Administrative Operations and Volunteer Engagement AmeriCorps VISTA

Position Description:

Do you want to take action on social justice issues? Do you want to be part of the solution to help immigrants who have suffered persecution and other human rights abuses? You can make an impact by serving at American Gateways, one of the most effective and efficient nonprofit immigration legal service providers in the nation, based in Austin, Texas.

This VISTA Member will work closely with the Director of Development and other staff to create and improve the agency’s internal systems which support our volunteer programs for pro bono attorneys, interpreters, translators and other volunteers, contribute to our social media campaigns and provide operational support for finance, audits and fundraising systems. American Gateways serves clients with a combined staff/volunteer legal team and a large bank of pro bono attorneys, volunteer interpreters and translators. The behind the scenes work of creating effective systems is crucial for these programs to run smoothly and capture data to share in reports. Documenting our impact with data is an important factor in improving our ability to raise additional funds, increase our volunteer base and ultimately expand the number of people we can help acquire improved immigration status, which pulls entire families out of poverty. Full training and support provided. The VISTA member will:

● Evaluate, improve and maintain tracking and scheduling systems for all agency volunteers, including pro bono attorneys, interpreters and translators

● Work closely with the volunteer coordinator to orient new volunteers to our volunteer translator platform

● Capture data and run reports on outputs and outcomes (numbers served and achievements) and feedback gathered from participants, clients and volunteers

● Co-create social media materials and assets; support implementation of social media plan

● Create internal weekly staff newsletter

● Provide operational support for internal systems (finance, audits, development initiatives), update existing spreadsheets

● Improve systems to locate and pull documents for reporting

Qualifications:

·        Passion and dedication to the mission of American Gateways (please visit www.americangateways.org for our mission and to learn more about us)

·        Strong skills in communications, writing and editing

·        Strong computer skills

·        Experience with databases

·        Ability to work well with diverse team

·        Bachelor’s Degree (will consider significant life experience in lieu of degree)

Start Date: 7-8-2022

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage candidates to submit as early as possible. Remote interviews to begin in early May 2022.

About the Organization:

American Gateways was founded in 1987 to help refugees fleeing war in Central America. We have grown to become one of the most effective and efficient nonprofit providers of immigration legal services in the nation. Based in Austin, we serve 23 Central Texas counties and four Texas detention centers. We provide culturally sensitive, trauma-informed legal representation and education to over 12,000 low income immigrants from 72 countries annually. Our staff is supplemented by dedicated volunteers, pro bono attorneys and VISTA members, leveraging over $700,000 in pro bono and volunteer work a year.

·        Mission: To champion the dignity and human rights of immigrants, refugees and immigrant survivors of persecution, torture, conflict, and human trafficking through exceptional immigration legal services at no or low cost, education, and advocacy

·        Vision: To serve all low-income immigrants in Central Texas who need legal help with exemplary services, be an exceptional workplace and give volunteers an inspiring experience in serving those who need assistance