Volunteer Role Descriptions

Client Project Coordinator

Commitment: 1-2 Hours per week for one year. 

Client Project Coordinators oversee and support project volunteer teams for a specific Client/Entrepreneur.  Think of the Client Project Coordinator as the “Relationship Manager”, the relationship being between 4AP and the Client.  Client Project Coordinators are typically added when there is significant “pull” from the entrepreneur in terms of project and/or Ask an Expert requests. The Client Project Coordinator is responsible for understanding the needs and goals of a client and ensuring the success of volunteer teams in addressing those needs.  Many 4AP clients have multiple projects that can take place simultaneously over many months.  The Client Project Coordinator is typically asked for a One Year Commitment of approximately one hour per week. The 4AP Team supports the Client Project Coordinators to make this task simpler and very manageable. 

Client Project Coordinators may perform account or project management roles such as: 

  • Monthly calls and/or e-mail check-ins with the client and project teams 
  • Provide a feedback channel between both the client and volunteers/ volunteer teams, to share updated project information and recommendations.  
  • Communicate new opportunities that arise while working with Clients 
  • Help refer new volunteers to 4AP from their professional networks 

While it can be helpful for a Client Project Coordinators to have familiarity with their client’s business, it is not required. Unlike project team volunteers, no specific technical or business expertise is required to serve in this role. Good communications, project management and relationship skills are most important.  In some cases Client Project Coordinators with relevant expertise may serve on a project team as well.  

Please note: Not every 4AP client relationship has a Client Project Coordinator. Only those with capacity for multiple projects and/or a longer-term relationship will have CPCs. 

Client Project Coordinators oversee and support project volunteer teams for a specific client. The Client Project Coordinator is responsible for understanding and communicating the needs and goals of a client and ensuring the success of volunteer teams in addressing those needs. 

 

 

 Ask an Expert

Commitment: Typical commitment is 5-8 hours total

Ask an Expert volunteers have both broad and deep food industry/agribusiness knowledge in more than one area of expertise. Ask an Expert volunteers have extensive experience in a particular area of the food business, agribusiness and/or food processing and normally engage only temporarily with clients, as opposed to serving as team members with a client or project start to finish. 

Ask an Expert volunteers:

  • Provide immediate value to the clients either by answering questions related to a specific problem they are facing
  • Provide advice to an existing client project team when issues arise requiring additional subject matter expertise 

 

Project Team Member

Commitment: 1 hour per week for 6-9 months

Project Team Members serve on specific, defined projects to assist 4 AP clients.  They are selected for projects based upon their skills and experience, which are identified either in the profile information they provide or by referral from other colleagues. A project team normally consists of 2-3 individual volunteers who may come from different corporate partners. Their work is facilitated by a 4AP staffer that helps scope the work and assist with communications between the client and the project team.  At times a project team will simultaneously work on more than one project or for more than one client. 

The projects worked on can be from an area/function of the Food Business or Agribusiness.

Project Team Members serve on specific, defined projects to assist 4AP clients.  They are selected for projects based upon their skills and experience. 

 

Coach

Commitment: Up to 4 hours per month

Coaches provide 1-on-1 assistance to Clients as they seek to navigate and build their skills on a specific topic (e.g. Distribution, Product Development, Marketing, Finance, etc.)  4AP has developed a series of guides on various Food Industry and Agribusiness topics. Volunteer Coaches will be trained on how to coach clients and use the guides as a basis for discussion. 4AP partners with coaches to understand when Clients may need more targeted assistance in the form of a chartered 4AP project.

 

Cohort Instructor/Subject Matter Expert Role

Commitment: 4-12 hours, depending on the assignment

4 AP Instructors and Subject Matter Experts design, develop and deliver content on a variety of topics related to the Food Industry and Agribusiness. 4AP offers cohort-based trainings that are typically 6-8 weeks in length. Volunteer cohort instructors typically teach 1-2 sessions over the course of the program.  There are two main opportunities for volunteers: 

  1. Develop and/or teach at our "Gather and Grow" cohort for emerging Food Entrepreneurs who are actively growing their businesses.  Topics include: Distribution, Co-Manufacturing, Packaging, Accessing Capital, among others. 
  1.  Develop and/or teach at our "Cultivating Success" cohort for emerging Farmers. Share your expertise with a cohort of 10-15 local farmers who are actively growing their businesses. Cohort sessions take place in-person and may involve virtual experts as needed. 

Instructors and Subject Matter Experts should have extensive experience in a particular area of the food business, agribusiness and/or food processing. They should also seek to understand the needs of the entrepreneurs and students that 4AP serves and be able to tailor their teaching to that audience. 

 

4AP Champion

Commitment: 1-3 hours per month for 1 year

Champions serve as an advocate for 4AP within your company. You will use your network and relationships to grow the 4AP volunteer community and get the word out about what we do. 

Key responsibilities include: 

  • Support 4AP in recruiting new volunteers from your networks 
  • Assist 4AP in getting on the agendas of relevant leadership and all-organization meetings to build awareness and manager buy-in for volunteering with 4AP 
  • Recognize and celebrate the impact of 4AP volunteers 
  • Encourage 4AP projects as “on the menu” for employee career development plans 
  • Project and mentor opportunities are also options for those interested