Volunteer Opportunities
Open Society Positions
As an all-volunteer, 501(c)3 non-profit organization, our work is not possible without the support of our many dedicated volunteers. Help us have an even greater impact by serving in one of these roles:
Board and library volunteers answering questions at the Western New York Genealogy Conference (Buffalo, NY)
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Board Leadership
Treasurer
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Director (2 openings)
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If you are interested in learning more about either of these opportunities, please email president@wnygs.org for a copy of the position description.
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Publications
WNY Genealogist Editor
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Position:
The Editor plays an important role in helping the Society meet its objective to further genealogical knowledge and research through education. The Editor is responsible for the publication and distribution of the official quarterly periodical of the Society, The Western New York Genealogist. Key functions are to solicit the contribution of materials and articles, edit content submissions, and supervise the production and distribution of the Genealogist.
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Skills:
Writing, editing, Microsoft Word, email, internet, leadership, dependability, flexibility, multitasking, detail-oriented, and the ability to work well with others.
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Schedule and Commitment:
The Editor is an ex officio, voting member of the WNYGS Board, and attends monthly board meetings which are usually held on Saturday mornings. The Editor is primarily responsible for acquiring Genealogist content and editing submitted articles but is also the overall supervisor of the Genealogist. The Editor works on the Genealogist team which also consists of the Production Editor, contributing editors, proofreaders, and an indexer. The Genealogist meets four quarterly publishing deadlines (June 1, August 15, November 15, and February 15). The selected candidate must remain a WNYGS member in good standing. This is a permanent volunteer position.
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In interested, please send a letter of interest and resume to editor@wnygs.org.
Community Outreach
Publicity Chair
If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please email president@wnygs.org for a copy of the position description.
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50th Anniversary (2024)
The WNYGS Board has started brainstorming ideas for celebrating this momentous occasion, but input from WNYGS membership is essential. WNYGS would not exist without the multitude of members who have participated and contributed to the Society all these many years. To that end, the Board is asking all members for suggestions and ideas about how to make this celebration extraordinary.
In addition to ideas, we need members willing to serve as committee chairs and volunteers to get the ideas off the ground. If you are interested in learning more about committee chair and volunteer positions, please email info@wnygs.org.
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Library
Library Volunteer Coordinator
If you are interested in learning more about this role, please email volunteers@wnygs.org for a copy of the position description.
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Preservation
Indexer/Transcriber
WNYGS members are involved in a variety of transcribing & indexing projects and additional volunteers are always very welcome to keep this work going. Volunteers may work locally as well as remotely via email. When a project is being transcribed from digital images, the images and a spreadsheet are emailed to volunteers who then return their completed files to the Transcription Chair. Some projects are carried out using original books/documents, and the information is transcribed directly into a spreadsheet. Project training and guidance are provided to all volunteers.
If you are interested in learning more about our current transcription/indexing projects, please email transcriptions@wnygs.org for more information.
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WNY Historian Project
Historian Outreach Volunteer
If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please email the Chair at historianproject@wnygs.org.
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