Join the HD Cohort! - Humanitarian Designers

Humanitarian Designers is putting together a small team of volunteers for a 4-month period, starting in September, to participate in running the organisation and its development

What is the HD Cohort?

A cohort is a group of volunteers onboarded together for a specific period of time to strengthen the resources and activities of an organisation.

At Humanitarian Designers, we want to reach a new step in sustaining our activities and make it meaningful for our volunteers. By co-creating this first cohort, we want to enable a space for mutual exchange and create a group dynamic where everyone can learn from each other.

We are looking for diverse and motivated people, ready for a short-term commitment. Experience is a plus but not mandatory, so don’t hesitate to reach out and apply!

Practical information

4 to 6 members
4 months starting mid-September
Minimum 3 hours per week
Online

Volunteers will focus on 4 areas

community
communication
funding
knowledge management

How will it work?

We want to create a group ready to collaborate and support each other. After an onboarding period, the cohort will join weekly coordination calls and will be able to define their tasks. We ask for a minimum of 3 hours per week, including meetings and asynchronous work. Each member will be responsible for managing their time commitment and deliver on their tasks.

Out of the 4 focus areas of this cohort, we will encourage everyone to choose one they master and one they want to learn. Your role will be to work on what you want to learn and to mentor your peers on what you know.

TIMELINE	ONBOARDING - 2 WEEKS	COHORT - 3 MONTHS	OFFBOARDING - 2 WEEKS
Volunteering	Sign the volunteering agreement, learn about our activities, and complete your first task.	Define & Accomplish your tasks. Support the cohort members.	Create a handover or renew with our next cohort.
Mentoring	Follow the online onboarding training	Attend 1:1 calls with core team	Receive your reference letter
Community	Join the group onboarding call	Join the dedicated Slack Channel	Appear on our Community page

Why should you join?

All profiles, from all cultural, economic and ethnic backgrounds, are welcome in this cohort: whether you are motivated to learn about humanitarian design or willing to contribute to a cause and an organisation close to your heart, this cohort will enable you to learn and apply this experience to your own personal journey.

Connecting and networking

During 4 months, you will share tasks and goals with motivated and like-minded individuals willing to give meaning to their work. By making the group relatively small and interdependent, we hope to create an intimate workspace where longer-lasting relationships can emerge.

Although the work of the HD Cohort is mostly internal, external activities (e.g. participation in events and conferences) may arise. As a volunteer, you’ll be informed about these opportunities and will be welcome to take part. They can be a great way to connect with our partners and to build relationships with other organisations you’re interested in.

Adding value through experience

Whether you’re new to humanitarian design or an experienced practitioner, we will start by covering the basics of our values and methods, so you will get to know what humanitarian aid is, how to collaborate more ethically, and what power and privilege mean.

In addition to the learning experience you will gain by working with us, this volunteering experience can be a springboard to a career that is more in line with your values. We will provide you with the necessary reference letter and resources, so you can use it for your future job applications.

Short-term volunteering

Humanitarian Designers is a grassroots volunteer-led non-profit organisation. We stay alive thanks to the precious time our members choose to give.

We understand that no one has unlimited free time, yet to remain consistent with our activities and reach a new stage in our development, we depend on members’ commitment and reliability.

The HD Cohort offers this opportunity in which volunteers can commit to a short-term project. Cohort members and core team members will collaborate and contribute meaningfully to the Humanitarian Designers’ mission, while learning from each other.

Resources and personalised mentoring

You will have access to and insight into all our knowledge base and community members. Being active in our organisation is an opportunity to better understand our structure and functioning and foster your own growth from it.

You will also benefit from being in close relations with our experienced core team, who will happily dedicate some time to help you with your own carrer aspirations if you need.

A DEDICATED TEAM WELCOMING YOU

You will be able to count on our motivated core team to support you along this journey.

Catarina Batista, Co-Founder

Beatrice Cox, Coordinator

Thomas Jäger, Co-Founder

Gwenn Descamps, Co-Founder

Cecilia Scolaro, Advisor

Cédric Fettouche, Co-Founder

Faq

When is it happening?

This first cohort will start in mid-September. Our plan is to have two dedicated weeks for onboarding, three months of volunteering, and two weeks of offboarding.

Where is it happening?

The cohort is happening online, so anyone can apply. Yet, our core team and activities are based in Europe, so if we have to synchronise for an online meeting, it will be based on the UTC+1 timezone.

How many people will be accepted in this cohort?

Between 4 and 6. We chose this number to ensure

a minimum of 1 person per area (community, communication, funding, and knowledge management);
a cohesion and sense of belonging within the cohort; and
that the core team could handle the group and create a nice experience.

Can I stay longer than four months?

Yes of course, but to maintain the spirit of the cohort, you will have to renew for another four months. Depending on how the pilot of the cohort goes, we may have new roles appearing.

What if I have to leave before the end?

Please, be honest with yourself prior to applying. The cohort aims to create a sense of belonging, collaboration, and shared responsibilities within the group. Because there is a limited number of positions, someone leaving could be detrimental to our effort.

Of course, there are always exceptions and unforeseen scenarios where a person must leave.

What will I work on?

The activities will be defined together with the group as everyone can initiate their ideas if they fit HD’s mission and vision. Some basics tasks will involve: creating and publishing posts on social media, curating jobs, create discussions in the Slack community, invite speakers to present their work during online events, improve our knowledge base on Notion, create a public knowledge base on our website, prospect for funding opportunities, etc.

What will be the selection procedure?

This is a pilot of our first cohort. We will adjust the selection procedure based on the number of applications received. We will update you by the first week of September.

I have more questions, can I ask someone?

Yes, you can contact us on our email address.