Working With Volunteers

Volunteers form, by far, the largest portion of the Social Good Fund project workforce. Volunteers do not and should not receive compensation for their time.

We ask that every volunteer complete and sign a Volunteer Waiver Form and that you submit completed/signed waiver forms to us. The exception is that the project director, if working on a volunteer basis, does not need to complete a volunteer waiver. Please keep all original, signed copies on file. The volunteer waiver can be found here: SGF VOLUNTEER WAIVER.

ALL SIGNED Waivers must be submitted to Social Good Fund using the Volunteer Waiver Submission Form on the Member’s Portal.

Who Is/Isn’t A Volunteer?

A volunteer is anyone working on your project without receiving compensation for their efforts (including, in many cases, the project director).

Volunteers cannot and should not receive compensation of any kind for their work, including “in kind” benefits or items of value. The reason for this is that anyone who is being compensated for their work is classified as either an employee or an independent contractor, and all the legal and tax ramifications of the appropriate category will apply (minimum wage, tax withholding/reporting requirements, etc.)

Volunteers can, if you choose and with your prior approval, be reimbursed for their out-of-pocket expenses related to work on your project. You can provide food at volunteer events, and may, if you choose, provide very nominal “thank you” gifts in recognition of your volunteers. Thank you gifts cannot be cash or gift cards/gift certificates. When considering giving thank you gifts to volunteers, please also note that “nominal” is not specifically defined by the IRS. For a gift to be considered “nominal,” the value of the gift must be reasonably proportionate to the volunteer’s work on your project. For example, it would be reasonable to consider a bouquet of flowers valued at $75 to be a nominal gift for a volunteer who has volunteered 100+ hours of their time. However, a $75 bouquet of flowers would not be considered a nominal gift for a volunteer who has volunteered for 1 hour. Taking these examples into consideration, please use your best judgment if you decide to provide thank you gifts to your volunteers.

You can and should educate your volunteers about the proper code of conduct and safety when representing your project out in the world (this may vary somewhat depending on your project’s work). To avoid potential misunderstandings or conflicts, be clear about what is expected of them. Of course, it is also a great idea to show appreciation to your volunteers so that they will continue to stay engaged in the work.

If an adult volunteer is regularly working with youth or other vulnerable population (eg. seniors) the volunteer must submit to a background check. See below.