FAQ - For Volunteers
Questions about Volunteer Kalamazoo and Volunteering
HOW DO I BECOME A MEMBER OF VOLUNTEER KALAMAZOO?
Becoming a volunteer is easy! Simply register yourself by clicking here. It does not cost anything and your information will be kept private and secure.
DOES IT COST ANYTHING TO VOLUNTEER?
Just your time and skills! Volunteering is free.
HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE TO COMMIT?
It's entirely up to you! You can volunteer as much or as little as you like based on your time and interest. However, every organization will have different requirements for their volunteer opportunities. Some organizations may require an orientation and training with a commitment of a certain number of hours while others may not have any of those requirements.
WHAT IS A VOLUNTEER LEADER (VL)?
A volunteer leader is just a regular volunteer (like you) who makes Volunteer-managed projects meaningful, successful and FUN! Volunteer Leaders share project details with volunteers, guide the team onsite, build their leadership skills and make these events possible. More information coming soon.
WHAT IF I DON'T FIND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR ON THE CALENDAR OF PROJECTS?
We also offer a searchable database of volunteer opportunities that occur on an ongoing basis.
WHY DO YOU ASK FOR MY BIRTH DATE WHEN I REGISTER?
Each project has a minimum age for attendance. Also, we need to protect our younger volunteers who are under age 13. Volunteers under the age of 13 are unable to sign up through our website due to the Federal Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
CAN I VOLUNTEER IF I AM UNDER 18 YEARS OLD?
Check the age listing for each project as the minimum age varies depending on the agency and activity. Some organizations may require an adult to volunteer with you or at least attend an orientation. Volunteer activities which are organized by Volunteer Kalamazoo (specified Days of Service) will require a waiver to be filed at the event.
Volunteers under the age of 13 are unable to sign up through our website due to the Federal Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). To register a child under the age of 13 as a volunteer, please register a team with the responsible parent/guardian as team captain - see the group page for more information.
I DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION. CAN YOU GET ME TO VOLUNTEER PROJECTS?
Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to transport volunteers to volunteer activities.
Questions about the Website
AFTER I HAVE BECOME A MEMBER, HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR A VOLUNTEER PROJECT?
Click on the Find an Opportunity tab to find projects that interest you. Once you sign up or express interest in a project, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with directions and any other special instructions.
HOW DO I CHANGE MY PASSWORD OR UPDATE MY EMAIL ADDRESS?
After you log in to our website, click the "My Account" sub-tab and then click "Personal Information." Make your changes and click "Update" at the top of the screen.
WHAT IF I'VE FORGOTTEN MY PASSWORD?
Click on "Log In" at the top of the page, enter your email address, and click "Forgot password". An email will be sent to you with a temporary password. When you log in, you will be asked to change the password. Volunteer Kalamazoo does not have the capability to see your password.
WHAT IF I AM UNABLE TO SIGN UP FOR A PROJECT THROUGH THE WEBSITE?
You can always contact us by email or by phone at 269.382.8350. We would be glad to assist you with the registration process.
HOW DO I REMOVE MYSELF FROM A PROJECT I SIGNED UP FOR PREVIOUSLY?
Log in to our website, click on the "My Account" sub-tab, and scroll down to "Upcoming Opportunities". Then, simply click "Remove Me" next to the project from which you wish to remove yourself. Please do this as early as possible so that your volunteer slot becomes available for other volunteers to fill.
WHAT IF A PROJECT I WANT TO SIGN-UP FOR IS FULL? CAN I GET ON A WAIT-LIST?
If a project occurrence is full, the "Sign Up" button that typically appears at the bottom of the project page will change to read "Add Me to Wait List." Simply click there to add yourself to the project's waitlist. Although the website may say that you have been registered, please note that if the project is full, you are not officially registered until a space opens up. You will be notified if a space opens up and will then be able to officially register yourself for the project.
WHY AREN'T MY HOURS BEING UPDATED ONCE AFTER I VOLUNTEERED?
In order for your hours to show up in your account, either the volunteer coordinator or a staff member from Volunteer Kalamazoo has to go in and both approve your volunteer status and enter in your hours manually. Not all volunteer coordinators have been trained on this software, so this may not happen automatically. Additionally, not all coordinators know that you WANT your hours recorded in Volunteer Kalamazoo's system. To ensure that your hours are all recorded appropriately, please fill out this form and return it to Volunteer Kalamazoo. We'll approve your status and enter your hours generally within two days of receipt. Even if you'd like to include hours for opportunities that you haven't signed up for on oour website, we'll do our best to ensure that they are appropriately recorded!
If you volunteered for a Volunteer Kalamazoo Day of Service or directly with Volunteer Kalamazoo, your hours will be updated generally within 10 business days of completion of your volunteer activities.
WHICH BROWSER DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR THE BEST PERFORMANCE?
HandsOn Connect runs on the Salesforce platform, therefore we recommend using Firefox for the best performance. Google Chrome is also an acceptable alternative. If you use Internet Explorer, Internet Explorer version 8 is recommended over versions 6 and 7. While using Internet Explorer you may experience a slower response time over the recommended browsers.