Why should you trust the information on this web page?

Screening so that you can volunteer: what does it mean?

credits and disclaimer and Why should you trust the information on this web page?

Different volunteer roles require different ways of making sure a person is right for that role.

Some volunteer roles require that a person just sign up for the activity with their name, address and phone number and then be there on time. Some volunteer roles require a candidate to go through an interview, maybe even more than one, and to go through both a criminal background check and a reference check, training, and perhaps even a test of skills. And there are roles that require volunteers to do some of those things, but not others.

A credible, well-run program is going to have volunteer roles described in writing. Those descriptions will have all of the screening requirements detailed, as well as what time commitment is expected on your part, how long they expect you to be in this role at minimum (just one day? A week? Six months?) and will tell you what success for the volunteer looks like from the organization's perspective. If you are about to commit to a volunteer role but don't have these answers in writing, ask for the answers, and write them down yourself, with the date and the name of the person providing this information. This helps resolve misunderstandings that might happen later - for instance, an organization saying that you agreed to volunteer for several days a week when, in fact, you agreed to volunteer for just one.

Don't panic at the idea of interviewing to be a volunteer! The goal of an interview isn't to scare you or trick you and MOST organizations are still going to engage you as a volunteer after your interview! Many questions in an interview with a candidate for volunteer have no right or wrong answer.

Don't worry about saying "I have never volunteered before" or "I'm unemployed right now." That's okay! Those aren't "wrong" answers. The organization is just trying to get to know you, learn how you present yourself, etc. They also might be able to better tailor a volunteering role to what you want to do by knowing more about you.

Basic interview questions for new volunteers

If you are interviewed to be a volunteer, at minimum, you are going to be asked to answer these questions, so prepare before you interview, so you feel some confidence in answering:

Why do you want to volunteer with our organization?
How did you find out about volunteering with our organization?
Have you volunteered anywhere else before and, if so, what did you do and where?
What is your employment situation or school enrollment situation right now?
How will you get here to do your volunteering tasks (if its an onsite volunteering role - this is a transportation-related question).

Why the transportation question? It's not to judge you; it's to make sure you have thought about how you are going to get to the work place - something that, unfortunately, many volunteers don't think about before applying. If you are going to rely on mass transit, make sure you already know where the nearest bus stop is BEFORE your interview.

You can ask questions too! If you are interviewing with a volunteer, ask, "How long have you been volunteering here? What do you like about it?" If you interview with an employee, ask "Why do you think most of your volunteers want to volunteer here? What do you think they like about volunteering here?"

Other questions you can ask your interviewer, whether a volunteer or an employee:

How should I track my hours - or do you do that somehow?
Who do I go to when I'm volunteering if I need help or have a question?
Do you have a lot of long-time volunteers?
When volunteers quit, what is the most common reason?

You can ask absolutely anything else you would like to know.

Information new volunteers need to provide

A credible, well-run program is going to ask volunteer candidates, at minimum, to provide their full names, their residential addresses, and phone numbers.

The more exposure you are going to have to the program's clients, or the more you are going to be expected to work with the public, the more information you may need to provide. Someone who is going to help clean trash off of a hiking trail with lots of other volunteers is probably not going to be asked the same questions or have to undergo the screening and training that a volunteer is who is going to run a cash register or handle money.

Depending on the role, you may be asked for:

An emergency contact, someone to call in case you have to seek medical attention or there's some other emergency.
The name of your current employer and the name of someone that can confirm you work there.
The name of the school or university where you are enrolled, so that the school can be called to confirm you are currently enrolled there.
Two or more professional or personal references - people who can testify to your work style, skills and character.
To declare any convictions of a crime, or to declare just certain connections (usually those involving money or harm to a person or animal - but you may be asked to declare ANY conviction).

Again, remember, this depends on the volunteer role! Many volunteer roles don't require candidates to be asked these questions.

References regarding your character can be anyone you have worked for, including informal jobs like baby sitting or dog walking. Such references can also be a coach on a team you've played on, the leader of a choir you've been a part of, someone from your community of faith, and any teacher you've ever had, whether in school or in an extracurricular class, like karate or ballet class. References are usually called on the phone by the organization or contacted by email and asked to answer these questions:

How do you know this person that wants to volunteer with us?
How long have you known this person?
Tell me about your relationship - how you know them.
Do they get along well with others?
Is there anything you would like for us to know about this person?

Professional references will be asked questions like:

This person says they started working for you on such-and-such date. Is that correct?
This person says they work for you as such-and-such (dishwasher, waiter, administrative assistant, accountant, whatever). Is that correct?
Have you observed them working with other staff or working with the public? Do they get along well with others?
Is there anything you would like for us to know about this person?

Some employers, by policy, will answer only the first two questions and refuse to answer the others. And that is okay! Don't worry if you have a current or previous employer that won't answer other questions - it's not unusual at all.

You may also be asked to provide information for a criminal background check, and you may be asked to pay for that criminal background check yourself. Most criminal background checks in the USA are done at the state level: only state records are searched for arrests and convictions. Some roles require a federal level background check, which will include fingerprints.

Signing paperwork

A credible, well-run program is going to ask you to sign some paperwork. The most common paperwork:

a waiver of liability (also known as a “release”), a written statement in which, by signing, the volunteer agrees to assume the risk of injury inherent in the volunteer activity, and also releases the organization from liability for injuries that he or she might sustain while working as a volunteer. The waiver also serves to educate the volunteer about the potential hazards involved in the organization’s work, focusing the volunteer’s attention on the potential hazards. Signing the waiver is usually mandatory, but a waiver does NOT absolve a program from any liability whatsoever if a volunteer is injured: a volunteer can still potentially sue even if he or she signed a volunteer waiver. Waivers usually do not protect organizations against gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or illegal actions. If an injury to a volunteer results from a severe failure in safety rather than an inherent risk, the waiver may be invalid in the eyes of a court.
an agreement that you will allow yourself to be photographed while volunteering and that those photos can be used while volunteer. This is usually optional and you can say no.

Questions for volunteers working with vulnerable populations

If you want to work with vulnerable populations - people in hospice, people in domestic violence shelters, people recovering from addiction, children in the judicial system, foster kids, refugees, children with terminal illnesses, etc - you have to be ready to go through a rather intense screening and training (at least if it's a credible program that is engaging such volunteers). That screening will include questions that help the host organization understand the attitude of a potential volunteer, look for red flags, etc.

If you want to be such a volunteer, the training may be in-part or entirely online. It may require you to read material or to listen to and watch a presentation. It may be an hour long - it may be 30 hours along. It depends on the volunteer role as to how intense the training will be.

Volunteer candidates may be interviewed more than once.

Here is an example of an online, text-based interview. These questions might be asked in an in-person, verbal setting as well. The questions are provided here to give you an example of what becoming a volunteer working with vulnerable populations might be like. If you think these questions are "too much", you aren't ready to work with vulnerable populations:

Introduction:

Our core values are: Respect, Compassion, Community Collaboration, Diversity + Inclusion, Integrity and Trust. We want volunteers to be objective and support our clients effectively. When working with our clients, it’s important to show empathy.

When we work with our clients, it’s important to understand where our perspective comes from. This interview helps us explore that with you.

It’s important to understand why the language we use is important during vulnerable times.

Working with our clients is incredibly rewarding, but at times, it can be stressful. It’s important to understand there will be times that will be difficult to manage.

What influenced you to become a volunteer with our organization?

Do you have support from your family/friends/important people in your life about your involvement in the program?

Tell me a story about building trust with someone outside of your family.

Tell me a story about a time when you’ve helped someone.

Do you have family or friends that are different from you? How so? What is your relationship like?

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt displaced?

What does diversity mean to you?

Do you know what trauma-informed care is?

Would you be interested in ongoing training?

Tell me a story about when you had to make a decision with very little information.

How do you take care of yourself?

Tell me a story about when you’ve offended someone - what happened and how did it affect you?

Were you and the person able to recover?

What does accountability mean to you?

For more advice on creating questions to screen volunteers regarding their attitude, see this resource: Screening Volunteers for Attitude

Other volunteering resources

Finding Community Service and Volunteering for Teens.

Details on how to quickly fill a community service obligation from a court or school.

How to Find Volunteering Opportunities, a resource for adults who want to volunteer

Advice for Volunteer Groups / Group Volunteering.

Groups for Atheist and Secular Volunteers

Volunteering with Seniors.

Finding virtual volunteering: a list of organizations and programs that involve online volunteers exclusively.

Volunteering To Help After Major Disasters.

Volunteering with organizations that help animals and wildlife.

Volunteering In Pursuit of a Medical, Veterinary or Social Work degree / career.

Tips for Long-Term Unemployed People Seeking Jobs, Older Job Seekers and For Those Just Starting Out

12 Reasons Not to Volunteer Abroad
These are the most common reasons people say they want to volunteer abroad. And they are not good reasons. In fact, they often hurt people and animals in other countries, rather than helping.

How to Make a Difference Internationally/Globally/in Another Country Without Going Abroad

Fund Raising For a Cause or Organization

How you can advocate for an issue important to you

Donating Things Instead of Cash or Time (In-Kind Contributions)

Ideas for Leadership Volunteering Activities
These are more than just do-it-yourself volunteering - these are ideas to create or lead a sustainable, lasting benefit to a community, recruiting others to help and to have a leadership role as a volunteer. These can also be activities for the Girl Scouts Gold Award, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award (U.K.), a mitzvah project, or even scholarship consideration.

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