Get Involved
GardenWalk is an opportunity for you to share Cleveland at its best! GardenWalk Cleveland is run by an enthusiastic group of volunteers, many of whom have gardens, some of whom do not. We even have some non-gardeners pitching in, so whatever your gardening skill level, we would love to have you!
Volunteers can help for as little as a couple of hours on GardenWalk weekend, to serving on GardenWalk Committees or Board, which meets about 6-8 months each year to plan the event. The time commitment varies, but activity is concentrated March through mid-July.
Volunteer with Us!
To volunteer, email info@gardenwalkcleveland.org with your name, phone number and your area of interest. See below for a list of volunteer jobs with brief descriptions.
Put Your Garden on GardenWalk
Applications open for the current year in early spring, typically March. If your neighborhood is on GardenWalk, go to ‘Add Garden’ at the top of the website home page, or click here. (City of Cleveland neighborhoods only, the website will indicate which neighborhoods are included for the year)
Get Your Neighborhood on GardenWalk
Each Fall, GardenWalk Cleveland invites neighborhoods to apply to be a part of GardenWalk the following summer. The open invitation period is typically September through October 31. Sign up for our enews and watch for the announcement. Click here to see the invitation and requirements for 2023.
Volunteer job descriptions:
Event Volunteers: The largest volunteer opportunity is staffing the neighborhood info stations on the Saturday and Sunday of GardenWalk (second weekend in July). At the info stations, volunteers greet visitors, answer questions, provide the GardenWalk Guides, and hand out information about the neighborhood. Shifts are 2 ½ hours. We also need several volunteers in the days before and after the event to deliver materials and pick them up.
GardenWalk Committees: We actively recruit people for our committees throughout the year. The Marketing Committee develops the images (along with our graphic designer) to be used each year; determines where and how to advertise; and manages our social media accounts. The Fundraising Committee contacts our supporters each year to ask for ads and sponsorships, including follow-ups and thankyous. The Event Planning Committee works on the nuts and bolts of our annual event, making sure that all the supplies are on hand, and everything runs smoothly. Leadership positions include Committee Chair or Co-Chair.
GardenWalk Team: All of the Committee Members, Garden Finders and Board Members, known as the GardenWalk Team, meet about 6-8 times throughout the year (concentrated in the winter and spring) to plan and implement the annual weekend event in July.
GardenWalk Board: Experienced GardenWalk Team members are eligible to serve on the Board, which has fiscal responsibility for the organization (GardenWalk Cleveland is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation). The Board officially meets 3 times per year as part of the Team meetings to elect Board Members, approve the budget, and approve the neighborhoods for the annual event. Leadership positions include President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.
Garden Finders are the heart and soul of GardenWalk. Garden Finders recruit neighbors and other resident gardeners in their neighborhood to participate each year; distribute information and materials to neighborhood gardeners and neighborhood locations; and interact with the community development corporation or lead neighborhood organization. Each neighborhood needs at least one garden-finder, but the more garden finders, the better the event will be in your neighborhood.