BECOME A VOLUNTEER
ETCDC is able to provide low/no-cost design services to nonprofit and community-based organizations because of generous pro bono assistance from area design and development professionals. Without their help, we could not accomplish our mission.
We are continually seeking new professional volunteers willing to donate a few hours a month to help make East Tennessee better by design.
Professional design service providers needed include architects, landscape architects, land use planners, interior designers, engineers, developers, and contractors. Volunteer time commitments vary based on requirements of the project and the individual volunteer’s available time.
Interested in volunteering? Please read about the volunteer selection process below, then fill out the Volunteer Interest Form at the bottom of this page. A staff member will reach out to follow up.
Contact us at 865-525-9945 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
VOLUNTEER ROLES
ETCDC is currently seeking volunteers with professional backgrounds in fields including (but not limited to) architecture, landscape architecture, land use planning, interior design, engineering, property development, and construction. ETCDC projects vary in complexity and scope based on the client's needs--take a look at our past projects page to see the variety of project types with which we have assisted.
In order to help move projects forward without competing with local design professionals, ETCDC volunteers produce "conceptual presentation drawings." We do not prepare design development or construction documents. The goal is to provide clients with a tangible design plan they can then use to support fundraising efforts to make the design a reality.
If the client secures project funding, we strongly encourage the client to contract with the volunteer(s) who created the initial conceptual drawings. ETCDC’s work would not be possible without the generous contributions of the professional design community, and we hope that the client’s dream being realized will result in privately contracted work for our volunteers.
VOLUNTEER SELECTION PROCESS
- Fill out the below Volunteer Interest Form
- A staff member will follow up with you and add you to our volunteer email list
- When a new project request comes to ETCDC, we email a description of the project opportunity to all ETCDC volunteers.
- Â Interested volunteers complete the Specific Project Volunteer Information form linked in their email
- ETCDC matches the most qualified volunteer to the project. Preference is given to licensed professionals (in applicable fields) and ETCDC members. If two or more equally qualified volunteers express interest, priority will be given to the volunteer who responded first.
- ETCDC sets up an initial meeting between ETCDC, the client, and the volunteer.