GOTO-NYC Membership Contact: Christina Farrell, Membership Coordinator, volunteer@thegotogroup.org

GOTO-Boston Membership Contact: Dave Bordeau, Membership Committee Chair, boston@thegotogroup.org

GOTO is comprised of 7 committees overseen by an Executive Committee and Board of Directors.  Each committee has separate functions and goals; Of course, all work together to maximize the dollars we raise, the youths we impact, and the cause we support.  

Each GOTO Volunteer is:
Assigned to a committee and responsible for playing an active role in accomplishing the committees tasks/purpose. Volunteers are also support GOTO's mission statement and overall philanthropic goals.

We have 5 main requirements:

1. Budget an average of 4-8 hours/month of volunteer activity, attendance at GOTO Fundraising Events (3 a year) and Annual Meetings (2 a year; Usually in May and November)
2. Help staff GOTO Events; Volunteer for ONE hour at one of the three fundraising events each year (sell raffle tickets, staff check-in table, etc.).
3. Promote ticket sales of GOTO events; Sell a total of NINE tickets to GOTO's three fundraising events each year (Halloween - October, Summer event - July, Winter Gala - February).
4. Support the Development Committee with the Annual Campaign; Write FIVE donation solicitation notes to support the Annual Development Campaign.
5. A personal commitment to developing leadership skills as part of one's volunteer experience.

Committee Descriptions:

Events Committee
Kelsy Hill, Chair, GOTO-NYC
Sean Speer & Nathan Riner, Co-Chairs, GOTO-Boston  

• Purpose: The Events Committee's primary responsibility is to organize and execute GOTO's quarterly fundraising events.
• Structure: Currently, the events committee is comprised of two subcommittees, each lead by a subcommittee chair. The two committees rotate events so that all the volunteers so that they work on every other event, thus allowing more lead-time for planning.
• Tasks: The event specific tasks (i.e. hire photographer, purchase decor, create ideas for additional income generation, follow up on sponsor solicitations, etc.) are assigned at team meetings and tasks are delegated/taken on by volunteers depending on their interest.
• Time Commitment: Monthly Events Committee Meetings, 5-10 hours/week for the month leading up to the event (variable).

• Purpose: The Scholarship Committee carries out the selection of the most promising applicants to receive GOTO scholarships. This process involves communication with schools and educators, the creation of a pool of qualified applicants, and finally, formal selection of the GOTO scholarship recipients.
• Structure/Tasks: The SC is comprised of four sub-committees - 1) Applicant Coordinators (Manage the application process from writing and mailing/uploading the application to collecting completed applications and distributing to the Scholarship Committee to review), 2) Events Committee (Host events for the recipients, their families and GOTO supporters; 3/year), 3) School Marketing (Develop relationships with local schools and administrators; Seek nominations for the application process), 4) Recipient Liaisons (Maintain relationships with the nominees and scholarship winners; Handle communication between Appel Farm and GOTO per recipient).
• Time Commitment: Monthly Events Committee Meetings, 2-10 hours/week for the months leading up to the scholarship selection, Attend information sessions for GOTO scholarship applicants (January).

• Purpose: The Marketing Committee's purpose is to increase the public's awareness of GOTO. The Committee is integral in the charity's growth, as it bears primary responsibility for attracting newcomers to GOTO's fundraising events and programs.
• Structure/Tasks: The committee works together to ‘brand' GOTO - designing and implementing strategies specifically for GOTO's development/fundraising events. Members are assigned specific tasks when needed (graphic design, news media press releases, coordinating with the events committee leading up to event).
• Time Commitment: Monthly Events Committee Meetings, 2-10 hours/week for the month leading up to the event (variable), promoting of GOTO throughout the year in various forms/avenues.

• Purpose: The Development Committee solicits financial contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations. The proceeds of these campaigns account for approximately 65% of GOTO's total revenue and are used to support GOTO's Scholarship Fund.
• Structure: The committee works together and delegates when appropriate to organize the annual fall mailing, manage written/electronic communications with donors, and create proposals for corporate/endowment gifts.
• Tasks/Time Commitment: A year-round effort is made by the Committee to structure, target, and execute fundraising campaigns. Committee meetings are held once a month; Expect more frequent meetings around the Fall mailing. Volunteers are expected to write personal solicitations for donations, manage mailing process (content, delivery/execution, mailing list management), and support other development/fundraising efforts (Corporate Matching gifts, Grant application process, etc).

• Purpose: GOTO Scholarship recipients are able to enjoy Appel Farm for 3 summers, that's it. We wanted to make sure we kept in touch with our ‘grads' and provided further arts and music support. Each GOTO ‘Grad' is assigned a mentor to ensure this continuity with GOTO.
• Structure: The committee has a flat structure - Mentors, all coordinated/overseen by a Mentor Committee chair. We solicit mentors from the existing volunteer pool.
• Tasks/Time Commitment: Each mentor is responsible for ‘mentoring' the GOTO Grad - This entails 2 outings a year, attendance with the mentee at GOTO events, and monthly correspondence with one's mentee and family.

• Purpose: For GOTO, volunteering is not just a means support to programs for children- it's a program in itself. GOTO's membership committee helps to ensure that committees have all the volunteer resources they need and young professionals are aware of the opportunity GOTO represents. It manages the volunteer experience, providing support, training and leadership skills development, social opportunities, service recognition, record keeping, and gathering direct feedback from volunteers. It also manages GOTO's relationships with its growing community of volunteer alumni.
• Structure: The committee is structured into three workgroups- Recruiting, volunteer experience management, and alumni management. Each group is ideally made up of a manager and one to three specialists. The committee as a whole takes part in setting and enacting membership policies, and has very close links to GOTO as a whole.
• Tasks/Time Commitment: All: Help develop effective volunteer management policies for GOTO. Recruiting: Developing materials, recruiting at events, tracking recruiting efforts, helping other volunteers to recruit, matching volunteers to committees. Volunteer experience: Tracking volunteer contributions and activities, designing and implementing training, managing GOTOgethers, managing semi-annual meetings, monthly census of volunteers, managing semi-annual volunteer satisfaction survey. Alumni: Manage alumni-to-volunteer mentoring, manage alumni class representatives, alumni events and alumni involvement in other GOTO events.

• Purpose: GOTO would not be possible without the internet. The technology committee helps GOTO research, develop and deploy information technology solutions to make our work more efficient across all our committees and groups.
• Structure: The committee is structured into three workgroups- technology research and planning, website management, and technical training/support. Each group is ideally made up of a manager and one to three specialists. The committee as a whole takes part in setting and enacting technology policies, and has very close links to GOTO as a whole.
• Tasks/Time Commitment: All: Help develop effective volunteer management policies for GOTO. Research & Planning: Assessing GOTO's technology use and needs, business analysis for software development or acquisition, researching new web and software applications. Website management: Manage web site structure and functionality, manage users, help resolve any hosting issues, manage review and upgrade of site structure and design. Training/support: Develop FAQ's to support volunteer use of key technology tools, provide in-person training or seminars to introduce tools and resources, provide basic e-mail and phone support, show volunteers how to use 3rd party provider technical support.