Volunteer roles
Put your skills to work for a stronger Chicago
Strong Towns Chicago is run by volunteers. Everything we do, from testifying at City Council hearings to posting on Instagram, happens because people give their time.
Right now we need help in four specific areas. These are unpaid volunteer roles, and there may be room for more than one person in each. If one sounds like you, email us. We'll follow up to talk it through and make sure it's a good fit on both sides.
Where you can help
Graphic Designer Canva and more
Turn rough ideas into graphics people stop to read.
Time: About 2 to 4 hours a week. Remote, on your own schedule.
What you'd do
Design Instagram posts, carousels, event flyers, and handouts using our colors and fonts. Most requests start as a rough draft or a few lines of text.
You'd be a good fit if you
- Are comfortable in Canva, Adobe, Figma, or a similar tool
- Can take a crowded idea and make it simple to read
- Can usually turn a request around in a few days
Experience that counts: Anything you've designed for a job, a class, a club, or yourself. A few examples are plenty.
Bench Building Lead
Lead a hands-on project that gives Chicagoans more places to sit.
Time: A few hours a week of planning, plus build days (usually weekends). In person.
What you'd do
Plan and run our bench builds. That means settling on a simple design, pricing and gathering materials, scheduling build days, and walking volunteers through each step.
You'd be a good fit if you
- Are comfortable with power tools and basic woodworking
- Like teaching, and can show a first-timer how to use a tool safely
- Plan ahead, so materials and volunteers show up on the same day
Experience that counts: Weekend projects like building shelves, a deck, or furniture for your own place.
Social Media Manager
Keep our feeds active, consistent, and easy to follow.
Time: About 3 to 5 hours a week. Remote.
What you'd do
Plan and schedule posts across Instagram, Bluesky, and our other channels. Write captions, keep up with comments and messages, and work with the volunteers who make our graphics and videos.
You'd be a good fit if you
- Know what makes people stop scrolling
- Write short, clear captions quickly
- Can keep a regular posting schedule
- Can stay calm when people argue in the comments (city policy brings out strong opinions)
Experience that counts: Running a personal account, a club's page, or a small business feed. We'll help you get up to speed on the policy side.
Short-Form Video Creator
Make short videos that show people how their city works.
Time: Flexible. A typical video takes a few hours from filming to posting.
What you'd do
Film and edit videos for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. Think street interviews, quick explainers, and event recaps.
You'd be a good fit if you
- Have made short videos before
- Can edit on your phone or computer, in whatever app you like
- Are comfortable filming out in public
Experience that counts: Videos for your own account, even ones shot on a phone. We have a shared mic and tripod kit you can borrow.
Every email gets a reply
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We read it and reply within a week.
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If it looks like a match, we'll set up a quick call or coffee to talk through the role and answer your questions.
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If it's not the right fit, or the role is already full, we'll let you know and suggest other ways to get involved.
None of these fit? There's still plenty to do.
These are the roles we need most right now. You can also: