Volunteer to Make a Difference

What this position means for you:

• Opportunity for lifelong family and community connections
• A reference point on your resume
• A steppingstone for your career in HR, nonprofit administration, social work, social services, psychology and more!

What your services mean to WAA:

• Opportunity to recruit great volunteers
• Opportunity to match volunteers to children and families in need
• Opportunity to match volunteers to other WAA projects of their choice

Help make Day Out for Autism unforgettable! We’re looking for an enthusiastic volunteer to lead sponsorship and community outreach efforts for Washington Autism Alliance’s biggest event of the year. You’ll play a key role in building partnerships, securing event sponsors, recruiting vendors and ambassadors, and rallying community support.

What You’ll Do:

• Secure sponsors and in-kind donations to support the event.
• Recruit vendors (local businesses, nonprofits, service providers) to table at the event.
• Engage ambassadors – self-advocates, community leaders, and influencers – to help promote the event.
• Lead outreach to schools, community groups, and local networks to spread the word.
• Support event logistics and ensure sponsor/vendor recognition is fulfilled.

Time Commitment:

• Flexible, with more hours in the 6–8 weeks leading up to the event.
• Must attend Day Out for Autism and help with setup/teardown.
• Occasional committee meetings (virtual or in-person).

If you’re outgoing, organized, and passionate about inclusive community events, we’d love to have you on the team!

https://washingtonautismalliance.org/volunteer-application/?volunteer_position=Development%20Committee%20Member

Position Summary:
The Program Lead is responsible for curating and managing event schedules, content, and overall attendee experience. This role combines program coordination with a focus on entertainment and design, ensuring the event is engaging, visually appealing, and memorable. The Program Lead works closely with performers, speakers, and the committee to bring the event’s vision to life while ensuring seamless execution. All members can rotate responsibilities on different events.

Key Responsibilities:

1.       Program Development & Coordination:

• Partner with committee to develop schedule, including speakers, activities, and entertainment.
• Coordinate with presenters, performers, and panelists to confirm availability, content, and requirements.
• Manage the event timeline, ensuring all segments run on time.

2.       Entertainment Management:

• Research and secure entertainment options such as bands, DJs, performers, or interactive activities.
• Negotiate contracts and coordinate logistics for entertainment, including setup, sound checks, and timing.
• Serve as the main point of contact for entertainers and ensure their needs are met.
• Evaluate entertainment options to ensure they appeal to the target audience.

3.       Event Design & Atmosphere:

• Develop and execute the event’s overall design and theme to create a cohesive experience.
• Oversee decor planning, including signage, lighting, staging, and visual elements.
• Collaborate with the Logistics Coordinator to ensure the venue layout complements the design vision.
• Source and manage materials for decorations, ensuring cost-effectiveness and quality.

4.       Collaboration & Communication:

• Work closely with the Marketing Lead to ensure the program and design align with promotional efforts.
• Communicate program details to committee members, volunteers, and stakeholders.

5.       On-Site Execution:

• Supervise entertainment and program elements during the event, ensuring they proceed as planned.
• Direct other committee members, volunteers, and stakeholders.

6.       Qualifications:

• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Experience in event planning, project management, entertainment booking, or design is preferred.
• Creative mindset with an eye for detail and aesthetics.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for working with performers and vendors.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and adapt to changing priorities.

Time Commitment:

• Flexible hours, with increased involvement leading up to events.
• Attendance at committee meetings and availability for 2 of the 4 full event days, including setup and teardown.

 If interested in applying or learning more please check us out at: https://washingtonautismalliance.org/volunteer-application/?volunteer_position=Development%20Committee%20Member

Position Summary:
The Sponsorships Lead is a vital member of the Volunteer Events Committee, responsible for identifying, securing, and managing sponsorships that support the success of our 4 annual events. This individual will develop and maintain strong relationships with sponsors, ensuring their contributions align with the mission and goals of the organization while providing value and recognition to the sponsors. All members can rotate responsibilities on different events.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Sponsorship Strategy Development:
   • Collaborate with other members to determine sponsorship needs, goals, and packages for events.
2. Sponsor Recruitment:
   • Identify and research potential sponsors aligned with the organization’s mission and values.
   • Proactively reach out to prospective sponsors via email, phone, or in-person meetings to secure commitments.
   • Leverage existing networks and community connections to identify sponsorship opportunities.
3. Sponsorship Management:
   • Maintain relationships with sponsors, serving as the primary point of contact for inquiries and communications.
   • Ensure sponsor commitments are fulfilled, including logo placements, on-site recognition, or other agreed benefits.
   • Organize and oversee sponsorship deliverables for events, ensuring all obligations are met on time.
4. Event Collaboration:
   • Work closely with the Events Committee to incorporate sponsors into event planning and logistics.
   • Send thank-you notes and nurture long-term relationships for future sponsorship opportunities.
5. Time Commitment:
   • Flexible hours, with increased involvement leading up to events.
   • Attendance at committee meetings and availability for 2 of the 4 full event days, including setup and teardown.

If interested in applying or learning more please check us out at: https://washingtonautismalliance.org/volunteer-application/?volunteer_position=Development%20Committee%20Member

Board members serve as fiduciaries, guiding the organization toward a sustainable future through the adoption of sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies. They are also responsible for ensuring the nonprofit possesses adequate resources to advance its mission. As stewards of Washington Autism Alliance (WAA), their role encompasses both fundraising and advocacy for the organization’s mission. Board members offer strategic foresight, oversight, and insight, akin to a lookout in a crow’s nest scanning the horizon for opportunities and challenges.

Key responsibilities include:

• Fundraising: Board members are expected to support fundraising efforts and to contribute personally. 
• Public Relations: Representing the organization to the community and advocating for its mission. 
• Committee Involvement: Serving on committees and contributing expertise to specific areas. 
• Meeting Attendance: Actively participating in board and committee meetings. 
• Advocacy: Supporting the organization’s mission and advocating for its work in the community. 
• Board Development: Recruiting and orienting new board members.

The Development Committee is responsible for the financial support of WAA’s programs and services, the quality and quantity of volunteer participation in WAA, and the internal and external image of WAA. The committee oversees the fundraising programs of WAA. It makes recommendations to the Board regarding fundraising standards and regulations for WAA. The Development Committee is further responsible for promoting a positive image of WAA with the public, professionals and consumers of services and for helping to increase the understanding of the objectives and programs of WAA. Average time commitment is 2-5 hours per week. 

If you’re a detail-oriented taskmaster looking to make a difference in the lives of those with ASD, we want to hear from you. The Resource Directory Auditor/Editor’s key responsibilities include verifying the accuracy of existing resources in the directory as well as researching and including additional resources.  

Expected Qualifications

Autistic individual or an ally 

Research and data entry experience preferred 

Familiarity with Google Sheets 

Tasks this project is likely to involve include:

• Audit the entries in our Resource Directory by section
• Verification of existing information in various sections of the resource database 
• Documentation of data in the resource base
• Making phone calls to organizations and businesses to verify working numbers and resource information

Position overview:

• Regular exposure to a team of staff and management, as well as the authority and scope to apply your expertise to community asset mapping.
• The candidate must have a strong understanding of effective and essential services for autistic individuals of all ages (pediatric, school age, adults, seniors)
• The position requires ongoing communication with family navigation, operations and data/technology staff
• Hands-on experience with researching and navigating autism specific services
• Experience with data documentation 
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Good understanding of evidence based, trauma informed, neuro affirming therapies and services

This internship position requires 20 hours per week. 

The ideal candidate will have great attention to detail,  basic computer skills, experience working with data.

We are looking for a Front-end developer to join our team. You should be able to create visually appealing pages that feature user-friendly design and clear navigation.

We expect you to be a tech-savvy professional, who is curious about new digital technologies and aspires to combine usability with visual design.

Position overview:

• Regular exposure to a team of staff and management, as well as the authority and scope to apply your expertise to many interesting technical problems.
• The candidate must have a strong understanding of UI, cross-browser compatibility, general web functions and standards.
• The position requires ongoing communication with family support, operations and fundraising staff
• Hands-on experience with markup languages like HTML’ s.
• Experience with WordPress and similar CMS
• Experience with CSS, Javascript and JQuery
• Familiarity with browser testing and debugging
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Knowledge of PHP is a plus
• Good understanding of SEO

Time Commitment: 20 hours weekly

What this position means for you and the WAA:

• Opportunity to help educate Civic Leaders about autism
• Share WAA’s goals and strategies to key stakeholders in your own community  for their advice and feedback
• Serve as a liaison in support of WAA’s outreach, advocacy and relationship-building efforts
• Shape public policies
• A steppingstone for your career in public administration, public policy and more!