Volunteer Opportunities

As a volunteer, you can help our organization thrive! We have many opportunities for our members to get involved on a national level by serving on the Board of Directors or on one of our many standing and ad hoc committees. Read on to find out more about the various ways you can be active in shaping our organization. If you have questions about volunteering, please contact [email protected] or call the RWA office at 832-717-5200, Ext. 126.

For more information about Board positions and the required qualifications for each position, contact the Leadership Development Committee Chairperson. To volunteer for any of the following committees, please complete the volunteer opportunity form. Please note, current policy states that national volunteer positions are open to General and General Honorary members. 

 

Submit Volunteer Form

 

Board of Directors

RWA’s Board of Directors consists of 12 Directors-at-Large, a Secretary, Treasurer, and President-Elect, making 15 voting members. The Board also has 3 non-voting elected Liaison positions: PAN Advisor, PRO Advisor, and Chapter Advisor. Each member of the Board serves a two-year term, with the exception of President and President-Elect, who serve one year each.

Members interested in running for a Board position must declare their intent to run by a specific date each year, and elections are held in August. The Board year begins on September 1 and ends August 31, and the Board meets for three in-person Board meetings and at least one telephonic Board meeting each year.

RWA Committees

Standing Committees

These committees shall carry out charges approved by the Board but shall not have or exercise the authority of the Board in the management of RWA.

Academic Grant Committee: The Academic Grant committee shall review grant and fellowship applications pursuant to the parameters set out in Section 11 and make recommendations to the Board.

Audit Committee: The Audit Committee, chaired by the Treasurer and populated by members of the Finance Committee, shall be responsible for selecting an independent CPA firm to conduct the annual audit, for reviewing the annual audited financial statements and any associated management letter detailing deficiencies, and for reviewing the related tax returns before all materials are presented to the Board.

Awards Ceremony Committee: This committee shall oversee the Awards Ceremony, including writing and reviewing the script and providing input on the ceremony theme.

Conference Workshop Committee: The Conference Workshop Committee shall coordinate, plan, and oversee the annual Conference workshops.

Ethics Committee: The Ethics Committee shall review, investigate and provide recommendations to the Board for complaints filed pursuant to the Code of Ethics and shall handle any election challenges.

Finance Committee: The Finance Committee shall be chaired by the Treasurer. The Finance Committee shall assist the Treasurer as requested on financial and budgetary matters.

Leadership Development Committee: The Leadership Development Committee shall solicit the General membership for candidates for Board positions, assist the President-Elect in making choices for assistant chairs per section 10.2. and revise and update the candidate questionnaire.

PAN Steering Committee: The PAN Steering Committee shall consist of PAN members and be chaired by a PAN member. The PAN Steering Committee shall support, promote, and protect the interests of published romance writers, enhance the channels of communication between romance authors and publishing industry professionals, and coordinate activities by and for PAN members.

PRO Steering Committee: The PRO Steering Committee shall consist of PRO members and be chaired by a PRO member. The PRO Steering Committee shall support and promote the interests of romance writers in the areas between manuscript submission and publication, enhance the channels of communication between those romance writers and publishing industry professionals, and coordinate activities by and for PRO members.

RWA University Committee: The RWA University Committee shall work with RWA staff to provide classes and other online educational resources to members.

 

Ad Hoc Committees

Ad hoc committees are temporary committees or task forces created for discussion of RWA issues that do not fall under the scope of RWA's standing committees.

Content Advisory Ad Hoc Committee

 

Advisory Committees

These committees are made up of individuals who possess specific knowledge and skills on a particular subject and will, at the Board’s request, make recommendations on a particular topic or program. These committees do not have Board authority and cannot make policy for the organization, but the Board can assign tasks to these committees to complete, in the manner and timeframe set out by the Board. Each advisory committee will have an assigned Board Liaison.

Diversity Advisory Committee: The Diversity Advisory Committee shall make recommendations and provide information and materials to the Board on diversity and inclusion issues that impact RWA and its members. The Diversity Advisory shall also perform these specific tasks: (1) Review the Spectrum Grant applications and make a recommendation to the Board regarding the award of grants. (2) Offer feedback to the Board on workshops, programs and the annual RWA conference. (3) Assign one member per committee to serve as a representative on each of the following committees: Awards Ceremony, RWA University, Conference Workshop, and Leadership Development. Each representative shall act as a liaison between the Diversity Advisory Committee and the other committee on which they serve to promote inclusion and report any concerns to the Board. (4) Refer complaints regarding a lack of inclusion, diversity issues and discrimination to the Executive Director for further action. (5) Handle such other tasks as assigned by the Board.