VOLUNTEER

Becoming a TED Center Volunteer

Becoming a volunteer at TED Center means getting involved in your community and helping to make it a difference. A TED Center volunteer is someone who commits time and effort to helping individuals realize their dreams and aspirations to successfully enter the world of entrepreneurship and business.

There is nothing more rewarding than being part of the solution. TED Center is a leading force and the partner of choice for entrepreneurs looking to start up, manage, fund, or grow a micro enterprise. By volunteering at the TED Center you can be part of the solution. Being part of the solution means creating a better community, making Florida a better place to live and to work for everyone.

Volunteer Opportunities

The TED Center is always seeking volunteers to work on special projects and programs. Volunteers are needed to help in many different ways: teaching a workshop and being a mentor; as well as help with essential administrative tasks, fundraising events, and special events.

We are particularly interested in identifying experienced business-owners who would be willing to serve as instructors or mentors. Each type of volunteer opportunity has specific requirements. Please review the different volunteer opportunities the TED Center offers to see which one is the right fit for you.

Instructor Program

FWBC Advisory Committee

Board of Directors

Mentor Program

TED Advocates Program

Teens for TED Program

How do I Become a Volunteer?

Making someone smile is easy - just tell a member of the TED Center team that you would like to volunteer your time! By contributing your time and resources to TED Center, you can feel good about supporting local entrepreneurs. It is a win-win situation for you, our team, and our clients. Support our work as a volunteer and be a part of a great team.

What are your particular skill sets? What do you enjoy doing? How can you best help the TED Center? We welcome your efforts and look forward to talking with you about your ideas. If you're interested in volunteering, please contact Victoria Hughes at (561) 265-3790 x103 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

INSTRUCTOR PROGRAM

At the TED Center we are in particularly need of exceptional professional talent willing to volunteer their time, knowledge, and expertise as instructors.

Trainings at the TED Center are provided on a variety of business topics to help individuals become successful business owners. The trainings include individual workshops and workshop series that present new ideas, practical business skills, and valuable information. Current training opportunities offered by TED Center are structured so that current and aspiring business owners can learn about relevant business topics that include how to start a business, business plan development, securing loans and other debt and equity financing sources, procurement, marketing, business and financial management tools, and computer skills. Our volunteer instructors design and teach unique and informative workshops in their areas of business expertise.

The time you commit as a volunteer instructor is considered an in-kind donation to the TED Center and is fully tax-deductible. In addition, you will have an opportunity during your instruction time to make a presentation about your company’s services to promote referrals and your picture and biography will posted on the agency website.

Requirements

A minimum of 3-5 years of experience in the training topic

Presentation & instructor experience

Patience and a disposition towards helping others

Time or can make the time to help

Responsibilities

Instructors are required to teach at least one training a quarter.

Instructors are expected to arrive at least 15 minutes before the training

Instructors are expected to have attendees complete all required paperwork

FWBC ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The purpose of the Florida Women’s Business Center’s (FWBC) Advisory Committee is to provide general advice and direction to the program in order to achieve maximum effectiveness in the delivery of services to the clients it serves. In this role, members will be called upon to participate in program planning activities, provide strategic advice and support to the program, provide guest lectures in classes and forums, provide technical assistance to the program and/or clients, provide assistance with fundraising for the center, and be of general support.

Responsibilities

The advisory committee’s responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

Advise the FWBC staff on how to implement the goals and objectives

Ensure that the needs of the FWBC and its intended users are being met

Advise and participate in planning activities

Participate in developing the scope of services provided by the FWBC and selecting new resources and opportunities

Encourage the use of the FWBC

Ensure that mechanisms are in place for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the FWBC

Assist with financial planning to include establishing the financial needs and identifying assured and potential sources of income, including income-generating possibilities

Develop a plan for fundraising

What are my obligations as a member?

Members shall be elected to serve on the committee for two years. The committee meets every other month. Any member who fails to attend three meetings in a row without good reason will be dismissed as a member. The committee consists of 8 to 10 people including lenders, various professionals relating to entrepreneurship, philanthropic leaders, and representatives from nonprofit and for profit organizations.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Being a board member offers the unique opportunity to lend your support and share your skills, knowledge, and expertise to an organization empowering aspiring entrepreneurs. The primary role of a TED Center board member is to contribute to the defining of the organization’s mission and governing the fulfillment of that mission.

Board Responsibilities

Hire and Evaluate Top Administrative Staff

Maintain the Financial Integrity of the Organization

Approve Plans

Evaluate Effectiveness

Approve Contracts

Embody Public Needs and Interest

Represent the Organization to the Public

Ensure Adequate Financial Resources

Board Committees

Finance Committee:

To discuss the financial affairs of the TED Center

Exceutive Committee:

To assist the Board of Directors to govern more efficiently

Personnel Committee:

To discuss the Personnel affairs of the TED Center and make recommendations to the full Board

Nominating Committee:

To improve the operations of the TED Center Board of Directors and recruit new Board members

Public Relations Committee:

Review information materials and marketing efforts of the organization and represent the Board in the absence of the Executive Director

Development Committee:

To plan and identify resources for fundraising

By-Laws Committee:

To examine and suggest changes to the legal structure of the organization to the Board of Directors

MENTOR PROGRAM

Every budding entrepreneur needs a good mentor. Nothing has more potential to make a meaningful difference in people's lives and be more personally rewarding than mentoring. Despite the fact that there are thousands of books to guide and help new business owners, the human touch is indispensable in learning how to navigate the shores of starting and growing a business. This program affords the entrepreneur individual attention and an opportunity to seek advice from a more seasoned business executive.

TED Center mentors are professionals from a broad range of industry fields, including health care, finance, beauty, and new media. These women and men work one-on-one with a TED Center client to impart their business expertise and lessons learned to individuals who are new to entrepreneurship and those with growing businesses. Mentoring allows accomplished businesswomen and businessmen to act as a guide for less experienced entrepreneurs in what is often a new culture with a different set of norms and practices.

Mentor Benefits

Mentoring fosters and creates growth of the mentor as they develop and employ new skills in helping their mentee

Expand their business network, form new friendships and relationships

Infuse new energy and ideas into their own business life

Give back to the community by sharing skills and abilities

Impact people's lives and make a real difference

Increase their regard and respect for business owners with different backgrounds

Allow others to profit from their experience

Develop a sense of accomplishment... The mentee will continue to grow, succeed and "follow in their footsteps"

How do I know if I would make a good mentor?
You would make a good mentor if you have the following:

A minimum of 3-5 years of management experience

Patience and a disposition towards helping others

Time or can make the time to help

Professionals with specialized skills are an important part of our mentoring network. TED Center seeks to pair you up with clients that could benefit from your special expertise.

What are my obligations as a mentor?

Mentors are required to meet with their mentee, in person, at least once a month for a minimum of an hour. The mentor-mentee relationship lasts a year. Mentors work with their mentees on strategic business planning, focusing on specific projects that will help the entrepreneur reach their overall business goals. Since the TED Center’s focus is on growing businesses, we ask the mentors to focus on those issues that are blocking the entrepreneur's growth.

TED ADVOCATES PROGRAM

TED Advocates are a group of energetic volunteers who are interested in helping the TED Center with community relations and public speaking as well as running fundraisers and special events.

The TED Advocates fund-raising efforts are used to support the wonderful programs provided by the TED Center. The fundraising efforts provide an opportunity to raise the public’s awareness about the TED Center, its mission, and the clients it serves. Fundraising events bring new donors and greatly needed funds to the center. Every dollar raised is a needed dollar. Whether small or large every event is important.

TED Advocates act as “ambassadors” in the community by raising awareness about TED Center Programs. The TED Advocates work with local groups, businesses, and schools to spread the word and to fill the needs of the TED Center.

With the support of friends and neighbors who live in our communities and have the desire to help, we can make a difference in many lives.

TEENS FOR TED PROGRAM

Teens for TED is a program designed for energetic and dedicated high school students looking for a fun way to fulfill their high school service hour requirement. Teens will be helping with fundraising and special events. There is an opportunity to receive leadership experience as well. Teens gain experience applying skills to the real-life challenges facing businesses today, and they provide valuable community service.

The Teens for TED fund-raising efforts are used to support the wonderful programs provided by the TED Center. The fundraising efforts provide an opportunity to raise the public’s awareness about the TED Center, its mission, and the clients it serves. Fundraising events bring new donors and greatly needed funds to the center. Every dollar raised is a needed dollar. Whether small or large every event is important.