Volunteer
Every person has the power to make a difference.
Volunteers truly can change the world – starting in their own communities. Discover the ways you can help Erika’s Lighthouse solve the youth mental health crisis and keep our ready-to-use mental health curriculum 100% FREE.
"As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands -
one for helping yourself, the other for helping others."
Community Leaders
We are always looking to expand our community of compassion. Through networking and fundraising, you can advance our mission and expand our impact.
Teens
The best place to create change is in your own school! You can be a peer champion around mental health by reducing stigma and encouraging good mental health.
Individuals and Groups
Corporations, associations, groups or individuals can all empower youth, families and educators in their local community with Good Mental Health Toolkits.
Erika’s Lighthouse was formed after Erika, a beautiful middle schooler, died from her depression. We vowed “never again” and have been creating a community of like-minded changemakers to advance our mission and expand our impact. Anyone can join our community and be a leader in helping us solve the youth mental health crisis.
At Erika’s Lighthouse, our mission is laser-focused on school-based prevention and early intervention. We believe that mental health programs are most effective when taught and implemented directly by school staff, ensuring that the people delivering the curriculum are the same trusted adults available to support students every day. Because our model relies on empowering educators within their own buildings rather than bringing external personnel into classrooms, our ability to utilize community volunteers in direct service roles is intentionally limited.
This mission-drive approach to a school-based model is essential to our scalability and impact. By providing free, turn-key resources that educators can implement themselves, we can efficiently reach schools across the country without geographic barriers. While this focus allows us to strive toward our goal of impacting 2.5 million students annually by 2030, it also means we can rarely accommodate general requests for community engagement or classroom volunteering. This structure ensures our resources remain concentrated on what matters most: equipping schools to save lives.
However, we deeply value the unique talents and passion of our community. While traditional volunteer roles are limited, there are still powerful ways to advance our mission using your specific skillsets, professional networks, and support. We rely on advocates to introduce our free programs to local school districts, champions to host fundraisers that keep our resources free, and professionals to offer specialized expertise that helps us grow. Your unique contributions are vital to helping us ensure that every student deserves good mental health.
Corporate Leadership Committee
Erika’s Lighthouse Corporate Leadership Committee is a group of passionate corporate executives. These volunteers advance our mission by helping cultivate corporate donors, sponsors and strategic partnerships.
Expectations
- Raise $20,000 in corporate sponsorship/revenue annually.
- Recruit, at least, 2 corporate donors every 2 years.
Suggested Entry Activity
- Host a Good Mental Health Toolkit Activity at your workplace
Team Resilience Leadership Committee
Erika’s Lighthouse Team Resilience Leadership Committee is a group of passionate endurance athletes. These volunteers advance our mission by helping grow our Team Resilience endurance campaign.
Expectations
- Complete 2 races every 2 years through Team Resilience
- Raise, at least, $10,000 every 2 years
- Recruit, at least, 2 participants every 2 years
- Join Team Resilience (Signature Race or DIY)
Shine A Light Leadership Committee
Erika’s Lighthouse Shine A Light Leadership Committee is a group of passionate Do-It-Yourself fundraisers. These volunteers advance our mission by helping grow our Shine A Light campaign.
Expectations
- Host 2 DIY fundraisers every 2 years through Shine A Light
- Raise, at least, $10,000 every 2 years
Suggested Entry Activity
- Host a Shine A Light Fundraiser
Digital Marketing Advisory Committee
Erika’s Lighthouse Digital Marketing Advisory Committee is a group of passionate digital marketers. These volunteers advance our mission by helping us develop and implement our digital marketing efforts across multiple channels.
Seeking guidance in
- Graphic Designer/Content Creator
- Content Strategy
- Marketing Analysis
- Influencer Marketing
- Video Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization
- Social Media Marketing (Organic/Paid)
- Product Marketing
Operations Advisory Committee
Erika’s Lighthouse Operations Advisory Committee is a group of passionate Operations professionals. These volunteers advance our mission by helping us develop, implement and improve our organizational operations.
Seeking guidance in
- Human Resources
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
- WordPress
- General Operations
- Zapier
- Looker Studio
- QuickBooks
Submit your interest in joining a Leadership or Advisory Committee
Teens
Now more than ever, we need strong youth-led voices in our school communities. And as Erika’s Lighthouse has demonstrated, the most significant change begins locally.
All of our youth volunteering starts with young people creating or joining an Erika’s Lighthouse Empowerment Club in their schools. Learn more about Empowerment Clubs and how youth can use these mental health clubs to spearhead school-wide campaigns that normalize life-saving conversations and reduce stigma.
From little things, big things grow. Erika’s Lighthouse is a testament to that, as well as the power of compassion and conviction.
Founded on Chicago’s North Shore, we have grown from a small community to a national leader that impacts thousands of schools across every state. We started with one foot in front of the other, and you can do the same by empowering young people, families, and educators in your community.
Grainger + Erika’s Lighthouse
Grainger employees hosted a Good Mental Health Toolkit experience for their team members. This group volunteer activity was accompanied by employee and parent education and a brief overview of Erika’s Lighthouse programs.