Volunteer with Us

Welcome

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with The Center for Trans Futures.

The Center is a trans-led organization that hosts community events, educational programs, provides material support, and offers affirming spaces for transgender and gender-nonconforming adults in the Richmond area.

You do not need nonprofit experience to volunteer. People can help with one event, support a specific project, or become involved on an ongoing basis.

Our Values

We ask volunteers to help us create spaces that are:

  • Trans-led and centered on trans community needs
  • Sober and welcoming
  • Respectful of different identities, bodies, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences
  • Grounded in care, dignity, autonomy, and mutual support
  • Accessible to people with different social, sensory, and physical needs

Volunteers are expected to respect names, pronouns, privacy, boundaries, and the leadership of trans people.

Ways to Get Involved

Events and Hospitality

This is a good fit for people who enjoy helping events run smoothly.

Activities may include:

  • Helping set up and clean up event spaces
  • Greeting attendees
  • Helping with sign-in
  • Giving directions or sharing event information
  • Preparing or serving refreshments
  • Helping distribute materials
  • Supporting a calm and welcoming environment
  • Helping event leaders respond to practical needs

Outreach and Community Connections

This is a good fit for people who enjoy sharing information and connecting with others.

Activities may include:

  • Sharing events online
  • Distributing flyers
  • Inviting people to programs and events
  • Connecting the Center with local groups and businesses
  • Helping identify community partners
  • Sharing information about local resources
  • Representing the Center at community events when approved

Programs and Education

This is a good fit for people interested in workshops, conversations, and community learning.

Activities may include:

  • Helping plan educational programs
  • Supporting book clubs or discussion groups
  • Facilitating a workshop or conversation
  • Recommending speakers or topics
  • Locating educational materials
  • Helping develop activities or discussion questions
  • Supporting programs related to trans life, public health, relationships, creativity, or organizing

Fundraising and Special Events

This is a good fit for people who want to help the Center raise money and build community support.

Activities may include:

  • Helping plan fundraising events
  • Supporting benefit concerts or community gatherings
  • Reaching out to potential sponsors or donors
  • Sharing fundraising campaigns
  • Helping collect donations at events
  • Assisting with ticketing, check-in, or event promotion
  • Helping secure donated goods or services for a specific event

Creative and Communications Support

This is a good fit for people who want to share a creative, communication, or technical skill.

Activities may include:

  • Graphic design
  • Photography
  • Writing or editing
  • Social media content
  • Website support
  • Flyer or poster design
  • Art, music, or performance
  • Sound or event technology
  • Video or digital media

Always ask before photographing or recording anyone at a Center event.

Volunteer Expectations

When volunteering with the Center, please:

  • Arrive on time or let us know if your plans change
  • Follow instructions from the event or program lead
  • Respect names and pronouns
  • Protect private information
  • Ask before taking photographs or videos
  • Respect personal, physical, and conversational boundaries
  • Avoid assumptions about anyone’s identity, body, health, transition, or relationships
  • Bring safety concerns or conflicts to Center leadership
  • Avoid speaking on behalf of the Center unless authorized
  • Do not use alcohol or non-prescribed substances while volunteering

Volunteers are not expected to act as counselors, security staff, medical providers, or crisis responders unless they have been specifically trained and assigned to that role.

Community Conduct

The Center does not allow:

  • Harassment or discrimination
  • Deliberate misgendering
  • Invasive personal questions
  • Unwanted sexual behavior
  • Intimidation or threats
  • Sharing private information without permission
  • Photographing or recording people without consent

Volunteers may be removed from an event or role if they violate these expectations.

Accessibility and Capacity

People have different schedules, abilities, transportation options, energy levels, and access needs.

Volunteers are encouraged to:

  • Choose roles that fit their capacity
  • Share access needs with the event lead
  • Ask questions when instructions are unclear
  • Take breaks when needed
  • Decline tasks they cannot safely or comfortably complete
  • Step away from volunteering when necessary

It is better to offer sustainable support than to overextend yourself.

Getting Started

People interested in volunteering can complete the Center’s volunteer interest form on Google or contact Center leadership.

Volunteer roles are currently connected to specific events, programs, outreach efforts, and fundraising projects. As the Center grows, additional opportunities may become available.

Thank You

Volunteers help turn ideas into programs, gatherings, resources, and material support.

Whether you help at one event, share a flyer, prepare food, lead a workshop, take photographs, perform at a fundraiser, or connect us with a community partner, your contribution helps strengthen trans community infrastructure.