Designed to Dine is a fundraising luncheon that will take place on October 25th. It features 30 unique tablescapes from the area's top interior designers. Get involved in making this amazing event a success in one of these areas:
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Interior Designer liaison - help recruit designers and manage communications between them and committee.
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Logistics - help with arranging vendors, venue coordination, etc.
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Sponsorship - looking for enthusiastic people to spread the word about Designed to Dine and secure area sponsorships.
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Run of show coordinators - help manage details on the day of the event to ensure it goes smoothly.
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Ticket sales- help oversee sales progress and coordinate guest seating at event.
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Check-in - volunteers to greet guests and check them in on day of event.
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Marketing and communications - getting the word out, from hanging posters and yard signs to pumping up the social media!
The Darien Road Race is a much-anticipated annual event, taking place on Sunday, September 17th at Pear Tree Point Beach. Volunteers cover a wide range of activities both before, during, and after the event itself. Our key committees include:
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Operations - from ensuring cones, tables and water stations are set up, to ordering the port-o-lets, this team gets it done!
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Race Course and Registration - ensuring our timing vendor is on track, and our registrants get checked-in on race weekend.
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Sponsorship - ensuring that we call on all interested sponsors with an offering that gets them excited to be there on race day!
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Water-stops and course monitors - our eyes on the course on race day, ensuring everyone is having a safe (and hydrated!) run.
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Marketing and communications - getting the word out, from hanging posters and yard signs to pumping up the social media!
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And Team Tent ensures that we have a fun and engaging experience for families under the tent including games, face painting, dance and awarding of race prizes!
Join our team of Community Investment Volunteers and help us evaluate nonprofit funding applicants to ensure that The Community Fund of Darien is investing in the most effective local nonprofits.
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Learn about Stamford and Norwalk nonprofits and about the great needs that exist in our neighboring communities.
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Join a panel of 6-8 Community Investment.
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Volunteers.Invest 12-20 hours in your community and participate in team meetings between March 1- May 19.
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Review 3-4 grant applications.Conduct 3-4 site visits at local nonprofits: meet with key agency representatives.
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Present your findings and recommendations to The Community Fund's Community Investment Committee.
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Impact The Community Fund's 2024 funding decisions.
Complete a Volunteer Interest form online
and let us help you find your ideal volunteer opportunity.
Why volunteer?
The benefits of volunteering include a boost to one's self-confidence, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Volunteers are doing good for others which provides a sense of accomplishment, pride, and identity. Volunteering allows people to connect with their community and to make it a better place. Dedicating oneself to volunteering helps one make new friends, expand one's network, learn new skills, and boost social interactions. Volunteering provides a selfless way to support community building.
What kind of volunteer work will participants
be doing?
It all depends on what interests the volunteers and what the organizations have available. For example, if organizing special events is appealing, our hosts will match that volunteer with the appropriate agency. If working with animals is of interest, our hosts will help volunteers to find the appropriate organization. We have a roster of more than 100 local nonprofit organizations who need help - and that list is growing.
How do nonprofit agencies benefit from volunteers?
Nonprofit organizations benefit from volunteers in that they do the work for free. The value of a volunteer hour in Connecticut for 2021 was $33.35. Last year TCF was fortunate to have volunteers donate 10,333 hours which is the equivalent of 5 full-time employees.
How do volunteers get started?
The Volunteer Hub's priority is to provide exceptional customer service. The Volunteer Hub is an extension of TCF's values: impact, excellence, partnership, professionalism and integrity. Potential volunteers call The Volunteer Hub at The Community Fund of Darien at 203.655.8775 or complete a confidential Volunteer Interest form online. One of our Volunteer Hub Hosts will respond within 24 hours, if they aren't on the line straight away. There's a personal one-on-one conversation to better understand the individual's interests, which which may take place in person or via telephone. From there, we will make an introduction to the Volunteer Manager at the organization which suits the applicant best. The volunteer and organization take it from there and work together. Our hosts follow up within one week and again in one month to see how TCF placements are doing. We make the personal introduction and follow up to be sure that volunteer and agency relationships work for all parties!
Who are the Volunteer Hub Hosts?
Jessica Brokaw Cahill is the daughter of Ned Brokaw, who founded Volunteer Square. Jessica is passionate about matching highly talented Darien residents with meaningful volunteer experiences. She is a former Massachusetts Assistant District Attorney and grew up in Darien. Jessica is a mother of three children.
Celeste Marsh is a Darien resident and was formerly employed by ABC, CNN, and Turner Broadcasting System. She served on the Person-to-Person board, was a volunteer receptionist and started their Youth Volunteer Program more than 15 years ago. Celeste has been a volunteer in multiple local nonprofits and is the mother of three sons.