Do more good.

Producing the Americans of Conscience Checklist takes many kind and thoughtful people.

[As AoCC volunteers] We’re attempting to build a country the US has never been. That inclusive, thriving nation can only exist if we make it happen.
~ Kay S., Research Team

What we’re seeking right now:

A new team at AoCC: Impact Research!

This Impact Research Team’s purpose:

To show progress toward our vision of a kind and thriving nation.
To show how people are creating measurable progress in democracy, immigration expansion, and equality.
To track and celebrate specific outcomes that civic and legal efforts yield.
To focus on the era after the current president is out of office (rather than merely getting him out of office).

The Impact Research Team’s tasks:

To research and find hard data about public pressure, lawsuits, or legislative solutions positively impacting or defending our focus areas of domestic democracy, voting rights, equal rights, immigration expansion, and environmental justice.
Produce 2-6 items for publishing in the Checklist each month (1-3 per Checklist).
“Fan out” by assigning a research beat to each volunteer researcher who will then track these specific issues over time.
Develop and refine a system for tracking actions from the Checklist.
Find and follow sites/sources that track similar issues we can amplify and prevent duplicate work.
Write these discoveries into statements of impact: what was the problem, what did people do to address it, what was the (short or long term) result, and why it matters. Even partial wins get highlighted.
Collaborate with existing teams to gain institutional wisdom, ask questions, and get input.
Communicate with organizations about collaborative efforts we’ve created in the past (Orchards of Grace, A Better Way Grocers, SOWEGA Rising, etc.) and assess impact.
Work with Jen to seek out new collaboration opportunities for collaboration and initiate contact with groups to organize fundraisers, letters of solidarity, GOTV postcarding, etc.
Startup phase: This 5-8 person team will first “create themselves” by designing processes within Basecamp to produce the desired information on a timeline.

One person will be be the team lead.
Impact researchers will divvy up the work along the same lines as Good News categories: Tribal, federal/executive branch, congressional action, corporate action, grassroots, civic action, etc.
One person will write up submissions with the same guidelines as action writers.
Decide how to process and track the last eight years’ of AoCC archived actions.

What skills are needed from volunteers on this team:

Optional: a legal background to understand court case procedures and to interpret legal concepts for laypeople
Self-care: This role may involve fruitless searches and long stretches of time between wins, so the ability to manage expectations and one’s emotional and mental wellbeing are critical
Support for AoCC’s non-partisan, pro-democracy focus
Skilled communication and advocacy
Research
Collaboration
Creativity
Tenacity
Precision
Self-motivation
Good systems for tracking glacial change and follow-through
Adept at noticing which raw data = wins

Time commitment: 3-4 hours twice per month (between Sat-Tue, on your own schedule)

The process of becoming an AoCC volunteer

Applying: Please apply using this online application. If your skills and interests meet our current needs, you’ll receive an invitation by the end of May 2026 to an info session to learn more and ask questions. Check your calendar: the dates of these two sessions are Sunday, June 7 and 14, 2026 at 6pm Eastern.

Training: The goal of AoCC volunteer trainings is for you to feel prepared and supported in your role. You’ll receive:

A 1.5-hour orientation to learn about the vision, mission, values, and strategies of the Americans of Conscience Checklist
- This includes an orientation to our team’s online workspace, Basecamp
A meetup with your team captain for training on your specific tasks
Several meetups with your teammates to co-work on tasks and ask questions as they arise

Production schedule: We publish the Checklist twice per month on the first and third Fridays. Every team is responsible for completing specific tasks and meeting deadlines.

Saturday-Tuesday: Research
Wednesday: Editing
Thursday: Layout
Friday: Publish
Fri-Sun: Facebook Team
Ongoing: Social media content (team members’ schedules vary)

Community: Our roughly 30 volunteers and three part-time contractors are a warm, supportive, and collaborative bunch. We connect using a private, secure online workspace called Basecamp. Your team and Team Captain are available there to answer questions, interact, and provide a to-do (task) list. On Basecamp, you can also see the official calendar, find uplifting posts from our Volunteer Coordinator, and interact with the community as a whole.

Meetings: We hold “All Camp” meetups with the entire team about every 8-10 weeks to discuss goals, updates, and celebrations. Your work team may also meet occasionally check in about progress, strategies, and goals. We do our best to find times that the most people can attend, but we also record them so all can stay connected.

Life balance: Advocacy work can be emotionally taxing. All team members are encouraged to take 2-4 week sabbaticals during the year. It’s our intention to use these times away to rest from constant news consumption and replenish other parts of our lives and selves. Your team members will fill in for you, and we ask you do likewise for them. In addition, there’s a team-wide sabbatical in August and two weeks off in December. Because several months have a fifth Friday, we get periodic two-week breaks between Checklists.

What this is (and isn’t).

To be 100% clear, these opportunities are for volunteer positions that offers no promise of employment or compensation beyond personal satisfaction. If selected as an AoCC volunteer, you’ll be working with a volunteer team captain and a director with extensive experience working with volunteer teams. All tasks and expectations will be clearly and respectfully communicated to you. If misunderstandings arise, they will be resolved promptly and kindly. If you are in need of a referral or reference, you are welcome to request one after six months of service.

Benefits of volunteering

Here’s what the team said:

“I love volunteering with AoCC because I know my actions will have a direct multiplier effect. I know that when I put my time and effort in, more people will be able to take quick and effective action.”
~ Erica W., Social Media Team

“My volunteer work for the AoCC gives me strength and hope even as the news gets worse. A huge benefit is having a structure/container for my news consumption now. Plus, I have a supportive community of fellow volunteers to turn to before, during, and after that container time, which is so much better than just reading the news and then feeling hopeless and alone.”
~ Wendy C., Democracy Team

“I love volunteering for AoCC because it feeds my bias for action. Not only does it give me guides to action, but it also allows me to share those actions with many others. I have met and become inspired by the other awesome volunteers!”
~ Anne P., Facebook Team

“As an AoCC volunteer, I’m part of a community of like-minded people from all over the country and beyond. People, who once were strangers, are now friends doing good work together. We have built a family here, which includes all the people who use the checklist. When they send us thanks and appreciation, it cheers my heart and reminds me how worthwhile this work is!”
~ Nancy C., Twitter Team

“Volunteering with the AoC Checklist helps me to know there are quite a few people out there who feel the way I do. It makes me feel better to do something that counteracts all the awful things happening and knowing I’m not alone in taking action.”
~ Chanie B., Twitter Team

Who’s a good fit?

The people who enjoy volunteering at AoCC

Can balance collaboration and independent work
Are comfortable working under deadlines
Have a sense of humor
Enjoy learning and teaching
Value the AoCC’s kind, nonpartisan ethos
Are comfortable working with online tools and/or a willingness to learn
Have a real-life support system and practice self care

Want to take the next steps?

If you want to help Americans take meaningful action, complete the AoCC Impact Team volunteer application here.