Volunteer
We Need You!
Volunteers are the backbone of the ACLU. From volunteer attorneys and speakers, to people who help around the office or table at community events, volunteers make the ACLU’s work to protect and extend civil liberties and civil rights possible.
We have a variety of volunteer opportunities available at different times throughout the year. We will do our best to match your interests and expertise with our current needs. Though some of volunteer opportunities are available only in our Portland office, we have several ways for you to get involved if you live elsewhere in the state.
Check out our volunteer job descriptions below and then tell us about yourself in our online volunteer profile. Once you complete the volunteer profile, you will be added to a list of volunteers who receive our Monthly Volunteer Newsletter. This newsletter is a great way to find out about upcoming volunteer opportunities with the ACLU.
For Students: if you are interested in joining or starting a student group on your campus, click here to get more information about ACLU Student Groups.
For specific questions about volunteer opportunities, please email info@aclu-or.org.
Ongoing volunteer positions:
Volunteer Attorneys
Statewide
Virtually all of the ACLU's legal work is handled by cooperating attorneys. Cooperating attorneys assist with legal research, advocacy and litigation. They may also be asked to speak about civil liberties issues to schools, community groups and organizations across Oregon. If you are interested in becoming a cooperating attorney, email us at info@aclu-or.org and we will send you a cooperating attorney profile.
Tabling Team
Statewide
Volunteers can help us educate others about civil liberties and what the ACLU does to protect them by staffing information tables at community events such as rallies, parades and farmers markets. If you like talking to a diverse range of people and have a hankering to do your part to protect civil liberties, tabling may be a great opportunity for you! Spring and summer tabling shifts now available!
Office Volunteers
Portland office
Assist with the mailing, filing and other miscellaneous office needs. Office volunteers work closely with ACLU staff to assist with membership mailings, filing and data entry and other miscellaneous office tasks. While most of this work is done during regular office hours, occasionally we need people to come during the evenings. Benefits include an increased understanding of civil liberties issues and of the operations of the ACLU of Oregon. The main ACLU of Oregon office is located in downtown Portland.
Mailing Party Volunteers
Portland office only
If you are unable to volunteer during the day, mailing parties are a perfect opportunity to get involved at a time that fits your schedule. Our mailing parties are usually held once a month in the evening. It’s also a great chance to socialize with other volunteers.
Graphic Designer
Statewide
We are looking for volunteers with graphic design experience to assist staff in designing event fliers, postcards, brochures, invitations, programs and other marketing materials on a project-by-project basis. We are especially looking for volunteers to bring creativity to the layout, design and creation of our materials. This would be a great way to add to your portfolio and protect civil liberties at the same time.
Requirements include:
-Advanced knowledge of Adobe Creative Suites
-Must be able to work remotely and meet deadlines
Copywriter
Statewide
The ACLU of Oregon is looking for a group of creative copy writers to help lighten up our website content and briefing papers and to help develop original slogans and event names. We are especially interested in finding more effective ways to engage younger supporters with our written materials.
The ideal volunteer has some copy writing experience and is interested in helping to develop our marketing through creative copy.
News Clippers
Statewide
Do you like reading the news? We need people who read the following newspapers to help us keep tabs on happenings around the state and allow us to respond to civil liberties issues we might not otherwise know about.
• Argus Observer
• Baker City Herald
• Burns Times-Herald
• East Oregonian
• Hermiston Herald
Portland Outreach Volunteer
Portland Area
Tomorrow's freedoms rest in the hands of today's youth. In 2008, the average age of ACLU of Oregon members was 62. In order to continue to defend our civil liberties in the future, we need to find new ways to reach out to a younger audience and cultivate them into the next generation of civil liberties activists. Help us do this work by joining our Portland Outreach Committee.
Work may include scouting out local social networking events, planning our own events, reaching out to college students, increasing our visibility through social networking tools, and a variety of other activities.
Qualifications and Requirements:
1. Commit to being on the committee for 6 months
2. Attend 1-2 monthly meetings (about 1 hour each)
3. Dedicate 5-10 additional volunteer hours each month on various projects
