WBGFN programs and activities are run by our members for our members. Our volunteers are members from around the world who dedicate their time, talents and energy to giving back. Volunteering at WBGFN is not only a great opportunity to use your skills and experience for the benefit of the WBG and wider communities, but also to learn new skills, enhance your professional development, and boost your social life. WBGFN volunteers work in an extraordinarily wide range of positions, from event organization and database management to branding and graphic design. Browse the descriptions of what the main WBGFN teams do below and register to volunteer based on your personal and professional interests. These detailed descriptions are only to be used as a guide and can be adapted to suit the individual’s skill and time commitment.
Get Involved - MMEG Team
Margaret McNamara Education Grants (MMEG) is a non-profit organization operating under the umbrella of WBGFN. Founded in 1981, MMEG provides education grants annually to women studying at universities in the US/Canada, South Africa and Latin America. To-date, 455 grants have been awarded to women from 76 countries for a total of $4.1 million disbursed in four grant programs.
MMEG is run almost entirely by volunteers and is always looking for more! Each year, around 150 volunteers help us to carry on our mission! Depending on the activity, the time commitment may extend for a day, a few days, a few months or even a year. We have plenty of events and activities calling for your help.
Throughout the year, MMEG volunteers serve on selection committees to review grant applications and recommend lists of finalists to the MMEG Board for each program. Volunteer readers screen all grant applicants through a competitive selection process which takes place over 3 months; readers participate in 4 half-day meetings during the process.
MMEG has a very active social media presence and communications program. The MMEG communications team welcomes any support from volunteers but especially those with marketing, graphic design, communications, and community outreach backgrounds.
Our biggest volunteer effort and fundraising event is our annual Arts and Crafts Fair, scheduled for three days each November and held in the Main Complex of the World Bank. Due to the global pandemic, we organized a virtual fair in 2020, and can’t foresee what will happen in November 2021. If we are able to run and organize the fair this year, we will need lots of hands to help us at the venue during the fair. You can join the Fair committee and help us plan and organize this event, contribute homemade food to be sold at our gourmet table, donate white goods to be sold to raise funds, or help out at one of the MMEG stands.
Other times, ad hoc opportunities arise for volunteers to help with database management, fundraising and other mailings, and working at information tables at World Bank Group events. Visit our website www.mmeg.org to find out more about what we do or contact us at mmeg@worldbank.org to discuss how your volunteer skills could be put to great use.