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Volunteer

Why volunteer for SFWA?

SFWA is a volunteer-driven 501(c)3 organization. We depend on volunteers to run many of our programs and services. Additionally, volunteering is a great way to meet people, acquire new skills, and contribute to your community.

We currently have a variety of volunteer opportunities, from helping out for an hour or two at a convention or at our annual Nebula Conference and Awards Ceremony to more long-term options like joining one of our committees or helping with website/database updates. Although some specific volunteer opportunities do require SFWA membership, we have a variety of volunteer needs that do not require you to be a member of the organization.

If you’d like to volunteer for SFWA (even if you’re not a member), please fill out our volunteer survey. The survey collects information that will help us match you to volunteer opportunities. If you have skills or expertise that you think might be useful to SFWA, let us know!

In addition, below are just a few of our current opportunities. If you are interested in helping out with any of these particular needs, please email Volunteers@sfwa.org. Our Volunteer Coordinator will follow-up regarding your availability and volunteer interests. We look forward to hearing from you.

Current Volunteer Opportunities for SFWA members and non-members


  • Nebula Conference – In Person & Online

Over the last several years, the Nebula Conference has seen record growth, and we need your help to sustain it! Dozens of volunteer roles need to be filled so our year-round conference activities can continue, and so we can successfully transition to an in-person and online hybrid model for 2022. Consider joining one (or more!) of our Nebula volunteer teams! Most roles only require a couple hours of your time:

Ad Hoc Volunteer Team (Gophers)

A/V Tech Team

Banquet Team

Book Bag Stuffing Team

Move-in/Move-out Team

Hospitality Assistant / Door Dragons

Registration Team

Publications Team

Mass Autographing Team     

Social Media Team

Publicity Team

The Nebula Conference could not exist in its current (or any form) without the assistance of our amazing army of volunteers. Not only that, volunteering at the conference is an easy and fast way to meet new people and make friends. Join us! Volunteer for the 2022 Nebula Conference, either in-person in Los Angeles or for our online conference at events.sfwa.org.

  • Grant Writers

Do you have experience as a grant writer? SFWA’s Fundraising Committee is seeking additional volunteers to assist with applying for grants to support our many programs and to launch new ones. Please reach out if you’d like to help.

Current Volunteer Opportunities for SFWA Members Only

You must be a member of SFWA to serve as a volunteer for the following opportunities:

  • Romance Steering Committee

Do you write Romance? Are you interested in helping to steer SFWA to better serve the science fiction and fantasy romance writers of the organization?

The SFWA Board of Directors is seeking a committee chair and committee members to launch a steering committee for the Romance writers’ community within SFWA.  The committee will serve as an advocate for SFWA’s science fiction and fantasy romance authors and coordinate with other committee members to drive SFWA’s programs and services in support of SFF Romance writers. Individuals interested in taking on this role should be self-starters and good communicators, able to take initiative to keep committee work moving forward. Interested members should email volunteers@sfwa.org with information about your relevant experience as either a romance writer or a volunteer, as well as a brief description of your interest in participating in the committee. If you have a vision for how you would like SFWA to serve our SFF romance writers, please provide that as well. 

Other examples of steering committees within SFWA include the Short Fiction committee, MG/YA steering committee, Self-publishing committee, Game-writing committee, and Comics committee. If you would like to serve as a voice for the romance writers within SFWA, please consider volunteering to help launch this new committee.

  • The Legal Affairs Committee 

The Legal Affairs Committee is looking for volunteers for 1–2 hours per week. Some legal training and interest in copyright law is necessary. Duties will include participating in committee subforum discussion and helping to write white papers, Copyright Office comments, amicus briefs, and blog posts.

  • The 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.

  • Financial Advisory Committee 

Do you have a background in finance, accounting, bookkeeping, or related fields? We’re always looking for SFWA members interested in serving on our 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. Email volunteers@sfwa.org with information about your relevant experience.