SFWA is a volunteer-driven 501(c)3 organization. We serve creators, and our service is done by creators. We depend on volunteers to run many of our programs. If you currently volunteer for SFWA, or have ever volunteered for SFWA, thank you! It makes a difference.

If you’re looking to join our team, we’d be thrilled to meet you. Many people volunteer to connect with fellow creators, acquire new skills, sharpen old ones, and contribute to their community. Most volunteer postings are for SFWA members, because these aren’t just passive positions. When you volunteer at SFWA, you’re making the fullest use of your membership to help us advance writer advocacy, defense, education, and outreach in the science fiction and fantasy genre. You get to be a part of the conversation.

Not a SFWA member? Not a problem. Opportunities also arise for skills-training and mission support for anyone keen to support SFF writers. Pay attention to the skillset question in the intake form below, and we’ll see what we can do to provide options for mutual benefit.

Many of our interest groups also hold some events that are open to the public, so if you’re looking to learn more about SFF in general, keep an eye on our Events page.

What sort of time commitment are you looking for?

We have a variety of volunteer opportunities. Maybe you’d like to spread some SFWA joy for an hour or two at a local convention booth, or during our weekly online writing dates? Are you interested in helping out in-person or online at our annual Nebula Awards Conference? Sometimes we have short-term research tasks that require your patience for 10-20 hours over a month. And for more consistent options, you could always consider joining one of our committees or service programs.

If you’d like to volunteer for SFWA, please fill out the form below. The more information we have, the better we can help direct you to the right place during intake.

In addition, here are a few of our top opportunities. If any strike your fancy, include them in your form at the bottom.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Current Top Opportunities

INFOSYS (Information Systems) is our team that helps link data. We’re currently looking for one (1) additional person to join the team. Ideal candidates will have some kind of IT background, and experience with Airtable, MemberPress, WordPress, Basecamp, and Google Drive is very desirable. The team meets once a month to offer structural support and some solutions-based thinking to refine SFWA workflows and help other teams achieve their stated goals.

Volunteer Coordinator: Our intake team is looking to grow! This administrative role is supported by SFWA staff directly. Your work would involve assisting with intake monitoring and volunteer-placement discussions, along with supporting existing volunteers to ensure they receive the training and team check-ins they need to succeed in their respective roles. This position would best serve a “people person”, and it offers an excellent opportunity to learn about SFWA’s diverse programming and the wonderful people behind it.

Our Moderation Team is seeking 1-2 new members to work on our Discord channel. We work collaboratively on moderation decisions to ensure that we are making fair decisions that protect our community. We are interested in people who have some moderation experience or are willing to learn, and specifically interested in candidates from marginalized populations, especially BIPOC.

Contracts Committee: The Contracts Committee is looking for volunteers for 1–2 hours per week. Experience with a variety of publishing contracts is a must. Formal legal training is helpful. Duties will include participating in committee subforum discussion and helping to write model contracts, contract alerts, and blog posts.

Publications: If you have experience with line or copy editing, consider joining SFWA Publications! The Pubs Crew primarily selects pitches and works with authors on line edits for The SFWA Blog. Typically, this involves line-editing one short piece (800–1000 words) a month, evaluating pitches, advocating for new content, and attending our monthly meeting. Other programs that run through SFWA Publications include New Release Newsletter, NetGalley Partnership Program, In Memoriam, and Monthly Market Report, so we also welcome general volunteers looking to grow their skills in a variety of design and publishing pursuits. Training will be provided!

The Romance Steering Committee is looking for new members with ideas and enthusiasm for building a community of romantic SFF writers. Willingness to coordinate speakers for the Romancing SFF Meetups, hosting the monthly meetups, and taking part in the romantic-sff SFWA Discord channel are our greatest needs at the moment. We also welcome ideas for additional ways the committee can serve our membership and encourage romantic SFF writers to join SFWA.

History Committee: The History Committee works to help SFWA locate, collect, and preserve SFWA’s history, through interviews and archiving of documents, as well as providing historical information to staff and board members to ensure institutional memory and facilitate smoother leadership transitions. We’re working to find more physical and digital homes for SFWA’s history, and currently looking for two volunteers to serve on the committee.

Financial Advisory Committee: Duties include reviewing monthly and annual financial statements, budgets, and asking questions when appropriate. Sometimes the committee also weighs in on policies for good fiscal management, sending their majority opinion to the Board. The time commitment for this volunteer position is low: typically an hour or two per month to review and reply to email about various financial documents. Committee members should have background education or experience in Not For Profits (like SFWA) in the following areas: accounting, tax, or legal. Individuals with a strong background in finance should send details to be considered.

Writing Date Hosts: SFWA’s Flight Crew runs a tight ship every Sunday, from 2:00-4:00 PM PT, helping authors meet their word counts and other creative goals in dedicated writing sessions. But you know what really helps the process along? Getting to meet wonderful fellow authors, including the ones who generously volunteer to lead each session. Would you like an opportunity to connect with fellow creators in a friendly and encouraging working environment? Apply today to be one of our honored guest-hosts in a future session!