Seattle Works

Overall questions
Why participate?
What does Seattle Works do?
How much does it cost to participate?
What if I don't have a team?
Why urban green spaces?
How do I sign up?

Team Captain questions
What are the responsibilities of a Team Captain?
Who can be on my team?
Is there a minimum or maximum number of team members?
How does my team get matched with a project?
How do I get started?

Why participate?
Seattle Works Day is a fun and easy way to give back! You will be one of 1,500 people digging in at parks and other greenspaces throughout the city. That's 5,000 hours of service in a single day!

Plus, because it's Seattle Works, we finish things off with a big old party complete with food, drinks and entertainment. What more could you ask for?

How about this - Your participation not only connects you with a great service opportunity and party, but your contribution supports our year-round work to connect local organizations with enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers as well.

What does Seattle Works do?
Seattle Works fosters the health of our region by creating opportunities for the next generation to serve as active volunteers, knowledgeable community leaders, informed voters and savvy charitable donors. We partner with nonprofit and civic organizations to expand the ways they engage residents in achieving their missions.

From one-time service projects to board training to dialogues with elected officials, Seattle Works is developing the knowledge, connections and skills of our next generation of community leaders.

Seattle Works is a 501c nonprofit organization, federal tax id number 91-1416844.

How much does it cost to participate?
Individual registrations for the event are $30. Corporate sponsorship begins at $1,000 and includes participation plus exposure for your organization. Additional sponsorship levels are available, offering increased participation and recognition benefits.

What if I don't have a team?
We have four "public teams", which are open to individual sign-ups (and - feel free to wrangle up a friend or two to join you!). Teams include Singles in Seattle, 20-somethings, 30-somethings and Random Assortment.

Why urban greenspaces?
It's not easy being green! Seattle has gorgeous natural surroundings and great conditions to maintain them (can we say rain?). But the task becomes a little more difficult within the city itself. So Seattle Works is devoting its biggest volunteer day of the year to making Seattle a greener - and healthier - place. We will protect native plants, maintain trails, clean beaches and do much, much more. As volunteers, we can help maintain and improve those spaces that make us an attractive, safe and livable Seattle.

But that's not all - those hours of physical labor contribute more than visual appeal. With healthier plants and native wildlife, we can help keep Seattle's air and water clean. Seattle produces more than 6.5 million tons of greenhouse gases a year, but each healthy tree can remove one metric ton of carbon dioxide in the same amount of time. So when you're mulching, you're helping reduce climate change and produce a better quality of life for everyone.

How do I sign up?
Registration is open now!

TEAM CAPTAIN QUESTIONS

What are my responsibilities as a team captain?
Team Captains are the heart of successful teams! All Team Captains have the following responsibilities:

- Recruit and motivate - spread the word about the event and encourage participation
- Send team reminders and ensure everyone on your team is ready for the day and knows where they are going.
- Be a resource to organization hosting the project at the event as needed.

It's fairly common for several teams to volunteer at the same project site. One Team Captain at each project site also has the following responsibilities:
- Connect with the contact from the organization hosting your project to confirm project details and be a point of contact leading up to the event.
- Meet with Seattle Works the week of the event to pick up check in materials, event t-shirts and light snacks.
- Arrive 45 minutes early to your service project - help set up the check in area and walk through the project to be sure you have an understanding of the tasks before your team's arrival.
- Return sign-in sheets and any extra materials to the Seattle Works Day AfterParty.

Who can be on my team?
Everyone is welcome to participate in Seattle Works Day! The event brings together teams of friends, co-workers, college alumni groups, social networking organizations, faith groups, political campaign teams and more - whoever you define as your community.

For liability reasons, finding projects for team members under the age of 18 can be a challenge. Please talk with our staff if you would like for your team to include children.

Is there a min or max number of team members?
No min. No max. If you do anticipate your team will have more than 25 participants it is good to know earlier in the planning process so we can be sure to have a project large enough for your group.

How will we be matched with a project?
All projects will take place at urban greenspaces - parks, community gardens, etc. When you sign up as a Team Captain, you will receive information on which projects are available for a group of your size and can select your project. This is a new process this year where you'll learn earlier where you'll be going and will have more choice. YAY!

How do I get started?
- Complete our Team Captain Survey, which gives us the info we need to add your team to our registration database.

- We'll have your team set-up in our system within one business day. Once you hear from us, sign yourself up for your team and encourage people to join you!

- Get ideas and resources from our Team Captain Toolkit.

Questions? Contact Director of Volunteer Programs Jan Burrell or either of our VISTA Volunteer Program Coordinators Kym Buzdygon and Allie May.

Thinking about sponsorship? Contact Associate Director Tara Smith.