We are a volunteer-based organization and rely on our volunteers to maintain and operate our rescue (located on 925 E Ogden Ave, Milwaukee), provide care for our fosters cats, educate the community, participate in events, and fill other crucial skills-based roles to successfully operate our organization, .
Our volunteers love the fulfillment of helping cats and finding them a forever home.
We understand that life can get busy and for opportunities that involve being at the rescue (cleaning/open house) or in the community (events, outreach), you can sign up for shifts that fit into your schedule. Opportunities such as grant writing, foster & marketing can done remotely.
Check out our opportunities and fill out an application. We are looking forward to having you on our team.
We are looking for volunteers who can make a commitment to volunteering at least 6 hours a month (either at the rescue, at events or virtually - like grant writers or soliciting for donations. Some volunteer positions require a regular, consistent schedule; others do not)
Volunteers must be at least 12 years old and anyone age 12 - 17 must volunteer along side a parent or other adult guardian during every shift
Complete a Fear-Free course. The information will be provided to you on how to complete the course once your volunteer application has been submitted and approved.
Complete orientation and shadow volunteers in your area of interest.
Commit to attending your scheduled volunteer shifts. If you are unable to attend your schedule shift, letting the volunteer coordinator know ahead of time
Volunteer Requirements
Must be able to squat, bend, twist, lift and stand for periods of time when working directly with the cats in our care or at events
Be able to work well with people - all volunteer positions work directly with other volunteers and the public.
Be able to handle cats safely and compassionately.
Must be able to take seek direction and have a self-motivated work ethic
Ability to work independently
General knowledge about kitten and cat care is preferred but will be taught as needed
Board Positions
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Role Overview
As the Secretary of the Board, you will play a crucial role in supporting the governance and administrative functions of our rescue.
This position requires a detail-oriented individual with excellent organizational skills, strong communication abilities and a passion for our mission of cat welfare and adoption.
Responsibilities
Meeting Coordination: Schedule and organize board meetings, including sending out meeting notices, preparing agendas, and recording minutes.
Documentation and Record-Keeping: Maintain accurate records of board proceedings, including meeting minutes, resolutions, and official correspondence.
Board Communication: Serve as a point of contact for board members, facilitating communication and ensuring timely dissemination of information.
Compliance and Governance: Assist in ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and bylaws, as well as supporting the implementation of governance policies and procedures.
Board Support: Provide administrative support to the board as needed, including assisting with board member onboarding and orientation.
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Qualifications: Experience in fundraising and donor management, ideally working in the nonprofit sector. Ability to work with different team members and communicate effectively.
Responsibilities:
Create a comprehensive annual fundraising and donation plan aligned to AHCR’s strategic plan and monetary goals. Areas of focus include: Merchandise sales, planned giving, donations (events, web sales, shelter), monthly donor strategy, Corporate donation/sponsorship strategy
Partner with Finance Officer to create a rolling forecast for quarterly review of anticipated donations and leads planning adjustments when the organization is not on target to hit donation milestones.
Create a retention plan for major donors, gifts, and grants
Partner with Grant Writer to solicit and maintain grants and other funding assistance.
Create calendar of events for upcoming year
Manage Event Proposals, secure Board approvals and create plans for volunteer staffing and management, including setting meetings to coordinate and execute events.
Manage volunteer staffing for each event and have consistent check-ins with volunteers to ensure they are meeting their deadlines, hitting goals, or help troubleshoot issues
Record all event revenues from merchandise sales and donations: review each event total to the Board and work directly with the Finance Officer on reporting and analysis. Report shortfalls and overages looking at what worked and what didn’t.
Hold yearly hindsight meetings to review successful/non successful events to inform the event calendar for the future. Use this time to brainstorm new ideas for fundraising and donations.
Research potential new prospects and follow up with new donors solicited through events.
Manage the donor portfolio and prospective donors, and track all contacts and activity in a fundraising database
Cultivate donor relationships and create solicitation plans for major donors and sponsors
Provide timely and appropriate stewardship feedback to donors on projects they have funded.
Work directly with the Community Resource Officer to secure and nurture partnerships for event support and planned giving
Be the face of the organization at events, giving introductions, speeches, appreciation as required
Work with Operations and Finance to secure items needed for events: supplies that need to be approved/ordered
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The Foster Officer builds and manages the Foster Family network. Our Foster Program brings caring individuals and cats in need together, providing care in a home setting until the cats are ready for adoption. The Foster Coordinator also helps educate the community about Almost Home Cat Rescue MKE and our foster program, recruiting prospective foster parents to join our network.
The Foster Officer also manages the surrender list and wait list for kitties awaiting intake that have paid our surrender fee. The Foster Officer will align to and promote the purpose and mission of Almost Home Cat Rescue MKE.
Main Duties and General Responsibilities:
Build a strong and supportive relationship with foster parents with open communication.
Encourage a long-term foster relationship with Almost Home Cat Rescue. Process Foster Family Applicants through an initial screening and reference checks as needed
Assist with meet & greet sessions for approved adopters to visit kitties in foster families’ homes.
Understand the general care and transition needed to bring a cat or kitten into a new home, and use behavioral resources for introductions and special needs where applicable
Main PoC for Foster Families’ questions, concerns, and supply needs. Respond to all inquiries within 24 hours of receipt. Pass requests to appropriate team members as needed.
Gain access to the shelter’s Amazon Business account to order supplies for Foster Families. If the supply request is medical (parasite treatment, lysine, other supplements, etc.) please have this request approved by the Medical Officer prior to ordering.
Maintain the Foster Roster to have kitty status available to help plan spaces about to open so new intakes can be completed.
Manage the Wait List derived from the online Surrender Form, and assign a priority status to each waitlisted kitty. Report the status of the Wait List to the Board of Directors weekly.
Maintain accurate records and manage the foster database, including creating Foster Family profiles for new additions, moving cats in and out of Foster care, and deleting families as they exit our program.
Ensure each Foster Family understands the health schedule that is set by the Medical Team. Send reminders to the families for upcoming appointments to keep each kitty’s care plan on track.
Receive Shelter Manager training for data entry relating to foster information, and managing the calendar of appointments.
Other administrative and management duties as assigned
Qualifications:
1+ year working in customer service preferred
Must have the desire and ability to work directly with the public
Experience working with people on diverse teams
Experience with a non-profit volunteer group / animal rescue preferred
Great verbal and written communication skills
Excellent skills in organization and team coordination
Attention to detail is crucial, and must be able to complete all duties accurately and on time
Ability to assess whether or not a prospective foster family will provide the best home for the cat and to provide clear rationale for the best match assessment.
General knowledge about kitten and cat care is preferred but will be taught as needed
Fear Free Shelter Certification, or plans to complete once on board
Knowledge of the Five Freedoms
Experience with Microsoft Office and Google Docs
Volunteer Positions
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Almost Home Cat Rescue is in need of grant writers to assist in the grant writing process to help fund our many programs.
We’re also in need of volunteer(s) for on-going grant availability research.
Responsibilities
Have an understanding of the history, structure, objectives, programs, and financial needs of Almost Home Cat Rescue MKE
The ability to draft various grant proposals as well as supporting documents based on the funding requirements for Almost Home Cat Rescue MKE
Will have to respond to both internal and external queries on drafted and already submitted proposals.
Be able to maintain and form positive relationships with fund providers and other stakeholders that support Almost Home Cat Rescue MKE
Qualifications
Driven and proactive when it comes to seeking out new funding sources.
When proposing ideas, they are comfortable making suggestions and looking into every possibility for obtaining funds for Almost Home Cat Rescue MKE
Natural storyteller and be able to supplement their creativity with data-driven research.
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The Medical Coordinator provides for the health care and well-being of Almost Home Cat Rescue MKE cats.
This position works under the guidance of the Medical Officer and in partnership with the Animal Care and Shelter Operations Teams.
The Medical Coordinator will provide accurate details about a cat’s health, medical needs, and care plan.
Main Duties/General Responsibilities
Assists with and performs intake exams and preventative treatments prior to program placement; assists with follow-up exams, and appointments as needed.
Performs day-to-day medical tasks for the shelter and kitties in foster care
Properly doses, administers, tracks, and documents medications and vaccinations
Assists with microchip insertion, blood and fecal testing, and any other procedures as requested by the Medical Officer or our veterinary partners
Assists Medical Officer in determining the need for off-site veterinary care, referrals to vet specialists, and spay/neuter and other surgical procedures.
Help manage microchip registration
May also assist in the transport of cats, house calls, and other medical duties as needed
Maintain accurate records and manage the shelter medical database, including creating surrender profiles, recording costs and payments and managing digital vaccination, testing and medical records.
Other administrative and management duties as assigned
Qualifications:
Experience in a Veterinary / Companion Animal Medical environment – 6 months to one year preferred
Experience with a non-profit volunteer group / animal rescue or shelter preferred
Must have the ability to communicate directly and work with shelter staff when needed
Must have the desire and ability to work directly with the public, and experience working within and across diverse teams
Great verbal and written communication skills
Excellent skills in organization and team coordination
Attention to detail and the ability to absorb and recall large amounts of information.
Understanding and commitment to the shelter’s No Kill model, as well as a personal love and respect for animals and their well-being
General knowledge about kitten and cat care is preferred but will be taught as needed.
Fear Free Shelter Certification, or plans to complete once on board. Compassionate cat handling skills are required.
Time commitment: 4-6 hours a week
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Event Planning Team Members will assist with planning and executing various events in the community.
Team Member would work in partnership with other committee members as well the Committee Chair.
Responsibilities:
Attend special events and do (but not limited to) the following: set up/tear down tables/merchandise, answer questions about the rescue, promote the rescue.
Interact with the public to promote Almost Home Cat Rescue as well as inform the public of different opportunities within the organization
Solicit for donations for large events such as OctoPURRfest
Qualifications:
Excellent customer service and communication skills
Friendly and positive attitude; ability to converse with and engage all types of people
Reliable attendance and ability to work independently required
Have the ability to understand, remember and follow instructions and procedures; and the ability to ask questions when appropriate
Ability to stand, walk and work for long periods
Time commitment: 5-10 hours/month. Time commitment may be dependent on the month - summer are usually more busy than winter
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Adoption Counselors assist in the introductions between shelter animals and potential adopters. The counselor will learn about adopters’ lifestyle, animal experience, and expectations of a new kitty to make an appropriate adoption match. The
Adoption counselor will provide accurate details about animals’ health, behavior, and care needs. They help adopters understand adoption policies, complete necessary paperwork, make payments, and transfer microchip accounts.
Main Duties/General Responsibilities:
Guide the Adoption Applicants through Adoption process through initial screening, reference checks, Best Match with cats, and payments
* Understand the general care and transition needed to bring home a new cat or kitten, and use behavioral resources for introductions and special needs where applicable
Communicate with the foster families to hand off scheduling meet & greet sessions with approved adopters and kitties
Complete digital payments (CC/Square, Zelle, PayPal, Venmo), and also process checks and cash for adoption fees
Maintain accurate records and manage the adoption database, including creating Adopter profiles, recording payments and moving cats to Adopted status
Register and transfer microchip information
Other administrative and management duties as assigned
Qualifications:
Must have the desire and ability to work directly with the public
experience working with people on diverse teams
Experience with a non-profit volunteer group / animal rescue preferred
Great verbal and written communication skills
Excellent skills in organization and team coordination
Attention to detail is crucial, and must be able to complete all paperwork accurately and in a timely manner
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The Foster Officer builds and manages the Foster Family network.
Main Duties/General Responsibilities
Build a strong and supportive relationship with foster parents with open communication.
Encourage a long-term foster relationship with Almost Home Cat Rescue. Process Foster Family Applicants through an initial screening and reference checks as needed
Assist with meet & greet sessions for approved adopters to visit kitties in foster families’ homes.
Understand the general care and transition needed to bring a cat or kitten into a new home, and use the behavioral resources for introductions and special needs where applicable
Main point of contact for Foster Families’ questions, concerns, and supply needs. Respond to all inquiries within 24 hours of receipt. Pass requests to appropriate team members as needed.
Gain access to the shelter’s Amazon Business account to order supplies for Foster Families. If the supply request is medical (parasite treatment, lysine, other supplements, etc.) please have this request approved by the Medical Officer prior to ordering.
Maintain the Foster Roster to have kitty status available to help plan spaces about to open so new intakes can be completed.
Manage the Wait List derived from the online Surrender Form, and assign a priority status to each waitlisted kitty. Report the status of the Wait List to the Board of Directors on a regular basis
Maintain accurate records and manage the foster database, including creating Foster Family profiles for new additions, moving cats in and out of Foster care, and deleting families as they exit our program.
Ensure each Foster Family understands the health schedule that is set by the Medical Team. Send reminders to the families for upcoming appointments to keep each kitty’s care plan on track.
Receive Shelter Manager training for data entry relating to foster information, and managing the calendar of appointments.
Other administrative and management duties as assigned
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Volunteer Coordinator(s) is responsible for daily supervision and management of the shelter’s volunteer program as well as recruiting, providing training and mentorship, and retention of volunteers.
The Volunteer Coordinator will work closely with Foster Coordinator to ensure all fosters and volunteers are managed effectively and cohesively.
Responsibilities
Actively recruit volunteers through the use of the website, print media, community calendars, public speaking, attendance at community meetings and events, etc.
Train, mentor, and serve as initial primary contact for all volunteers
Train pertinent staff to train, mentor, and serve as primary contact for volunteers specific to their area
Develop and maintain advanced or specialized volunteer programs and training to ensure continual growth of the volunteer program
Qualifications
Customer service skills and the ability/desire to work directly with the public are necessary.
Able to communicate directly and work with shelter staff when appropriate.
Attention to detail and have the ability to absorb and recall large amounts of information.
Must be able to stand/walk for the duration of the shift.
Ability to assess whether or not a prospective volunteer is a fit for volunteering at the rescue and have clear rationale for that assessment.
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The Marketing Director and their team will assist Almost Home Cat Rescue in promoting our mission.
The team will execute campaigns (including but not limited to in print, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok) to reach new volunteers, adopters, donors and supporters.
Responsibilities
Execute a variety of marketing techniques in various mediums to carry out the marketing plan.
In collaboration with the Leadership Team, will work on preparing marketing materials and copy consistent with overall organizational messaging and branding.
Work with the Fundraising Team in the promotion of events.
Qualifications
Possess strong attention to detail.
Marketing experience preferred though not required if candidate possesses other leadership experience and has a strong drive/passion for marketing
Strong copywriting and copy editing skills or graphic design skills
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Sometimes transportation is needed to get cats to and from the vet, to or from foster homes, or other transports.
Transporting cats is a very important step in the process of finding them homes, so you will be helping us out immensely!
Responsibilities:
This job is “on call”; transports happen whenever there is a need.
Transports may include:
For the vet, typically the cat is dropped off in the am and picked up in the afternoon (volunteer can do both drop off and pick up or just one)
foster pick-up/deliveries could be at various times. The location would be the greater Milwaukee Area but with the possibility of traveling a bit further out (to the suburbs)
Transporting cats that are being transferred to Almost Home Cat Rescue MKE. This may include travelling to the rescue/shelter, picking up the cat(s) and transporting them to the rescue or meeting rescue/shelter staff at a pre-arranged meeting spot.
Qualifications:
Possess a valid driver’s license, access to a reliable vehicle, a clean driving record and current insurance coverage.
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This area of volunteering can vary depending on the level of your crafting / sewing ability.
Whether you knit, crochet, or hand or machine sew, we’ve got something for you! We even have projects that don’t require any sewing!
Many things made are used for fundraising / selling to help the cats and shelter.
Some crafting ideas include:
Cat toys
Blankets / quilts
cat beds
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The socialization process for unsocialized, shy, fearful, or anxious cats takes patience, knowledge, and understanding.
When working with unsocialized, shy, fearful, stressed, or anxious cats, it is important to recognize that each case is unique. Every kitty has different personality traits and experiences that influence their behavior, and their current circumstances also play a part in how they react to people and their environment.
Socialization Sponsors should allow the cat to guide the process at their own pace. Sometimes it takes a month, sometimes six months depending on the age and temperament of the cat. Because each cat is a unique case, results and timing will vary.
You will have a good understanding of their needs and temperament, and be able to offer them environmental and emotional enrichment to ease their fear or anxiety, and remove stressors.
Requirements:
Have general knowledge of cat behavior and be able to read body language and vocalizations to help guide your interactions in a compassionate way that builds trust.
Prepare the kitty’s space with enrichment items and create a base camp where they feel safe and secure.
Gather tools like gloves, wands, backscratchers, and toys to slowly guide the initial interactions.
Create routine for the kitty to make them less fearful of the unknown.
There is always the need for other skills that aren’t mentioned above. We welcome all the help we can get - feel free to fill out an volunteer application to get started!
Shelter Positions
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Central to the success of Almost Home Cat Rescue MKE is the cleanliness and upkeep of the shelter, and this cannot be done without the volunteers who come in daily to tidy up.
Volunteers will work with a team of volunteers during the cleaning shift - you will not be at the rescue alone
Responsibilities
Daily, thorough cleaning of all animal areas, including cat areas, floors, dishes, bedding, etc.
Feeding the animals, including providing special diets as needed.
Doing laundry, dishes, washing windows, cleaning and mopping public areas as needed.
Providing a healthy, safe, clean and pleasant environment and facilities for the animals and the public.
Qualifications
Reliable attendance and ability to work independently required
Ability to communicate directly with other volunteers
Ability to pay attention to detail and have the ability to absorb and recall large amounts of information.
Be able to stand/walk for several hours
General knowledge about animal care and training is helpful but will be taught as appropriate.
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An open house volunteer is the first person a guest will encounter when entering the rescue during our Open House hours.
This volunteer will be able to answer basic questions and inquiries, direct clients to the proper department and be able to manage a busy lobby.
Volunteers will work with a team of volunteers during an open house shift - you will not be at the rescue alone
Qualifications:
Excellent customer service and communication skills
Friendly and positive attitude; ability to converse with and engage all types of people
Reliable attendance and ability to work independently required
Have the ability to understand, remember and follow instructions and procedures; and the ability to ask questions when appropriate
Ability to stand, walk and work for long periods