Group Leader role and application form

If you’re passionate about creating community around effective giving, why not apply to be a GWWC Group Leader for your city?

We currently have active groups with leaders in the following places:

There are also several locations we think are high priorities for groups, and we’d be really excited to see applications to lead groups in the following places:

  • Toronto
  • Bay Area / San Francisco
  • Los Angeles
  • Boston
  • Singapore

We think the most important part of a successful group is enthusiastic Group Leaders, so if you’re excited about the idea of a group in your city, even if it’s not on the list above, please consider applying to run a group! See current numbers of pledges by city/metropolitan area

We would ideally have 2-3 co-leaders for each GWWC Group, so if there’s already a group in your area, please still apply!

Group Leader Application

What does the Group Leader role look like?

Responsibilities:

  • Organise 4 (quarterly) community events in a 12-month period (with the option, but not expectation, to host more if you’d like)
  • Welcome new members to the community, via email or call if they reach out
  • Be active on the relevant group channel in our new community Slack workspace
  • Work with other local members and relevant groups (EA groups) to coordinate fundraising activities, or other events in your city
  • Congratulate members and donors on milestones (e.g. pledge anniversaries)
  • Work with your co-leaders to divide up tasks and manage the group

What we provide:

  • Guides on running community events, including what to organise, how to find speakers etc
  • Regular check-in calls with staff who can help you troubleshoot problems and provide guidance
  • Support when leaders have questions about how to run events, make things happen
  • Training on supporting new members, how to make them feel welcome, talking points about GWWC
  • Opportunities to present at workplaces, or for other aligned groups etc
  • Coordination of regular calls with other leaders in the region
  • Public acknowledgement on our website that you’re a Group Leader
  • Sharing internal stakeholder updates

What if I’m already part of a local group focused on creating community around effective giving?

We’d love to support you!

If you’re already organising local events, why not apply to become a Group Leader so you can access the support and resources we provide?

If you’re interested in promoting effective giving in a different format, we think that’s great too! We’d encourage you to submit your group to our Effective Giving Community Groups Directory, so we can let people know about your group and the events you host!

The application process

  1. Submit our application form
  2. We’ll review it and if we think you might be a good fit, we’ll follow up with you for a short call to discuss your application
  3. Our team will then discuss the application and notes from the call and make a decision about your application
  4. If successful, we’ll send you the onboarding documentation, including the expectations of the role, so you have greater visibility of what’s required and how we will support you
  5. Once completed, we will send you our volunteer agreement
  6. Once the agreement is signed, we’ll schedule a call and start helping you prepare for your first event!

Please note that we currently have limited capacity, and we want to be able to support all our Groups and Group Leaders well as we test and scale this program, so we may not be able to accept applications from everyone at the moment.

Active Group Leaders are important for the thriving and growing community, so we currently plan to have Group Leaders sign on for a 12-month term, to be reassessed in July each year so that we can ensure that leaders are engaged and excited to continue to run events and support their local community.


Please apply here

FAQ

Am I a good fit to be a Group Leader?

Group Leaders should be excited to and capable of running events with some support and guidance. They should be willing to welcome new people to the community across a variety of backgrounds and ages.

We do expect that group leaders commit to at least 5 hours a month organising the quarterly events and being available to community members.

What does it mean to be a co-leader with someone else?

Community organising tends to be more successful when there are 2-3 people working closely together to coordinate and organise. We recommend that GWWC Groups have 2-3 co-leaders so you can divide up responsibilities and roles between you to reduce the burden on a single person and increase the chances of a thriving group. If you become a Group Leader with others, you might decide to have one person focusing on promotion, one person who manages finding venues and another person who is responsible for finding a speaker.

Are Group Leaders term-limited? How often do they rotate?

We will initially on-board the group leaders for a term of 12 months, and re-evaluate after that. This is to ensure that we continue to have active groups.

There is no need for a group leader who is excited to continue organising to stop after 12 months. We'll work with leaders on how long they’d like to stay, and their succession plan if they decide to move on after the year.

Which cities are you looking for leaders in?

We think the following cities are good places to start groups in: Vancouver, Toronto, Bay Area, NYC, Boston, Singapore but we are open to applications for Group Leaders in other cities!

If my city/region/country/etc. isn't in the list of highest-priority locations, should I still apply?

Yes! We are open to starting groups anywhere as long as we think you have a good chance of growing a community!

What is One For The World's relationship with GWWC in managing these groups?

We are lucky to be partnering with One for the World (OFTW) to deliver this program. OFTW have kindly offered their time to support our GWWC Groups. Group Leaders will have check-in calls with OFTW team members about organising events, and be able to reach them for ad hoc support.

Do I need to have a co-leader to create a group?

While we’re happy to support a group starting if there is a single Group Leader, we’d encourage that leader to help find co-leader/s or someone else to help support. We can assist you in helping to find the right people (or person) to co-lead.

Do you provide any guidance on how to run safe and inclusive events? What happens if something goes wrong during an event that I plan?

We expect all Group Leaders to be familiar with our guide to creating safe and inclusive events, which includes processes for reporting. We also ask that our code of conduct be followed at all times by all attendees, which also includes guidance on how to report any issues.

Is there already a group in my area?

You can always check out our Effective Giving Community Groups Directory to see if there’s a Giving What We Can Local Group or another group that meets about effective giving near you.

Is there funding available to support my Group?

We are able to provide a small amount of funding for items like books, merch and occasionally food and drinks.

Is this a volunteer role?

Yes, this is an unpaid volunteer role.

Can I start a GWWC Group without your help?

You are welcome (and encouraged!) to self-organise events using the resources we make available on our website, but we do not allow people to launch GWWC-branded groups without our support or permission.

I’d like to get in touch about assisting current group leaders

Great! At this stage, please submit an application below.

What are the minimum expectations of being a GWWC Group Leader?

In order to ensure successful GWWC Groups, we have a set of minimum expectations that must be met in order to create a happy, thriving local community.

If any of the following minimum expectations are not met, then we may remove a Group Leader, ask them to step down or replace them.

Minimum expectations:

  • Organises at least 1 event within 4 months of starting as Group Leader
  • Organises at least 3 events within 12 months of starting as Group Leader
  • At least 1 of the events organised is focused on fundraising and pledging within the first 12 months
  • Responds to queries from members within a week of them being sent (in the case of being on holiday or unavailable, an out of office message asking people to contact groups@givingwhatwecan.org instead)
  • Organises appropriate events according to GWWC’s safe and inclusive event guide
  • Acts appropriately according to our code of conduct and makes all people from diverse backgrounds feel welcome

We recognise that having a volunteer role can be challenging at times, which is why we recommended having at least one other Group Leader for a group. This reduces the burden on a single person to organise, and is more likely to help the group be successful.

Are GWWC Groups part of Giving What We Can?

No. Giving What We Can Local Groups (“Groups”) are independent unincorporated associations with a shared mission to help grow effective giving in local communities. Giving What We Can, together with One For the World, will support Groups by providing written materials and other resources, access to certain events, and overall guidance to leaders to start and maintain a Group. However, Giving What We Can and One For the World are not helping you to set up a nonprofit organization or legal entity, and these Groups are not part of the legal entities Giving What We Can is affiliated with or the One For the World legal entities.

Accordingly, Giving What We Can and One For the World do not assume any liability for the actions of any Groups.