By becoming involved with ACHA, you are helping us achieve the goals outlined in Vision 2025 and supporting our mission of improving and extending the lives of the millions born with heart defects. Help us educate the world about congenital heart disease, and make a difference today! To learn more, read about our volunteer opportunities below:
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Ready to get started? Here’s how!
Click on the volunteer areas and opportunities below to learn more about the ways you can volunteer with ACHA.
Complete and submit the Volunteer Interest Form and Agreement
Once you have submitted the above form, you’ll be contacted by the appropriate staff member about volunteer opportunities and needs based on your interests. Please be advised that some roles may require additional training or requirements to be completed before you may serve in the role.
Opportunities for individuals, students or community groups wishing to volunteer to fulfill requirements for community service hours, school projects, etc. also exist depending on location. If you would like to discuss volunteer opportunities or have questions related to the program, please contact info@achaheart.org for more information.
There are an estimated 1.5 million adults living in the U.S. with CHD yet less than 10% are in appropriate cardiac care. Volunteers are incredibly important to help us reach those lost to care, in the wrong care or approaching transition to adult care. There are many ways volunteers can help spread the word about ACHA and the importance of lifelong, appropriate cardiac care. Initiatives include establishing CHD Conversations in cities across the U.S., promoting ACHD Program Accreditation and patient involvement in hospital-associated Patient Family Advisory Councils, increasing awareness of ACHA in regional and local areas through community events and providing one-on-one support to other patients and family members.
Outreach Opportunities
Coordinate a CHD Conversations Event: These events offer educational, social and networking opportunities for patients and family members. This can include short provider presentations or patient panels on specific CHD topics followed by discussion, Meet & Greets or other social events. Examples of social events include bowling nights, paint fundraisers, and outdoor hikes. For more information on CHD Conversations and to view current events, click here. Volunteer Coordinators are needed to help plan and implement these events in cities across the U.S. or in collaboration with an ACHA staff member.
Assist with or Oversee a Community Event: One of the best ways to increase awareness about ACHA is by assisting with or overseeing a community event in your area. This includes staffing an ACHA table, answering questions about the organization, and informing people about beneficial resources or assisting an ACHA staff member with these tasks. Events can include health fairs, conferences, festivals, etc.
Be a Liaison Between ACHD Programs, the Community and ACHA: Building relationships with ACHD programs and communities across the country is vital to creating awareness for ACHA. Volunteers, especially patients, family members and friends, can be instrumental in helping ACHA to foster a positive relationship, speak to providers and community organizations about the importance of ACHA programs and accreditation and identify opportunities for ACHA to be involved in local programming, events and conferences. ACHA also encourages volunteers to join their ACHD program or hospital’s Patient Family Advisory Council (PFAC).
Be a Heart to Heart Peer Mentor: Following three months of volunteer involvement with ACHA, patients and family members interested in providing peer support may apply to the Heart to Heart Program. For more information on the program, application and training for Peer Mentors, visit www.achaheart.org/h2h.
Never underestimate the power of your online voice! The internet and various social media channels offer a unique opportunity to be involved from the comfort of your home while making a lasting impact for ACHA.
Online Opportunities
Be a Social Influencer: Frequently sharing ACHA’s social media posts from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram helps the organization reach more people. Simple tasks like changing your profile picture, sharing your story and tagging ACHA and creating Facebook fundraisers make a huge difference with a small amount of effort.
The Walk for 1 in 100 series takes place in select cities across the U.S. Opportunities exist to serve on a walk committee and volunteer on the day of the walk. Individuals can also choose to host a virtual walk in their city. For more information on the Walk for 1 in 100 program, visit www.walk1in100.org.
Walk for 1 in 100 Opportunities
Chair: Walk Chairs, with ACHA event staff, oversee the execution of a successful event from start to finish including: committee development, local sponsorship, recruitment, marketing, finance, entertainment, food/beverage acquisition, and event operations.
Co-Chair: This position supports the chair and ACHA event staff, in the execution of the successful event from start to finish. They fill in for the chair in their absence and continue to help with committee development, local sponsorship, recruitment, marketing, finance, entertainment, food/beverage acquisition, and event operations. Ideally this person would take on the chair position for the following walk event.
Logistics Chair: In this role the volunteer focuses on day of event and event logistics in partnership with the event staff. This volunteer ensures completion of park permits, event materials, food, vendors and walk day volunteers with ACHA event staff. This position operates to ensure a great walk day experience.
Marketing/Outreach Chair: In this leadership role the volunteer identifies media opportunities and reaches out to help promote the walk for 1 in 100. This may include editorial or media sponsorship and potentially live television or radio interviews. All types of media should be targeted including TV, radio, newspapers, community publications, social media and blogs
Sponsorship Chair: In this role the sponsorship chair is the “networker” of the committee and well connected in the community. This role requires a strong communicator with the knowledge of local businesses to identify new sponsorship opportunities.
Team Recruitment/Retention Chair: In this role the volunteer recruits new teams to the event and retains returning teams. With ACHA event staff, this volunteer helps share best practices of fundraising, establishes strong relationships with team captains, and maintains constant communication with participants.
Mission Chair: The volunteer in this role keeps the mission of the Adult Congenital Heart Association and its association with the Walk for 1 in 100 at the forefront of the planning process. They identify areas that the mission could be highlighted prior and during walk day.
Event Day Volunteer: Volunteers are needed on the day of our Walks to ensure a smooth, successful event from start to finish. Opportunities include assisting with set-up, registration, parking, activity management, clean-up and other tasks as needed. If you or your community group are interested in volunteering for one of our walks, please email events@achaheart.org.
Outside of the above, ACHA has additional opportunities where volunteers can assist the organization, which include volunteer-led fundraisers and other regional initiatives under the direction of one of our Regional Development Leaders.
Special Events & Regional Opportunities
Volunteer-Led Fundraising: We also welcome individuals to host a fundraiser for ACHA. Our Development Team will serve as a support and ACHA will assist in promoting the event to our membership. For more information on volunteer-led fundraisers, click here.
Regional Initiatives: Based on your location, there may be opportunities specific to your region as identified by a Regional Development Leader (RDL). Contact ACHA for more information.