Volunteer Producer — Idealist Days Campaign

What might happen if, once a month — on 1/1, 2/2, 3/3, and so on — we encouraged each other to do one thing to make our corner of the world a little better?

That's the question behind Idealist Days, and we're building a small video team to help answer it. We're looking for a volunteer producer to help us find the people worth featuring, develop their stories, and shepherd them from lead to finished piece.

The role

• ~8 hours/week, ongoing, with a 3-month minimum commitment
• Fully remote (NYC-based producers welcome to work from Idealist HQ as a perk)
• Start immediately; full team assembled and shipping by end of June
• You'll work directly with me and join a small crew: 1–3 editors, 1–3 camera operators, 1–3 producers

What you'll do

• Track and follow up on leads sent our way — and dig up your own
• Identify people doing Idealist Days actions whose stories deserve a spotlight
• Reach out, build rapport, and pre-interview subjects to shape the story before we shoot
• Coordinate logistics with the camera and editing team — scheduling, locations, releases, prep notes
• Help craft the narrative arc of each piece in collaboration with editors
• Be the connective tissue between subjects, crew, and the campaign as a whole

What we're looking for

• Strong storytelling instinct. You can spot a good story from miles away.
• A warm, professional communicator who's comfortable cold-outreaching strangers
• Organized and reliable with follow-through
• Curious. Interested in community, social good, and the small actions that add up
• Production or journalism experience a plus, but not required

What you get

• Direct mentorship and support from senior producer throughout the project
• Use of Idealist HQ in NYC as a workspace (if local)
• A producer credit on every piece
• Access to Idealist's network of nonprofits and changemakers

About the lead producer

I'm Matthew Chavez, Senior Producer at Idealist. You might know my participatory public art projects: Subway Therapy, an award winning participatory art installation, and Listening Lab, the nonprofit I co-founded around connection, listening, and community storytelling. My work has always been about helping people feel seen and heard. This campaign is the next chapter, and I'm looking for collaborators who want to build it with me.