About Giving Kitchen

About Giving Kitchen Twelve years ago, one fight for one life became a movement.

When chef Ryan Hidinger was diagnosed with stage-four cancer in 2012, Atlanta’s restaurant community did what this industry does best. They showed up. The fundraisers, the meals, the fierce and tender generosity of people who feed everyone else first, all of it poured toward one of their own. That outpouring sparked a belief that still drives us today: people need people, and no one in food service should face crisis alone.

Today, Giving Kitchen stands with food service workers when crisis hits. The servers, line cooks, bartenders, dishwashers, and hosts who make our celebrations possible are there for the holiday gatherings, the late-night comfort meals, and the coffee that starts the day. When illness, injury, or disaster knocks a life sideways, we are there for them, with emergency financial assistance and a Stability Network of resources that helps them find their footing again.

We have served more than 40,000 food service workers and awarded over $17 million in assistance, and we are only getting started. Our work has earned the James Beard Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, a place on Fast Company’s Brands That Matter, and a perfect 100 of 100 from Charity Navigator. We are building a national movement, and there is room at our table for everyone who wants to be part of it.

Volunteers are the backbone of that movement. They staff events, champion our cause in communities across the country, and help us reach more food service workers every year. Come help us build the program that makes their work possible.

Who We Are

Four values shape everything we do, and every one of them ends the same way: with gratitude. Because we are grateful to do this work.

We are Welcoming. We invite everyone to our table with kindness and hospitality. We center mutual trust, the pursuit of dignity, and the courage to ask for help— with gratitude.

We are Audacious. We are hungry to support our industry and boldly pursue impact with curiosity, creativity, and with gratitude.

We are Reliable. You can trust us to do the right thing. We say what we do and do what we say with gratitude.

We are Warm. We are present as we serve with humility and optimism, steeped in joy. We embrace the revelry and resilience rooted in our origin with gratitude.

If you read those four values and felt something, keep reading.

About the role

Job Title: Community Engagement Coordinator

Reports To: Senior Director of Community Engagement

FTE: Full Time, Exempt

Location: Atlanta headquarters (onsite four days per week), with regular travel to support regional and national volunteer activity

Why This Job Matters

Volunteers extend our reach into every community we serve. They are the hands that staff our events, the voices that champion food service workers, and the neighbors who show up when it matters most. As Giving Kitchen grows into a national movement, we need a leader who can build the infrastructure to support that growth—starting with a deep understanding of where we are today and a clear eye toward where we are going.

This role is designed to grow with us. In your first year, you will learn our existing event volunteer systems inside and out, deploy them for two major events, and partner with our Community Engagement Manager to build and launch the GK Advocate program—a new initiative tied to our partnership platform that will deepen community engagement and expand our reach. You will also help us evaluate and implement new volunteer management systems that set us up for the next chapter.

Beginning in 2027, this role will evolve into building and scaling a national volunteer program— designing the infrastructure, pathways, and partnerships that carry Giving Kitchen’s mission further than it has ever gone.

This is a seat for someone who is energized by both the doing and the building. You can run a flawless event and design the system that makes the next one even better. You are equally comfortable learning someone else’s playbook and eventually writing your own.

This is not just a job. For the right person, it is the chance to grow alongside a movement—and to shape the volunteer infrastructure that will power Giving Kitchen’s next decade.

What You’ll Do Year One: Learn, Launch & Lay the Foundation

Your first year is about understanding our current volunteer ecosystem, delivering excellence for two major events, launching the GK Advocate program, and helping us identify and implement the new tools and systems we need to scale.

• Learn our existing event volunteer systems, processes, and documentation thoroughly, and identify opportunities for improvement
• Plan and execute volunteer deployment for two major Giving Kitchen events, ensuring a seamless and meaningful experience for every volunteer
• Partner with the Community Engagement Manager to build and launch the GK Advocate program—a structured advocacy and engagement initiative tied to our partnership platform—including role design, recruitment, onboarding, and activation
• Evaluate existing and new volunteer management platforms and tools, and lead the implementation of systems that will support the program’s long-term growth
• Document learnings, gaps, and recommendations that will inform the national volunteer strategy beginning in 2027

2027 & Beyond: Build & Scale the National Volunteer Program

As the foundation is set, your role will expand to leading Giving Kitchen’s national volunteer strategy and infrastructure.

• Design a national volunteer program strategy that supports Giving Kitchen’s expansion into new markets while strengthening our existing Atlanta base
• Develop scalable recruitment, onboarding, and training systems that can be deployed consistently across regions
• Create tiered volunteer pathways (one-time, recurring, and leadership roles) that grow engagement over time
• Establish standardized policies, role descriptions, and best practices that maintain quality and safety as the program expands
• Build volunteer leadership roles and a pipeline that helps committed volunteers take on greater responsibility over time

What you'll do

Recruit, Train & Engage Volunteers

• Source and recruit volunteers through community partnerships, restaurant industry relationships, corporate groups, and digital outreach
• Develop and deliver onboarding and training content that prepares volunteers to represent Giving Kitchen with confidence and care
• Design recognition and appreciation practices that reflect our Warm and Welcoming values and keep volunteers coming back

Coordinate Volunteer Operations

• Own the volunteer scheduling and deployment process for events and other program needs
• Maintain accurate volunteer records, hours, and impact data using our volunteer management and CRM systems
• Serve as the primary point of contact for volunteers, answering questions and resolving issues with warmth and responsiveness
• Coordinate logistics for volunteer-supported events, including supplies, site readiness, and day-of communication

Partner Across the Organization

• Work closely with Programs and Client Services to understand volunteer needs across our direct service work
• Partner with the Community Engagement Manager on volunteer engagement tied to the GK Advocate program and community partnerships
• Collaborate with Development on volunteer engagement tied to fundraising events and donor relationships
• Support regional staff and partners as we expand our national footprint, ensuring volunteer programming is consistent and locally relevant

Measure & Report Impact

• Track volunteer hours, retention, satisfaction, and program impact, and translate data into clear insights for leadership
• Regularly evaluate and refine volunteer processes based on feedback and outcomes
• Provide volunteer program updates and metrics for board materials, grant reports, and organizational dashboards as needed
• Your Background
• 3+ years of experience coordinating or managing a volunteer program, event staffing operation, or community engagement initiative
• Demonstrated success learning, operating, and improving existing volunteer or event systems—not just building from scratch
• Experience supporting or launching a new program or initiative in partnership with a cross-functional team
• Familiarity with volunteer management software, CRM platforms, or partnership platforms (such as Salesforce, Galaxy Digital, or similar); experience evaluating and implementing new tools is a plus
• Experience working with nonprofit programs, community partnerships, or mission-driven organizations preferred
• Comfort with regular travel to support volunteer activity in regional and national markets

Your Skills & Strengths

• A relationship builder who connects easily with people from all backgrounds and makes everyone feel welcome at the table
• A systems thinker who can operate within existing structures and identify opportunities to improve them—and who knows when to build something new
• A clear, warm communicator who can train, motivate, and coordinate volunteers with patience and enthusiasm
• An organized project manager who can juggle multiple events, timelines, and volunteer groups at once without dropping a detail
• A curious, adaptive learner who is energized by new platforms, tools, and ways of working

Who You Are

You believe that volunteers are not free labor. They are partners in the mission, and you treat them that way every single day.

You are equally comfortable running someone else’s playbook and eventually writing your own. You learn what exists, make it better, and build toward what comes next—without losing patience for the in-between.

You lead with warmth and honesty. You say what you will do and you do it, and volunteers trust you because you have earned it.

You are energized by growth. The idea of taking what works today and building it into something national and lasting excites you rather than overwhelms you.

What We Offer

We invest in our people the way we invest in our mission. Fully, and on purpose.

This role offers a starting salary range of $55,000 - $62,000 commensurate with experience, plus comprehensive health insurance, a 401(k) with employer match, very generous paid time off and holidays, parental leave, hybrid flexibility, and real budget for professional development and coaching.

And then there is everything a benefits list can never capture. The staff playlists. The thoughtful, handwritten notes. The very cool industry that we serve and the way we celebrate each other. The genuine, unmistakable gladness that you are here and encourage you to show up as your whole self. That is the Giving Kitchen you would be joining, and the one you would help protect as we grow.

You would spend your days building the volunteer network that lets a movement reach further, at a fast-growing, nationally recognized nonprofit where your work touches thousands of food service workers in crisis every single day.

Now is the time, and we are the ones. We would be grateful to build the next chapter with you.

At Giving Kitchen, we believe that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace makes us a more relevant, more competitive, and more resilient organization, and strengthens our decision making. We encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or caregiver status, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

“We help food service workers”