About us
The National Folk Festival is a FREE, three-day outdoor event celebrating the roots, richness, and variety of American culture, honoring the artistic traditions of all Americans. It features over 350 of the nation’s finest traditional musicians, dancers, and craftspeople in performances, workshops, children’s activities, and more. Jackson, Mississippi, was selected through a national competitive process, beating out 42 other cities, to be the 2025-2027 National Folk Festival Host City.
About the Role
The National Folk Festival seeks to fill two TWO (2) contract positions for the festival’s Volunteer Coordinator for the 82nd National Folk Festival in Jackson, MS. This position runs from mid-April through mid-November 2025. The time commitment ranges from a few hours a week during the planning phase to a continual onsite presence during the festival itself (November 7-9, 2025). A modest honorarium of $3,500 per position will be provided. This position is offered as a 1099 contract through the Community Foundation for Mississippi, the festival’s fiscal sponsor.
Requirements
The Volunteer Coordinator(s) will organize the 800+ volunteers needed to support the National Folk Festival effort. The successful candidate will be well-organized, creative, personable, gracious under pressure, and experienced in managing large groups. They will possess excellent communication and motivational skills, and the ability to make volunteers feel valued and appreciated.
Responsibilities include:
Developing and implementing a volunteer recruitment plan
Conducting outreach within the Jackson and surrounding communities
Coordinating trainings
Managing the assignment and scheduling of volunteers through an online volunteer database
Guiding the volunteer team through the National Folk Festival
A keen attention to detail in a fast-paced environment, skill at conducting community outreach, and familiarity with Google Workspace, Zoom, and online project management systems are required.
The right candidate will also have a passion for community volunteerism and arts events, familiarity with the Jackson community, and experience using social media for organizing and recruitment.
TWO volunteer co-coordinators will be hired to co-lead this program.
Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume, and references to Thabi Moyo, Local Festival Manager, at: tmoyo@nationalfolkfestival.com by Thursday, March 20, 2025.