Volunteer Positions with Rationale

We are happy to announce that we are expanding our team! We are seeking motivated, creative individuals who are committed to furthering Rationale’s mission.

(Some of our staff in Gulu)

Rationale works to improve access to education among vulnerable youth in northern Uganda by building community-driven scholarship programs. Our current partnership is with St. Jude Children’s Home in Gulu, Uganda. Together we have created a scholarship program that supports secondary and university students while simultaneously investing in their food security farm which provides agricultural skills-training for our scholarship recipients as well as essential, nutritious meals for younger children still living at the home.

Rationale is currently seeking: a communications & operations volunteer, a grant & research volunteer, working group members, and fundraising volunteers.

Below is an outline of each position: 

Communications and Operations Volunteer
Responsibilities:

• Maintain Rationale’s social media presence by combining knowledge of Rationale’s programs with developments in the field
  
• Write and/or edit copy for a wide range of organizational documents and outreach
  
• Communicate with donors 
  

Qualifications:

• Attention to nuance in the field of NGO and African affairs
  
• Proficiency in Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and Vimeo 
  
• Rehearsed in international, preferably African, affairs
  
• Interested in following Uganda related news
  
• Experience in graphic design is an additional benefit
  

 
Grant and Research Volunteer
Responsibilities:

• Research potential grant opportunities specific to Rationale’s programs
  • Present a summary of qualifications for those grant opportunities
  • Maintain a database of those opportunities
• Conduct research on other non-profit organizations focusing on similar objectives in Chicago and northern Uganda 
  • Prepare literature reviews on relevant international programs
  • Share the research findings with the organization
  • Maintain a database of relevant literature 

Qualifications:

• Strong research skills
• Attention to nuance in the field of NGO and African affairs
• Interest in reading field reports, organizational documents, and academic commentary to make recommendations

 
Working Group Members (1-2 meetings per month, ~2 hours per meeting)
*we are looking for working group members in Chicago, IL and St. Louis, MO! *
Responsibilities:
Group members will be responsible for meeting once or twice a month to brainstorm how to best promote Rationale, develop fundraisers, or discuss issues related to Rationale’s programs in Uganda. The discussions will be wide-ranging and critical in nature, resembling more of a discussion group than an organizational meeting. A primary goal of this group is to ensure that our work consistently remains in line with our name and our mission.
Qualifications:

• Attention to nuance in the field of NGO and African affairs
• Critical thinking skills
• Experience or working knowledge of debates related to non-profit development, education, or food security programs within an international, preferably African, context

 
Fundraising Volunteers (time commitment varies)
Qualifications:  

• Committed to furthering Rationale’s mission
  
• Self-Motivated
  
• Committed
  

Examples of How You May Choose to Get Involved:

• Serve as a liaison between Rationale and high schools or universities
  
• Build partnerships with local businesses
  
• Utilize your existing networks to support Rationale’s programs
  

 
We value critical dialogue and an inclusive working environment. All of our staff are 100% volunteer. Individuals interested in the above positions need to be highly motivated with the ability to communicate with other members through email or phone on a consistent basis and work successfully without a central office.

If you are interested in any of these positions we would love to hear from you! Please email us at rationale@projectrationale.org, using the position’s title in the subject line. Please include a brief description of why you are interested in the position as well as a bit about your background (a CV/resume can also suffice).

We look forward to hearing from you soon!