Volunteer FAQ
Who do I contact to become a volunteer?
If you are interested in volunteering, contact our volunteer coordinator at 919-469-5944 or volunteer@raleighscore.org.
Do I have to be retired?
No. Many SCORE volunteers own businesses, manage corporations or have their own consulting firms. These working professionals contribute as much to SCORE as counselors and workshop presenters as our retired volunteers. Both retired and working professionals are welcome in SCORE.
Is there a volunteer training program?
All new SCORE volunteers participate in a 5-step Business Counseling Training program, so they understand SCORE's mission, services and the opportunities for volunteer participation. The orientation provides guidance on how to be a business counselor and apply new listening, interviewing and problem-solving skills specific to business counseling and mentoring. In addition, each volunteer will have the opportunity to observe live counseling sessions with other experienced counselors to get a feel for what goes on in a 'real' counseling session.
What resources and tools are available to volunteers?
SCORE volunteers automatically receive a monthly newsletter that offers insights and news on SCORE, SCORE best practices, and small business resources. In addition, each volunteer will have access to all Raleigh SCORE resources via the Internet.
How many hours per month is a volunteer expected to 'work'?
Each counselor is expected to counsel a minimum of twice per month. Each counseling session is 3 hours. The scheduled counseling sessions in Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville and Wake Forest are for 1 hour each, so three clients may be seen during a morning or afternoon. The walk-in counseling sessions are also 3 hours, but the number of clients seen will be based on the demand for that day. In addition, there is a monthly status meeting the last Wednesday of every month. The latest news, status, activities are discussed, and a guest speaker will present a business community topic of interest to SCORE volunteers and guests.
What should a volunteer expect during a counseling session?
For most counseling sessions, there are two volunteers present. Based on past experience, there is tremendous synergy obtained from the two counselors offering their collective experiences and bouncing ideas off each other. Regarding the clients, some may just have an idea they would like to turn into a business, some may need help with particular sections of a business plan and others may have an existing business that they would like to grow.
What other activities besides counseling are available for volunteers?
The Raleigh chapter has additional needs beyond counseling. There are opportunities to be a guest speaker, participate in fundraising, get involved in our workshops, help in our Information Technology department, recruit new volunteers, assist with administrative functions, etc.
Who are the SCORE volunteers in the Raleigh Chapter?
Currently there are 54 volunteers in the Raleigh Chapter with a wide variety of skills and experience. Many of the volunteers have started and owned their own businesses, while others have come from the corporate world with a variety of experiences such as marketing, finance, inventory control, accounting, manufacturing, human resources, etc.