Volunteer Onboarding

This template tracks new and returning volunteers from first interest to actively serving — a fit for any organization that recruits volunteers for events, programs, or ongoing roles.

Why use it

Most volunteer programs lose people in the quiet gap between "I'd love to help" and their first shift. This flow keeps every applicant visible, so a warm welcome, the paperwork, and the first assignment all happen while the enthusiasm is still fresh.

What it covers

• New applicant — a prospective volunteer expresses interest and enters the board.
• Contact — reaching out to someone who applied through a form or a referral, confirming their interest and availability, and interviewing or checking references where the role calls for it. If you already spoke to the person, skip this and send the paperwork straight away. This is where you decide which of the next two steps the role needs.
• Documents and agreements — collecting whatever forms your organization requires, such as a volunteer agreement, confidentiality form, or waiver. Roles with no paperwork skip this step.
• Background check — role-appropriate screening for volunteers working with minors or vulnerable populations. Roles that don't need one skip straight to training.
• Orientation and training — welcoming the volunteer and preparing them for their role.
• First shift — scheduled and waiting for the day. A reminder before and a check-in after keep the momentum.
• Active volunteer — onboarded and serving. This is your live roster: it shows under the All Active filter and stays open for as long as the person volunteers.
• Former volunteer — served and moved on. Thank them and keep the record; they are your best returning volunteers and references.
• Referred to partner — someone who lives outside your service area or is a better match for a partner organization. Their record stays with you, and the referral counts separately from drop-offs in your reports.

Returning volunteers can skip straight to orientation, or to a fresh background check if their last one has lapsed. Applicants who drop off, decline, or are screened out land in a clear closed stage — with the option to reopen if they come back later.

Already-active volunteers can come back into the flow too. Use the transitions on Active volunteer to send someone to extra training or a fresh background check when a role changes or a screening lapses — without starting them over as a new applicant. They return straight to Active volunteer when done, and move to Former volunteer when they step down.

Paperwork and the background check are there when you need them

Both steps match the role, not a blanket rule. Volunteers headed for supervised, low-risk roles can move on without them, and you can remove either step entirely if your organization never needs it.

→ New to templates? See Using templates for how to create a workflow from one and make it yours.