Open Doors Ambassador: Help DC Doors Educate about Youth Homelessness

Open Doors Ambassadors

Organization: DC Doors

Location: Remote

Commitment: Short-term volunteer opportunity, October–December 2026

Focus Areas: Communications, Fundraising, Community Engagement, Youth Homelessness

Help Us Reach the Next Person

This GivingTuesday, DC Doors is inviting a small group of volunteer Open Doors Ambassadors to help us introduce our work to new communities and raise critical funds for young adults experiencing homelessness in Washington, DC.

DC Doors operates a 24/7 Drop-In Center serving young adults ages 18–24 and provides Permanent Supportive Housing to individuals and families. We also operate a community food pantry once per month. Our programs connect people not only with immediate necessities such as food, showers, hygiene supplies, and a safe place to go, but also with the longer-term support that can help create a path toward stability like workforce development and life skills.

For GivingTuesday 2026, we want to expand our reach beyond our existing donor community... and we need people willing to help tell our story. You do not need to be a professional fundraiser or have a large social media following. We are looking for people who care about the issue of homelessness and are willing to invite their own friends, colleagues, family members, professional networks, or communities to support the critical work we do.

What You’ll Do

As an Open Doors Ambassador, you will create a personal GivingTuesday fundraising page or campaign benefiting DC Doors and share it with your network.

Ambassadors will be asked to:

• Set an individual fundraising goal;
• Share the campaign with friends, family, colleagues, alumni networks, professional associations, faith communities, social networks, or other communities;
• Post or send several campaign messages during the GivingTuesday campaign period;
• Personalize your outreach by sharing why supporting young adults experiencing homelessness matters to you;
• Encourage others to give, share the campaign, or become advocates for DC Doors; and
• Help introduce new people to DC Doors and our mission.

You are welcome to visit our drop-in center but can also participate entirely remotely.

We’ll Make It Easy

DC Doors will provide participating ambassadors with an Opening Doors Toolkit, including:

• Sample emails and text messages;
• Social media captions;
• Graphics and campaign images;
• Information and statistics about DC Doors;
• Suggested fundraising goals;
• Talking points about youth homelessness;
• A sample fundraising-page description;
• GivingTuesday reminders and campaign updates; and
• Guidance for reaching out to your personal and professional networks.
• Links to our social media pages.

You will not be expected to create a fundraising campaign from scratch.

Suggested Fundraising Goal

We encourage each Ambassador to set an individual goal of $500–$1,000, although participants are welcome to set a goal that feels realistic for their network. A successful campaign is not only about the amount raised. Every Ambassador helps DC Doors reach people who may never have learned about our organization or the issues we tackle otherwise. Ten people raising $500 each means $5,000 for programs serving young adults experiencing homelessness... and dozens or even hundreds of new people learning about the issue of homelessness and our work.

Who We’re Looking For

This opportunity may be especially meaningful for:

• Young professionals;
• College students and graduate students;
• Alumni groups;
• Employee resource groups;
• Corporate volunteers;
• Communications or marketing professionals;
• Fundraising and nonprofit professionals;
• Attorneys and other professionals seeking meaningful community engagement;
• Social media and digital communications volunteers;
• Community advocates;
• People interested in homelessness, housing, workforce development, or youth services; and
• Anyone who wants to use their network for a good cause.

No prior fundraising experience is required.

People are often more likely to learn about a cause when someone they know introduces them to it.

Your participation gives DC Doors something incredibly valuable: access to a community we may not otherwise reach.

Your campaign could introduce a future donor, volunteer, employer, partner, mentor, or advocate to a young person who needs someone in their corner.

One connection can lead to another.

And sometimes, what happens next starts with someone simply deciding to share.

About DC Doors

DC Doors provides comprehensive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Washington, DC. Our programs include the only 24/7 Drop-In Center for young adults ages 18–24 in Washington, DC, and Permanent Supportive Housing services for individuals and families. Through these programs, participants can access basic necessities, case management, employment and workforce development support, housing resources, life-skills programming, and connections to longer-term opportunities. Our goal is not simply to respond to an immediate crisis. It is to help create the conditions for longer-term stability.

Time Commitment

Approximately 2–4 hours total over the course of the campaign.

Most participation will consist of sharing campaign messages with your network before and during GivingTuesday and following up with supporters.

Campaign Period

October–December 2026, with the primary fundraising push surrounding GivingTuesday on December 1, 2026.

Ambassadors who join early will receive campaign materials and guidance in advance.

Interested?

Apply through Idealist to become an Open Doors Ambassador by November 1, 2026.

Tell us briefly why you are interested and what community or network you might like to engage. No fundraising experience is necessary.

Your network and storytelling may be different from ours. That’s exactly the point.