We’ve clarified our volunteer expectations for this season. Why? One of the ways BSF keeps program fees lower is through volunteer hours. Without your volunteer hours, we would need to use additional paid staff to fill the void; this would increase program costs significantly, which would also make it more difficult for some families to afford participation in BSF activities. We also continue to see a small percentage of BSF parents taking on the brunt of volunteer hours; this leads to volunteer burnout. Creating better volunteer participation across the board means fewer burnouts!
*note that these are "sessions" not hours. We estimate most volunteer sessions to be about 3 hours.
Intro Programs: 1 to 3 volunteer sessions
(or a donation of $75 - $225)
Devo Programs: 3 to 5 volunteer sessions
(or a donation of $225 - $375)
Comp Programs: 5 to 7 volunteer sessions
(or a donation of $375 to $525)
PG & Pro Programs: 5 to 7 volunteer sessions
(or a donation of $375 to $525)
Adult Programs: 1 to 3 volunteer sessions
(or a donation of $75 - $225)
(Suggested donation calculated based on an average volunteer session of 3 hours and the industry standard value of volunteer time ($25/hour).)
First off, this is a fun way for you to connect to others in our club. We know it can be intimidating for new families, but most roles are easy and fun. Promise! We’ll be working to clarify volunteer position descriptions to make signing up easier, and to indicate which roles are appropriate for youth volunteering (or for having your kids tag along). We have openings for help at practices, organizing ski and fundraising events, and helping at the events themselves, as well as trail work and volunteering for our community trails. We encourage you to volunteer for ANY program--Nordic, Alpine, Freestyle, or trails. Most positions require little to no experience! If you have a specific skill set you think would be helpful, please let us know. There are always little things we need, from photography, to database entry, to hanging up posters around town.
We highly encourage BSF athletes to volunteer as well.
We post signup sheets and volunteer needs throughout the year at: https://www.bridgerskifoundation.org/about/volunteers
We're often asked why we don't mandate volunteer hours or collect a fee if a family doesn't perform the required hours. Philosophically, we believe that a volunteer mandate or added fees in lieu of volunteering creates a barrier to entry for many families. We don't want to penalize those with financial hardships, those with challenging work schedules, family illness, or childcare challenges. Our goal is to increase accessibility, not make it harder to ski.
Instead, these volunteer expectations are meant to be a guidance and are to ensure the long-term sustainability of our programs. This is what we need from our community to keep things going, without raising program fees. But once you get started, we think you'll also learn that this is one of the fundamental, joyous parts of being a BSF member. Volunteers have been the heart and soul of BSF for 84 years, and they're part of what keeps Bozeman a grassroots ski town. These are the friends, the fun, and the family that will create lasting memories and a support system that inspires our athletes.
Please, don't hesitate to reach out if you have circumstances that make volunteering difficult or if you’d like to contribute in a different way.
