Community Development Leader & Poverty-Relief Volunteer

About Us

Canyon Scholars is an adopt-a-student program and pipeline of compassion between the U.S. and low-income families in the Copper Canyon in NW Mexico. Since it started in 2000, 140 Americans have sponsored 770 at-risk Latino youth, 420 of them graduating from high schools or colleges. This has freed kids from dismal one-tracked lives, and given them and their families new hope, economic stability, improved health, and a new lease on life!

Job Description

Would you like the satisfaction of rescuing the next 100 youth from impoverished villages of NW Mexico, giving them careers, and helping solve immigration troubles? Are you wanting to move from Success to Significance in your life? Do you have a background in sales, fundraising, volunteer recruiting, or administration? Then come join us!

This could be an incredibly rewarding opportunity! Either lead or join 45 Americans, Rotary Clubs and churches who have built a 23-year-old “pipeline of compassion,” giving educational scholarships to 770 Tarahumaran kids in the Copper Canyon; building water reservoirs; planting organic gardens and orchards; and starting small goat farms.

The Tarahumara in the State of Chihuahua are the remote “running people,” living beyond the reach of mail, internet, or government services, made world-famous by the book Born to Run, who host ultramarathoners from 18 nations every year to compete in their pristine mountains.

We are looking to fill three volunteer positions -- fundraiser, administrator and human resources manager -- teammates who can both lead and follow, who believe we Americans have been blessed to be a blessing, and who are motivated by compassion and meaning more than money. Our 140 college graduates are even willing to collaborate with strategic planners to create a guest-worker program to both attack poverty and create legal, tax-paying immigration solutions.

Learn more about us at CanyonScholars.org, then apply and tell us what you can bring to the table!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop a team in your social network willing to recruit scholarship sponsors for the 20 Tarahumaran youth waiting to enter their first year of school.
• Conduct on-the-ground needs assessments for economic development projects. Lead a Community Development project, mentoring and collaborating with a Canyon Scholars college graduate looking to improve their communities through nursing, teaching, engineering, law or business, working remotely, primarily through Zoom calls
• Create a network of donor support to get behind multiple economic development projects, from farming to water filtration, and marketing Tarahumara products in the U.S., alleviating the poverty that leads to immigration
• Schedule talks and manage and maintain relationships with multiple Rotary clubs, churches, and prospective donors.
• Maintain our database of student and donors, building personal relationships through online Zoom visits, and organize online high school and college Zoom parties.
• Research potential grant sources, including government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Assist our development director in pursuing these relationships.
• Create an alumni association from the dozens of Canyon Scholars graduates who want to pay it forward, paying for and mentoring the next student, middle school to college.
• Recruit or help us screen volunteers for the positions listed above

Qualifications:

• Must have experience in Community Development, sales, accounting, administration, fundraising, human resources, or volunteer recruiting.
• Financial stability and the ability to fund travel to Mexico to develop relationships is helpful, but not essential.
• Spanish as a second language is helpful, but not necessary as we have translators.
• Bachelor’s degree in the above fields preferred but not required.
• Must be a self-less team player, able to give substantial hours to completing Community Development projects you begin.
• Cross-cultural sensitivity and patience is a must as progress is often slower than desired due to lower literacy and a less schedule-oriented lifestyle. This should be considered an opportunity to learn different relational values rather than condescending to an inferior way of life.
• All team members must be motivated by a determination to make the world a better place for the disadvantaged or needy, and be able to value and celebrate small steps forward.

Job Types: Part-time, Contract

Expected hours: 10 – 25 per week

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule

Schedule:

• 4 hour shift
• No weekends

Work setting:

• Remote

Application Question(s):

• Alternately, if you have sales or fundraising experience, the director will collaborate to write the grant. How many years do you have?
• KEY SECTION: Now you know about us. We have an ambitious vision and large menu of opportunities. Please write us specifically about how you feel you can help grow or contribute to our organization. Do you have more time, talent or connections to funding to offer? Do you have a special interest in at-risk youth, education, economic development, human rights, Latinos or indigenous people, or solid solutions that address poverty and reduce the need for immigration. What is motivating you to apply? What would you like to lead? Please describe connections you have to Latino people, service clubs or churches you'd like to connect us to, or core areas of experience (incl. administration, leadership, sales, website maintenance, grant-writing, active board membership experience, etc.) that you would bring. We look forward to hearing from you!!
• Please also tell us the number of hours you're looking for, and how this volunteer work is fitting into your life, i.e. recently retired looking for substantial work, second income, just occasional help, etc. Note: we love to find a match to make this a rewarding experience for you!

Experience:

• Microsoft Office: 5 years (Required)
• grant writing: 7 years (Required)

Language:

• Spanish (Preferred)

Willingness to travel:

• 25% (Preferred)

Work Location: Remote