Organizational Historian (Volunteer)

About the role

Mentor A Promise is a New York City–based nonprofit organization serving children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability. The Organizational Historian will lead the preservation of Mentor A Promise's institutional history, document the experiences of the communities they serve, and help build an ethical, trauma-informed historical archive.

Responsibilities

• Document the history and evolution of Mentor A Promise
• Preserve significant organizational milestones, programs, publications, and initiatives
• Maintain historical records, photographs, videos, and digital archives
• Create timelines and historical summaries of MAP's development
• Develop archival standards and historical documentation practices
• Develop ethical oral history projects documenting lived experiences
• Preserve stories of resilience, community, and hope shared by participants, volunteers, and partners
• Support long-term preservation of interviews and archival materials
• Document the historical context of youth and family housing instability
• Collaborate with researchers to preserve community knowledge and lived experiences
• Contribute historical context that informs advocacy, education, and public understanding
• Partner with PromiseVoice to preserve organizational communications
• Collaborate with PromiseStudios and PromisePages on documentaries, books, podcasts, and multimedia storytelling
• Support PromiseMeasure with historical impact reporting
• Afford historical context for advocacy initiatives
• Afford historical context for advocacy initiatives
• Afford historical context for advocacy initiatives

Qualifications

• Experience in history, public history, archival science, museum studies, oral history, anthropology, sociology, nonprofit research, journalism, or related fields
• Strong historical research, writing, interviewing, and documentation skills
• Excellent organizational and project management abilities
• Experience working with archives, digital collections, or historical preservation is preferred
• Understanding of ethical research, informed consent, privacy, and trauma-informed practices
• Passion for preserving community history and amplifying lived experiences with dignity and respect

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in history, public history, archival science, museum studies, oral history, anthropology, sociology, journalism, or related fields
• Strong historical research, writing, interviewing, and documentation skills
• Excellent organizational and project management abilities
• Experience working with archives, digital collections, or historical preservation is preferred
• Understanding of ethical research, informed consent, privacy, and trauma-informed practices
• Passion for preserving community history and amplifying lived experiences with dignity and respect

What You'll Gain

• Experience leading historical preservation within a growing nonprofit organization
• Opportunities to develop expertise in archival management, oral history, nonprofit research, and institutional documentation
• Collaboration with researchers, educators, storytellers, and executive leadership
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• Meaningful experience preserving the history of an organization committed to advancing dignity, opportunity, and hope for children and families experiencing housing instability

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and include their resume and cover letter. Please highlight any experience in historical research, archives, oral history, nonprofit research, journalism, museum studies, anthropology, sociology, or related fields. Help preserve the history of Mentor A Promise and ensure that the stories, lessons, and resilience of the communities we serve continue to inspire future generations. Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.