A Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet is a document that is used to track individuals who voluntarily commit themselves to a certain activity or have submitted a volunteer application for participation.
The sheets should include important details such as the name of the person and personal contacts such as an address, phone, and email column. Information in the sheets differs with the use as it can have more columns e.g. age, gender, profession, and other details. The sheets provide a platform where individuals can present their willingness to participate in an event or activity without presenting themselves physically to the relevant department. With the free printable volunteer sign-up sheets, it’s easy to input data and print it to a document version of your own choice.
The sheets contain terms and conditions at the individual’s risk. The use of the volunteer’s private details such as signature, residence details, or identity verification tools is used upon the volunteer’s permission. The law provides a restriction policy on the unlawful use of volunteer’s private information. The organization is liable for any loss or damage to a volunteer’s property and his/her well-being. The volunteer should also comply with the terms and conditions in cases of using the organization’s policy on behalf of the organization or company.
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How to Create a Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet Template
Several things must be included in a volunteer application to keep it easy to fill out and use. These things are essential as they make the sheet useful for you to manage your volunteers.
They include:
Special event details
When preparing a sign-up sheet template, start by providing details about the event. This information is very important, and most volunteers will most probably look at this information to determine if they should volunteer or not. It is important to note that different volunteers have different goals and objectives, and if this doesn’t resonate well with what your organization is trying to achieve, they won’t volunteer for the cause.
Here are the key details about your event that you should include in the volunteer sign up sheet templates:
Name of the organization
At the top of your sheet template, you should put the name of your organization or business as well as your location (if it is different from where the event will be held). This information can help future volunteers know how to get to their event and to know how to find your organization if it is not in the same place.
The events name
Next, you should include the name of your event. Put this information in bold at the center of the template to attract participants’ attention more easily. It is important that the name you choose for your event is easy to remember and defines its purpose.
Date of the event
Next, you should list the date and time of your event in the template. Having this information makes it easier for future volunteers to be aware of the details of their upcoming events. It also helps volunteers make plans to attend your event if they are not available on that day.
Location
Next, you should list the city and state where your event will be held. As a best practice, including the venue’s name (if applicable) or park to help encourage volunteers to make plans to attend ahead of time. A link to Google Maps is also useful for participants who live far away from the location.
Volunteer information
Another important piece of information that you must include in the template is a section where the volunteers will fill out their information.
This section should include the following:
Name
This section is where the volunteers will list their names. You can also request volunteers to indicate their organization’s name and the department that they work with, if applicable.
Job/activity
While the job description should be indicated in the “Event” section, this is where you will ask volunteers if they have any special skills or experience that will make them fit for a particular role. If there are no such requirements by your organization, then simply use this section to indicate what specific jobs are available and which volunteer positions each person can apply for.
Time to begin duty
The time that the volunteer will be joining the organization for duty should also be indicated in this section. Use this to let volunteers know what time they need to begin working. If it is a long and hard event, let them rest beforehand to be more productive when work begins.
Contact information
This is where the contact information of all the relevant parties is provided on the sign-up sheet. This could be the team leader, any other person who will supervise or work with them in an event, the sponsor, and, if possible, a member of your organization who may personally be interested in sharing his experiences with others.
This section can also be where the volunteer provides their contact information. Although it is not usually a requirement, having each volunteer provide their contact information can help you follow up with them even after the event has taken place.
Some of the information that they should fill out in this section includes:
- Address: Their city, state, or home address
- Phone number: They should also provide their phone number and an alternative phone number for easy follow-up
- Email address: It is recommended to have volunteers provide their email addresses, especially if you will be sending them invites for future events or certificates for their participation
How to Present the Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet
There are several basic ways to present the volunteer sign-up sheets. The volunteer coordinator should decide on a style that is easy for people to use and consistent with the volunteer program. Here are some of the best practices to follow when presenting the sheet:
Placing the sign-up sheet at the sign-in table
This is the most common approach. The sheet should be placed at the sign-in table or at another designated place that the volunteers will have to visit before being allocated their duties. By placing the forms where the volunteers can easily access them, it will be easy for most of them to sign and encourage others to sign, thereby ensuring that you have enough volunteers for your event.
Placing the sign-up sheet on a clipboard
The sheet forms should be placed on a clipboard to make it easy for the volunteers to fill in the form. This will also ensure that the forms don’t get damaged or dirty in the process.
Keeping copies behind the sign-in sheet
It is advisable to print and keep copies of the templates behind the sign-in sheet to ensure that you don’t run out of copies when volunteers sign the forms. This will ensure that you get enough volunteers for your event.
Benefits of Volunteer Sign-up Sheet
They present an opportunity for interested persons to test their skills and qualifications on the proposed task posed by the volunteer signup sheets.
Create awareness
When people come across to sign-up as a volunteer, they are made aware that a certain job or activity is going, and they can present themselves even when not participating.
Availability
With the volunteers’ contact information, the coordinator can know their availability and preferred roles. This keeps the important details they need to know at their fingertips.
Convenience
It provides an organized way to collect information at all times in formal and non-formal places for the people’s pleasure.
Social benefits
Volunteers who share common interests connect to share knowledge which is a vital growth of social interactions.
Planning
Allows the volunteer to plan for the activity by confirming the dates and location and planning accordingly.
Protection in Legal Action
Volunteer sign-up sheets contain terms and conditions at the individual’s risk. The use of the volunteer’s private details such as signature, residence details, or identity verification tools is used upon the volunteer’s permission. The law provides a restriction policy on the unlawful use of volunteer’s private information. The organization is liable for any loss or damage to the volunteer’s property and his/her well-being. The volunteer should also comply with the terms and conditions in cases of using the organization’s policy on behalf of the organization or company.
Final Thoughts
Volunteer sign-up sheet templates are an important step in organizing a successful event. The organizers must use these forms to keep track of their volunteers and ensure they get the right manpower for their event. Organizers must be extremely careful when dealing with such forms as they contain sensitive details of the volunteers. The data contained in these forms must be secured at all times since it can get into the wrong hands and cause public embarrassment or, even worse, a lawsuit.
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