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Frequently Asked Questions
Volunteer San Diego’s website makes it easy for you
to find and manage all of your volunteer activities
in one place. You can search thousands of volunteer
opportunities, sign up for projects, create teams to
volunteer with you and much more!
Using Our Website
How do I get
started?
What are the advantages of
registering with Volunteer San Diego?
Do I
have to have an email address?
I’ve forgotten
my password.
How do I change my password or email address?
Why don't I receive an automatic e-mail when I sign
up for projects or request my
password?
Who do I contact for help logging in or using the website?
Volunteer Opportunities
What kinds of projects does Volunteer San Diego
offer?
How
much time do I have to commit?
How old do I have
to be?
How do I sign-up for projects or courses?
What is a Team
Leader?
Who should I contact if I have
questions about a project or course?
Can I bring other people with me to a project?
How do I remove myself from a project I don't wish
to or cannot attend?
I'm
having problems signing up for a project.
Can Volunteer San Diego verify my
hours for school, court or other requirements?
What if I have an idea for a new project?
I need more help finding a project.
Community Partners
How can my non-profit, school or group list our
volunteer needs on your website?
How can I learn more about Volunteer San Diego?
Using Our Website
How do I get started?
Step 1: Register
online by clicking "Register"
at the bottom of our homepage or any of the "Member
Center" links on our site. Although you can
browse through any part of our website without
registering, you will need to register online in
order to sign up for orientations, attend projects,
and take full advantage of our website’s features.
Step 2: When you register online, you will
receive an email asking you to activate your
account. Just click on the activation link in the
email to continue. If for some reason you do not
receive this email, contact us at
support@volunteersandiego.org or call
858-636-4131. Also, be sure your spam filter isn’t
blocking messages from support@volunteersandiego.org
or other volunteersandiego.org email addresses.
Step 3: Get involved! Visit our
Guide to Finding Volunteer Opportunities. If you
are 14 and up and would like to volunteer with our
Flexible Volunteer
Program, go through our online
orientation.
What are the advantages of registering
with Volunteer San Diego?
Our goal is to successfully connect volunteers to
the nonprofits that need them most. Once you
register, you will have access to a number of
valuable tools and resources in the Member Center,
enabling you to find the volunteer opportunity
that's right for you:
-
You can quickly and easily
sign up for projects that need your time, skills
and talents
-
Project details (including
directions) are e-mailed to you immediately
-
You will receive a reminder
e-mail before the project
-
You can easily remove
yourself from projects you are no longer able to
attend
-
You can view and modify your
personal information including contact
information, skills and interests
-
You can easily view your
volunteer and donation history
Do I
have to have an email address?
Yes. Our website uses your email address to identify
you and send you important information about any
projects or courses you sign up for. If you do not
have an email account, you can get one free of
charge from
www.yahoo.com or
www.hotmail.com.
Free internet access is also available from most
public libraries.
I’ve forgotten
my password
That’s okay. Just go to the Member Center and enter
your email address under the “Forget Your Password?”
section of the screen. Then click “Email My Password
Now” and a new password will be sent to you
automatically.
How do I change my password or email address?
If you would like to change your password or email
address, you can do this at any time by logging in
to the Member Center and selecting “Personal
Information” and “Email and Password.” Once you have
made your changes, be sure to click “Update
Information” or your changes will not be saved.
Why don't I receive system-generated e-mails (i.e.,
password request, registration or project
confirmation)?
The spam filter on your email account may route
automatically route e-mails sent from Volunteer San
Diego to your junk or bulk mail folder or even
delete them. Please configure your e-mail account to
allow you to receive messages from
volunteersandiego.org.
Who do I contact for help using the Volunteer San
Diego website?
If you have any questions or need further assistance
on using this website, please e-mail
support@volunteersandiego.org
or call 858-636-4131.
Volunteer Opportunities
What kinds of projects does Volunteer San Diego
offer?
We provide referrals to thousands of
volunteer opportunities around San Diego County,
ranging from one-time special events to those
requiring a more significant commitment. We work
with over 800 nonprofit agencies, and our
opportunities span every area from at-risk youth to
at-risk animals, the environment to the arts. There
really is something for everyone. Start your search
here.
How much time do I have to commit?
It's entirely up to you! Our goal is to make
volunteering easy for everyone, regardless of how
busy their schedules are. Our projects and referrals
offer varying commitment levels, so you can
volunteer as much or as little as you like.
Volunteers who are looking for a flexible yet
meaningful way to volunteer can consider our
Flexible Volunteer Program. Volunteers looking for a
more regular commitment can search through our
online database for
Ongoing Opportunities. The database has
thousands of volunteer openings at agencies,
schools, and organizations countywide.
How old do I have to be?
Volunteers must be at least 14 years old to legally
register on this website. However, volunteers as
young as 5 can make a difference in the community. Learn
more about projects for
Students, Educators and Families.
Members of our
Flexible Volunteer Program must be at least 14
years old. Volunteers under the age of 14 may
accompany an adult Flex member at any “Family
Friendly” projects on our calendar. All
volunteers under the age of 18 must also have a
signed Waiver of Liability on file with Volunteer
San Diego.
Download waiver.
How do I sign-up for projects or courses?
Log-in to the Member Center. Search our database
of
projects or
orientations & trainings. Once you have found a
project or course that sound interesting to you,
click the “sign me up” button.
What is a team leader?
Each Volunteer San Diego project has a person who is responsible for
managing the project. In most cases, Team Leaders
are volunteers who took the extra step and help make
our programs possible. Team Leaders may also be
representatives from the nonprofit organization
hosting the event. Find out more about becoming a
Team Leader for our Flexible Volunteer Program.
Who should I contact if I have questions about a
Volunteer San Diego project?
The Team Leader should be more than happy to answer
any questions you may have. When you sign up for a
project, you
will receive an automatic email with the Team
Leader’s contact information.
Can I bring other people with me to a
Volunteer San Diego project?
Ideally, each volunteer would register on our
website with his or her own email address. Since
this is not always possible, you can also choose one
of the following options:
How do I remove myself from a project I don't wish
to or cannot attend?
Log-in to the
Member Center.
Click on "My Projects" and
then "Remove Me" from any projects you are
unable to attend. Please do this as early as
possible so that your volunteer slot becomes
available for someone else to fill.
I'm having problems
signing up for projects.
Please make sure
that you have registered and logged in. Once you
have logged in, select your project and click Sign
Me Up. If the Sign Me Up button does not appear, you
may see one of these messages on the screen instead: -
You must enter a date of birth – As some of our
projects have age restrictions, you must enter your
date of birth before you are allowed to sign up for
projects. Log in to the
Member Center. Under
“Personal Information” update your date of birth and
any other required fields marked with an orange
asterisk. Be sure to click “Update Information” to
save your changes.
- Age restrictions – If you do not meet the minimum age
requirement for the project, you will not be
able to sign up. Most Flex projects have a
minimum age of 14, although some are set higher
at 16 or 18. Some projects are also identified
at “Teen Only” projects for volunteers 14-18
years old.
- Youth Liability Waiver is required – If you are
under the age of 18, a Waiver of Liability must be
signed by a parent or guardian and on file with
Volunteer San Diego before you can sign up for
projects.
Download Waiver.
- You must attend an orientation in order to
participate – Projects that display this message
when you try to sign up are part of our
Flexible
Volunteer Program. You must go through our
online
orientation
before you will be permitted to sign up for these
projects. If you have already attended an
orientation, please email
flex@volunteersandiego.org.
- Court-referred volunteers are not allowed –
Legally, you must notify Volunteer San Diego if you
have court-referred service hours to complete.
Certain projects do not allow court-referred
volunteers. Please select another project.
Learn
more.
Can Volunteer San Diego verify my hours for school, court or other requirements?
Volunteer San Diego is only able to verify hours for
Volunteer San Diego projects, such as those in the
Flexible Volunteer
Program. We strongly recommend that you get the
Team Leader or an agency representative to verify
the hours you have served at the end of each project
you attend, as it is often difficult to verify hours
later if the official attendance is not sent to
Volunteer San Diego. Contact us at
volunteer1@volunteersandiego.org or 858-636-4127
to request a timelog to track your hours and
participation at projects. Formal letters of
verification can be prepared with 7-10 days notice.
If you are completing hours for a court requirement,
you must contact us before you begin your community
service.
What if I have an idea for a new project?
Tell us about it! We’re always looking for new
projects and people to lead them. Email us at
flex@volunteersandiego.org.
I need more help finding a
volunteer project.
If you still can’t seem to find the right volunteer
project for yourself or your group, please contact
us at
volunteer1@volunteersandiego.org or
858-636-4127. Let us know what types of projects you
are interested in, what part of the county you would
like to volunteer in, when you would like to
volunteer, and how many people are in your group (if
applicable). The more information you can provide,
the easier it will be for us to find a project that
suits your needs and interests.
Community Partners
How can my non-profit, school, or group list our
volunteer needs on your site?
Volunteer San Diego provides over 25,000 volunteer
referrals each year, connecting individuals with the
organizations that need them. New community partners
must first register with Volunteer San Diego. New
and existing partners can then submit Volunteer
Opportunities as they arise for posting on our
website. Learn more about services for our
Nonprofit Partners.
How can I learn more about Volunteer San Diego?
Learn more about our mission, vision, story and much
more in the About Us
section of our website.
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