Volunteers make great things happen at the Monadnock Center! We have a number of volunteer opportunities and we would love to discuss how you can get involved. All prospective volunteers are required to complete a volunteer application so that we can get to know you better and understand your interests and skills.

Complete the Volunteer Application Here

The Monadnock Center has many different kinds of volunteers. Here are some examples of current volunteer opportunities:

Board of Directors

The Monadnock Center’s volunteer Board of Directors provides leadership and oversight for the center’s operations and raises funds to ensure the center achieves its mission. The Board of Directors meets 10 to 12 times a year. Board members also serve on at least one committee. Committees include Board Governance/ Nominating, Finance, Facilities, Development/ Fundraising, and Collections. The time commitment is 2-5 hours per month.

Buildings Crew

Members of the Buildings Crew help to keep the center’s four historic buildings in good order by making small repairs, building small projects like exhibition pedestals, painting, and occasionally taking things to the recycling center. Crew members work alone, in pairs, or in small groups. The time commitment varies depending on the job.

Community Conversations Team

Members of the Community Conversations Team select the topics and develop the slate of speakers for the center’s Community Conversations series. Community Conversations programs are held 4-6 a year. The series is designed to bring people together to discuss issues and opportunities that impact Peterborough and the Monadnock Region. The team meets 6 to 8 times per year with individual members working independently between meetings. Conversations programs are one-hour long and committee members are encouraged to attend.

Events and Programs Assistant

Events Assistants help with greeting guests at the center’s talks, concerts, and other events. Events assistants scan tickets or check off guests from a list and occasionally sell tickets at the door. Assistants select which events they would like to work and are not expected to commit to every event. Event assistants enjoy free admission to ticketed events.

Gardens and Grounds Crew

The Garden and Grounds Crew keeps the center’s outdoors looking good! Crew members plant, weed, and prune and might work singly, in pairs, or in a group depending on the project. The crew works April to October and the time commitment varies.

Hearth Cooking/ Living History Interpreter

The Hearth Cooking Team presents living history programs in the center’s Phoenix Mill House, a 19th century worker’s home. The hearth cooking programs interpret a millworker’s family and homelife in the 1830s in Peterborough. The programs are held on one Saturday a month from September through March. Programs are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and volunteers work 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a physically demanding volunteer opportunity. Hearth cooking volunteers should be able to stand for the duration of the program, to lift cast iron cookware from the floor (the hearth), and to tolerate high temperatures. Training and help with costuming is provided.

Mercantile Gift Shop Attendant

Gift shop volunteers greet visitors, orient them to the center’s museum rooms, and process purchases in the gift shop. Handling money and operating the center’s point-of-sale system is required. Gift shop attendants volunteer on a regular basis (weekly or bi-weekly) for a three-hour shift from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. or 1 p.m.- 4 p.m. The gift shop is open during the center’s regular hours, Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Museum & Archives Catalogers

Museum and Archives Catalogers work on organizing, scanning, and photographing the artifacts, artwork, documents, photographs, and books preserved at the Monadnock Center. Catalogers volunteer on a regular basis, usually weekly, for 3-4 hours. A background in library or museum work is a plus but not essential.

Do you have a skill or interest that you think would be a great fit for the Monadnock Center? We would be happy to talk with you. Please complete the volunteer application to tell us about your skills and interests.

Complete the Volunteer Application Here