Without Volunteers Multiple Births Canada would simply not exist! Every day across Canada there are hundreds of volunteers working tirelessly in their communities to improve the lives of families with multiples. Whether a family support volunteer, a fundraiser, a link to MBC, or a chapter executive member, these volunteers are making a difference in the lives of others.

Multiple Births Canada is looking for:  

• Dedicated volunteers for MBC, its Chapters and its membership.
• Volunteers who can commit to a task and see it through; who are also comfortable to working on their own (seeking assistance when needed) and taking initiative where necessary.
• Volunteers with a passion for multiple-birth issues who want to make a difference.
• Individuals who are a member of Multiple Births Canada (either as a Chapter Member or a Direct Member)
• Individuals with Internet access, email and willingness to meet (via electronic methods) on a fairly regular basis.
• Individuals interested in taking on a leadership role: Positions such as those of the National Board of Directors require (where possible) experience working with a Chapter Executive. 

Benefits of Volunteering
The benefits are endless for you, for your chapter, for multiple-birth families and for your community. Some of these benefits include:

• Spending time with others who have or who are having similar life experiences
• Meeting new people, developing networks and making lasting friendships
• Learning new skills with the potential to transfer them to the workplace
• Enhancing your self-confidence, self-worth and sense of accomplishment
• Teaching your family about the importance of sharing with others and giving of one’s time to a worthy cause
• Helping both your family and others in your community by contributing to a better quality of life
• Helping a cause that you believe in…making a difference for future generations
• Having fun!

How to Volunteer
Please contact Lori MacEwen, Volunteer Coordinator at mbcvolunteers@multiplebirthscanada.org to discuss where your experience, interests and passion are best suited in volunteering with MBC.

Open Volunteer Director Postions for 2006-2007

The following are Director positions open for nomination. The asterisk indicates positions most needed to be filled at this time. However, if you are interested in holding a Board position and these are not areas of interest to you, a Director at Large position is an option to consider.

Director of Finance* – no nominations at this time (see details below)
Director of Fund Development* – no nominations at this time
Director of Information Management (overseeing the areas of publications and website content) – no nominations at this time
Director of Research – no nominations at this time
Additional Director at Large Positions (Board position without a specific portfolio) – no nominations at this time

If you have any questions about the work carried out by the Board of Directors, the portfolios of any Board positions, the Board’s composition, the nature of the time commitment involved, or Board operations, please do not hesitate to contact the Chair/Director of Volunteer Management at any time.

Volunteer Positions Available

If you are interested in volunteering at the national level but don’t feel that membership on the Board is for you, there is a wide variety of positions and responsibilities requiring dedicated volunteers with a passion for multiple-births and Multiple Births Canada. All areas of MBC can use volunteers to work on committees, or on specific projects – either as a leader, or as a member.  Please note that the average time commitment allotted is an estimate and that these hours could change based on opportunities that present themselves for that position, time available by the volunteer and timing of specific events or activities that may be directly related to that position.

Multiple Moments Volunteers:

• Advertising Coordinator for MM - Secure advertisers. Commitment of a few hours a month.
• Writers - are you an aspiring writer?  Do you have a story to tell? Send your submissions to the Editor or discuss story-line topics with the Editor at mmeditor@multiplebirthscanada.org.

Committee Members: These positions are project driven, which means they have a life of one to two years.

• Chapter Development Committee:  Members of this committee will develop an action plan for creating new chapters and encouraging former affiliates to return to MBC.  Average monthly commitment is 5 hours.
• 2007 NMBAD Committee:  This committee will develop the 2007 NMBAD theme and create an action plan for delivering it to MBC members, the media, professionals, and all Canadians.  Average monthly commitment is 5 hours.
• French Translation Committee:  This committee will translate MBC resources, for our francophone community.  MBC hopes to grow this committee to include other languages.  Average monthly commitment is 5 hours.
• 2008 30th Anniversary Celebration Committee:  This committee will develop an action plan that will allow MBC members across Canada to collectively celebrate this major milestone.  Average monthly commitment is 5 hours, with it increasing as the celebration approaches.

Adult Multiples Support Network Chair: Oversees the Adult Multiples Support Network. During its first year of operation, this network did not really get off the ground. Perhaps an adult multiple as Chair would be able to catch the interest of other adult multiples and discover common interests to discuss and share. Average monthly commitment is 4-8 hours.

Publications Coordinator: Oversee the area of publications by assisting with the updating of current publications and the creation of new publications as the need arises. It is essential that this volunteer be proficient in word processing using - Microsoft Word, Adobe Pagemaker, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop or similar graphics software. Average monthly commitment is 10 hours.

Fundraising Coordinator: Assist in the area of revenue generation and fundraising initiatives at the national level, and assist chapters where possible to identify appropriate local fundraising and funding opportunities.  Develop a fundraising committee to assist in this work. Average monthly commitment is 5-8 hours.

Fundraising Program Volunteer(s): MBC has recently partnered with two national fundraising companies and are seeking volunteers to coordinate these two programs on an on-going basis from your home (i.e. learn about the program and be available to support individual members and chapters who would like to participate to raise funds for their own chapter and for MBC).  This role is ideal for someone who wants to volunteer but would like to do so from home, has access to email, and has a few hours a month to spare. 

Volunteer Webmaster: This individual will initially complete the following: 1) update the publications web pages – PayPal purchasing, 2) Update the Membership page – PayPal purchasing, online form for contact details, etc. and 3) Photo gallery – post submissions and create a process using Contribute.

Volunteer Forum Leaders: MBC is in need of someone to monitor the MBC Forums for postings and take the appropriate measures to ensure that those who are joining and contributing to discussions are doing so with the best intentions. A basic knowledge and understanding of web tools is needed with this position.

Financial Director: MBC is in need of a financial director on its Board of Directors. If you have a financial background, and are interested in helping MBC with both its regular financial reporting requirements and its yearend, and with bringing financial expertise to the work of the board, please contact Jennifer Dawson at financial@multiplebirthscanada.org to discuss the responsibilities of this position. 

Independent Accountant: To perform MBC’s independent financial review engagement. Due to workload, Frank Portugais of the chartered accounting firm, Bennett Gold, has withdrawn his voluntary annual financial review services. Accordingly, MBC is looking for a new independent CA or CGA who would be willing to perform the annual independent review of financial statements. This review is takes about 20-25 hours of volunteer time per year. Contact Jennifer Dawson at financial@multiplebirthscanada.org for further information.

Marketing Volunteer: This person will be self-driven and has marketing skills or would like to further develop them through a volunteer position.  He or she will promote Multiple Moments and MBC through the use of print and electronic media.  Average monthly commitment is 8 hours.

National Discount/Affiliate Programs Coordinator: This person will be comfortable talking to business leaders about discounts and affiliate programs for MBC members.  He or she will also maintain current relationships with national discount partners. This position is best suited to a volunteer with daytime availability to speak to company representatives during the day.  Average monthly commitment is 5-10 hours.

Volunteer Newsletter Editor: This person will keep MBC national volunteers connected and informed by producing a digital volunteer newsletter for distribution on a bi-monthly or quarterly basis. Average monthly commitment is 4-8 hours.

Policy and Procedures Manual Coordinator: This person will review and update the MBC Policy and Procedures Manual. He or she understands the value in having rules and guidelines to govern our national organization. Average monthly commitment is 5 hours. 

Research Coordinator: Monitor recent research, update statistical information and monitor requests from outside sources interested in making research-related contact with multiple-birth individuals. Average monthly commitment is 5-8 hours.

Advocacy Committee Chair/Coordinator: Develop partnerships and re-establish partnerships with other like-minded organizations doing similar advocacy work. In addition, there is a need for advocacy committee members, preferably volunteers from each province in order to track and respond to provincial/territorial issues. Average monthly commitment is 5-8 hours.

Parent Resource Coordinator: Coordinate lists of multiple-birth resources available to families across Canada, and update listings of these resources in print and electronic formats. Initial time commitment may be greater as this resource is in need of a great deal of updating. Average monthly commitment is 4-8 hours.

Special Events Coordinator: Coordinate special events at the national level, and where possible, assist chapters in developing special events in their local areas.  Average monthly commitment is 4-8 hours when there is no event taking place and would increase as events are planned.

Support Network Coordinator: Oversee the Support Networks and work with the Support Network Chairs to develop new resources, monitor activity on the MBC forums in these areas, and assist with the marketing of these support networks internally to direct members, with similar positions held by chapter volunteers and externally to individuals and families who might benefit from the specific support offered. Average monthly commitment is 4-8 hours.

Provincial/Regional Representatives: MBC has identified that in the upcoming year it must reach more of its current and potential membership across Canada, which is not currently being served by chapters or MBC.  In order to better serve these areas, MBC is looking for provincial and/or regional representatives. Average monthly commitment is 4-8 hours.

Please note: Some of these positions were created based on immediate need. Terms of Reference/Job Descriptions have yet to be completed for most of these positions. All positions require access to email, as the majority of work completed at the national level must be done electronically.

All MBC volunteers are a true asset to the organization and carry out work that would not be possible without their generosity and support. Thank you!

For further information on volunteering with MBC, contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Lori MacEwen at anytime

- mbcvolunteers@multiplebirthscanada.org.