Not everyone can make the time to volunteer as a tutor/mentor. There are many other ways you can help Cabrini Connections.
Volunteers serve in leadership roles, from our Board of Directors and Advisory Council to the groups who organize our Holiday Party, Field Trips to Business and College Sites, and our annual Video Festival. Volunteers also help with the Tutor/Mentor Connection.Read this pdf on role of Talent Volunteers.
Please review the list of volunteer opportunities shown below and call us (312-492-9614) or email ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) if you're interested in helping on one or more.
WOW! This is a long list! Yes it is. A non profit has just as many functional roles that need to be filled by talented, committed people as do for profit corporations. We just fill these roles with people who are paid by feeling good about how they are making a difference, instead of by how much is in their bank account.
College and Career Development Committee -- Cabrini Connections knows that jobs and internships are essential to helping kids from poverty move to careers. These serve as a PULL SYSTEM, and show the relationship between work and education. We seek volunteers who will lead our Career Development Committee. This group works with teens to help them develop paths to college. It also works with businesses to develop mentoring/internships at the company site, then supports teens as they enter those internships. The committee also organizes a variety of job shadowing and skill building workshops that help prepare students for the workforce by introducing them to a variety of careers and educating them on the steps they need to take and the skills they need to posses, to succeed in the work world. Time Commitment: Approx. 2-6 hours per month
Communications Committee -- Volunteers from this group have graphic arts, public relations, writing, journalism, web design and other communications backgrounds. They help prepare all of the many publications, brochures and other material used to connect youth, volunteers, parents, donors and other stakeholders with each other and the Cabrini Connections community. Volunteer roles can be on-going or by project. Time commitment varies.
Computer/Technology Committee -- Volunteers from this group are meeting in an on-line planning and networking forums. The committee is responsible for developing and implementing the technology plan for Cabrini Connections and the Tutor/Mentor Connection. This ranges from determining the technology needed, to getting the technology from a variety of fund raising efforts, to working with teens and volunteers to maximize uses of the technology. This and other Cabrini Connections on-line planning groups are located at the SVHATS Discussion section of the Cabrini Connections web site. To join a group just click into the one that interests you, or , email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Time Commitment: Approx. 4-8 hours per month.
Database/documentation/Technology Committee -- The goal of this group is to develop and maintain interactive Internet-based databases that can be used to collect and share information. Currently Cabrini Connections and the Tutor/Mentor Connection collect and maintain information on a variety of databases which are not connected. This creates an inefficiency and redundancy. The primary goal of this committee is to develop a web-based database that collects information from various entry points and supports multiple users and purposes.
Educational Resource -- Cabrini Connections is not a school, and its volunteers are not professional teachers. However, our goal is to help our teens succeed academically, socially and in the work place. Through this committee we seek to help our volunteers and students maximize the academic opportunities of our technology and the weekly tutoring/mentoring sessions. Time Commitment: Wednesday or Thursday evening from 5:30-7:30; additional 1-4 hours per month
Events Committee -- This group plans group events for students and volunteers, such as the Halloween Party, the Holiday Party, the Black History Celebration, and the End-of-Year Dinner. Time Commitment: Approx. 4-6 hours per month per event.
Evaluation and Documentation Committee -- We're looking for people who can look at data and "create sense and understanding" so we can use the data to constantly improve, while also convincing donors to fund our on-going efforts. This group has a research background and a business “track and chart” mentality. They want to document everything and look at the outcomes of the program from a dozen different angles. Their mission is to build systems that make it easier to collect actions and outcomes from volunteers, students and other stakeholders, as well as to analyze, evaluate and share this information with an extended network of program leaders and supporters throughout the country. Read more about documenting actions in Cabrini Connections, and documenting actions in Tutor/Mentor Connection.
Research and Information Assistant Intern (RISA) job description (open for masters and PhD candidates)
Fund raising/Incentives -- Raising money to fund Cabrini Connections is a constant challenge. It is a shared responsibility of every volunteer who is part of Cabrini Connections and the Tutor/Mentor Connection. This group leads fund raising efforts and helps obtain merchandise donations for the Cabrini Connections program. Volunteers from this group take the lead on different events and fund raising activities, as well as fund raising events such as the Year End Dinner and Annual Sponsor Program (May), Golf Benefit (July) and Art Festival (April) or Martini Madness (October), and annual year end holiday fund appeal. Time Commitment: Approx. 4-6 hours per month
GIS Mapping/Youth Apprentice -- Volunteers with expertise in Geographic Information Systems and Internet are working to build this capacity. See maps we've created and our interactive map gallery. We seek volunteers to help create maps and manage our current system, and others who will teach teens to create map views and web pages that show where tutor/mentor programs are needed and where they are located. This is a career development activity. Time Commitment: Approx 4-6 hours per month.
Grade Groups -- There are seven grade groups at Cabrini Connections. These serve our 7th through 12th grade teens, plus our alumni. The goal of this committee is to design and lead a plan to help Grade Groups achieve goal of building camaraderie and a support system among volunteers and students within each group. Time Commitment: Approx. 4-6 hours per month
Innervision Youth Productions -- Volunteers are needed to organize the annual IYP Program where students and volunteer create new videos and learn video production skills. Volunteers are also needed to provide leadership for the IYP Advisory Board that provides structure to the program and acquires necessary resources. The Advisory Board also organizes the annual Video Festival and helps raise funds to support the IYP component of Cabrini Connections. Time Commitment: Approx. 4-6 hours per month
Leadership College -- Volunteers are needed to create and lead student leadership activities, such as the Summer Leadership College. The goal of Cabrini Connections is to create future leaders for Cabrini Connections and other tutor/mentor programs by teaching students to take ownership of their own future, and share ownership of the mission of Cabrini Connections. Through student leadership college youth learn to do a needs assessment, strategic planning, and outreach, using the arts, video and technology programs that they participate in. Time Commitment: Approx. 4-6 hours per month
Net-Worker. The easiest, and possibly most important role anyone can take is that of a Net-Worker. This is someone who actively spreads the word about tutoring/mentoring to others. Just by encouraging someone to visit this web site, or the www.tutormentorconnection.org web site, you enlarge the army of tutors/mentors and resource builders in Chicago. You can spread the word through church sermons, web site links, email, letters, word-of-mouth. We don't have advertising dollars, so this grass-roots networking is essential to building support for tutor/mentor programs throughout the Chicago area.
Resources Committee -- Identifies and acquires resources to be used by volunteers and students to achieve program's mission. Time Commitment: Approx. 4-6 hours per month
Scroungers – These are people who can find anything, at any time. This group works with the Resources Committee and the Fund Raising/Events Committee. If you need a book, a computer, a speaker, etc., these are people who thrive on finding hard-to-get stuff. If that’s you, give us a call!
Tutor/Mentor Connection Volunteer – These are people who work with Cabrini Connections to help make tutor/mentor programs more available in all other parts of Chicago and in cities throughout America. Volunteers help organize major events, such as the Chicagoland Tutor/Mentor Volunteer Recruitment Campaign, the May and November Tutor/Mentor Leadership Conferences, an on-going Public Awareness Campaign, etc. Volunteers also work within their own business, professional and social networks to develop T/MC partnerships such as the Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Lend-A-Hand Program at the Chicago Bar Association/Foundation (www.lawyerslendahand.org) . Read more. Time commitment: Approx 4-6 hrs per month.
Student Recruitment/Retention Committee -- Designs and implements programs that will encourage and motivate students to achieve. Time Commitment: Approx. 4-6 hours per month
Volunteer Recruitment Committee -- Develops and implements recruiting plan, including designing materials and identifying recruiting opportunities. Time Commitment: Approx. 4-6 hours per month. This committee works with the T/MC's citywide recruitment campaign to draw volunteers to Cabrini Connections and other programs.
Volunteer Social/Recognition Committee -- Schedules social activities to give volunteers the opportunity to interact and support each other. Time Commitment: Approx. 2-4 hours per month (plus time spent participating in events)
Volunteer Training Committee -- Designs training workshops and materials to help volunteers succeed. Time Commitment: Approx. 3-6 hours per month. This group works also with the Tutor/Mentor Leadership Conference planning group so that knowledge from Cabrini Connections is shared with hundreds of other programs and the knowledge of others is available to Kids' Connection volunteers, students and staff.
Student Writing Programs -- Volunteers are needed organize a student writing activities, such as producing a student newsletter, as well as develop writing workshops and programs throughout the year that encourage all youth in Cabrini Connections to become prolific and talented communicators. Time Commitment: Approx. 4-6 hours per month
Cabrini Connections is a 501 (c)(3) non profit. Each year we must raise more than $400,000 to keep this organization operating. This is a constant struggle because many donors can't give each year and many organizations are competing for the same donor dollar. Yet we have made a commitment to help each youth who joins our program in 7th and 8th grade be starting a job/career by age 25. To keep that commitment we need help from volunteers and donors. If you are able to make a contribution to support our programs, or if you have a foundation which would accept a grant proposal, please call 312-492-9614, or send your contribution to
Cabrini Connections
Tutor/Mentor Connection
800 W. Huron
Chicago, Il. 60642
A few dollars can make the difference of a lifetime for an at-risk child.
