Jobs & Volunteer
Open Positions
PROGRAM MANAGER - 30 hour per week part-time position responsible for accounting, office management, reports, newsletter, volunteers, membership and fundraising. Requires accounting and design skills, computer and data management experience, ability to work well with teams and committees, excellent verbal and written communication, and fundraising experience. Must be well organized, creative, flexible, personable, motivated, and committed to downtown. Send letter of interest, resume and references to Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, 212 S. Main Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22801 or ebumbaugh@harrisonburgva.gov by September 13 at 5:00pm.
Internships
HDR is currently looking for a Summer 2009 Intern (the Spring 2009 position is filled). Please see the section below on "Internships" for more information.
Volunteer with HDR!
Each year, 100+ HDR volunteers contribute over 11,000 hours of service and expertise to make downtown Harrisonburg a better place. According to Independent Sector, the leadership forum for charities, foundations, and corporate giving programs, the estimated dollar value of this volunteer time is over $206,000 per year! HDR is extremely appreciative of all the help we receive from our volunteers, who are truly the backbone of the organization.
We have opportunities for members of the community with varying interests and amounts of time to dedicate. Whether you only have an hour to give or would like to take a more active role in the work of HDR, we would love to speak with you! Please fill out the volunteer information sheet and return it to Alexis Morehouse at alexism@harrisonburgva.gov. If you have any questions, please contact Jessica directly by email or phone at 540.432.8922.
Current Volunteer Needs:
Organization Committee Member
Estimated time involved: 1 hour per month from June-February and 2 hours per month from March-May.
Description: Serve on the committee that puts on an annual Renaissance Night fundraiser (May), organizes an annual public meeting (October), considers new methods of fundraising, helps recruit and reward volunteers and helps develop ways to keep the public informed about what's happening downtown.
Promotion Committee Member
Estimated time involved: 1 hour per month with additional hours if necessary.
Description: Serve on the committee that markets the downtown district to potential customers, investors, new businesses, citizens and visitors through effective strategies and special events.
Design Committee Member
Estimated time involved: 1 hour per month with additional hours if necessary
Description: Serve on the committee that promotes the physical appearance of downtown by rehabilitating historic buildings, encouraging supportive new construction, and beautifying the streetscape. Past projects include the planters on Court Square and holiday lights for downtown trees.
HDR Special Event Subcommittee Member
Estimated time involved: 1+ hour per months for 3-6 months per year, depending on the event.
Description: Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance plans several events throughout the year. Subcommittee members help to plan and staff the event and may help with finding sponsors and logistical details.
- First Night – January
- Tour of Virginia - April
- Renaissance Night - May
- Valley 4th - July
- Block Party in the 'Burg - September
- Halloween on the Square - October
- Holidays on Main Street – December
- Special Event Volunteer
Estimated time involved: 1 day
Description: Set up, break down, sit at an info booth or help with an activity at our events.
Building and Business Inventory Volunteer
Estimated Time Involved: 1-2 hours per week, September - November
Description: Assist with a complete business inventory of downtown Harrisonburg. Includes completing a form containing the following information from downtown businesses: # of employees, assessed value and taxes, availability for sale or rent, total square footage, building amenities, and building condition.
Administrative Volunteer
Estimated time involved: 1-2 hours per week, from once a month to every week.
Description: Help with administrative projects like letter writing, copying, taking photos, scrapbooking or updating the website, depending on skills and interests.
Internships
Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance has been privileged to work with a variety of interns, each bringing a unique set of skills and talent to the organization. We hope that during their time with us, our interns gain valuable professional experience and marketable skills that will aid them post graduation. This is not a "paper-pushing" postion. Be prepared to become an active, contributing member of our small staff and to make a visual impact on downtown Harrisonburg and the community!
Quotes from former interns:
"I greatly appreciate you all allowing me to work on a number of different projects. I learned a great deal about the non-profit world and I will carry the lessons I learned with me in my future endeavors." - Meredith Harris, JMU Anthropology/Nonprofit Studies, HDR intern Fall 2006
"I have to say that if it wasn't for my internship, I would not know half of the things I need to know to survive in my current graduate program. A lot of the practical things I did and even the things I thought were trivial seem to be integral in planning so I'm once again grateful for the experience."- Tiffany Tran, currently enrolled in VCU Urban and Regional Planning graduate program, HDR intern Summer 2006
"I found it most valuable having tangible, completed projects as a source of accomplishment and portfolio enhancement. All the tasks were a part of the 'big picture' of helping downtown to be even better."- Teresa Bayes, Mary Baldwin Business Administration, HDR intern Spring 2007
HDR accepts one student per semester who is responsible for obtaining course credit for their internship. Based on their major and interests, interns will have a primary focus throughout the semester choosing from one of the Four Points: Organization (fundraising and membership), Economic Development (business recruitment and retention), Design (improving the look of downtown), or Promotion (events and marketing). A full-time intern will generally develop one special project in an area he or she has interest and that also has benefit to HDR. From time-to-time, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance will also accept a second intern who does not work with the staff daily but is pursuing a special project related to their field of study.
We look forward to having you contact the office to set up an interview at 540.432.8922.