Volunteer

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!

At-Con Volunteer Positions

Want to contribute by volunteering during the convention? For WisCon 2026, we need people to fill virtual volunteer roles during the convention.  Such as:

    • Discord Moderator
      Excellent as they are, our Online Con Team has not yet learned the trick of being omnipresent. You’ll get to work with bots (the helpful kind, not the spam kind) and keep the Online Con Team informed if needed.
    • Production Assistant
      Like a virtual backstage manager, you might help ensure everything’s in place for programming and events. This role is a great way to build your Zoom proficiency and also provides the opportunity to attend panels while volunteering. Training and a step-by-step run sheet with emergency contacts will be provided.

Staff Volunteer Positions

Events Apprentice Chair

Want to learn about how WisCon’s big events — including the Dessert Salon, Art Show, and Dealers Room — actually happen? Do you have strong organizational and communication skills? (Experience organizing events is a bonus.) The Events Apprentice Chair will work with the current Events Chair, as well as the Leads of individual events, to make sure everything runs smoothly, and will become Events Chair for 2027. Time commitment starts out at 1 hour per week, increasing as WisCon approaches. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (Subject: Events Apprentice)

POC Outreach Chair

Want to help grow and support POC presence at WisCon? As the POC Outreach Chair, you’ll lead continuing outreach efforts including volunteer support, mentorship, and a potential BIPOC Caucus. Time commitment is approximately 3-5 hours per month. Reach out to personnel@sf3.org (subject: POC Outreach Chair) for more info.

Workshop Lead

Do you want to make WisCon’s writing workshops happen? You’ll  coordinate recruiting and logistics for workshop facilitators and attendees, work as a liaison between WisCon and facilitators at the con itself, and  generally support writing experiences at WisCon in 2026 and 2027. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (Subject: Workshop Lead)

Apprentice Panels Co-Lead

Panels are one of the most important parts of the WisCon experience, and you can take part in shaping them. The Apprentice Panels Co-Lead works with the Panels Co-Lead and the rest of the Programming team to oversee the panel submission review process, with the goal of eventually stepping into the Co-Lead role. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Apprentice Panels Co-Lead)

Online Con Co-Lead

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 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 Co-lead)

SF3 At-Large Board Member

The Board of Directors of SF3, the non-profit that runs WisCon, seeks an At-Large Board Member to serve a one-year term. You’ll start in an apprentice status before being officially elected at the 2026 annual meeting. The time commitment is 1-2 hours/week, including a monthly board meeting. Prior non-profit board experience or other experience with non-profits is helpful but not required. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org, with “at-large Board member” in the subject line.

AppDev Team Member

Do you want to help build and maintain WisCon’s scheduling and programming systems?  We’re looking for volunteers who are skilled with or willing to learn PHP, React-bootstrap, REST/json, Stripe, MySQL, and SMTP, who will work with the rest of the AppDev team to ensure WisCon’s apps are working smoothly and fully updated. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (subject: AppDev Team Member)

Content Lead

Do you love wordsmithing to get the perfect skeet? Does getting great reactions fuel your joy? As Content Lead, you’ll help write long and short posts to help WisCon generate buzz. Bring your love and ability to craft attention-grabbing text. Time commitment is 1-2 hours per week. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Content Lead)

Social Media Posters

Want to try your hand at social media marketing? Social Media Posters work with the Wiscon Marketing/Content Team to keep our online presence up-to-date and boost our visibility to the wider world. Time commitment is two  hours/week, increasing as Wiscon approaches. If you are a reliable person who understands and enjoys any of the following platforms: Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Lemon 8, or Tiktok, we’d love to hear from you at personnel@sf3.org (please include subject line: Social Media Posters).

Accounts Team Member

Want to help onboard volunteers for Wiscon 2026?  The Accounts Team Member sets up new volunteers with the accounts they need for the 2026 WisCONline , and removes outgoing volunteers. We will train you in use of our templates as well as in Basecamp and Discord. Time commitment will be 2-4 hours per week, increasing as we approach WisCon, and dropping to fewer afterwards. Contact personnel@sf3.org (subject: Accounts Team Member) for more information.

Workshop Team Member

Join the team that puts together WisCon’s writing workshops! You’ll help with recruiting, scheduling, promotion, and other tasks crucial to making  our online/hybrid and in-person workshops happen. Time commitment starts out at 1-2 hours per week, then ramps up closer to the con. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (Subject: Workshop Team Member)

Graphic Designer

Want to create the graphics that represent WisCon on its website, social media, and at the event itself? You’ll work with the Marketing team to create 6-12 eye-catching graphics each month. Must have experience using Canva Pro or similar software. Time commitment is 3-6 hours per month. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Graphic Designer)

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.  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.

Art Show Apprentice

Interested in helping create a space for visual art at WisCon? Are you an art appreciator who has great people skills and is comfortable with technology? The Art Show Apprentice assists the Events Chair with artist recruitment and selection, creation of an online gallery page and Discord channel, and communication with artists. Time commitment starts at 1 hour per week, increasing as WisCon approaches. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (Subject: Art Show Apprentice)

Small Donor Drive Coordinator (fundraising)

WisCon is hoping to organize a small-donor fundraising drive at this year’s (virtual) convention, and we’re looking for a volunteer to organize it! You’ll put everything together with the support of the Fundraising Chair and other volunteer teams, bringing in funds to make future WisCons happen. Previous fundraising experience is welcome, but not required. Interested? Email personnel@sf3.org (subject: Small-Donor Drive Coordinator)

Chair/Lead 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:

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)

A feminist, diverse, inclusive science fiction and fantasy convention.