Volunteer at DACOR

 
DACOR is a member-run organization and as such depends on volunteers. Volunteering at DACOR and the DACOR Bacon House Foundation runs from one-off opportunities to long-term leadership opportunities as our volunteering needs are constantly changing. We encourage members interested in getting involved to fill out the Volunteer Interest Form. The form is used to match potential volunteers with our community's needs, which can be found in the list below. This selection is not exhaustive and periodically updated. If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please fill out the Volunteer Interest Form, indicating which specific opportunity you are interested in and the appropriate contact will be in touch soon!
 

Current Volunteer Opportunities

 

Committee	Task(s)/Role(s)	Skills, Experiences and Other Information
DACOR Museum	Docents	Engaging, hospitable history buffs preferred. Must be willing to train with DACOR curatorial staff and read/research the history and stories about the House. Must be available for one or two shifts (2-3-hours long) per month to lead tours for interested guests.
Development	Volunteer(s) to help grow the “DACOR Friends” network in order to preserve our historic 1825 House.	Knowledge management skills to develop, maintain database of names, phone numbers, mailing, email addresses of CEOs, and Directors of Philanthropy or Community Outreach for organizations in the DC Preservation League.
Development & House Preservation	Writers, dramatists, actors, to create, write, craft, stage, or act in a DACOR-specific murder or espionage mystery scenario for a benefit night event in support of the House Preservation Fund.	For October 2022 – National Murder Mystery Month, seeking members who write or avidly read mystery or spy novels, are actors or who may know actors, or simply want to be part of the fun.
Development & House Preservation	Librarian to lead the cataloging, organizing, documenting, and maintenance of books within the Battle-Torbert Library.	A detailed oriented person with knowledge and/or experience in Library Science preferred and an interest in literature and foreign policy. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and database software also preferred.
Education	DACOR’s new Sherry Barndollar Rock Scholarship, given to a Foreign Service spouse or partner assigned abroad to continue their education: Volunteer(s) welcome to help develop selection criteria and help select a recipient.	The Education Committee will choose the scholarship recipient in the first quarter of the calendar year. Volunteer (s) may work virtually.
Education	DACOR’s 11 Fellowships annually given to graduate students with strong interest in international affairs careers: Volunteers welcome to help interview and help select recipients.	The Education Committee generally conducts interviews for the Fellowships in March and April, either virtually or in-person.
Program	In coordination with Committee Chair and DACOR staff, volunteer(s) needed to plan, organize, recruit experts for speaker programs.	Useful background: Knowledge/awareness of foreign policy subject matter expertise and thought leadership in local, national and international think tanks.
Public Outreach	Volunteers needed for Public Advocacy Outreach 1. Write/edit/place DACOR-developed op-eds, Letters to Editors, etc. 2. Develop and sustain a timely/relevant social media presence across DACOR’s sites.	Public Advocacy Outreach Skills: Writing, editing, deep knowledge of diplomacy and foreign policy topics.  Experience in effective use of social media platforms for public engagement
Public Outreach	Coordinator, DACOR’s Mentoring Program with George Washington University Latin America Hemispheric Studies. From May 2022 – May 2023, work with GWU mentoring coordinator to match DACOR mentors with students, oversee 8 DACOR mentors, report every other month to the Public Outreach Committee.	For Latin America Hemispheric Studies Mentoring Program, a former FSO with Latin America experience preferred and mentoring experience a plus.
Task Force 2025	Task Force 2025 Program Officer –Working closely with Chair Angela Dickey and Task Force, plan and put on programs relevant to our 200-year-old House and its place in the history of Washington, DC, the federal Government, and the nation. Tasks: help identify, contact and schedule speakers, in coordination with DACOR staff. Attend twice monthly hour-long virtual meetings of the Task Force but do much of the work independently.	Program Officer:  The ideal person would have some programming experience (in USIA, State/PD, USAID or private sector) and an interest in history and historic preservation.
Task Force 2025	Grants Officer - Spearhead a campaign to identify funding sources to meet DACOR’s short- and long-term financial needs. Themes around which grants will be sought include but are not limited to: preserving the Federal period House, Washington DC history, U.S. diplomatic history, and promoting international understanding. Grants may be solicited from foundations, corporations, local government, or other sources. Once likely sources are identified, coordinate with staff to meet grant requirements specified by each potential funder.	Grants Officer:  Work will be intermittent with occasional deadlines as required by grants funding agencies and organizations.  This volunteer will team up with Task Force member Kit Norland, who also has grant writing experience.
Task Force 2025	Play producer/director - Organize a reading at DACOR Bacon House sometime in the next year of the play "Lincoln and God" written by DACOR-ian Tony Gallo. (There are interesting historical connections between President Lincoln and our House.) Coordinate closely with Angela Dickey and DACOR staff as the project develops.	Producer/Director: Ideally, the volunteer should have some creative experience and aptitude for theatrical endeavors and can recruit actors and other helpers as needed.  Work could be fairly intense over some months but the volunteer would also have significant ability to shape the project and timetables.
Travel	Volunteer(s) to plan and organize educational and cultural travel to local, national and foreign destinations for DACOR members.	The Travel Committee organizes trips to destinations as close as Metro DC and as far away as Southeast Asia.