Volunteer Positions
Fundraising Volunteers make a direct impact on the Meso Foundation's ability to fund research through various types of fundraising efforts: • Event planning and coordination • Letter writing campaigns • Company fund drives and matching gift programs • Major donor solicitations Skills required: Ability to organize and mobilize groups of people, fundraising experience, and a willingness to make a difference. If you are interested in organizing a fundraiser for the Foundation and would like to receive more information, please contact Maja Belamaric at (805) 456-7272 or email Maja at mbelamaric@curemeso.org. EEEEEEEEE
Awareness and Advocacy Volunteers help get the word out about the current impact of Mesothelioma and the need for increased research funding and more effective treatments. These volunteers can write letters to the editor responding to local or national news stories relevant to asbestos or mesothelioma, and participate in health events and other community events to raise awareness. These volunteers can also share with their federal representatives their personal stories and the facts about mesothelioma in order to advocate for a greater federal investment in mesothelioma research. This can be done through participating in the Foundation’s “Advocacy Day” in Washington, DC; meeting with federal representatives when they are in their home districts; calling or writing to representatives in response to Foundation “Action Alerts,” and finding other opportunities (e.g. local or national news stories) to communicate with their representatives. Skills required: Public speaking ability, excellent writing skills, good understanding of Mesothelioma and current status of the Foundation’s legislative efforts, ability to network within your local community. EEEEEEEEE Outreach Volunteers help other existing patients find out about the Meso Foundation and its services. They also reach out in advance to groups whose members are at elevated risk to develop mesothelioma so that an individual who is diagnosed will immediately have resources. Methods of outreach include: • Direct contacts with patients in their communities (including internet virtual communities) or at their doctors’ offices • Asking their doctors and attorneys to distribute Meso Foundation literature to their other mesothelioma patients/clients • Presentations to unions, veterans’ halls, trade associations (e.g. contractors and mechanics) and other highly affected groups • Working with relevant websites to link to the Meso Foundation website or provide information about the Meso Foundation, including the websites of the groups above, plus national or local medical websites (e.g. American Cancer Society), patient support websites and chat groups, asbestos safety websites Skills required: Communication ability; knowledge of the Meso Foundation and its services. EEEEEEEEE Front-Line Physician Education Volunteers make sure their own treating physicians have supplies of Meso Foundation written materials and are distributing these materials to their other mesothelioma patients. These volunteers can also distribute Meso Foundation informational materials frequently to the other pulmonologists and oncologists in their community. Skills required: Friendly persistence. EEEEEEEEE Professional Service Volunteers can help us do our work more effectively and conserve precious financial resources by contributing their time and expertise in any of the following roles: Graphic designer – Obtains and lays out the images and the text for our quarterly newsletter, our annual Symposium materials, and other assorted collateral materials Public Relations/Publicity Director – Coordinates our p.r. and publicity efforts by directing the writing and placement of press releases, op-eds, letters to the editor and other content in traditional media (newspapers, t.v.) and new media (websites, My Space, Twitter) as well as obtaining interviews/public appearances featuring Meso Foundation representatives Writers – We need skilled writers in several areas: Science writers to keep the website up-to-date on mesothelioma information, and to write on the disease, treatment, and progress of research for the newsletter we are funding for news pieces and newsletter and website Media/News writers to write press releases about mesothelioma in society, about the Foundation and our accomplishments and public positions (especially on political advocacy), and to write op-eds and/or letters to the editor when mesothelioma is in the news or there is an opportunity to get mesothelioma in the news. “Color” writers to write profiles and articles for the website and newsletter Grant writers to locate and apply to likely sources of grant funding Editor –Works closely with writers and graphic designer to perfect submitted written pieces and conform them to space limitations Marketing expert – Analyzes our constituency and strategic plan and applies marketing expertise to maximize the effectiveness of our outreach efforts Videographer Photographer Bookkeeper CPA for annual federal and Lawyers
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