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The Library on the main floor of the House will be closed until late June.

Volunteer Opportunities

Art/Design

Committee Activity/Attire Requirements Prerequisites Commitment
Art Assist instructors during Filoli’s Photography, Art, Botanical Art, Calligraphy, Decorative Art, Arts and Crafts, Embroidery, Mosaic and Children’s Classes; plan and curate, check in artists, hang artwork and host Art Committee exhibitors in the Filoli Visitor Education Center; monitor Artist Access in the Garden; and assist with Filoli Special Events. Attire: dressy casual and comfortable shoes. Tasks vary from interacting with Filoli’s students, gallery visitors and artists in the Garden to preparing refreshments, planning art exhibits, monitoring exhibiting artisits' inventory, setting up the sales desk and providing administrative support at art exhibits. Some walking, stair climbing and sitting. Attendance at Art Committee meetings and orientation; Internet access to respond to calls for volunteers and Committee updates. 36 hours per year minimum.
Floral Design Support the Floral Design Classes, assist with decorating Filoli for various events and assist other Filoli volunteer groups with their floral design needs. Activities are indoors and outdoors.
Attire: dressy casual and comfortable shoes.		 Standing, walking, sitting. Graduate of Filoli’s Home Floral Design Program (beginning, intermediate, advanced), plus completion of all required enrichment courses. 30 hours per year minimum which can include assistance in floral design classes.
Flower Arrangers Create floral arrangements for the House, Visitor and Education Center Lobby, and Garden on a weekly basis. Flower Arrangers also create arrangements for teas, lectures, special events and Holiday Traditions. Activities are indoors and outdoors and vary depending on the day of the week.
Attire: dress casual and comfortable shoes.		 Picking flowers in the garden requires pulling wagons with buckets of water and flowers. Arrangers sometimes climb ladders. Must be in good physical condition. Taken courses in floral design or have experience as floral designers. 2 shifts of up to three hours per month.

Gardening/Garden Shop/Café/Hospitality

Committee Activity/Attire Requirements Prerequisites Commitment
Garden Information Docents Use GID training manual ($35 purchase), resource materials and garden knowledge to answer visitor questions about Filoli’s plants and gardening practices and home garden questions. Activities are outdoors at a covered informational table. Attire: casual (no jeans) and comfortable shoes. Ability to listen attentively and interact with visitors. Strong background in horticulture and gardening. Competent with e-mail and use of Internet. Excellent garden experience and knowledge of Filoli’s Garden and gardening practices. Master Gardener or experienced Filoli volunteer. Successfully complete GID training classes. Shifts: 2 times per month from 12 noon to 3:00 pm on Tuesday through Sunday.
Gardening Assist the horticulture staff by working in the gardens, greenhouses and orchard. Activities include weeding and raking the beds, removing debris and seasonal plants, trimming the walkways and light pruning. Attire: long pants (jeans), no shorts, sturdy shoes or boots, gardening gloves, a hat and sunscreen and a bottle of water. Rain gear and rain boots will be needed for winter work. Bending, lifting, and working outdoors. Volunteer must be able to pull weeds while working on one’s knees, push a full wheelbarrow and empty it, lift a 15 lb. pot of soil and climb a medium ladder. None other than the ability to perform the various activities listed under Requirements. Shifts: Minimum of 2 shifts per month on Monday or Thursday from8:30 am to 11:30 am, and 2 special events per year.
Garden Shop Staff the Garden Shop, operate the cash register, wrap purchases, assist guests and sometimes restock the shelves. Activities are indoors and, occasionally, outdoors. Subcommittees for pricing merchandise and making Filoli herb mixes and vinegars also work with Garden Shop volunteers throughout the year. Attire: dressy casual and comfortable shoes. Engaging guests in a friendly, smiling manner, standing, operating a cash register and wrapping purchases. None. On the job training provided. 2 or 3 three–hour shifts per month, choice of Tuesday through Sunday.
Café Serve Filoli guests indoors and outdoors along with set up and clean up of the Café. Tasks include: AM shift: prep showcases, PM Shift: cleanup. Main duties: ladle soup, warm & serve quiche, serve desserts, deliver grilled sandwiches to tables, man cash register. Attire: dressy casual, comfortable shoes. Standing, bending, light lifting, and walking. None. On–the–job training provided. 1 four–hour shift on the first, third and fifth or second and fourth weeks of the month. Weekday and Saturday hours are 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, 10:30 am to 2:30 pm and 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm. Sundays are 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm.
Hospitality Assist with the food service at Filoli events by distributing box lunches and refreshments, assisting in setting up tables and cleaning up after events. Committee members also serve at board lunches and special events, such as the Spring, Easter, Summer, Twilight Strolls, Fall, Holiday festivals and children’s activities. Members may also assist with ticket taking, sign-ins at events, etc. Volunteers serve special box lunches to groups. Attire: dressy casual, comfortable shoes. Standing for 3 hours. Lifting, walking and standing. Must be mobile. None. On–the–job training provided. 30 hours per year are required. Volunteers can serve on the Café or Self–Guided committees, in addition to Hospitality, to meet the requirement.

Guides and Greeters

Committee Activity/Attire Requirements Prerequisites Commitment
Self–Guided Docent Self-Guided Docents are stationed throughout the House and Garden and serve as visitor resources, respond to questions, or when appropriate, point out something of interest. They need the ability to listen attentively, interact well with visitors and provide an overall welcoming and enriching Filoli experience. Attire: dressy casual and comfortable shoes. No denim jeans. Standing, walking, sitting, interacting with guests. Training offered only in February. Computer literate. Attend four Saturday morning training classes from 9 am - 1 pm and two practice shifts. A mini-course training is given mid-year for new volunteers to get started, but they must attend regular training classes the following February. Attend update sessions. 20 shifts/year, including 2 weekend shifts. The shifts are from 9:45 am to 12:45 pm and from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm Tuesday through Saturday; Sunday shifts are 10:45 am to 1:30 pm and 1:15 pm to 3:30 pm. Volunteer to participate in special events.
House and Garden Guided Docent Lead walking tours of the House and Gardens. Tours usually consist of eight to twelve people. Educate visitors about the families who lived at Filoli and about the House and the Garden. Attire: dressy casual and comfortable shoes. Lead a walking tour for about 2 hours. Successfully complete the eight–week docent training course (meets Saturdays from February through early April). Attend annual update sessions. Lead 20 tours per tour season: 18 guided tours and 2 Sunday self–guided shifts
Student Tour Docent Lead walking tours of the House and Gardens. Tours usually consist of 6 to 8 people (students plus adult chaperones) and last for 1-1/2 hours. The tours educate students about the families who lived at Filoli and familiarize them with life during the early part of the 20th century using a variety of hands-on activities within the house. Attire: dressy casual and comfortable shoes. Lead tours and interact with students. Same as for House and Garden Docent. Must complete House and Garden Docent training. One tour or more per month, based on need during the school year. Tours count toward House and Garden tour hours requirement.
Nature Education Docent Lead week–day hikes of the Filoli nature preserve for school children and on Saturday for adults and children. Hikes usually last 2 hours and consist of up to 8 children plus a chaperone from kindergarten through 5th grades. The hikes educate visitors on the flora, fauna, and Native California way of life in the area.

Nature Ed docents provide support for the Native Plants, Native Ways School Program (NPNW).

Activity is outdoors. Attire: comfortable hiking attire (long pants) and sturdy hiking shoes.
 Hiking moderately steep terrain, leading hikes. Nature Ed Docents successfully complete the 15–week training program given on Fridays (9am–3pm) covering natural history, geology, Ohlone life, and the history of Filoli.

NPNW Docents successfully complete a 3-part training program in addition to the 15-week program stated above.		 Nature Docents lead 15 hikes per year: 2 hikes per month during hiking season (Feb–June and Sept–Nov), mostly with children.

NPNW Docents assist with 1 program per month. This equals 1 nature hike; you still must fulfill the requirements as stated above for nature docents.
Orchard Interpretation Committee Lead tours through the Filoli Gentlemen’s Orchard while providing information about its history, purpose and maintenance. Share an overview regarding the varieties of fruit trees in the Orchard, propagation and pollination. Attire: comfortable casual and sturdy shoes. Physical ability to lead a one or one and a half hour tour. Successfully complete a three day training course. Familiarity with plants and/or gardening would be helpful. Previous experience as a docent would be a plus. Lead at least four tours during the regular season (June through October) plus  provide tours in support of special events.

Administration

Committee Activity/Attire Requirements Prerequisites Commitment
Visitor Services Greet guests, process admissions and memberships, answer phones, check event/class ticket availability, book tours and school programs. Activities are indoors. Attire: dressy casual. Knowledge of Filoli history and operations. Basic computer skills are helpful. Standing at the counter or sitting at a desk. Warm friendly smile and positive attitude. Training on the job with staff and experienced volunteers. 2 three–hour shifts per month. Shifts are from 9:00 am to 12 noon and 12 noon to 3:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Library/Collections Staffing Friends Library and Sterling Library, re-shelving books and videos in the circulating library, assisting members in finding material through the library cataloging system. Assisting Collections Manager in conserving, storing, cleaning & documenting the house collection of furniture and decorative objects. Attire: dressy casual. Basic computer skills. Light lifting. Stairs (libraries and workroom are on the 2nd floor). Previous library or collections experience is helpful. Weekly three-hour shifts plus extra shifts during Mother's Day Flower Show and Holiday Traditions.
Membership/Events Ticket Sales Sell and process memberships and tickets for all special events, classes, lectures and workshops and answer a variety of general questions about Filoli. Activities are indoors. Attire: dressy casual. High level of comfort in taking phone calls and inquiries. Commitment to outstanding customer service. Enjoy office work, which includes a variety of phone inquiries and computer data entry. The work is detailed and involves the need for diplomacy, accuracy, and an interest in problem solving. Minimum 2 shifts per month. Shifts are from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday.