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Volunteer Opportunities

Art/Design

Committee Activity/Attire Requirements Prerequisites Commitment
Art Plan, promote and present art exhibitions and classes in the Visitors' Center, House and Gardens.
Attire: sporty casual and comfortable shoes		 Tasks vary from desk work to hanging art objects. Accommodations can be made for physical needs. None 36 hours per year on an as–needed basis.
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: sporty 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. 40 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 the holiday festival. Activities are indoors and outdoors and vary depending on the day of the week.
Attire: 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 two hours per month.

Gardening/Garden Shop/Café/Hospitality

Committee Activity/Attire Requirements Prerequisites Commitment
Garden Information Services Use GID training manual ($35 purchase), resource materials and garden knowledge to answer visitor questions about Filoli’s plants and gardening practices. 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. Master Gardener or experienced Filoli volunteer. Excellent garden experience and knowledge of Filoli’s garden and gardening practices. Complete orientation. Shifts: 2 times per month from 12 noon to 3:00 pm on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
Gardening Assist the gardening staff by working in the potting shed, gardens and orchard. Activities include weeding and raking the beds, removing debris and seasonal plants, trimming the walkways, potting seedlings and light pruning.
Attire: long pants (even blue jeans), no shorts, strong shoes or boots, gardening gloves, a hat and sunscreen. Rain gear and rain boots may 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 dirt with bulbs and climb a ladder. Working in the Potting Shed, volunteers must be able to lift flats of plants weighing about 5 lbs. None other than the ability to perform the various activities listed under Requirements. Shifts: 2 shifts per month on Monday or Thursday from 9:00 am to 11:30 am, and 1 special event 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, making Filoli herb mixes and vinegars, and the Silk Flower Workshop 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 plus two Sundays per year. Weekday and Saturday hours are 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm. Sundays are 10:30 am to 2:30 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
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: sporty 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
4th Grade Guided 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: sporty 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.
House and Garden Self–Guided Docent Welcome guests to Filoli; educate visitors about the families who lived at Filoli and about the House and the Garden. Activities are indoors and outdoors.
Attire: sporty casual and comfortable shoes		 Standing, walking, sitting, interacting with guests. Training offered only in February. Ambassador Program is available to latecomers. Attend four morning training classes and two practice shifts. Attend annual update sessions. 20 shifts per year, which includes at least 1 Saturday and 1 Sunday shift per year. The shifts are from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm (Tues-Sat); 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm (Sun).
Nature Education Docent Lead week-day hikes of the Filoli nature preserve for school children and on Saturday for adults and children. Tours usually last 2 hours and consist of up to 8 children from the 2nd through 4th grades. The hikes educate visitors on the flora, fauna, and Ohlone Indian life in the area. Activity is outdoors.
Attire: comfortable hiking attire and sturdy hiking shoes
Nature Education Docent Promo Video.		 Hiking moderately steep terrain, leading tours Successfully complete the 14-week training program given on Fridays (9am-3pm) covering natural history, geology, Ohlone life, and the history of Filoli. Lead 15 hikes per year: 2 hikes per month during hiking season (Feb-June and Sept-Nov), mostly with children.
Ambassador Be a presence in the House and Garden. Welcome self-guided guests. Activities are indoors and outdoors.
Attire: sporty casual and comfortable shoes 		Cordiality; a willingness to learn more about Filoli and become a member of a committee such as House and Garden Guided Docent and Self-Guided Docents. Be a member of Friends of Filoli; flexibility regarding scheduling. Flexible; this one year program is an entree into becoming a member of a standing committee of Filoli.

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: sporty 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 Assist in staffing Friends Library and Sterling Library, in re-shelving books and videos in the circulating library, and in assisting members in finding material through the library cataloging system. Helping with other projects as necessary.
Attire: sporty casual		 Interacting with visitors, sitting and standing. Enjoy libraries and interacting with people. Previous library experience is helpful. 2 to 4 three–hour shifts per month on Tuesdays or Thursdays.
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: sporty 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.