a weekly basis, full support and 24/7 backup. We ask you to bring your laptop as well as a pen drive with you as flexibility regarding your working environment is necessary.

What to expect
The NGO Administration volunteers & interns observe and assist the Coordinator and director with office work, as well as in-community project support and administrative work and the coordination and supervision of community programs. The NGO Management volunteer and intern will furthermore help to ensure the wellbeing of our volunteers and their full integration into various programs offered, as well as into the social life in Samaná.

Activities can include but are not limited to:

• Assisting with the coordination of volunteers, including conducting meetings 
• Supporting the day-to-day running of the NGO and attending meetings with local actors, authorities and community members
• Shadowing the director/coordinator in general administration and day-to-day tasks
• Working in financial accountability tasks such as financial planning and budgeting
• Attending frequent operational meetings to discuss events at the foundation
• Participating in and remaining informed of all the foundation’s programs
• Assisting with updating social networks and the webpage
• Helping promote our cause online and practicing fundraising through social media and grant writing
• Assisting board meetings, taking useful meeting minutes and preparing reports
• Assisting with editing our monthly newsletter
• Helping with editing information and job descriptions and assisting with updating listing opportunities and forwarding updated information to our international sending agents
• Activities for advanced Spanish speakers: Working on public relation projects designed to mobilize community support. These include, but are not limited to: radio broadcasts, participating in neighborhood council meetings, writing bulletins/columns, organizing community projects, working with locals to find new volunteer opportunities, translating newsletters and website information into Spanish.

Program Highlights