Volunteer Internship in Non-Profit Organization

"There is something special about working at a place where you can use your head, your hands and your heart with equal enthusiasm and skill; Quaker Center is one of those places."

- Stephen Myers, Intern 1999-2000



The Ben Lomond Quaker Center is pleased to announce an internship opportunity for an individual or couple who are led to provide service to The Religious Society of Friends and Ben Lomond Quaker Center while developing meaningful skill and experience in nonprofit management and conference center operations.


What is Quaker Center?

Ben Lomond Quaker Center is a retreat and conference facility located in the mountains outside Santa Cruz, California. It encompasses about 80 acres of second growth redwoods, streams and trails. It offers workshops throughout the year which are of special interest to Friends (Quakers) and like-minded people. As a busy conference center, Quaker Center hosts a wide range of activities including group retreats, seminars, youth camps, and personal retreats.


The Quaker Center Internship

Interns at Ben Lomond Quaker Center have a wide range of opportunities for both service and education in an environment that encourages independent thinking, creativity and ethical decision-making. They participate in all aspects of the daily operations of the center, including:
·- program registration and management
·- database management,
·- financial management, development and fundraising
·- maintenance of the physical plant,
·- interacting with workshop leaders and participants and the Board of Quaker Center,
·- marketing and public relations.

A mission of Quaker Center is to develop future leaders in Quaker and social justice work; to foster this, the intern(s) will have the opportunity to become familiar with all aspects of the operations of Quaker Center.


Educational Project

In addition to full participation in the operation of Quaker Center, interns will also develop and carry out an educational/growth-oriented project that will enrich the intern's learning experience while supporting the mission of Quaker Center. This project will be planned cooperatively by the intern(s) and the directors with the goal of helping the intern(s) become particularly knowledgeable about an area of inquiry that interests the intern(s). Quaker Center's directors are committed to the growth and development of intern(s); they will provide full support and oversight for this educational project and assure that intern schedules allow time for meaningful pursuit of the project. Some examples of a learning project are:

·- Development and implementation of a survey of current and potential Quaker Center guests to identify current strengths and potential new initiatives for Quaker Center;
·- Working to improve the Quaker Center library and enhance its usefulness for staff and guests;
·- Focusing on a specific aspect of facility management, developing written procedures for it, and making recommendations for change and improvement;
·- Maintenance and enhancement of the Quaker Center website;
·- Development of an information manual for Quaker Center guests;
·- Creation of a DVD/VHS documentary about Quaker Center and its mission

These examples are offered only as illustrations. Interns will have the opportunity to develop their own project in cooperation with the directors.


Spiritual Growth

A further opportunity and expectation for interns is that their time at Quaker Center will be an opportunity for spiritual and personal growth. The natural beauty of Quaker Center and its ongoing focus on Friends' testimonies, values and processes can be an enriching experience and an important step in developing leadership skills. Additionally, interns are invited to participate in Quaker Center programs and board meetings. Santa Cruz Friends Meeting is nearby, and interns are welcomed there as well. Quaker Center is committed to the idea that each person has the capacity to experience the divine in their own manner, and living among others who are also on that journey can be enriching to all.


Benefits and Accommodations

The internship program is a full-time residential program. The intern(s) live at Quaker Center in a furnished two-room suite with a kitchen. Health insurance and part-time use of a Quaker Center vehicle are included. A monthly stipend is provided for food and other expenses. A limited travel-relocation allowance is also available.


Schedule

The duration and starting date of the current opening for an intern or intern couple is negotiable, with a minimum of nine months and a maximum of eighteen months.


Qualifications

The volunteer intern(s) should have the following qualifications:
·- effective interpersonal skills for relating to staff, board, and visitors to Quaker Center;
·- basic office skills, or the ability and willingness to learn these skills;
·- the ability and willingness to live in a rustic and simple manner that is consistent with Friends' testimonies of simplicity and stewardship;
·- the ability and willingness to participate in work relating to the physical maintenance of Quaker Center;
·- a desire to utilize this internship as a learning experience by involvement in all aspects of the life of Quaker Center and the completion of a specific learning project;
·- a leading to provide service and education relating to Quakerism, social justice, and ethical nonprofit business management;
·- a commitment to the foundational testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends; it is not necessary to be a member of the Religious Society of Friends or to self-identify as a Friend, but an understanding of and commitment to Friends' principles is an important qualification.


Timeline

Quaker Center is accepting applications until April 30, 2008. A selection will be made in May or June of 2008.


How to Apply

Please submit the following materials in one package:
·- Completed application form (Available from the office or our webpage).
·- A resume.
·- If you are a student or have recently been a student, a transcript reflecting the most recent semester's work.
·- Two letters of recommendation verifiable by telephone