Onsite Volunteering at FOSS4G North America

FOSS4G North America runs on volunteer support, and onsite volunteers play a key role in making the conference run smoothly.
As a thank you, volunteers receive:

  • Free registration for 10+ hours volunteered

  • Close collaboration with speakers and organizers

  • Certificates of recognition, applicable toward GISP certification points

Volunteer Signup

Shape the Conference!

FOSS4G North America is organized by volunteers fulfilling various roles. Organizing a conference is a huge undertaking, and there is a place for everybody and any skill set. Experienced organizers shape the direction of the conference while new organizers learn how large events are planned and serve as a bridge to invite new communities. Check out the Contact page for more information about getting in touch to join one of the organizing committees.

  • Steering Committee – By your powers combined, we are the Steering Committee! All members participate in the Steering Committee meetings at the beginning of the year. As planning progresses, members transition into their specific subcommittees and begin meeting within those groups. From that point on, only the Chairs and Co-Chairs continue attending the Steering Committee meetings. 

  • Program Committee – Interested in shaping the programming at FOSS4G NA? Program committee members review presentation submissions for acceptance into the final program and help write blog posts about the conference themes and accepted presentations.

    • Academic Sub-Committee – Are you a student/professor/otherwise involved in academia? Join the Academic Sub-Committee! Academic community members do outreach in the academic realm and focus on organizing a special conference journal for 2025.

    • Workshop Sub-Committee – Do you enjoy curating long form conference content? The first day of programming at the conference is all about developing new skills at workshops, and the workshop committee plans the space requirements and reviews workshop submissions.

  • B2B/Sponsorship Committee – Fundraising aficionado or business tycoon? Help organize the B2B event and coordinate sponsorship for the conference!

  • Community Committee – Social media wizard? Event planer extraordinaire? The Community committee produces outreach and marketing leading up to the conference and plans social events during the conference.

  • Volunteer Committee - The Volunteer Committee chair organizes the up to 30 on site volunteers, and the onsite volunteers are the committee members. This committee is usually organized closer to the conference dates than the other committees.