Volunteer Application Form: Collecting Pertinent Information About Candidates

Volunteer Application Form: Collecting Pertinent Information About Candidates

Introduction

Having a pool of interested, eager, and contributing volunteers on your roster may have a huge influence on your organization. But what is the simplest way to find amazing volunteers? Create a volunteer application form using LeadGen App to collect the necessary information. It's a quick and easy approach to identifying the ideal volunteers for your organization's present and future requirements.

What is Volunteer Application Form?

A volunteer application form is a document used by non-profit organizations, charities, or other groups that rely on volunteers to help them achieve their mission. The form is designed to collect information from potential volunteers, including their contact information, skills, interests, availability, and previous volunteer experience.

The purpose of the form is to assess the volunteer's suitability for the role they are applying for and to ensure that they are a good fit for the organization. The organization benefits from the form by being able to find volunteers who have the skills and experience they need and who are committed to their cause.

Why use a Volunteer Form?

Volunteer application forms are necessary for a number of reasons, including:

a) To gather and maintain pertinent information about candidates

b) To screen individuals rapidly before advancing with the volunteer recruiting procedure

c) To provide candidates with a better understanding of your organization's requirements

d) To demonstrate that your organization has done all possible to limit potential harm to your customers, and the community caused by a volunteer.

Before organizing a one-on-one interview, you should invite prospective volunteers to fill out an application after they've attended an in-person or virtual information session. You may use the volunteer application form to screen prospects and determine the best candidates.

Benefits of Volunteer Form

The benefits of a volunteer form include:

1. Organization

Volunteer forms help organizations streamline their volunteer recruitment process by providing a consistent and organized way to collect information from potential volunteers.

2. Efficiency

By having a standardized form, organizations can quickly review and evaluate applications, allowing them to save time and resources in the volunteer selection process.

3. Record keeping

Volunteer forms can be used to maintain a database of volunteers, which can help organizations keep track of their volunteers' skills, interests, and availability.

4. Liability protection

Volunteer forms can also help protect organizations from potential legal liabilities by collecting important information, such as emergency contact details, health conditions, and background check authorizations.

5. Communication

By collecting contact information and other details about potential volunteers, organizations can easily communicate with them and keep them informed about volunteer opportunities, events photography and other updates.

6. Volunteer engagement

A well-designed volunteer form can also help engage potential volunteers by providing them with an opportunity to express their interests and skills, and by making them feel valued and appreciated for their contributions.

Elements for a successful Volunteer Sign-Up Form

Manual sign-up becomes laborious, unnecessary, and hard for an event that requires hundreds or even thousands of volunteers as the event grows in size. Online sign-up options are now not only preferable but required to keep your event operating quickly and efficiently for you and your peace of mind.

However, while creating that volunteer form, it is critical that you ask the correct questions to ensure that you get the information you need to prepare. We've looked at some of the most crucial aspects of a successful volunteer sign-up form below.

A) Personal Details

Beginning with the most anticipated, post these at the top of your form where they are easiest to discover. Such as include their first and last name, birth date (particularly if some of your professions need specific age groups), gender, and age. While expected, the key component of this point is that they are simply identified and accessible.

B) Describe your organization

Post a paragraph or two about your group and what you do at the beginning of the form. This part provides a warm greeting as well as further background information on your organization. Nonprofit organizations must be cautious about who they accept as volunteers for practical and legal reasons. You don't want a volunteer to bring harm to your organization or its clients. While a volunteer application form should not be your primary means of screening, it is a crucial beginning step.

C) Gather the necessary information to add the candidate to your volunteer file

It is crucial to ask about the rationale for their interest in volunteering. This helps your organization to obtain a better idea of the applicant's level of dedication and what they want to gain so that your organization can strive to make it happen. Perhaps they want to get more active in the community, meet like-minded individuals, or make a difference within the scope of your organization's objective.

D) Qualification & Skillsets

Volunteers are invaluable resources, and you should inquire about their skill sets to see if there are any other ways they can help. Perhaps they have abilities that can be put to use in marketing, accountancy, photography, event organizing, web development, public speaking, etc. You should be aware of this so that your volunteers may assist you with skill-based, pro-bono work.

E) Find out Why They Want to Volunteer

Include a spot on your volunteer application form for the candidate to discuss why they wish to assist with your organization. Their response will offer you a sense of their degree of dedication and enthusiasm in collaborating with your company.

F) Ask for references

References are essential, so request at least one from volunteers. Gather crucial information, such as your name, email address, home address, and phone number. If you're going to do background and credit checks, the nonprofit form should ask for the applicant's birthday and Social Security number, as well as the applicant's birthday and Social Security number. You can request driver's license numbers and any certificates, such as CPR, depending on how your volunteers are expected to assist.

G) Include a section for Available Times

Volunteers frequently need to clock in at specific times to complete their jobs. Inquire with your candidate about the days and times they can work, as well as the number of hours they can work. While you may not utilize them all the time, this information can help you plan volunteer schedules and address coverage gaps.

 H) Contact Details

Consider the simplest method to reach your volunteers, and then request a second or even third point of contact to assure that if one fails, the others will. The most crucial components of this section are phone numbers (and whether text updates are a suitable method to reach them), email addresses, and physical addresses.

Conclusion

A non-profit organization, without a doubt, requires volunteers, but you cannot accept everybody who says they want to assist. Requesting that your candidates complete a volunteer form might assist you in determining whether they are a suitable match for your organization. You may also view their talents and how they relate to the assignments you have available.

The data you collect with these forms will serve to inform and organize your volunteer crew during your event. You will be able to readily obtain the information you require while remaining organized and on top of your event. Download our volunteer application form template to get started, which includes all of these questions and more!