Volunteer Website Resources & FAQs
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Are you looking for volunteer opportunities? On our website, you can search for volunteer opportunities, browse organizations, and use tools to self-report hours and get email organizations. We are excited about your interest and look forward to bringing volunteer opportunities in New York City to you!
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Thank you! Be sure to check your email for the next steps.
FAQs
The following answers are based on using a desktop to access your account. We recommend accessing your organization’s account from a desktop on Google Chrome or another browser. If you’re having trouble accessing your account on a mobile device or tablet, contact us at nycservice@cityhall.nyc.gov.
Why register and make an account?
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By creating a volunteer account, you can sign up or express interest for volunteer opportunities, track your volunteer hours, view your scheduled volunteer projects, and manage your attendance. Each organization you volunteer with can verify your volunteer hours and you can keep track of them in one place.
What information is required to create an account?
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Volunteers are required to enter their name, date of birth, ZIP code, and email address. Other information such as demographics and schedule can be added to your profile, but are not required.
Is there an age requirement to volunteer?
- Age requirements vary by organization and opportunity. View the opportunity’s description for age requirements. You can also search for opportunities appropriate for specific ages or families.
- Youth must be 13 years or older to register a volunteer account on nyc.gov/service.
I forgot my password. What should I do?
- Reset your password by clicking the "LOG IN" icon on the top right corner. Click "Forgot your password?" Enter your email address and click "EMAIL LINK." An email will be sent to you with a temporary password.
How do I look for volunteer opportunities?
- Look for volunteer opportunities on the search page here. You can use the filter and sort function to the left of the page and search using (a) keyword(s). To learn more about the volunteer opportunity, click the opportunity name (in blue). To learn more about the organization sponsoring the volunteer opportunity, click the organization name (in blue).
I want to sign up or express interest in a volunteer opportunity. What should I do?
- First, you must register an account as a volunteer here. Search for volunteer opportunities on the search page here. Click a volunteer opportunity that interests you to learn more. Then click the "SIGN UP" or the "EXPRESS INTEREST" button toward the bottom left. There may be an option to sign up or express interest with a team which will appear to the right of the button.
- If you click "SIGN UP," you will automatically be signed up for the volunteer opportunity and the opportunity leader will be notified via email.
- If you click "EXPRESS INTEREST," the opportunity leader will be notified of your interest via email.
I want to learn more about the volunteer opportunity before I sign up or express interest. How can I reach out to the opportunity leader to learn more about the volunteer opportunity?
- When you click on a volunteer opportunity, there will be a contact next to "Opportunity Leader" toward the bottom of the page. To the right of the contact name, click "Click here to email this contact." From there, enter your name, email address, the subject of the email, and your message to the opportunity leader. They will be notified of your message via email.
I expressed interest in a volunteer opportunity, when will I hear back or be confirmed?
- When you click "express interest" for a volunteer opportunity, the organization is notified via email with your name and email address. It is up to the organization to reach out to you, confirm you, or decline you.
- If you have not heard back from the organization, try emailing the organization using the "Click here to email this contact" next to the opportunity coordinator in the volunteer opportunity page.
I signed up for a volunteer opportunity, but I now wish to remove myself. How do I remove myself from a volunteer opportunity?
- First, ensure that you are logged in. When you are logged in, navigate to the Overview page (found in the dropdown under the "My Account" tab). Navigate to the volunteer opportunity (under "Upcoming Opportunities") that you wish to remove yourself from. Click "Remove Me" toward the right end of the volunteer opportunity.
I have been waitlisted for a volunteer opportunity. Now what?
- If and when space opens up for the volunteer opportunity, you will be notified via email. To secure your spot for the volunteer opportunity, log in to your account, and sign up for the opportunity. These are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
I signed up for a volunteer opportunity, but I did not receive a confirmation email. What should I do?
- Any volunteer opportunity that you sign up for will appear on your Overview page (found in the dropdown under the "My Account" tab). To access it, you must be logged in to the site. If you successfully signed up for the volunteer opportunity, it will be listed under "Upcoming Opportunities."
- If you successfully signed up for the volunteer opportunity, an email should have been sent to the email registered with your account. Check your spam folders or other inbox folders for the confirmation email. Be sure to add nycservice@cityhall.nyc.gov to your email address book.
How do I see my volunteer history?
- Be sure that you are logged in. Under "Volunteer History with NYC Service" in the Overview page (found in the dropdown under the "My Account" tab), you will see a list of previous volunteer opportunities that you have signed up for.
- Click "Print Volunteer History" at the bottom of the table to view more details, download, and print your history.
I volunteered at an opportunity but the hours for the opportunity say "0." When will the hours be updated?
- Under "Volunteer History with NYC Service" in the Overview page, click "Report Hours" to the right of the opportunity. Enter the number of hours that you served for that opportunity, then click "SAVE."
- This will become unverified hours for you. The organization will be notified of your request via email. The organization will then need to log in and verify the hours that you reported.
- Once the organization has verified your reported hours, the hours they entered for you (which may differ from the hours that you reported) will be shown along with text that says "Verified."
I volunteered with an organization, but the volunteer opportunity was not posted on nyc.gov/service. Can I still add those volunteer hours to my volunteer history in my account?
- Yes! Be sure you are logged in. Navigate to the Self-Report Hours page (found in the dropdown under the "My Account" tab). Here you can select the organization from a dropdown, select whether it was date and time specific opportunity or on a regular schedule, give the volunteer opportunity a name, select the date and times of service, and click "SUBMIT" for review by the organization. The organization will not be notified. We recommend emailing [title] of your request.
- Your self-reported hours will appear under "Self-Reported Hours" in the Overview page along with the status "Awaiting Verification."
- Once the organization has verified your self-reported hours, the hours they entered for you (which may differ from the hours that you self-reported) will be shown along with text that says "-Verified." The opportunity and hours will remain under the "Self-Reported Hours" Section of the Overview page.
Videos
Short clips and recordings demonstrating how to use the site coming soon!
Terms of Use
To the fullest extent permitted by Law, the Volunteer shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the City, including its officials and employees, against any and all claims (even if the allegations of the claim are without merit), judgments for damages on account of any injuries or death to any person or damage to any property, and costs and expenses to which the City or its officials or employees, may be subject to or which they may suffer or incur allegedly arising out of any of the operations of the Sponsor and/or its volunteers under this Agreement. Insofar as the facts or Law relating to any of the foregoing would preclude the City or its officials or employees from being completely indemnified by the Volunteer, Sponsor, the City and its officials and employees shall be partially indemnified by the Sponsor to the fullest extent permitted by Law.
Volunteers must be at least 13 years of age to create a profile due to the Federal Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
A volunteer opportunity posting or organization on this site does not create any agency or partnership between the Sponsor and the City of New York.
Disclaimer: A contribution to any organization will not affect any business dealings with the City or provide special access to City officials.
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