Volunteering, WisCONline 2025

IT Infrastructure Chair and Academic Program Lead Needed

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Volunteers needed!
IT Infrastructure Chair
If you have a passion for translating between tech folks and mere mortals, the role of IT Infrastructure Chair is for you! As IT Chair, you’ll make sure the information technology infrastructure of WisCon runs smoothly, including the website, and WisCONline scheduling and registrations apps.  Expect to spend 3-5 hours a week on this critical volunteer position. To find out more, email personnel@sf3.org (subject: IT Chair).
Academic Program Lead 
If you love research that supports feminist science fiction and fantasy, then the Academic Program Lead position is for you!  You’ll draft a call for proposals from professors, researchers, doctoral candidates and grad students studying fields related to feminist science fiction to present their research at WisCONline 2025. You’ll schedule presentations, and then publish the results after the convention. Templates from previous academic programming leads available.  Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Academic Lead) for more information!
For more information about either of these positions (or if you’d like to volunteer, but neither of these is a good fit for you), you can also check out our list of Open Volunteer Positions.
SF3

SF3 VP Opening

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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 in this crucial role.
For more information, contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: SF3 VP).
WisCONline 2025

Announcing WisCONline 2025

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The WisCon Convention Committee is pleased to announce that we will be having an online convention in 2025!

What will WisCONline 2025 look like? In addition to being fully online with no in person presence, we are currently looking at changes to WisCon to make it more sustainable for our volunteers. This means WisCon may appear to “shrink”, but if we offer less (for example, fewer panels), it’s because our focus is on quality and maintaining WisCon’s values.

While we can’t give exact details this early, more than ever, the capacity WisCon has to do the things we all love will depend on having volunteers step up. We’re committed to avoiding the past burnout we’ve seen come from volunteers taking on too many roles.

When is it? It will take place Memorial Day weekend as always! (May 23-26, 2025, with some programming possible Thursday evening and Tuesday morning.)

Why online only? Unfortunately we weren’t able to recruit key volunteers in time to make an in-person con viable. We’re excited, however, to use this opportunity to explore what we can do to engage and reach our community in ways we can’t usually.

When can I register? We will send out more information soon about registering!

How can I get involved? We are still in need of many important volunteer roles, which will determine what the con actually looks like. Please check our list at
https://wiscon.net/open-volunteer-positions/
and contact personnel@sf3.org if there are any roles you’re interested in. Also look out for panel submission requests and other contact from our team!

Volunteering

AppDev Team Lead Needed

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Are you a developer interested in making WisConline 2025 possible? As AppDev Team Lead, you’ll manage a team of other application developers to keep our applications running; plan and execute updates on a timely basis; and work with other committees to prioritize enhancements/fixes based on importance and your team’s resources. You’ll also work with Convention Committee leadership, recommending appropriate updates or changes, and using their practical feedback to guide priorities. Expect to spend 1-2 hours a week on this role most of the year, and 10-20 hours (verifying applications) ramping up to WisCon.  Sound interesting? Please contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: AppDev Lead) for more information.

Volunteering

Fundraising Lead Needed

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Do you dream of a career in the non-profit sector? Do you like organizing data and people? Fundraising is the most stable non-profit role, and we can give you valuable experience building up a fundraising program!  You’ll work closely with the Treasurer and meet twice per month, once with Fundraising volunteers and once with all Chairs, to check in about fundraising activities. Mentoring available. To learn more, contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Fundraising Lead).
Volunteering

Access Lead Needed

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If you’re dedicated to making WisCon as accessible and welcoming as possible, this position is for you. As Access Lead, you’ll manage the Access Team of dedicated volunteers to arrange and hire live Closed Caption transcribers (training provided!), facilitate Alt Text, and remain available and flexible for unpredictable details. For more information, please contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Access Lead).

Gap Year, Volunteering

What Is Possible

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Hey WisCon,

You may have noticed a call going out urgently and repeatedly a couple of weeks ago, for three ConCom Co-Chairs. This call failed, and I believe this can make WisCon stronger. We now have the opportunity to staff for a WisCONline in 2025 (with gratitude to the 2020 leadership for paving the way, including making that delightful portmanteau.) We won’t know for sure unless we get confirmed staff by October 2nd.

We’ve restructured the ConCom into three new Committees, which have been chaired in the last two weeks, but don’t worry! There’s still lots you may be needed for! The roles that are needed as of this posting before we can hold a WisCONline in 2025 are:

Communications:

  • AppDev lead (1-2), limited training
  • Server Migration working group (needs 1 to launch), experience needed, temporary group
Board:
  • SF3 Treasurer, training available
Chairs:
  • Personnel Co-Chair, training available
  • Comms Co-Chair, training available
  • Fundraising (Co-)Chair(s) (new), training being researched
Operations & Hospitality:
  • Access Co-Leads, training available
  • Discord Con Lead, training available
  • Registration Pre-Con Lead, training available
  • GoH Team Lead (new), guidance being assembled
All current open roles are listed here: https://wiscon.net/volunteer/concom/

Let’s discover what kind of WisCon we can build together.

Volunteering

Discord Lead Needed

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Here’s your chance to shine and make order out of Discord! As part of the Online Con team, you’ll set up and manage the WisCon Discord. You’ll coordinate with other departments on programming-specific channels, and help manage Discord volunteers and at-Con moderators to help online attendees connect. If you’re familiar with Discord or similar computer-mediated chat systems and are a skilled project manager, we need you! Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Discord Lead) for more information.
Volunteering

Ops & Hospitality Chair

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Do you want to sharpen your coordination, communication, and delegation skills? Or apply these skills to a convention setting? Volunteer to be WisCONline’s Ops & Hospitality Chair, and you will have the joy and challenge of coordinating six teams of fantastic volunteers to help WisCONline run well. We ask for 1-5 hours per week now, increasing to 10-15 hours closer to WisCONline. Duties can be split with a Co-Chair, depending on your energy and time. You’ll need experience behind the scenes at WisCon and/or WisCONline; we’ll provide orientation, mentoring, and documentation.
Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Ops & Hospitality Chair) for more information.
Volunteering

At-Large Board Member Needed

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The SF3 Board is seeking an At-Large Board Member. This one-year term will give you an opportunity to become familiar with how the SF3 Board works while executing self-directed projects to help achieve the SF3 mission. You should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week on average, including a monthly one-hour Board meeting and SF3 Annual Membership Meeting. SF3 is the nonprofit that runs WisCon.
Prior non-profit and non-profit board experience, and experience attending WisCon, is helpful. The role will officially start when and if you’re voted in at the 2024 Annual membership Meeting, but you can start as an apprentice now. Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: at-large Board member) for more information.
Volunteering

Personnel Volunteer Opportunities

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Personnel Co-Chair 

Do you have experience with HR or volunteer coordination and management? You can help SF3 gear up for the next WisCon! This remote role involves checking progress and follow-up with Personnel volunteers for a few hours per week. The Personnel Co-Chair is a member of the SF3 Personnel Committee and reports to the SF3 Vice President. Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Personnel Co-Chair) for more information.

Personnel Volunteer Interviewer
Interview prospective volunteers and help them find their best fit with open positions. Also perform exit interviews as needed.  Member Time commitment varies from 1-2 hours per week May-Dec, up to 3-4 hours per week ramping up to WisCon. Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Volunteer Interviewer) for more information.
Personnel Volunteer Onboard/Off-boarder
Follow onboarding and offboarding templates to set up new volunteers with appropriate committee membership, shift volunteers to new positions, or release outgoing volunteers.  Member of the SF3 Personnel Committee. Time commitment varies from 1-2 hours per week May-Dec, up to 3-4 hours per week ramping up to WisCon. Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Volunteer Onboarder) for more information.