Volunteer

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) is a charitable, non-profit arts service organization founded on a collaborative philosophy: writers helping writers. This philosophy informs an annual programming cycle and a wide array of professional services that support the craft of writing, the business of being a writer, and the promotion of Nova Scotia writers as integral to the province’s cultural life and creative economy. WFNS has over 700 annual members, at all career stages, who are engaged in a diverse range of forms, genres, and writing practices.
WFNS programs and events frequently rely on the generous volunteerism of members and non-members alike. The numerous ways in which you can volunteer are detailed below, organized according to the time commitment usually involved, from highest to lowest.
For questions about volunteer opportunities, please contact Oriana Duinker at director@writers.ns.ca
Volunteer role (& type) | Minimum membership requirement | Location | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Member of the Board of Directors (Governance) | General Membership | remote | Three to six Directors are elected during each WFNS Annual General Meeting (June). The call for Board candidates runs mid April to mid May and is announced through our website, newsletter, and social media. Directors usually serve for two years; each year, they attend monthly Board Meetings and the annual AGM and participate in one or more Board Committees. |
Member of a Board Committee (Governance) | General Membership | remote | Twelve or more non-Director Committee members are appointed by the Board after each WFNS Annual General Meeting (June). The call for Committee expressions of interest runs mid April to mid June and is announced through our website, newsletter, and social media. Committee members usually serve for one year. |
Fundraiser participant (Fundraising) | General Membership | Nova Scotia | WFNS's annual Writing Rumble fundraiser (fall)—as well as occasional pop-up fundraisers—rely on the participation of writers-as-writers. These invitation-only roles always involve writing under a time limit for a public audience and usually involve seeking sponsorships from friends, family, and social media followers. |
Nova Writes reader (Editorial) | Writers' Council membership | remote | Details are provide in our Great Call to Writers' Council Members. The Great Call is open for expressions of interest from May 1 to May 31 and is announced through our website, newsletter, and social media |
Author Spotlights interviewer (Editorial) | General Membership | remote | New initiative! WFNS is gauging interest in member-written contributions to our Author Spotlights interview series. This role would involve pitching a Nova Scotian author as an interview subject, reading a recent title by that author, posing insightful questions by email, and responding to editing suggestions from WFNS staff. |
Book Club leader (Editorial / Event hosting) | General Membership | remote | New initiative! WFNS is gauging interest in a quarterly virtual Book Club. This role would involve reading a not-so-recent title by a Nova Scotian author, preparing discussion questions, and hosting one virtual book club session. |
Off the Page host (Event hosting) | General Membership | Halifax area | New initiative! WFNS is gauging interest in member-led editions of our Off the Page reading series for emerging writers. This role would involve selecting / soliciting readers, coordinating light snacks, and hosting one in-person (Halifax) reading. |
Regional / genre-based meet-up host (Event hosting) | General Membership | Nova Scotia | New initiative! WFNS is gauging interest in member-led meet-ups, which are open-format, writing- and reading-focused events that welcome WFNS members and non-members alike at low or no registration cost. This role would involve pitching a meet-up concept, providing local logistical support, and leading meet-up activities. |
Outreach / info session host (Event hosting) | General Membership | Nova Scotia | New initiative! WFNS is gauging interest in member-led outreach to NS writing communities and writing programs. This role would involve delivering a presentation on WFNS programming and member benefits, speaking extemporaneously on your experiences with WFNS, and answering attendee questions. WFNS will provide presentation materials and a preparatory meeting. |
Jampolis Open House volunteer (Manual labour) | n/a | ability to travel to Wolfville area | Roughly a dozen volunteers assist in our annual summer refresh of Jampolis Cottage, which involves light renovations, landscaping / groundskeeping, and styling / deep-cleaning. A call for volunteers runs for several weeks before the date and is announced through our website, newsletter, and social media. |
Special event assistant (Event assistance) | n/a | Halifax area | WFNS staff relies on the assistance of volunteers to deliver our annual Celebration of Emerging Writers reading (June), our annual Booktoberfest book fair (Oct), and our annual participation in the Hal-Con sci-fi convention (Nov). Calls for volunteers are is announced through our website, newsletter, and social media. These roles involve event set-up and tear-down, greeting guests, helping readers, and distributing info about WFNS. |
Mailing bee volunteer / Event postering volunteer (Marketing assistance) | n/a | Halifax area | WFNS staff relies on the assistance of volunteers in preparing and addressing our annual Writers In The Schools brochures (Aug) and in distributing promotional posters for Halifax-area WFNS events (various months). Calls for volunteers are is announced through our website, newsletter, and social media. |
Local delivery volunteer (Logistical assistance) | n/a | Halifax area + access to a personal vehicle | Occasionally, WFNS staff could use assistance in delivering boxes of books to Halifax-area members of our Book Awards juries (Nov) or in transporting WFNS materials to our annual Booktoberfest book fair (Oct) and our annual participation in the Hal-Con sci-fi convention (Nov). |
WFNS staff members maintain a list of potential volunteers, and we will reach out directly by email if we’re seeking volunteers for the roles you express interested in. To remove yourself from this list (for a particular role or entirely), please respond to any outreach email or contact us at director@writers.ns.ca with the details. We’ll adjust our volunteer list accordingly.
Before expressing interest in volunteer opportunities through the below form, please ensure you meet the membership and/or location requirements for each opportunity, as detailed in the tab “Volunteer opportunities.”