Overview

Many cities, counties, and special districts have recognized the advantage of utilizing the skills of its community members in volunteer programs. Such programs can increase the quality and quantity of public services at a minimal cost, and provide an opportunity for citizens to contribute to the betterment of their community, creating a sense of ownership and pride.

According to Volunteering and Civic Life in America, a U.S. government website, in 2012 Americans volunteered a total of almost 8 billion hours, an estimated economic value of roughly $175 billion. In 2012 Washington State is reported to have an average annual volunteer rate of 35.5%, with 1.95 million volunteers serving 254.0 million hours of service. The value is $5.6 billion of service contributed. For more Washington statistics on volunteer service see Volunteering and Civic Engagement in Washington.

With tight fiscal conditions, more local governments may be thinking about recruiting volunteers. This page provides background articles, legal references, a few examples of the dollar value placed on volunteers by some of our local governments, links to volunteer opportunity programs of Washington local governments, and tools to create volunteer programs. The three items cited below provide an overview to the topic.

• Corporation for National and Community Service - A federal agency
  • Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act - The Serve America Act reauthorizes and expands national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) by amending the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973.
• Build a Successful Volunteer Program to Drive Growth and Recovery, by Michelle Nunn, InFocus, Vol. 42, No. 2, 2010 International City and County Management Association - Publisher Description
• Why Now Is a Good Time to Invest in Volunteer Activation - This article is an excerpt from the ICMA website

Legal References

• Federal Volunteer Protection Act of 1997
• 29 C.F.R. 553, Subpart B - Application of the Fair Labor Standards Act to Employees of State and Local Governments - Volunteers
  • Department of Labor laws Fair Labor Standards Act Advisor - Volunteers
• RCW 4.24.670 - Liability of volunteers of nonprofit or governmental entities
• RCW 35.21.278 - Contracts with community service organizations for public improvements - Limitations
• RCW 51.12.035 - Volunteers (Industrial Insurance)
• RCW 43.101.200 - (Law Enforcement Personnel Training) Exempts "volunteers" and "reserve officers" from the requirement that law enforcement personnel must complete basic law enforcement training
• Minimum Wage Act Applicability, Policy ES. A. 1, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Employment Standards Administrative Policy - See Section 6.d, Exclusions - Volunteers

Value of Volunteer Time

• Measuring Volunteering: A Practical Toolkit, Independent Sector, 2001 - This handbook, produced jointly by Independent Sector and United National Volunteers, is designed to empower countries to produce their own data to underpin policy measures related to volunteering
• Independent Sector's Value of Volunteer Time
• Volunteering in America: Information on Volunteering and Civic Engagement, U.S. Office of Inspector General - Provides volunteering trends, statistics, tools, resources, and information for the nation, U.S. regions, states, and major cities
  • Volunteering in Washington - Provides statistics for Washington state
• Issaquah Volunteerism in 2013 Sustainable City Report
• Sammamish PRO Plan 2012, Chapter 9 Volunteers & Partnerships
• Seattle MSA (Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue) Volunteering and Civic Engagement in Seattle, WA, Volunteering in America, 2012 data
• Vancouver Urban Forestry Annual Program Report 2012 - Report discusses the role of volunteers in the Urban Forest Program

Washington Local Government Volunteer Programs

The websites listed below illustrate the variety of volunteer opportunities and programs. A few jurisdictions post event calendars and some include volunteer events for the entire community. A number of jurisdictions provide links to other organizations in the community seeking volunteers.

• Bellevue Volunteering - Bellevue offers positions for teens to seniors in positions ranging from civic engagement to parks and recreation. The site lists volunteer possibilities by category, provides links to city's current volunteer needs, volunteer orientation presentation, volunteer guide, and place to sign up for updates.
• Federal Way Volunteering in Federal Way - Emphasizes the importance of volunteering and lists current opportunities
• Kirkland Volunteer Program - Volunteers assist city staff in all departments enhancing services to the Kirkland community by restoring the natural vegetation in city parks, supporting the city council in legislative matters, assisting with special events, and providing office support. Website provides a page of volunteer opportunities with brief write-ups on each.
• Kitsap County Get Involved in your community as a Kitsap County volunteer! - Arranges information by type of audience and provides a brief summary for each. It addresses what volunteers can do and the benefits that can received. The audience categories are youth, adults, college student interns, high school students, and groups such as church, community service, support, military, youth and business groups.
• Lacey Volunteer Opportunities - Notes that volunteers contributed over 10,000 hours of community service. In addition to boards and commissions, the page provides links to animal services, community projects, and the WIN! (Work Involvement Now!) program tailored specifically for youth groups and student classes looking to broaden their volunteer experience.
• Lakewood Volunteering - Provides both city and community opportunities for volunteering, including Lakewood Promise and Emergency Shelter (Emergency Management) volunteers
• Mercer Island Volunteer Opportunities - In addition to boards and commissions, volunteer opportunities listed include Youth and Family Services (YFS), the parks and recreation department, Volunteer Outreach in Communities Everywhere (VOICE), the Summer Volunteer Program (SVP), and emergency preparedness.
• Puyallup Volunteer Opportunities - A comprehensive website that provides information on how to volunteer including, Eagle Scout projects in the city, job shadow requests, and student volunteer requirements. Links to city opportunities include boards and commissions, the public library, parks and recreation, police VIPs, Metro Animal Control and Adoptions, the Puyallup Activity Center, and the city hall Visitor Services Station. The site also lists other organizations in the community seeking volunteers including Puyallup Main Street.
• Seattle Volunteering and Donating - An extensive program that includes both the city and community volunteer needs. The site provides an event calendar and a volunteer blog.
• Snohomish County Volunteer Opportunities - Website provides descriptive list of volunteer opportunities, particularly in public works and human services related areas. The Surface Water Management Division provides a calendar of upcoming events that includes volunteer opportunities.

Examples of Application and Agreement Forms

• Federal Way Volunteer Profile
• Lakewood
  • Volunteer Service Agreement - Requirements, instructions, time sheets required for L&I coverage, waiver of liability and criminal background check
  • Adopt -A-Site
  • Adopt -A- Street
• Kirkland Ongoing Volunteer Application
• Kitsap County Volunteer Application Form
• Sammamish Agreement Regarding Individual Volunteer Service
• Seattle Parks and Recreation: Recreation Volunteer Registration and Service Agreement and Green Space Volunteer Sign-up
• Skamania County Facilities and Recreation Department Agreement Regarding Individual Volunteer Service with Skamania County
• Tukwila Volunteer Tukwila - Includes Volunteer Packet, Group Application to Volunteer, Community Service Application (court appointed or high school/college credit), Boards & Commissions Application
• Vancouver Fire Corps Volunteer Application
• Woodinville Volunteer Agreement

Examples of Manuals, Guides, and Policies

• Auburn Volunteer Handbook
• Clallam County Sheriff Community Policing How Do I Volunteer - Includes Application and Volunteer Manual
• Lakewood Volunteer Handbook
• Mercer Island Parks and Recreation Department Volunteer Policies and Procedures Manual
• National Center for State Courts Volunteers Resource Guide
• Research Update: Making the Most of Volunteers, by Athanassios Strigas, Parks and Recreation, April 2006 (Available through MRSC Library Loan)
• Sultan Volunteer Policy - Includes application and agreement
• Woodinville
  • Volunteer Policies and Procedures
  • Volunteer Orientation Handbook

Background Checks

• RCW 43.43.830 - .845 - Child/Adult Abuse Information Act
• Recommended Guidelines for Background Checks, National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) , 2013

Examples of Disclosure Forms

• Bellevue Parks and Recreation Disclosure Form
• Kirkland Background Release Form
• Seattle Parks and Recreation Consent to Release Information and Release from Liability - Part of volunteer packet
• Seattle Public Schools Volunteer Screening Form
• Thurston County Parks Applicant Disclosure Form

Recommended Resources

• Corporation for National Community Service - Federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through its core programs
  • Programs - Programs include Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps*VISTA, AmeriCorps NCCC, Learn and Serve America
  • Volunteering and Civic Life in America
• Fire Corps - One of five partner programs under Citizen Corps, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's grassroots strategy to bring together government and community leaders to involve citizens in all-hazards emergency preparedness and resilience
• Independent Sector - A leadership network for nonprofits, foundations, and corporations committed to advancing the common good. Our nonpartisan coalition’s networks collectively represent tens of thousands of organizations and individuals locally, nationally, and globally - See Resources - Provides the Independent Sector's Value of Volunteer Time
• National Association of Volunteer Programs in Local Government (NAVPLG)
• Serve.Gov - Online resource for finding volunteer opportunities in your community and creating your own. Serve.gov is managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service
• Volunteers in the Police Services (VIPS)
• Volunteer Today: An Electronic Gazette
• ServeWashington, Washington Commission for National and Community Service - Implements AmeriCorps programs