Are you interested in stepping into the wings and joining the convention stage crew? The ConCom (WisCon Convention Committee) plans and runs WisCon, and we welcome everyone — we’ll do our best to find a role that fits your skills, values, energy, and schedule!
What to expect
You don’t need to be local to Madison or even attend in person! Most of our members live elsewhere, and Online Con has created virtual roles. The committees meet monthly on virtual calls as needed, and we use a coordination website to keep up with work and communication.
Pre-con volunteering starts in September for those members taking lead roles, then gets busy in earnest in January, when it reaches several hours per week for most roles. In May as WisCon approaches, some roles have a little more time required. Some roles have tasks at WisCon, and others don’t. We all have a wrap-up meeting in June, and for the rest of the summer organizing obligations tend to be light.
How to apply
You can email us about one or several of these roles you’re curious about at personnel@sf3.org (subject: Volunteering). We can help if you aren’t sure what’s the best fit!
Open Volunteer Positions
Needed to avoid reduced services:
- Access Lead
Want a role that comes with surprises and new challenges? The Access Lead makes WisCon accessible and welcoming by being responsive to attendee requests. In addition to keeping tabs on Closed Captioning and Alt Text efforts, you’d remain available and flexible to meet some unpredicted needs using WisCon resources. Please email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Access Lead) if you want to know more.
- Opening Ceremonies Lead
Write & present the Opening Ceremonies. Details coming soon. Please email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Opening Ceremonies) if you want to know more.
- Website Team Lead
You’ll organize meetings and tasks and get team members engaged so that team members can update the website. In the process, you’ll refresh or build new WordPress know-how. Expect to start at 3-5 hours per week and drop off to about 1-2 hours a week in this position. If curious, contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Website Team Lead).
- BIPOC Safer Space Co-Lead
Do you want to help make WisCon a better (virtual) experience for attendees who are Black, Indigenous, or other People of Color? You’ll work with the other BIPOC Safer Space co-leads to advocate for BIPOC attendees, plan and schedule Safer Space micro-programming, and ensure there are Safer Space volunteers when needed. This role involves both pre-con and at-con work. Curious? Email personnel@sf3.org (subject: BIPOC Safer Space Co-Lead)
- Plural Safer Space Lead
In addition to WisCon’s (virtual) Safer Spaces for disabled, trans/genderqueer, and BIPOC attendees, we will also be offering a Plural Safer Space. If you’d like to support our plural members of all systems, you’ll work with the other Safer Space leads to advocate for attendees, plan and schedule Safer Space micro-programming, and ensure there are Safer Space volunteers when needed. This role involves both pre-con and at-con work. Curious? Email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Plural Safer Space Lead)
Needed to avoid staff burnout:
- Guest of Honor Team Co-Lead
Help choose our next Guest of Honor! Our process involves getting input of staff each year. As Guest of Honor Lead, you’ll also make sure each guest has a place on the program and coordinate liaisons as needed. Learn more by contacting personnel@sf3.org (subject: GoH Lead).
- Shift Volunteer Coordinator
Want to build scheduling skills to help WisCon organizers have some time to enjoy WisCon itself? Help to coordinate shift volunteers! You’ll work independently with support to help figure out what timeslots are needed (only 2 types for this year!), manage signup, communicate with potential volunteers, and identify potential “super volunteers” to cover multiple shifts. Curious? Email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Shift Coordinator) and we’ll see if it’s a good fit!
Needed by May 22nd to have WisCon in 2026:
- Apprentice Programming Chair
What really makes a convention sing? Its programming! In this role, you’d get to practice coordinating the grid to ensure that no scheduling conflicts occur and practice communicating with various participants. You’d then step up into the Chair role in June, tracking team progress and calling meetings starting in late fall. To learn more, please contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Apprentice Programming Chair).
- Apprentice Communications Chair
Want to spread the word about WisCon? Got a passion for documentation? As Apprentice Communications Chair you’d get to practice coordinating with other chairs and the Communications Team to send out the latest WisCon news. You’d then step up into the Chair role after this WisCon, when volume is relatively low. To learn more, please contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Apprentice Comms Chair).
- Fundraising Chair (training available)
Would you love to connect funders to an event you love? We can train you to do just that! A Fundraising Chair coordinates with the Treasurer, any Fundraising staff, and your fellow Chairs about fundraising activities of your choice from a virtual menu of options. Ed2Go training available. To sate your curiosity, contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Fundraising Lead).
- Online Con Lead-in-training
Want to build your experience managing the online components for a large event? We can train you in making decisions for and configuring platforms like Zoom and/or Discord! For 2-3 hours per week, you’ll be a member of an active team to help shape and set up the online platforms for WisCONline. You’ll also help with coordinating backstage volunteers. Volunteer hours may increase in May to around 5 hours per week for the last week or two before WisCon. If you’re curious, email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Online Con Lead).
- Closed Captioning Liaison
Want to coordinate an essential service and ease the load of organizers? Pick up Online Con Team’s current efforts to hire Closed Captions transcribers to help make WisCONline 2025 accessible and welcoming. The process is starting, we just need someone to train and go through the steps! Please contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Access Team) for more info.
- Grant Finder
Do you have access to your in-person public library and want to use that access to help WisCon be fully funded? This short-term role takes a burst of 5-10 hours per week, with possible recurrance. If this looks interesting to you, please email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Grant Finder) to get connected!
- Server Migration (optional App Support)
If you have experience with server infrastructure, we’d love your help with our server migration project. You’d build or practice your LAMP stack skills & knowledge. This 1-2 hour/week position can last until the end of the project or can be a longer-term role, depending our your availability and interest. If this might be a good match, please contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: IT volunteer).
Needed by May 22nd to hold WisCon in person:
- Apprentice Operations and Hospitality Chair
Want in on the nuts and bolts? You could help the Ops & Hospitality Co-Chairs connect people together to ensure the Leads for Access, Guest of Honor, Online Con, Safety, Safer Spaces, and Registration have what they need to run WisCONline this year. If this is an interesting opportunity, email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Ops & Hosp Apprentice) and we’ll see if it’s a good fit!
Nice to have:
- Website Team Members
Have some WordPress skills you don’t want to get rusty, or want to build? Ask about joining our Website work sessions to continue to update the text, formatting, and structure of the WisCon website as a team. Starting at 3-5 hours per week and dropping off to about 1 hour per week. For more info, contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Website Team).
- Recruiter (1-2)
Do you enjoy crafting brief, clear, and enticing communication? You could work with other staff to draft and schedule open recruitment calls for WisCon, like the one you’re reading now! This takes 2-4 hours per call, 1-3 calls per week. Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Recruiter)
- Personnel Co-Chair
Other Chair Apprentices
Do you want to help run a convention, but don’t know where to start? Want to organize with WisCon without being the only person doing something? Consider joining WisCon staff as an Apprentice Chair! As apprentice, you could set your own hours, with the understanding that you expect to take on more hours, months or years in the future. You’ll need & develop excellent skills delegating, organizating information, and communicating. Our Chairs now have limited areas of responsibility:
- Apprentice Personnel Chair
Would you like to learn or practice volunteer coordination and management? You can help us be ready for the next WisCon! This remote role involves checking progress and follow-up with Personnel volunteers for a few hours per week. Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Personnel Apprentice Chair) for more information.
- IT Apprentice Chair
Are you curious about the digital bones of WisCon? Can you call a mean meeting, and also want to build your organizing skills? As a bonus, do you have a passion for translating between tech folx and mere mortals? For a few hours per week, help the Chair organize folx running the website, Sched, and general accounts. If this role seems interesting, email personnel@sf3.org (subject: IT Apprentice)
Board roles – train now! Run for election in October:
SF3 is the nonprofit that runs WisCon.
- SF3 Vice President
Are you fascinated by the big picture and happy to let others handle mundane details? Or perhaps you love connecting people to facilitate effective action. You may be the perfect candidate to become Vice President of the SF3 Board. Expect to spend 3-7 hours a month as the liaison between the Board and WisCon committee chairs. For more information, contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: SF3 VP).
- SF3 Board Member at Large