Volunteer Engagement Intern (Equal-Ark Singapore Ltd)

Organisation Overview: EQUAL is an Institute of Public Character (IPC) charity that focuses on the social, emotional and mental well-being of children, youths, persons with special needs, and the elderly. We do this through transformative animal-assisted services and partner with rescued and retired horses to empower those whom we serve, enhancing their socio-emotional well-being, self-awareness, and relationship management skills – developing resilience and strengthening individuals and communities.

Brief Description: As a Volunteer Engagement Intern, you are part of a growing equine-assisted services industry in Singapore. You will train and support inspiring volunteers, connect with organisations to build partnerships, assess volunteer impact through insightful surveys, and ensure everyone has a rewarding experience. If you love working with people and horses/animals and enjoy rolling up your sleeves in both an office and a stable environment, this is the perfect opportunity for you to make a difference!

Roles and Responsibilities:

1. Volunteer Engagement Support (B2C):

   1. Serves as the first point of contact between a Volunteer and EQUAL, representing EQUAL’s brand and directly impacting the volunteer experience.

   2. Support the volunteer’s onboarding experience by ensuring a volunteer completes all the necessary steps to sign up as an EQUAL’s volunteer.

   3. Train volunteers in the areas of stable maintenance and elderly befriending programs.

   4. Build mutually beneficial relationships with volunteers, from diverse backgrounds.

   5. Co-design and execute volunteer appreciation and welfare initiatives.

   6. Generate and record actionable insights on volunteer performance and competencies.

   7. Co-develop compelling and inspiring marketing messages to volunteers throughout the volunteer’s lifecycle journey (attract, recruit, engage, onboard, manage, communicate, and report on volunteer activity).

   8. Develop recommendations on both immediate and long-term improvements of the volunteer’s experience and the volunteer’s impact on beneficiaries.

   9. Actively seek to interact and understand volunteers’ motivations and skillsets to improve job matching and potential partnership opportunities.

2. Volunteer Partnership Engagement Support (B2B):

   1. Serves as the first point of contact between a Partner Organization and EQUAL, representing EQUAL’s brand and directly impacting the partnership terms and outcomes.

   2. Attend to the corporate’s inquiries in a professional manner and anticipating their needs.

   3. Conceptualize, co-design and execute volunteer programs with partner organizations.

   4. Generate and record actionable feedback by corporate partner organizations.

   5. Develop recommendations on both immediate and long-term improvements of the volunteer’s experience and the volunteer’s impact on beneficiaries.

   6. Monitor and flag potential corporate engagements that need to be followed up on.

3. Animal Welfare and Operations (Stable Maintenance) [First 3 months only]

   1. Once a week, 3 hours per session.

   2. Mucking and skipping of stables.

   3. Pushing/retrieving filled/empty bins to the bin collection point.

   4. Assist to distribute hay and water buckets to each of the horse.

   5. Grooming and leading of horses will be introduced only after completion of the progressive training.

4. Administrative Support:

   1. Consistently update and maintain volunteer databases and records.

   2. Coordinate and provide timely and accurate scheduling of meetings and training sessions.

   3. Administrative support for volunteer recruitment campaigns and related publicity materials.

   4. Prepare compelling presentation decks for internal and external parties: volunteer trainings, corporate proposals and Committee meetings.

   5. Event set up and tear down.

   6. Actively update Volunteer Management SOPs.

   7. Update inventory of VM assets (both digital and physical).

   8. Applying for financial claim reimbursements from approved grants.

5. Research and Analysis:

   1. Record and analyze volunteer output and outcome metrics, on a bi-monthly basis.

   2. Conduct research on emerging trends and approaches in volunteer management.

   3. Analyse data and provide insights to support the development of volunteer management strategies.

6. General Support:

   1. Provide general administrative and operational support to the volunteer management team.

   2. Assist in the implementation of volunteer management policies, processes, and initiatives.

   3. Support the team in fostering a community culture of kindness and volunteerism.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

1. Understand volunteer management principles and practices: the intern will gain practical knowledge and experience in volunteer recruitment, training, deployment, recognition, and retention strategies.

2. Developing communication and interpersonal skills: Through regular interaction with volunteers and stakeholders, the intern will enhance their ability to build positive relationships, provide support, and communicate effectively.

3. Exposure to event planning and project management: by assisting with volunteer recruitment campaigns, training programs and appreciation initiatives, the intern will develop skills in event planning, project coordination and execution.

4. Data analysis and research skills: the intern will have opportunities to conduct research on emerging trends in volunteerism, analyze data, and provide insights to support the development of volunteer management strategies.

5. Administrative and operational support experience: the intern will gain hands-on experience in providing admin and operational support, including database management, record-keeping and general office tasks, which are valuable transferrable skills.

These learning outcomes will equip the intern with a well-rounded understanding of volunteer management, practical skills in communication, event planning, as well as exposure to project management and stakeholder engagement.

Duration of Internship: 6 months

Daily Working Hours: 8.30am - 5.30pm

Work Days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Minimum Qualification: Polytechnic diploma or professional qualifications

Requirements (if any):

1. Passionate in developing a strong volunteerism culture at EQUAL, putting the beneficiaries and people at the center of our intentions and activities.

2. A strong sense of responsibility and personal integrity is essential. Meticulous and detail-oriented with a composure that can handle challenging situations.

3. Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint – Intermediate to Advanced

4. Computer Literacy - Intermediate to Advanced

5. WhatsApp/Telegram and Email Platforms - Intermediate to Advanced

6. Canva – Basic to Intermediate

7. MailChimp – Basic to Intermediate

8. Zoom/ Microsoft Teams - Basic to Intermediate

No of Vacancies: 1

Contact Person Name: Susan Isabelle Jong Vui Shan

Contact Person Email: vuishan.jong@equal.org.sg

Please read the following to apply for the internship:

1. Click here for the application form.

2. Select the number of internship roles you wish to apply for at "Number of Internship Role(s) to Apply For".

3. Copy and paste "Volunteer Engagement Intern (Equal-Ark Singapore Ltd)" into the "Internship Role" field.

For further enquiries on the internship role, you may email the contact person as stated in the description.