2024 Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are the fuel that power RHAWA. Dedicated volunteers are essential to the ongoing success of RHAWA’s programs and publications. RHAWA offers a variety of ways for our members to get involved, from short-term volunteer projects to committee service. With every new volunteer, RHAWA grows more energized and better equipped to reach our common goals.

Join a Committee

Take an active role in determining how the association allocates its resources. RHAWA is at its best when the Board of Directors, staff, and members all have input and can collaborate to further the interests of independent housing providers throughout Washington.

Budget + Finance
Chair: Neil Wilson | Staff: Luke Brown – lbrown@RHAwa.org | Frequency: Bi-Monthly
Purpose: Oversees preliminary financial planning and provides guidance to the Board of Directors in support of approval of the annual budget, safeguarding organizational assets, recommends organizational financial policies, anticipates financial matters for the Board’s consideration, provides the Board of Directors regular, timely and accurate financial statements, assists in financial record retention.  

Education
Chair: Chris Benis | Staff: Denise Myers – dmyers@RHAwa.org | Frequency: Call of the Chair
Purpose: To discuss and recommend improvements to educational resources and programs.

Legal Defense Fund
Chair: Chris Benis | Staff: Tim Hatley – thatley@RHAwa.org | Frequency: Call of the Chair
Purpose: To review and recommend to the Board of Directors legal positions in which RHAWA may choose to become involved.

Legislative Issues
Co-Chairs: Larry Crites, Christopher Cutting | Staff: Tim Hatley – thatley@RHAwa.org | Frequency: Monthly
Purpose: To ensure RHAWA actively promotes the interests of the rental housing industry to state, county, and local legislative bodies. Makes recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding legislative policy.

Membership
Chair: Sharon Cunnington | Staff: Daniel Klemme – dklemme@RHAwa.org | Frequency: Bi-Monthly
Purpose: The purpose of the Membership Committee shall be to encourage all persons interested in RHAWA to join and become active members of the association as well as recommend policies and strategies for enhancing membership in RHAWA. The membership committee helps to ensure a growing and vital membership organization.  

Political Action Committee
Chair: William Shadbolt | Staff: Corey Hjalseth – chjalseth@RHAwa.org | Frequency: Bi-Monthly
Purpose: To raise funds for activities of the Political Action Committee (PAC). To determine which candidates for state, county, and local offices support the rental housing industry, and should be financially supported by RHAWA through recommendations made by the PAC.

Become a Grassroots Advocate

The 2024 Legislative Session is now underway and we need your help to fight back against the onslaught of new housing regulations that crop up during every Legislative Session. With the help of members like you as well as the members of the Rental Housing Association Coalition, we can defeat harmful policies in the 2024 Legislative Session.

As a grassroots membership-based organization, RHAWA is made stronger by the involvement of its members. Your stories and experiences create the foundation RHAWA uses to turn the tide of rental housing legislation in Washington state. RHAWA makes involvement in legislative sessions as easy as clicking a link on our advocacy emails.

It is imperative that members:

• Respond to Action: show your support by attending mobilizations and emailing elected officials. Sharing your personal experience with lawmakers is the best way to communicate the needs of small housing providers. If you’re nervous about testifying in from of lawmakers, our staff is available to walk you through sharing your experiences as a small housing provider. This will help you feel prepared and motivated to share your stories with our elected officials.
• Share your opinions on Legislation: In addition to participating in public testimony, messaging lawmakers using the RHAWA Advocacy Center and submitting written testimony on key bills is crucial to our advocacy efforts. RHAWA will make it as easy as possible to participate in legislative sessions even if you are not able to provide virtual or in-person testimony.
• Sharing your perspectives on legislation is key to influencing the tide of rental housing policies in Washington state. During your participation in our advocacy efforts, you may even have the opportunity to be interviewed in our Housing Matters Podcast hosted by Corey Hjalseth! If you would like to share your story with staff, contact dbannon@rhawa.org or chjalseth@rhawa.org today!

Become a Podcast Guest

RHAWA's Housing Matters Podcast brings you interviews with a multitude of housing industry professionals as well as legislators on the front lines all over the state. We will take deep dives into rental and housing industry news statewide, pending legislation, history, and many other topics. As mentioned earlier, your participation in our advocacy efforts may lead to RHAWA inviting you to be a guest on the podcast as well your stories can be beneficial in both our education and outreach efforts. If you feel passionate about an issue or curious about a topic you feel should be covered in the podcast, please contact Corey Hjalseth at chjalseth@RHAwa.org with your ideas. If you are interested in sponsoring, please contact Luke Brown at lbrown@RHAwa.org.  

Become a Contributing Author

It’s been said you can’t claim to be an author until you’re published. If that’s the case, we’ve got a couple of ways for you to become an official author right here! RHAWA’s Current Newspaper and blog are the leading rental housing industry news sources in Washington State. These publications review industry-related legislative activity, vacancy trends, property management and maintenance information, as well as business and personal finance. 

If you would like to submit an article or blog post, the articles must be:
•    Educational in nature and cannot compete with products and services offered by RHAWA
•    Around 700 words in a Word document
•    Optional graphics or photos
•    Author byline + head-shot
•    Final paragraph about the author or company including contact info.

RHAWA reserves the right to edit or refuse articles. RHAWA may give permission for articles to be reprinted with the stipulation that credit be given to the original author and the publication. Submit your article or blog post to Sisi Mereness at smereness@RHAwa.org.

If you are interested in advertising opportunities, please refer to Current’s ad agreement for ad specs, rates, and deadlines found at: RHAwa.org/vendor-benefits. 

Become an Education or Event Volunteer

RHAWA is looking for volunteer educators for our ongoing seminars and other educational resources - to become part of a fast-moving, vibrant community that is experiencing dramatic growth.

Instruct a Class
We provide you with adult learning training, all the class material and work with your schedule. You provide an enthusiastic and engaging personality, experience with group facilitation, great communication skills, and act as a representative of the Rental Housing Association of Washington. Review our Instructor Handbook for policies and benefit information.

Contribute to Curriculum
Relying upon your knowledge and experience in the industry, you help us build and maintain curriculum and other educational resources. We publish and produce all materials, citing, and recognizing all contributors. Contact Denise Myers at dmyers@RHAwa.org to learn more.

Facilitate a LINK Meeting
You take a leadership role at a monthly member networking meeting at a restaurant in your area. We mail you discussion guides on various rental operations topics and invite members to the meetings. Based on the topic, you lead the discussion yourself or invite an appropriate professional from your area to help. LINK meetings currently take place in East King County, South King County, Pierce County and Snohomish County.

RHAWA is looking to expand its LINK Meetings to other locations as well. However, we need the help of a few RHAWA volunteers to make this happen. Specifically, we are looking for a volunteer to lead a LINK meeting in Seattle as well as a volunteer to lead a meeting in Spokane County. This is a great opportunity to work directly with RHAWA staff to pick a location, organize topics for future meetings, and take an active role in the association. Volunteering to lead a LINK meeting is a service to your fellow members and is greatly appreciated by the association and our members. Contact Daniel Bannon at dbannon@RHAwa.org to learn more.

Volunteer at an Event
Event volunteers help well-planned events go off without a hitch, providing necessary support and facilitating a fun and informative event. For more information about upcoming opportunities, please reach out to Chloe Moser at cmoser@RHAwa.org. 

To volunteer, please contact me directly to talk about your interests and talents, and we can connect you with meaningful ways to get involved.