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Volunteer Opportunities

As a volunteer, you can help our organization thrive! We have many opportunities for our members to get involved on a national level by serving on the Board of Directors or on one of our many standing, advisory, and ad hoc committees. Read on to find out more about the various ways you can be active in shaping our organization. If you have questions about volunteering, please use the Contact Us form.

For more information about Board positions and the required qualifications for each position, use the Contact Us form. To volunteer for any of the following committees, please complete the volunteer opportunity form. Please note, current policy states that all standing, advisory and ad hoc committees shall be staffed by members in good standing, including General members, Honorary members and Lifetime Achievement Award winners. Associate members may serve on advisory committees, if appropriate and approved by the Board.

Submit Volunteer Form

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of RWA shall consist of the Officers of RWA—President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer—and no less than 6 Directors-at-Large. The number of Directors-at-Large may increase or decrease per thousand RWA members with 6 as a minimum and a maximum of 12. The Board also has 3 non-voting elected Advisor positions: PAN Advisor, PRO Advisor, and Chapter Advisor. The Board also has 1 non-voting Advisor position: President Emertius. Each member of the Board serves a two-year term, with the exception of President, President-Elect, and President Emeritus who serve one year each.

Members interested in running for a Board position must electronically declare their intent to run by the posted deadline, and elections are held in August. The Board year begins on September 1 and ends August 31, and the Board meets for four virtual meetings each year and eight monthly works session meetings.

Learn more about running for the RWA Board of Directors

RWA Committees

Standing Committees

These committees shall carry out charges approved by the Board but shall not have or exercise the authority of the Board in the management of RWA. View a list of current committee members.

  • Academic Grant Committee: The Academic Grant Committee shall review grant and fellowship applications pursuant to the parameters set out in Section 11 of RWA’s Policy and Procedures Manual and make recommendations to the Board.
  • Audit & Finance Committee: The Audit & Finance Committee, chaired by the Treasurer, shall be responsible for selecting an independent CPA firm to conduct the annual audit, for reviewing the annual audited financial statements and any associated management letter detailing deficiencies, and for reviewing the related tax returns before all materials are presented to the Board, and shall assist the Treasurer as requested on financial and budgetary matters.
  • Awards Ceremony Committee: The Awards Ceremony Committee shall oversee the Awards Ceremony, including working with the emcee to write the script and provide input on the ceremony theme.
  • Conference Workshop Committee: The Conference Workshop Committee shall coordinate, plan, and oversee the selection and scheduling for workshops for the annual Conference, India Author Weekend Conference, and Traditional Author Weekend Conference. The Committee will help to ensure that the conference program reflects RWA’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access—including, but not limited to, the speakers chosen and the topics covered in the workshops.
  • Contest Committee: The Contest Committee shall assist the Executive Director with the establishment and overall planning and operation of all RWA national contests; and under the direction of the Executive Director, shall handle any contest result challenges pursuant to the Contest Policy outlined in Section 17 of RWA’s Policy and Procedures Manual. Each Contest period, the Contest Committee shall establish actionable goals that measure the progress of RWA national contests in accordance with the intended benefit of the Contest.
  • Ethics Committee: The Ethics Committee shall review, investigate and provide recommendations to the Board for complaints filed pursuant to the Code of Ethics and shall handle any election challenges.
  • Leadership Development Committee: The Leadership Development Committee shall create a process to identify potential future RWA leaders within membership, get those people involved at the chapter level and at the national committee level, and help them to grow in their leadership skills. The committee will work with the Diversity Advisory Committee to identify and recruit potential candidates for leadership positions at the chapter, committee, and national level.
  • Librarian and Bookseller Outreach Committee: The Librarian and Bookseller Outreach Committee will work with RWA staff to establish dialogue with librarians and booksellers in order to form stronger alliances for the betterment of RWA members and the romance genre. In addition, the committee will work with staff to create virtual and in-person events, such as Meet the Author panels, involving librarians and booksellers that will promote members and the romance genre as well as make recommendations about events, programs, or action RWA could take to make it easier for booksellers, librarians and RWA members to connect.
  • Membership Outreach Committee: The Membership Committee is tasked with membership outreach and member support by creating initiatives and materials to help retain current membership and to increase membership.
  • Romance Author Mentorship Program (RAMP) Committee: The RAMP Committee shall coordinate, plan, and along with the Executive Director and Staff, oversee the annual program. The RAMP Committee shall ensure that the program reflects RWA’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.
  • RWA University Committee: The RWA University Committee provides classes and other online educational resources to members and helps to ensure that the RWA University reflects RWA’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access—including, but not limited to, the speakers whose work is featured and the topics covered in the educational resources.
  • RWR Content Committee: The RWR Content Committee will work with RWA staff to develop content for the RWR, solicit authors for article, review articles upon submission and prior to publication, and help to ensure the RWR reflects RWA’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access—including, but not limited to, the authors whose work is featured and the sources who are quoted within the articles.
  • Scholarship Review Panel: A Scholarship Review Panel, consisting of the Board Liaison, the Executive Director, the Diversity Advisory Committee Chairperson, and if possible, the Chairperson and Assistant Chairperson from the committee for which the scholarship application was submitted, will convene two weeks before the end of the scholarship application deadline. The panel shall select scholarship recipients.

Ad Hoc Committees

Ad hoc committees are temporary committees or task forces created for discussion of RWA issues that do not fall under the scope of RWA's standing committees. View a list of current committee members.

  • Membership Strategic Plan Ad Hoc Committee: The Membership Strategic Plan Ad Hoc Committee shall complete the draft of the strategic plan to grow RWA’s membership for Board review.
  • Website Project Ad Hoc Committee: The Website Project Ad Hoc Committee will work with the website designer to provide information about RWA-related activities as outlined in RWA Policy.

Advisory Committees

These committees are made up of individuals who possess specific knowledge and skills on a particular subject and will, at the Board’s request, make recommendations on a particular topic or program. These committees do not have Board authority and cannot make policy for the organization, but the Board can assign tasks to these committees to complete, in the manner and time frame set out by the Board. Each advisory committee will have an assigned Board Liaison. View a list of current committee members.

  • Diversity Advisory Committee: The Diversity Advisory Committee shall make recommendations and provide information and materials to the Board on diversity and inclusion issues that impact RWA and its members. The Diversity Advisory shall also perform these specific tasks: (1) Review the Spectrum Grant applications and make a recommendation to the Board regarding the award of grants. (2) Offer feedback to the Board on workshops, programs and conferences. (3) Assign one member per committee to serve as a representative on each of the following committees: Awards Ceremony, RWA University, Conference Workshop, and Leadership Development. Each representative shall act as a liaison between the Diversity Advisory Committee and the other committee on which they serve to promote inclusion and report any concerns to the Board. (4) Refer complaints regarding a lack of inclusion, diversity issues and discrimination to the Executive Director for further action. (5) Handle such other tasks as assigned by the Board.
  • Industry Advisory Committee: The Industry Advisory Committee shall monitor public policy and legislation as well as public events that have the potential to impact RWA members, the romance writing industry, and writers, in general. The committee shall make recommendations to the Board regarding actions the Board may undertake regarding policy and legislation.
  • PAN Advisory Committee: The PAN Advisory Committee shall make recommendations and provide information to the Board regarding ways to protect the interests of published romance writers, enhance the channels of communication between romance authors and publishing industry professionals, and coordinate activities by and for PAN members.
  • PRO Advisory Committee: The PRO Advisory Committee shall make recommendations and provide information to the Board regarding ways to support and promote unpublished writers in the areas between manuscript completion and publication, enhance the channels of communication between those romance writers and publishing industry professionals, and coordinate activities by and for PRO members.