Volunteering Information

Iowa Association of Long Beach, as an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization, needs dedicated individuals with specific skill sets to plan and execute all of the activities required to ensure a successful event.  That includes Long Range Planning (LRP) which consists of all advance planning and coordination activities required to be achieved before the actual picnic.  Typically, LRP is headed by each Committee Chairperson who identifies the resources needed in terms of finances, materials, supplies, equipment and volunteer support to ensure committee responsibilities are achieved. The second group of volunteers are the picnic individuals needed the day before and on the day of the picnic to conduct specific picnic responsibilities to ensure a safe, and enjoyable event. 

Our committee concept of operations is for the Committee Chairpersons to be in charge of their committee with the authority and responsibility to plan, organize and execute their specific LRP and Picnic functions.  That entails working with the board for guidance, required approvals, and providing picnic preparation updates, identifying volunteer positions and skill sets needed to the Volunteer Committee so they can solicit committee volunteers and identifying supplies and equipment to the Set-Up/ Tear-Down committee such as tables, chairs, signs or other supplies or assistance so they can identify sources and obtain those requirements. 

Opportunities to volunteer are available in these areas:

Website Development and Administration
Administrators are needed to maintain our Iowa By The Sea Picnic website and Facebook Page. This entails interfacing with the board and the various committees to ensure that information on the website and social media is current and available for our members and media visitors.

Publicity Committee
To maintain a strong organization and to maximize participation at our events we need individuals with good communication and artistic skills to develop a publicity plan and press releases to reach fellow Iowans and State of Iowa supporters.   Committee members coordinate with and assist media officials during the picnic to ensure their needs are met. Capturing photographs and videos for use on our website and social media of each event is a responsibility of this committee.

Entertainment Committee
This committee researches and identifies fun and exciting Iowa-related entertainment and/ or speakers with broad audience appeal for the enjoyment of our guests.  Committee members are responsible for supporting and assisting the performers/ speakers to ensure their needs are met during the event.

Membership/ Registration Committee
Individuals are needed to maintain our Membership and Registration/ Payment databases ensuring all contact information is current and accurate and that Payment information matches Registration information.  During the picnic, this committee staffs the Registration Table by greeting our guests, verifying their registration and payment status and providing them with name tags along with meal and door prize tickets.  General and specific information regarding the event is provided by this group along with the maintenance of our Iowa Map.

Volunteers Committee
Volunteers work with each committee to identify required volunteer positions and requisite skill sets along with position reporting, duties, responsibilities and limits to authority. Volunteer Committee members then solicit potential volunteers, contact volunteer applicants to fully understand their volunteer duty preferences, their skill sets and match each applicant to appropriate volunteer positions in conjunction with the Committee Chairpersons. 

Sponsor/ Donation Committee
This committee is responsible for the solicitation of Iowa related donations, door prizes, Iowa memorabilia, Silent Auction items and Free Things Iowa & California in support of our events.  Good communication and organizational skills are needed along with a high standard of ethics in dealing with our member, various Iowa or Iowa-owned local businesses, colleges, museums, associations and other contributors. Committee members monitor and manage the various categories of prizes and items during the event.

Adult/ Children’s Activities Committee
To make events enjoyable for everyone we need volunteers during long range planning (LRP) process to identify fun, safe activities for attendees of all ages.  This committee conducts/ supervises the adult and children’s activities during the picnic ensuring maximum participation and social interaction with an emphasis on attendee enjoyment and safety. 

Lunch/ Decoration Committee
Volunteers are responsible for planning food, drinks and supporting materials and supplies for each event and working with the vendor if it is a catered event. At the event, this committee plans for the arrangement of food, drinks, plates and associated materials to include portion control, as needed.  Committee is responsible for decorating the tables to include appropriate Iowa-themed decorations.

Event Set-up/ Tear-down Committee
These volunteers work with the various committees to determine their needs for tables, chairs, tents, displays and speaker systems and coordinates their acquisition and set-up for the event.  This committee is tasked with developing a picnic set-up plan in working with the committees and the board. This plan is used for set-up and must be submitted to the local fire department for their review.                                   

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Volunteer Registration Form

To volunteer, please complete the “Volunteer Registration Form” below.

Email us at IowaByTheSea@gmail.com if you have questions or need more information.