FAQ FOR VOLUNTEERS
Here are the common questions we get from prospective volunteers about our network. Click here if you're interested in volunteering or if you have other questions.
How does this process work from a volunteer's perspective?
After talking to candidates and/or their campaign teams about what they need, we email our volunteer list roughly once per week; our usual weekly email goes out on Mondays. Those request emails ask for interested volunteers to send us any materials (portfolio, LinkedIn, etc.) to forward to candidates based on the task at hand. We also include deadlines to submit materials; typically volunteers have five to seven days depending on the request.
If a candidate is interested in getting an introduction to a volunteer, we'll contact you and set that up. If you don't hear back from the GHE within 21 days of submitting materials to a specific candidate, assume you weren't selected for that particular request and feel free to keep tossing your hat in the ring to other campaigns.
You're also absolutely allowed to submit your information for multiple campaign requests at a time; we have many volunteers who do that frequently. On rare occasion, we email volunteers directly if there's a specific skill we need in a shorter period of time.
Is all of the work remote?
Yep! We don't organize in-person teams.
Can I work for multiple campaigns simultaneously?
Yes, absolutely!
What time commitment do you need from me?
Time commitment is totally up to you! Just be sure you keep in mind that your skills are pro bono, so don't take on requests that need more than you're able to give for free.
We also ask that volunteers don’t offer paid services to candidates or campaigns without talking to the GHE team first. Doing so leads to confusion and distrust from candidates if they think we’re baiting them with the promise of free work and then someone tells them they need to pay for that labor.
We'll take anyone off of the email list who tries to use this network as a direct financial funnel for their own business development.
Which costs do campaigns cover?
Labor is free to campaigns, but they pay for all other costs. For instance, if a candidate asks web designers to create a new website, the campaign has to purchase the host and domain name for that site, but volunteers do the actual design work pro bono.
Will my involvement in this initiative ever be shared publicly?
We'll never share your identity without your explicit consent. Candidates are also instructed not to share volunteer information with people outside of their immediate campaign team.
Will I ever be "assigned" projects?
Because our model requires volunteers to "apply" to work for campaigns, you will never be assigned a project without your consent. We also have protocols in place if a campaign has misrepresented their request or the time commitment involved.
Do I need prior political experience to volunteer for this?
Not at all! Most of our volunteers haven't worked on a political campaign before (and those who have mainly did phone banking or canvassing). Many of our candidates have questions anyone in a given field could answer, and practically any skill is transferable to the political arena.